First Bolt Action *update help me please/thankyou*

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boomboy

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Lower Mainland BC
So it's time to go out and buy my first bolt action rifle. Here's the thing... I've never fired a bolt gun. So I was hoping you gun guru's might steer me in the right direction. Keeping that in mind I know I am a tad skittish around the higher cals(previous shoulder injuries). I am looking for what will be an all-round hunting rifle i.e. deer-moose. So caliber wise I believe .270 would be right (feel free to argue otherwise). I have an overall budget of $1000 for the rifle + base/rings/optics. I'd very much like to know what some of the nicer mid-end rifle options are. I prefer the look of a wood stock, but I am quite open to the idea of a synthetic.

Oh and I have shot a norc m305, had a decent grouping for mil-surp ammo. So please no .22 trainer wheel spiels please and thank-you.

*Go to post 18 for the update:(
 
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I would try before I buy.

Some people just don't like certain actions, and that includes bolts.

If you can possibly get some real trigger time with a bolt before buying one, you won't regret it.

If you cannot, well, stick with the major rifle makers and you will likely not go wrong.

For $1K you can get a rem 700 SPS + Bushnell Elite 3200 and decent rings and scope covers and you'd be well off. Or you could get a Savage, or a Ruger, or a Winchester...
 
Anything .260 up to .308 if you are worried about recoil and still can knock down most animals.One of our local retailers can get you into a Weatherby, Remington , Savage with scopes for 700 to 1100 , and in good calibers.
Can't go wrong with those brands in a bolt action. PM me and i'll send ya the link. I shoot a 7mm-08, has nice ballistics, low recoil and accurate.Compare some factory ammo on it with 308 and 30-06 and you just may be surprised.
 
Weatherby Vanguard Sporter, priced at around 650$
Redfield scope 3-9x50mm, aprox 200$ / base and rings not much
Money left over for ammo

check it out for yourself.

I'm more of a .308 fan but yes that is a good caliber for north america.
 
What you just decribed to me is a 7mm-08 .good for deer,moose and bear.mid recoil ,fast ,flat and accurate.you pick the rifle you like:D
 
A lot of you guys seem to be favouring the 7mm-08, just curious as to how much a box of that would set me back. I don't reload, and frankly I don't want to be breaking the bank every time I want to hit the range (well any more-so than is necessary).
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
Anything .260 up to .308 if you are worried about recoil and still can knock down most animals.One of our local retailers can get you into a Weatherby, Remington , Savage with scopes for 700 to 1100 , and in good calibers.
Can't go wrong with those brands in a bolt action. PM me and i'll send ya the link. I shoot a 7mm-08, has nice ballistics, low recoil and accurate.Compare some factory ammo on it with 308 and 30-06 and you just may be surprised.
Click to expand...
X2 7mm-08 preferable in Savage. best value by far!
 
My vote would have to go to a new Winchester model 70 in .308 or .30-06. Enough power for any game and easy to find ammo almost anywhere. Great rifles for the price.
 
Quality ammo for game hunting will be in the 30-40 minimum dollar mark in any caliber under 30 for range ammo.If you are hunting medium to large game. 7-08 Rem accutip 140gr will have equal or more energy down range than some 150 grain 308 and 30-06 , without the recoil. available at gun shops, not available at CT or wally world. Shot and used many different calibers. the 7-08 does alot, that is why i use it but also is accurate as all heck with a good shooter.
It's not about how fast your bullet goes, but how well it performs when it hits it's destination.

if it's just a range gun .308 by far
 
I would highly recommend going with the .270 Winchester that you originally suggested. Pick yourself up a Ruger Hawkeye in this caliber as they are a Contolled round feed rifle and they also come with rings. All you need to do is pick up a used Leupold Vari-X III off the EE forum and you're ready to play. Check out ellwoodepps.com.
 
I think you are on the right track with your gut feeling that the .270 Winchester would be a good choice. The .260 Remington is a good cartridge, the 7-08 is a good cartridge, the .280 Remington is a good cartridge and the .270 Winchester is a good cartridge. It doesn't matter which you choose from the standpoint of terminal performance, although the .260 Remington and the 7-08 are the right choices if you prefer a short action rifle over a standard length action. Because you have a concern about recoil, I would not recommend a fly weight rifle.
 
