Beginner Rifle Suggestions

That budget is tight for a rifle, scope, scope mounts and maybe a bipod. Try to strech it to $1200ish and buy used. I've heard good things about Arken optics. They can be had for under $500.
 
For 1k budget you only can get a plinking or hunting rifle.
You may need 3k or more as minimal for shooting long range.
Go to your local club and talk to people and try the ORA's intro day before you spend anything.
 
swimtothemoon said:
Looking to get into target practice and long range.

Budget is about 1k for everything not including ammo.

So far, liking Weatherby/Howa offerings. Wanting a .223/6.5CM or 308.
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By far the most expensive component to shooting over the long haul is ammunition - long range precision shooting the more so.
With a budget of only $1000, I would question whether you have the means or the want to afford the sport, and as you are starting out it makes sense to 'dip the toe' first.


I too would recommend .22lr - maybe a CZ457 Varmint or another decently built factory offering that can deliver decent accuracy (~moa at 100m). Outfit it with some decent rings and some affordable glass that offers variable power with target turrets and you will be over the $1000 limit unless you purchase used or get some screaming deals on sale. Stretch it out to 200-300m and learn to read wind.

Once you have that and are thinking you are liking it, maybe expand to .223.
Once into center fire ammo, you will want to look at handloading if you haven't already.
 
Tikka t3 lite in 308 or 223 would be a good starter rifle. A vortex scope would also be a good starter option.
 
Howa would be a good choice they are made in Japan just like all those sought after rifle scopes. Howa H-S Precision would be my choice you get a lot of gun for the price - you can buy cheaper by the time you do this and that to it your spending the same amount. I would rather buy the entire cake than one ingredient at a time.
 
Hi,
As you're just starting out, you're going to want to do a lot of shooting to get yourself trained up and shooting accurately. That suggests a rifle in 22lr.

I'd suggest a Savage MkII with a leupold 2-7x33 rimfire scope. That plus a couple of bricks of CCI SV will come in at less than $1K.

Once you're shooting well and consistently, try some better ammo. At some point, you may want a better rifle, and that's when you look at a CZ or Tikka.

I know a lot of folks will think the Savage is slumming it - but they're wrong. ;)

Cheers,
Neil
 
I would personally avoid the R783 that's been suggested. The action may be decent, but you're really limiting your ability to upgrade the rifle as you may want or need to as you grow as a shooter. There's very very little aftermarket support for the R783 - such as for triggers, stocks and chassis'. If you're a person that doesn't ever upgrade things and would be happy with a R783 in its stock configuration, then certainly it's an option.

Anything with a R700 pattern will offer lots of aftermarket support to allow for future upgrades and different configurations. Tikka also has a pretty decent aftermarket support, and that's growing every day.

Tikka's are a pretty good value proposition - good quality, good precision out of the box, and the ability to upgrade when you want to.
 
swimtothemoon said:
Would this be too much of a rifle for a beginner if I put on a clamp-on muzzlebreak? Most I've shot is a simple 22LR and that was easy to deal with.

Tikka T3x Lite - 300WM
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That link doesn't work, at least for me.

But assuming from the title of the link, it's for a rifle in .300WM.

I wouldn't recommend starting with a .30 cal magnum. They are difficult to shoot - they do a good job of exploiting weaknesses in your fundamentals, which can lead to a lot of frustration. Ammo is expensive, and selection and availability is pretty limited compared to some other cartridges.

A 6.5 Creedmoor is much better for a beginner, IMO. Good factory ammo is relatively inexpensive and easy to find. Recoil is not too much to make shooting a frustrating experience. Ballistics are very good.
 
Funny thing, I started with an old hunting rifle and started slowly working my way up. One of my favorites was a Savage 111 in 270 WIN. Damn that thing shot Federal Blue Box ammo nice and tight. Most modern rifles will shoot decently enough to get you "into the game". A used rifle is definitely where it's at for the price though you stated. Deals can be found out there still for decent rifles. Scopes though are where your money will be spent. The better your optic the better your shooting "for the most part". A $200 Bushnell can make do but once you step up to better glass it can make a world of difference. I started "on the cheap" as you did and worked my way up and I will say from experience, if you need to do it "on the cheap" then don't get disheartened. Once you can start to afford better equipment then your skill level will improve with it.
 
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