Ok , Kimber- Sako- winchester- Sauer- Tikka- or any other
- Thread starter Spruster
- Start date
Rem700 - Still a reliable platform. Most factory rifles are descent shooters. The only mechanical problem Remington ever really suffered was some of the worst triggers in history. Great receiver for a build.
Win70 - Let's pretend the push-feeds never existed. Get a pre64 or one of the new runs. Great rifles.
Sako - The older L61, A2, A5, 75, and 85 rifles are great. Don't be suckered by the rants about the 85M not ejecting as this was not a consistent issue with all rifles and usually had more to do with extended turrets. Skip the A7, S20, and 100s.
Kimber - Get ready for Kimber Roulette. These rifles are hit and miss when it comes to accuracy and breaking parts.
Weatherby - Skip the Vanguards. The Accumark is a good rifle but they tend to be rather heavy.
Tikka - The old M55 rifles are great. The new T3s are reliable shooters but they are nothing special. Good bang for buck.
Browning - There are a few bad rifles in any batch but most Browning rifles tend to be decent shooters. My only hang up is the bolt on the last couple generations of rifles; I just don't like them, but they shoot well.
Avoid Savage and Mossberg.
Win70 - Let's pretend the push-feeds never existed. Get a pre64 or one of the new runs. Great rifles.
Sako - The older L61, A2, A5, 75, and 85 rifles are great. Don't be suckered by the rants about the 85M not ejecting as this was not a consistent issue with all rifles and usually had more to do with extended turrets. Skip the A7, S20, and 100s.
Kimber - Get ready for Kimber Roulette. These rifles are hit and miss when it comes to accuracy and breaking parts.
Weatherby - Skip the Vanguards. The Accumark is a good rifle but they tend to be rather heavy.
Tikka - The old M55 rifles are great. The new T3s are reliable shooters but they are nothing special. Good bang for buck.
Browning - There are a few bad rifles in any batch but most Browning rifles tend to be decent shooters. My only hang up is the bolt on the last couple generations of rifles; I just don't like them, but they shoot well.
Avoid Savage and Mossberg.
I've never heard of them being a problem, just personal preference. The one I tried couldn't be set too low but that's not an issue for a hunting rifle
I inadvertently excluded a few:
Skip the Rem710, Rem783, and any other economy line outside of the Model Seven and 700.
Ruger - The Hawkeyes and 77s are good rifles, mostly well made and reasonable shooters. Avoid the tang safety models. Skip the American; I can't believe Ruger turned out such a piece of junk.
Steyr - I prefer the older models. The new rifles have good barrels and tend to be reasonable shooters but the stocks are junk and I really do not like their tang safety. Very overpriced rifles with crappy stocks.
CZ - Too many models and design changes. Rather than tweak one model and perfect the idea they reinvent the wheel every couple of years. I like the 557 but have no love for the new 600.
SIG - Overpriced for a shelf gun and marketed for the trailer park tactical crowd.
Benelli - They make beautiful shotguns. Skip their bolt rifles.
Bergara - A little rough in finishing but not a bad entry into the Rem700 clone. Good rifles but I would rather have an older Remington.
Marlin - Their old levers were well made, can't comment on the new models.
Henry - Nice rifles, if you like the levers, but way overpriced for what they offer. But, they tend to shoot well.
Christensen - Nice Remington clone but another overpriced clone. They are given a bit of flash with the cerakote but that is nothing more than lipstick on a pig.
Fierce - Nice rifles, whether the Remington or Sako clones, but ridiculously overpriced. Flashy paint jobs distract the buyer that wants to look cool in the field. If you are a 13 year old boy that is distracted by Air Jordans, then these are the rifles for you.
Anschutz - Beautiful rifles but heavy and costly.
H-S Precision - Probably the most expensive Remington clone. They make a good rifle, the accuracy is there, and their stocks are excellent but way too expensive for what they offer. Further ahead to build a custom on a 700 action.
FN - Nice rifles. The old ones were reliable and inexpensive.