A lot of this topic will be a Ford, Chevy,Dodge discussion. Any of the major makes produce rifles that fit your needs. Your caliber choice of a 270 would be a good one and ammunition is everywhere. Make sure you handle the rifle you want to buy or at least one like it to see if it fits and how the sights line up for you, , if allowed dry fire it to check the trigger pull. Don't forget the used market as there are many quality rifles with little use out there. I suggest you pick a good medium priced scope like a Bushnell 3200, or a Redfield ,again used scopes can be a bargain.
 
Just remember that all the "modern" calibers as they were introduced, were always written about, advertised and hyped as being "as good as a .270", or, in some cases, "even better than a .270".

The .270 is THE measure of cartridges in that "power range" of cartridges just below the .30-06 in bullet weight. There is nothing wrong with owning what everyone else thinks may actually be the best. ;)
 
boomboy, as mentioned your shoulder is still tender. As others have mentioned the Marlin XL7 bolt rifle which comes with one of the best off the self recoil pads available and is no slouch for accuracy. Lots of room in this rifle price range for a quality scope to complete the set up. Nothing wrong with your choice of a .270 great combo.
 
What about a Husqvarna 1600 from Tradex? Specifically one in 6.5x55. You get a combination of a high quality rifle, very mild recoil and enough juice to take deer and moose. They can be had for under $500.
 
Ok this is pretty much a cry for help at this point. I have seemingly exhausted my options before doing this so here it goes. I need hands on experience, and I am not going to get it without asking for the assistance from you gurus. Now I realize this is pretty much V:I: at this point but I really don't want to commit to something without an informed decision.

So I humbly ask, rather beg, if you are in the Lowermainland will someone for the love of all that is holy show me how to shoot and/or give me a realistic representation of recoil levels of each rifle. Gas, ammo will be at my expense. If you want a reference talk to emmab, we've met before and to the best of my knowledge I passed the "I'm not a psycho" test.

So rant mode off, I'm really at the end of my rope with this.
 
Think about this very carefully, please.

What kills big game?

Large animals are killed by bullets penetrating vital organs or structures causing lethal hemorrhage or debilitating neurological damage. In short, it is accuracy that produces reliable kills.
Certainly you need enough penetration to reach the vitals; but after that any additional power adds very little.
.30-30 is a proven performer on moose, when good bullets are used, and is available in rifles that are both easy to carry and easy on the shoulder. 6.5x55 Swede is another proven performer. Using those examples, pretty much any 6.5mm cartridge should be adequate to your needs, so 6.5 Grendel, .260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmore and 6.5 Lapua should all work swimmingly. But I think 6.5 mm is the smallest I'd recommend. Probably 25 calibre, like the .25-'06 or .257 Roberts, or even 24 calibre like .243 Win or 6x47 Swiss Match would work; but would require serious premium bullets to work reliably on moose.

Just how tender is your shoulder? Will you be still-hunting, stalking or hunting from a stand/fixed location? I ask this because, everything else being equal, a heavier rifle kicks less; but is harder to carry.

So, in short, pick a rifle that you can shoot accurately that has enough power and that you can deploy in your chosen hunting style. (don't get hung-up on what type of action the rifle has; bolt action, lever action, semi-auto and even single-shots all have their advantages and proponents.)
 
Thanks for the advice splatter.

I wont be hunting for around a year's time as I wish to work on marksmanship. I will be stalking however I don't mind a little extra weight so long as it handles well as I'm not a little guy. I don't reload, so I am curious as to make and manufacturers of suitable 6.5x55 bullets for harvesting moose. As well as availability and price. I apologize for the million questions but I really want to do this right the first time.

*forgot about the injury question. My shoulder isn't horrible, but it does not help with my sensitivity to recoil. Shot 5 12gauge 1oz winchester slugs and my shoulder was sore for 2 days all over. However the pain wasn't centralized to where the stock impacted my shoulder, it was in my rotator cuff.
 
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