Budget precision

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Adamg_55

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Toronto, Bantario
Hey guys looking to get my foot in the door but I'm on a student budget. So I was gonna go with a Stevens 200. My first question is, of all the calibers offered which one should I go with? I will mainly be punching holes in paper targets from 100-300m. I wouldn't mind the ability to hunt but that is just an after thought. I already have a reloading setup for .308 so I'm leaning towards that. So what would you guys recommend? Also price check, where is the cheapest place to get a Stevens? The second question is which scope? I've got about $300 for a scope, I could probly afford 350, but I would like to get the most bang for my buck.

Thanks
 
.308, which will get you out to 1000 yds with no trouble, and take a look at the Vortex line of scopes. I have one, love it, have never heard a single complaint about them, and their warranty is unbeatable.
Check out Mysticplayers articles on budget precision- he uses Stevens/Savage to do just that.
 
Check supporting dealers above and you should find a deal on a stevens. Bushnell elite 3200 is a fine starting scope and if you take care of it you'll have no problem selling it here later. I was never a .308 fan, but for no good reason, if your set up for it giver and save a few bucks. Once your more experienced and want to reach out further later on you can always bolt on a better quality barrel. Spend some time reading here and you'll soon see some guys that are worth listening to.

Check out http://www.6mmbr.com/index.html for future ideas
 
Stevens 200 in .223
3200 10x
Burris Zee rings
Harris Bipod

Should be inside your budget and if you shoot much getting the .223 reloading components will pay themselves back in no time. Especially as lightweight, cheap bullets will probably shoot just fine out to 300m.
Cheers,
Grant
 
I will also vote for the 223. mainly cause the stevens are not known for there rigid strong stocks. So a 308 might still be a bit much to start with. But on that note, tonnes of companies make a replacement stock for them.
Could be something to look at.
But I have seen stevens put some pretty nice rifles to shame. They just don't have the cool factor.
 
Grantmac said:
Stevens 200 in .223
3200 10x
Burris Zee rings
Harris Bipod

Should be inside your budget and if you shoot much getting the .223 reloading components will pay themselves back in no time. Especially as lightweight, cheap bullets will probably shoot just fine out to 300m.
Cheers,
Grant
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Grant but why buy a .223 and then the reloading supplies and dies when he's already got the reloading supplies and dies for .308? :D
 
drache said:
Grant but why buy a .223 and then the reloading supplies and dies when he's already got the reloading supplies and dies for .308? :D
Click to expand...

Not only that, but he also said he wouldn't mind being able to hunt with it. Never said what game, and location not listed, but i'm guessing deer sized and up which takes .223 out of the running IMO.
 
Adam some people have had bad customer service but I recently dealt with them. Bought a scope off the EE here. scope was a lemon. Mailed off the scope and a month later I had a brand new scope in my hand. If you're lucky enough to live close to their Warranty Office you can take the scope in yourself and walkout the same day with a new scope.

As for also wanting a gun to hunt with, depending on your province you can't hunt deer or anything larger with a .223
 
He also stated he wanted to hunt with it, so with that in mind I would recommend a 3-9x scope instead of a fixed 10x. You can get a decent 3-9x for the same price from a variety of brand names.

Cabela's or WSS will probably have the best price but I would also recommend checking the supporting dealers at the top of page to see what kind of prices they have as well.
 
Thanks for the input guys, I'm leaning more towards the .308

also I'm in Ontario, do they have crazy hunting laws? Could I use a .308 for hunting in Ontario?

Also where is their customer service office located?
 
Stevens 200 are not precision rifles. They are one of the least expensive sporter rifles on the market. Some shoot well, some don't. If it is what you can afford, all the power to you. Cheap equipment and cheap scopes are not the path to achieving precision, but there is nothing to stop you from having fun.
 
Adam,

I think 308 is a geat caliber. But if you had not mentioned hunting I would have said 223. 223 is nicer to shoot lots and cheaper to boot. You don't mention how much recoil punishment you can take. While the 308 is not a real hard hitting caliber I personally find 40 to 60 rounds off the bench can be fairly tiring. The same amount of rounds through a 223 are a doddle to soak up.
You might like to think about 243. You can hunt with it and they are not as hard on the shoulder. You won't save anything noticeable on powder though. Later you can spin on a 308 barrel if you want too.

Ontario also has some limitations on calibre for hunting, 270 and below in some areas I believe. You should ask the Ontarians on the hunting sections for the truth in this regard..
 
Obtunded said:
Stevens 200 are not precision rifles. They are one of the least expensive sporter rifles on the market. Some shoot well, some don't. If it is what you can afford, all the power to you. Cheap equipment and cheap scopes are not the path to achieving precision, but there is nothing to stop you from having fun.
Click to expand...

True, but like Remmys or Tikka all you have to do is spin a precision barrel on down the road and you have a precision rifle. And most Stevens do shoot pretty good, so it is a fun cheap way to get into the sport.

It won't take long to get good enough that you start to shoot better than your gun. At that point you can look into a barrel, trigger, stock whatever you want.

It is not precision, but it is a start.
 
The Stevens is attractive, but it's really only the price that makes it so. The Stevens will go bang, but in no time you feel cheap and dirty and start wanting to upgrade and improve it and you'll end up spending the same ammount at the end. Another temptation would be the Mossberg Night Train,.......don't do it.

Honestly you're better off scraping together more funds and setting youself up with something that'll service you long term.

My idea on a cheap rig:

Remington SPS .308 $925
Choate $225
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=361609
TPS rings & Base $200
Bushnell 10x40 $225
Harris bipod $150
Misc.. $75
Total $1800
 
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