I need a new rifle

[craiger40]

Hey fellas,

I am in search of another rifle and would like some input. I am looking for a rifle that has a 26"+ barrel. I am looking at just about any caliber less than 338. I am thinking less than 900$ probably m700,m70,Savage,or the likes.I am thinking varmint type rig but not for sure. Rifles i already have are:

Bushmaster Ar-15 223
Savage 110 243 winchester
Savage 110 7mm rem mag
Weatherby vanguard 30-06
Winchester m70 300 wsm
Remington 700 338 Ultra mag

I would really like a bolt gun. I do have a favorite so far and that is a 700 SPS varmint in 243 winchester or 700 SPS 300 RUM. I know there are lots of great rifles and i dont have experience with all of them so your experience and advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks , Craig

 

[corbin9191]

For a good varmit gun there is alway the 243wssm, or the 22-250.

 

[old #7]

Buy a varmint upper assembly for your AR-15
Or buy a 6.8 spc upper
Or the 450 thumper upper

Seriously the free floating varminter upper assembly will be a tack driver.
A two stage trigger would make it even nicer. The best part is your upper will install in about 10 seconds. The trigger takes about a hour to install and adjust but is very simple to do.

 

[quickdeath]

hi,,,look into the remington 700 sps in 7mm-08,,,only a 24 inch barrel,,,very accurate,,,also look into the savage 10 fp in 308,,,heavy 24 inch bull barrel,accu-trigger,,,the most accurate rifle i own,,,also the 338's are top notched,,,i have a ruger and a browning a-bolt medallion,,,very hard hitting on both game and your shoulder,,very accurate also,,,take your time,,,fondle each one and i'm sure you'll find one you like,,, :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[FOTIS]

What are you wanting to shoot with it?

Either way, call Effie at the Savage custom shop and have her built you a custom. I got mine in 300 RUM flavor and shoots like mad! Also cost me way less than 900 bucks. Best deal in town.

here is mine

 

[craiger40]

old #7,

I have the 24" heavy varmint upper for the bushmaster and i am telling ya it will shoot less than 1" at 250 yards. I am just looking for something a little different flavor or proven classics and all input is great.

 

[old #7]

How about a 280 it's right in the middle of the 243 and the 300rum.
load it with 120 bt's for varmints or up 175 gr Pt's for big game.
you won't be dissapointed with the round.
IMO the 280 will fit your different flavor catagory well and it will become a classic some day.
I have a Rem 700 ltd in 280 and it shoots great for under $900.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

That's a pretty nice spread of bolt guns as it is.....I would probably be looking to mix it up with something a little different, maybe a bigbore lever gun, I hear you got some pigs down there in Texas??
Maybe something super accurate, like a tricked out .308?
That 6.8 spc sounds like lots of fun as well....

 

[craiger40]

Hey fellas,

Great ideas guys,big bore lever gun or 280 both sound ideal. Any ideas as to makes, models ?

 

[Big Squeeze]

Hey fellas,

Great ideas guys,big bore lever gun or 280 both sound ideal. Any ideas as to makes, models ?

...................With the exception of a 270, 280, and 8mm, it seems that you have everything well covered from the 338 on down!

With that stated, I believe that any additions, close to your already existing calibers would imo, be more of a waste of money and certainly overlap in hunting capabilities with what you already have.

Therefore! GO UP! A bigger bore? Some shorter range fun and ooooomph?.............A .375 perhaps? A 458 Win Mag. or 458 Lott?
A 450 Marlin lever for some added variety vs a bolt?

I`m not particularly a longer barreled rifle fan and do prefer the lighter, shorter and handier compacts without compromising alot of velocity loss or killing energy. They are alot of fun to carry, to shoot and are especially fun and a blast to hunt with.

26" + barrel? Can`t help ya there, as I do own a 300 WSM Ruger Frontier compact, a 20" 375 Ruger Alaskan, which I`m selling to my neighbor for what I paid and replacing it with a new 20" Howa M1500 .375 Ruger when it arrives now,, in Feb `09. And, I also ordered a new 20" 450 Marlin BLR takedown which will arrive soon.