Thompson Center - Their single shots were reliable but the bolt guns rank alongside Ruger American and Savage Axis rifles.
While I'd never mention one in a "best choice" thread, I'm pretty sure I've passed the 1000 round mark on Ruger American Ranch and Predator rifles in 223, 300blk, 7.62x39 and 6.5cm. No issues of any kind.
If they are junk, I haven't seen it in any way at all, but then I've only shot about 6 of them so far. Gun prices are nuts right now but they can still be found at a good deal...good value for the money. Kudos to Ruger for getting them onto the market, from me.
If they are junk, I haven't seen it in any way at all, but then I've only shot about 6 of them so far. Gun prices are nuts right now but they can still be found at a good deal...good value for the money. Kudos to Ruger for getting them onto the market, from me.
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I’d take a sako a7 over any Remington 700 ever made
Ruger Americans shoot well. The inexplicably low comb on the stock and terrible molded plastic rotary mag really kill it for me. The m77 was once a reasonably priced rifle; it’s a serviceable model 70 clone but holy smokes are they asking a lot for one these days. I’d wish they came with polymer stocks that weren’t hogues but it would probably be the one from the ruger American.
Ruger Americans shoot well. The inexplicably low comb on the stock and terrible molded plastic rotary mag really kill it for me. The m77 was once a reasonably priced rifle; it’s a serviceable model 70 clone but holy smokes are they asking a lot for one these days. I’d wish they came with polymer stocks that weren’t hogues but it would probably be the one from the ruger American.
They've been replaced with a double stack mag that center feeds. Its an improvement over the rotary mag. Except, I think the 223 ones.
The synthetic stocks the 77 Hawkeyes used to come in were nice. Pretty stiff stock...Looks like the Ultralights still have them? But I hear you, the cost is nuts
Ruger Americans aren't refined, they are built to a price point although these days they seem overpriced, like everything else. But they do operate just fine and are accurate. At least my 7 Ruger Americans in .223 do. They take a few rounds to smooth the bolt and at 10K rounds the bolt stop snaps and you need to replace the $12 part. That's my experience with them, anyway.
My friend has no problem hitting a 8" gong with a Ruger American at 625 yards, and she only started really shooting a couple of years ago. Granted it's tougher when the wind picks up as 55gr bullets sure get pushed at that range. But the 75 gr bullets make things much easier.
My friend has no problem hitting a 8" gong with a Ruger American at 625 yards, and she only started really shooting a couple of years ago. Granted it's tougher when the wind picks up as 55gr bullets sure get pushed at that range. But the 75 gr bullets make things much easier.
Got 2 Sako’s and 4 Tikka’s. All shoot really good. But what I love is the action. Bolts feel like they’re riding on ball bearings. I’ve had trouble with the Tikka T3 and T3x plastic mags. Wore out 2 of them on my 204R. So I got a metal aftermarket mag from Waters Rifleman. Pricey, but this one won’t wear out.
I think people confuse cheap with junk to oftenWhile I'd never mention one in a "best choice" thread, I'm pretty sure I've passed the 1000 round mark on Ruger American Ranch and Predator rifles in 223, 300blk, 7.62x39 and 6.5cm. No issues of any kind.
If they are junk, I haven't seen it in any way at all, but then I've only shot about 6 of them so far. Gun prices are nuts right now but they can still be found at a good deal...good value for the money. Kudos to Ruger for getting them onto the market, from me.
For me it boils down to a few things:
1- I prefer hinged floorplates on hunting rifles over DBMs, which rules out a lot of guns from being #1 for me;
2- I prefer a bolt release that isn't located in front of the trigger, which rules out the Rem 700 without having one put in;
3- I prefer the 3-position safety, specifically the M70 safety - it's right where I want it to be and works exactly how I want it to work;
4- Lots of scope mounting options (no proprietary mounting) so I can choose 1 or 2 piece bases with rings or a ringmount system;
5- I'm fine with fancy finishes/coatings but for a do-all kill-stick, my preference is plain stainless.
It just checks the most boxes at once. I think Kimbers can check all those boxes too but I've never owned one.
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