Introduction and looking for options on hunting rifles.

K

KillDozerForPrimeMinister

New member
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Location
Annapolis Valley, NS
Hello all,
I hail from Nova Scotia and have been hunting for small game and whitetail since childhood. My first deer rifle was a sporterized P-14 in .303 British and then 3 years ago I bought my first new deer rifle which was a Savage Axis. I was working on a budget as I was fresh out of trade school. And I’ve had nothing but problems out of this rifle.

Now the question at hand I’m looking to upgrade my current rifle setup and I want something nicer. Trying to keep it around the 2000$ mark on the rifle. I have a few things I do want out of this rifle and would love some of your opinions.

With the following criteria what rifle option would you recommend?

Budget: $2000 and under for bare rifle

Needs:
.308 win cartridge
Below 9lbs with scope

Wants:
Synthetic stock with comb height adjustment would be nice
Ability to upgrade parts down the road if I find something it lacks
Cerakoted or stainless action and barrel

Current options I have found that peak my interest:
Tikka T3x Tactical
Remington 700 Tactical
Weatherby Mark V

Any insite or help would be very much appreciated
 
Last edited:
Surprised I'm the first to reply here...

First, just want to confirm you're only looking at bolt action rifles, right? That's just what it sounds like from what you wrote.

Second, are you only considering new rifles? Availability can be an issue, and you have more options if you consider used as well.
 
I'd forgo the heavy barrel and not carry the weight for nothing, and make it a regular Tikka T3x Lite Stainless. Just me though.

Put the rest of the money into glass.
 
fellow scotian here, I'd keep the money in hand and keep an eye on gun post for NS. You can find all of these on there eventually and worst case scenario just save the 15% tax

There was also a ruger american predator in a magpull chassis on the EE. not sure if its still around.
 
nomad 68 said:
You don't need heft in a hunting rifle for NS big game. Heavy barrelled rifles are horrible to carry all day.
Click to expand...

100%

Not like you need em to be accurate, and they're janky to use offhand if you have to. Shooting off a rest you'll do just as well with a sporter contour.

Not my rifle tho.
 
alpining said:
Surprised I'm the first to reply here...

First, just want to confirm you're only looking at bolt action rifles, right? That's just what it sounds like from what you wrote.

Second, are you only considering new rifles? Availability can be an issue, and you have more options if you consider used as well.
Click to expand...

Absolutely bolt action only, and used is fine for sure.
 
Winchester M70 or Kimber. Both are available in (more or less) the configuration you’re looking for. Those would be my preference anyway. Tikkas shoot great, but lots of plastic and you need to spend big bucks to get a decent stock. Aftermarket support is good for Tikka, but other than a decent trigger, what aftermarket parts to you really need?
 
Last edited:
KillDozerForPrimeMinister said:
...Synthetic stock with comb height adjustment would be nice...
Click to expand...

I haven't looked but I expect it might be hard to find a sporter profile rifle with an adjustable comb. Even finding an adjustable comb stock to swap onto a sporter barreled action might be tough, because the barrel channel might only be available for a mid or heavy profile barrel. There are a couple of sporters that come with swappable comb pieces, but the ones I can think of are sorta budget-minded and not really excellent.

I'd think about getting a sporter rifle in factory configuration that's hopefully "just right" in every other way, and putting an aftermarket adjustable cheek riser on it. I've done this and I was very pleased with the result.
 
savagelh said:
What makes you want an adjustable cheek rest? ...
Click to expand...

Personally, after trying one for the first time, I was genuinely surprised at how much I appreciated the feel of a comb that was in exactly the right place. Not for parallax issues (though it helps there), but in terms of mounting the rifle to get the eyebox perfect.

Not at all necessary, and none of my hunting rifles have one now, but I wouldn't rule it out. In fact, this thread has got me thinking about trying it again on my next rifle...
 
Savage is probably the best option for factory adjustable stocks if that's a key selling point for you. Try one in a store for fit etc to see if you like them. The 9lb limit with scope should easily be attainable with the right glass.
 
Hello fellow Nova Scotian,

Your choice for a 308 is great for local hunting. A Tikka T3x is also great if you want to keep the weight down. A T3x lite ( around $1295) is also great if you don't need the Comb adjustment. a Leupold 2-7 or 3-9 is more than enough (around $ 450 These days). Also the M70 Featherweight would be a great option.

I know you are from Annapolis but if you have the occasion to come to Cabela's in Dartmouth you can see these rifles and shoulder them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom