Best bang for buck hunting rifle?

[Hitzy]

Yup, I burn up their bandwidth every day! I have bought a 9.3x57 Mauser 98 for ~$300 (I reamed it to x62) and an 1899 M96 6.5x55 sporter for $200! The M96 had a broken tap in a hole at the front of the barrel but I was shortening it, anyways, so no big deal. I built an "everything" hunting rifle for my wife. They have lots of "buy it and bolt on a scope" guns, too. M96 with Weaver bases included for under $300.

First one I got was an 8x57 HVA commercial '96 all done up ready to shoot. Been downhill ever since lol.

 

[Vern Kowalski]

Tikka T3 series. Good balance on price, accuracy, and craftsmanship. Most companies seem to be racing for the bottom and although they are accurate enough the bargain guns leave lots to be desired. A nice gun you want to keep and hand down to your kids tends not to be a savage axis, ruger American, XPR etc.

A good gun in around the thousand mark ought to be the best balance point I think. Something with nice wood just puts icing on the cake.

Well I guess everything is a matter of opinion, Tikka builds an ok Rifle, it leaves a lot to be desired, lots of cheap plastic parts, including the bottom metal uhm which is plastic not metal.....not something I'd want to hand down to my kids, even their hunter model has unattractive wood. Savage shoots just as good for half the price and really isn't much uglier. If I wanted a nice quality rifle I could hand down to my kids, it wouldn't be anything built in the last 15 years that's for sure.

 

[Demonical]

'Best bang for the buck' depends on what you are planning on hunting,and how much money you have,this is what you can get for about $500 ....for me it's a swede from Tradeex...$300 gets you a great rifle ,excellent barrel and leaves $200 left over for a decent 4x Leopold M8 and that will give you a set up that will handle anything in North America if you hold it straight..it will shoot PPU ammunition that will run about $25 a box and that's about the best all round 'bang for the buck' you can get...any rifle and caliber that's still going after 100 years has got to tell you something,it just 'works'

I have bought several rifles from Tradex, they have great customer service.

But buying a used rifle, no matter how it is described, you can sometimes get a lemon. I bought a Husky M96 (I think is was...) in 9.3x62. I never did fire that rifle. The action had lots of grease in it that I cleaned out, but before I ever fired it, I found another 9.3x62 in a M98.

I bought the M98, sold the M96. The new owner (a well known member here), when he took that M96 to the range, found the receiver was badly pitted. It made case extraction either really hard or impossible.

I don't know what ended up happening there. I was never told if they were able to fix up that receiver...

Having said that, I also love those old used M98's from Tradex.


As for a brand-new rifle, I am of the opinion, the new CRF Winchester M70's, are the best bolt action. And the Winchester M1895 and M1886 Miroku lever guns, with the Winchester name, are about the best lever action being manufactured today. But it's only my opinion.

 

[8x68]

In terms of value for dollar in a new rifle, you'd be hard pressed to beat the Howa 1500/ weatherby vanguard series of rifles imo.i have examples of both and they rival rifles I paid quite a lot more for .

Yes the Howa's are nice as well as the Vanguard S2 is hard to beat for the money , usually very accurate out of the box, a nice adjustable trigger, only drawback is the Wby VG S2 is a little heavy.

Vanguard 2

Have several Weatherby S2's, & HOWA's. Great value for the money. Excellent accuracy! When it comes to shooting the 300WBY I kinda like that extra weight.

 

[rifleman762]

Well I guess everything is a matter of opinion, Tikka builds an ok Rifle, it leaves a lot to be desired, lots of cheap plastic parts, including the bottom metal uhm which is plastic not metal.....not something I'd want to hand down to my kids, even their hunter model has unattractive wood. Savage shoots just as good for half the price and really isn't much uglier. If I wanted a nice quality rifle I could hand down to my kids, it wouldn't be anything built in the last 15 years that's for sure.

An equivalent Savage isn't half the price - an Axis is but I wouldn't want a gun with such a terrible stock. My father and uncle both hunted BC and Alberta with Tikka T3 300WM rifles. They told me to buy one for my first rifle but I went with a Savage 116 FCSS in 300WM. I prefer the looks and feel of the Savage and for $200 less than the Tikka ($700 vs $900 in 2011). The stock is more solid (Accustock) and the trigger is just as good. Plus the magazine doesn't stick out the bottom. As far as magazines, the Savage can run a 3.46" COAL while the Tikka is stuck with 3.34". So I can get better performance from my 200gr handloads.