Regardless of your barrel length preference, a 375, a 458, or both, based on what you already have, would be my choices to further explore if I were you.......Imo, it is money better spent and would enhance your inventory with more variety.

Of course if you don`t want a larger bore, then you should pick something in the 270, 280 or 8mm.........Or get all three!

 

[R Flowers]

Big Squeeze is right, why not go bigger? I recently bought a new Remington XCR in .375 H&H and am having lots of fun checking out loads for it and dreaming of Africa.

But if you do not want to go bigger, why not a new Remington 700 LSS in .257 Weatherby? It has a 26 inch barrel and would be lots of fun, I think. I have two Remington 700 Classics chambered in Weatherby calibers and they are great rifles.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

For Big bore's, my favorite, when you can find it....and afford it, is the Winchester 1895 in .405 Winchester....In more realistic terms, Marlin makes a nice pair of 1895's....The 1895M with and 18" barrel, and 4 rounds of 450 Marlin, and then there is the Marlin 1895 Cowboy with a 26" barrel, and 9 rounds of 45-70. Either one would spell nightmare for a Texas pig.

 

[kraky]

I don't see any lightweight rifles up there on your inventory. How about a tikka t-3. You can buy one in a 300 win mag and get a free 30-06 and a free 308. YUP--I got one and it's one of my favorite rifles. Weighs 7#2oz with a burris ballistic plex scope. I have a mild 150 grain load that shoots 2800 fps and drives tacks. I have a 180 gr. load that cranks 3000 fps and has shot a 5 shot/1"/300 yd group.
When downloaded it's cheap to load using 58-60 grains of powder and the same bullets your '06 uses. Bottom line is you can accurately load this rifle to duplicate anything from a 308 to a 30-06 to the 300 win mag it is!

 

[buckfever]

I like R Flowers idea the 257 Wby would be lots of fun.

 

[Woodycreek]

I would really like a bolt gun. I do have a favorite so far and that is a 700 SPS varmint in 243 winchester or 700 SPS 300 RUM

I have both of these rifles and they both are shooters! The 243 SPS will shoot under half inch at 100 and 200 yards all day long with 70gr BTs(yote poison)and 42 grains of Varget. The 300 RUM likes 200gr Accubonds and RL-25. I paid $500 for the 243 and $475 for the 300 RUM both new in the box.

 

[smokey262]

How about turning one of your Savages into something new?

How about a 7 or 8 twist 243? Or a 22-250?

Shilen Stainless Select Match barrel $269
Aftermarket recoil lug $30
Aftermarket Bell Carlson Duramaxx stock $110
Bedding at home $10
Leupold VX-II 6x18x40 $429
---------------------------------------------------------
$848

For another $125 you can have the action timed and trued

Sell the parts you take off for maybe $100 and there you go

 

[baltz526]

buy a remington 798 have a match 28" 6.5-06 barrel installed 130gr AccuBond and rl22 looks interesting. of course that is what i would like to do. might not work for you

 

[craiger40]

kraky,

Hey tell me more about the tikka, Is the three guns some sort of a deal tika has going?

 

[kraky]

I thought I'd get your interest. There are not "free guns" so to speak...my point was that if you buy a 300 win mag and can load for it you can load it to be identical to a 308....identical to a 30-06 and load it for the 300 win mag it is. Here in Wis our whitetail hunt is done in heavy woods where shots are not over 100 yds....I load it down to a 308 so as not to wreck the good eating part of the deer.

I love my new tikka...it's super light wt and has a super smooth bolt and crisp trigger. For the price I think it's the highest value gun you can buy. AND....for what it can do I think 300 win mag is probably the most versatile of calibers you can buy.

 

[craiger40]

Kraky,

I agree a 300 win mag is an excellent cartridge. But i already have a 300WSM That i just love, I also have a 30-06. I have looked at the tikka and sako's and have no complaints.