Buying my first rifle need help

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BigAl78

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Sault Ste. Marie
Hi Everyone,

I'm looking at buying my first rifle. I don't have a lot of cash so I want to get the best bang for my buck. I have found a used Browning A-Bolt Hunter 7mm Rem Mag with a Bausch & Lomb 3-9 40mm scope and Leupold scope mounts. When I first asked how old the gun was the people at the gun shop said 5-7 years old but after checking the serial number and researching it further I found out the gun and scope are 17 years old.

On inspecting the gun with a friend we determined that the barrel, bore and bolt are all in good condition however the stock definitely has wear on it. There are no cracks or splits but there are some deep scratches, impression marks from rubbing against hard objects and dings on the stock.

The dealer wants $650 + tx CAD but I have a feeling that he's high on this price.

Please let me know if I'm right and what you think I might want to counter offer with?

Thanks
 
"Dante" had brand new Weatherby Vanguard Packages for $577 if I remember correctly. That's gun, scope, rings/bases, and a hard case. Yes the scope is a cheapo but the gun is well built and has a good reputation for accuracy.
They also have Savage 111 Packages for even less. Something to consider.

The Browning you mentioned is no screaming deal but not a rip-off either.
If you're not in a hurry there will certainly be better deals come up.
 
The Vanguard's are tough tough to beat for value. Being your first rifle I would tend to stay away from magnum calibers. Nothing will cause a flinch faster than a hard recoil and your accuracy will suffer forever afterwards. You didn't mention what you were going to use it for but there are a ton of do-all cartridges in non magnum configs. You might consider a 270 or a 308 or the most popular 30-06 for med to big game. A 243win or 22-250 for the smaller stuff.
Find one that suits your budget and your tastes and one that fits your frame. Then you'll be confident with it when 'showtime' happens. That's important....!

p.s. the Vanguards come in some really kick ass calibers from Weatherby and as attractive as those may be, they are very expensive to buy ammo for. I know this because i own a few and had to get into reloading just because of that alone..:p
 
My suggestion is to check within your own family first. There could easily be a few good hunting rifles available from family members who haven't hunted in years. This is how I got my start. For a first rifle I would be tempted to stick with the more common non-magnum calibres, such as 243, 270, 308, 30-06. These are often easier and cheaper to feed and ammunition is always plentiful just about everywhere. Best of luck in your selection.
 
Keep a look out. The browning isn't a great deal, but its not terrible. I personally think the A-bolt is a much nicer rifle than a vanguard or stevens.
 
For a first bolt action/scope combo I'd suggest you take a look at the Savage Edge. Reasonably cheap, yet also good quality, and as accurate as you need it to be.

It's available in all popular calibres (I'd suggest a .308 as a general all-around calibre). You can pick up .308 ammo just about anywhere, which may not be the case with magnum calibres.
 
I'll go ahead and throw out a suggestion for another new rifle to look at; Marlin XS7/XL7.

Accurate, nice smooth action,better trigger than the cheap savage/weatherby rifles. Less than $400. Add a new bushnell 3200elite and you gonna spend less than you would on that browning. Later on, you can always upgrade the tupperware stock for a boyds Then it'll look something like mine.....

PA090064.jpg
 
Find a new dealer, one selling Tikkas and not prone to giving misinformation to make a sale. While a T3 is not the nicest rifle around for the $ you'd be hard pressed to find a better bang for your buck.
 
Hey guys thanks for all the great info. I bought a new Remington model 700 SPS DM in 30-06 today. It was a pretty good deal and I've heard from many seasoned hunters it's a great starter rifle. I paid $499 plus I'll get to take advantage of a manufacturers rebate.

I considered one of the savage combos but I didn't like the feel of the gun and a lot of people say they replace the stocks and scopes on those so I figured that I would just spend the money on a so called better rifle and put a good scope on it later.
 
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