 

[EJG]

For me it has to be the T3x CTR. Mil spec mag, fantastic trigger and plenty aftermarket bits available. One of the only rifles where one can swop T3 rifles in bedded stocks. Very practical if one has a few different t3 set-ups.
Shoots great out to 800m and not ammo fussy. Only changed the stock but I'd do that with any rifle.
edi

 

[Curly1]

I like the Howa, but, for $300 a Stevens 200 is a cost effective start for a build.

 

[Shelbyguy67]

I'm a big fan of the Browning a-bolt/AB3 composite as it retails well under $700, has a smooth bolt, crisp trigger pull and it's more accurate than I can shoot it. They had some at Wholesale Sports here in BC for about $450 on the closeout sale so I got one in 270win and my friend did as well.

I also have a couple Tikka T3's (223 and 300 Win Mag) and I think they knock the #### out of any of the comparable priced Remington 700, Weatherby Vanguard or Winchester 70. Savage is garbage imo. For the record I own a Remington 700 30-06 and have put a solid 50 rounds through my buddy's two Vanguards in 7-08 and 223.

I think your first hunting rifle should be a good one. Don't cheap out. Get a good quality Tikka T3 and buy an AB3 when they go on sale for $550.

My $0.02.

 

[Shelbyguy67]

I prefer the looks and feel of the Savage and for $200 less than the Tikka ($700 vs $900 in 2011). The stock is more solid (Accustock) and the trigger is just as good. Plus the magazine doesn't stick out the bottom.

On my T3 in 300 Win Mag the mag barely stick out the bottom by more than 1/8". I have never noticed this until you mentioned it and I have never had a problem with it not being fully flush. In fact, I almost prefer it as I can grab the sides easily.

 

[gwes2003]

I'm a big fan of Remington 700's, and CRF Winchester M70's. There's so many kinds of rifles out there you gotta just start buying as many as possible, then decide what to keep and what to sell.

 

[SuperCub]

Vanguard 2

Good rifles but too heavy.

As mentioned, there are lots of good deals this time of year on the EE and lots of time until the next hunting season. Buy used.

 

[SuperCub]

I like the Howa, but, for $300 a Stevens 200 is a cost effective start for a build.

A new bbl and stock for upgrades on a 200 will only give you a blinged up 200. You can polish a terd, but in the end it's still a terd. Better to start with a 700 if you are planning on upgrades. More choices for aftermarket and will hold it's value better.

Those 200s are good guns, but are better off left as-is.

 

[Anvil109]

Sako A-7 Soft Touch, Stainless in 308. It's a 1 MOA rifle right out of the box. Absolutely love mine

 

[Dogleg]

It a hard thing to answer, but a Vanguard is a real bargain at various trim levels.

For different reasons and a lot more money a Kimber Select grade is still a steal.

 

[Curly1]

A new bbl and stock for upgrades on a 200 will only give you a blinged up 200. You can polish a terd, but in the end it's still a terd. Better to start with a 700 if you are planning on upgrades. More choices for aftermarket and will hold it's value better.

Those 200s are good guns, but are better off left as-is.

You`re forgetting the problems Remington has and those turds are way more money than a Stevens 200.

 

[SuperCub]

You`re forgetting the problems Remington has and those turds are way more money than a Stevens 200.

That's why I said to buy used. I have several used 700s. Not a problem anywhere. Either way, a 700 is a better platform for upgrades.

 

[Slamfire]

In your opinion, what is the best bang for your buck, off the shelf hunting rifle available today? I'm not looking for the cheapest gun, just the best quality for the price. For me, the CZ550 fits the bill perfectly. The materials, quality and craftsmanship far surpasses the price. What's your opinion and why?

I'm with you on the CZ550. Mauser 98 design, 1-piece bolt with dual front locking lugs and rear safety lug, controlled feeding, non-rotating full length extractor, receiver mounted ejector, two position safety and adjustable single set trigger. On my Exclusive model overall fit and finish are quite good.

.308 CZ550 Exclusive with Leupold VX-2 3-9x50mm

 

[Sakoman .308]

Cz make a beautiful rifle. You've had the answer all along.

 

[Mumbles Marble Mouth]

That's how I feel about it too. Plastic anything on a rifle action doesn't do it for me.

Its not on the rifles action. Its just the magazine floor plate and follower which you can buy a metal replacement separately. Actually you could make your own replacement very easily.

 

[Big Uke]

I have a Howa 1500/ Weatherby that shoots nice and straight in .223, and a Savage in .308 that is more accurate than I am. But I have to admit I prefer handling the 3 old Husqvarnas that I bought from Tradex and the one I bought from the Abbotsford gun show. I guess milled steel and walnut (or even beech) on rifles made 60 to 80 years ago has a certain appeal.
If you think of a rifle as simply a tool there are lots of new rifles that will satisfy you. If you also think of it as a friend with character then broaden your search to include these "experienced" rifles too.