Best .308 bolt action for under $1000?
- Thread starter DTM5
- Start date
And is smart... with a WTS ad in the EE for an M77 Ultralight .308.
I would actually rather buy that ultralight than the modern day Hawkeyes..... They are still very solid well built rifles, but I am not a fan of the matte black barbecue paint finish......
But the Mark II stock is the ugliest, most uncomfortable, least ergonomic piece of crap ever foisted on an unsuspecting public.*
The Hawkeye stock shape is *vastly* better.
*hyperbole alert. It was bad, but not that bad
But the Mark II stock is the ugliest, most uncomfortable, least ergonomic piece of crap ever foisted on an unsuspecting public.*
The Hawkeye stock shape is *vastly* better.
*hyperbole alert. It was bad, but not that bad
The Hawkeye and ultralight stocks really aren't all that different..... I own 9 M77 variation rifles and to be honest, the Hawkeye is my least favorite of all of them....... to each their own I suppose...
I own a Weatherby Vanguard series 2. Awesome rifle, but the OP mentioned that he was looking for wood and blue...not sure if the Weatherby VS2 come with wood or only synthetic.
- Location
- In the shadows of the Rockies
But the Mark II stock is the ugliest, most uncomfortable, least ergonomic piece of crap ever foisted on an unsuspecting public.*
The Hawkeye stock shape is *vastly* better.
*hyperbole alert. It was bad, but not that bad
How's the Mark II trigger?
My Mark 2 has a better trigger than my hawkeye, but I think it was worked on. So... Good?
They're both not bad, for sure.
The Hawkeye and ultralight stocks really aren't all that different..... I own 9 M77 variation rifles and to be honest, the Hawkeye is my least favorite of all of them....... to each their own I suppose...
Again, I'll disclaim that I was being over-the-top about how bad the Mark II stock is...
In real life, its only a bummer, not a disaster.
But it's fat and round in the forearm, fat in the wrist, and short in the pistol grip. If you have a 99th percentile thumb length and a 1st percentile index finger length, it might be ok. I've got moderately big hands and hated the pistol grip and foregrip, and the stock somehow came up to punch me in the face in a way that the replacement Boyd's doesn't.
The Hawkeye stock on my 308 is so slim and lively. Probably the nicest feeling stock I have. Very pointable. Together the rifle has that light wand-like feeling that I like about my Kimber Montana.
If a wood-and-blue Hawkeye could be found for $899 brand new, I think subby's search should end there.
- Location
- Steel Town
Tikka T3 Hunter or Battue, or a Howa 1500 Empire. All are nicely blued with nice walnut stocks. The Battue and Empire come in 30-06, so you would have to accept + 150fps and more versatility in bullet weights.
I haven't had a factory rifle under $1000 shoot better than any of the Tikkas I've owned. That said, most brands are producing a decent offering for that kind of money. I hate the bottom metal/bolt shroud on my T3's but they'll be replaced shortly as was the factory stock. You really have to look at all the suggestions and find what you like to handle/shoulder best.
I happen to think of Tikkas as premium barrels/trigger groups with everything else being replaceable. Metalwork on these guns is usually very precise, well finished and consistent. Most guns sub $1000 have compromises somewhere, it's up to you to decide which of these are acceptable. I'd rather have a great barrel & trigger from the get go and customize from there.
Patrick
I happen to think of Tikkas as premium barrels/trigger groups with everything else being replaceable. Metalwork on these guns is usually very precise, well finished and consistent. Most guns sub $1000 have compromises somewhere, it's up to you to decide which of these are acceptable. I'd rather have a great barrel & trigger from the get go and customize from there.
Patrick
BlazinDayz
Regular
- Location
- Niverville, MB
T3 Hunter with the Burris Scope package. Not a huge fan of budget scopes but perhaps better than he's used to.
- Location
- Steel Town
Check out Prophet River's Howa 1500 selection... I think he may have an Empire in 30-06... now that is the best deal going. Period.
