Help with custom rifle??

hunter-4-life

hunter-4-life

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Hey guys,
So for my birthday I got a $500 "gift card" to any hunting/shooting store I want. Im in the market for a new rifle but I need some help choosing. Id like a 7mm rem mag, 300 win mag or 300 wsm. I don't want to cheap out on optics so a Quigley-Ford scope will be on top.

Hard choice:
I will put a belle and Carlson stock on, however im not sure what action to go with. Like I want smooth, accurate and light so I thought tikka or browning. Give me your opinions, or other ideas. I do a lot of walking when I hunt so weight is a factor, and I only hunt deer (mulies and whitetail) and a moose every 4-5 years. But eventually ill be hunting caribou and maybe a sheep. So is the 7mm, 300 wm and 300 wsm good options? Average range is under 250 yards.

Thanks
 
First off, happy birthday. Unfortunately, $500 won't go far toward getting you an entire hunting rig of a rifle, scope, rings and bases. You'll be lucky to get a good rifle with your $500 and as for optics, you're lookign at at least $250 more. I hate to pee in your pool, but the Quigley-Ford scope is garbage. If you don't want to cheap out but you're working on a bidget then you should be looking at Bushnell, Burris or Leupold.

I would look at a Tikka in 270 or 30-06. You simply don't need a magnum for the work you want to do with deer and moose. Your best bet would be to go to the store and try a few rifles on for size. See what fits you and what feels good and buy that one. Don't get too light a rifle (especially in a magnum chambering) or you will likely find the recoil to be more than you can handle.

Like it or not, if you want a quality hunting rifle and scope you'll be lucky to get out of the endeavour under $1000.
 
Thanks!

Im not saying im only spending $500. Im expecting a $1200 bill, but hey I get $500 bucks off. I said Quigley ford because my neighbor can get them for cheap-er so that's why I thought about them. And they seem like good glass. My 2nd choice is Vortex optics. I have a savage axis in 270 right now, but something bigger (not a 30-06) but not huge. Id like to keep the 270 for a "truck gun" and maybe the gf can shoot it every once in awhile.
 
Even $1200 is not at all realistic for a custom rifle and scope. If I only had $1200 to spend, I would buy a Vanguard, and mount a 3-9x40 Conquest on it. For a little more, I would go with a T-3 with the same scope. Most of all, I certainly would not be buying a Quigley Ford scope.
 
Another vote for a Vanguard, an S2 if possible.
I have a 270 VG that is scary accurate.
VX 2 on top....stay away from those Quigley-Fords!
Regards, Eagleye.
 
My thing with the vanguards is they are heavy...Unless its just the stock that's heavy.
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They are a little on the heavy side, but your budget is too light, to be very choosy. The T-3 is about as light as it gets for a small budget.
 
stubblejumper said:
They are a little on the heavy side, but your budget is too light, to be very choosy. The T-3 is about as light as it gets for a small budget.
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I don't mind some weight but I want like 7 pounds with a scope at the absolute max if I can help it. If I have to go to 7.5 I will. I know they are very accurate guns
 
if you dont like heavy (over 7.5 lb) rifles, im not sure you will like a lighter rifle with magnum recoil.

As such, out of the 3 calibers mentioned above I would go for the 7mm as it should have the least (though marginal) felt recoil. Though you may lean towards the WSM as the shorter action may shave you ounces over a longer action.

Go for the tikka, I do like brownings a-bolts myself, and there is nothing wrong with the winchester, Id say try shouldering one of the new TC dimensions as well, but whatever you find easy to shoulder and whichever bolt action you seem to like the best. P&D in edmonton probably has all these rifles to fondle to help you decide which you like best.

I dont have any experience with the quigley scopes, but there is a lot of negative feedback/reviews out there so I wouldnt try one myself, instead check out redfields, newer bushnell or the vortex scopes to keep close to your budget.
 
hunter-4-life said:
I don't mind some weight but I want like 7 pounds with a scope at the absolute max if I can help it. If I have to go to 7.5 I will. I know they are very accurate guns
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tomjones said:
Bingo. I have one with a Zeiss 3x9 mounted and it's about 7-7.5lb's with padded leather sling. You cannot buy a better gun for the money.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?931652-First-Big-Game-Rifle-Now-Complete
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7.0-7.5 is average for a rifle without scope. Even a Tikka with a average scope is 7.5 pounds.

The lightest Win featherweight is 6 lbs 12 ounces, plus 16 ounces for a Zeiss 3-9 and 3-6 ounces for mounts, even a light rifle gets to 8lbs pretty quick without sling and ammo.

A lot of people may be surprised if they put their rifle on a accurate scale.
 
cam1936 said:
7.0-7.5 is average for a rifle without scope. Even a Tikka with a average scope is 7.5 pounds.

The lightest Win featherweight is 6 lbs 12 ounces, plus 16 ounces for a Zeiss 3-9 and 3-6 ounces for mounts, even a light rifle gets to 8lbs pretty quick without sling and ammo.

A lot of people may be surprised if they put their rifle on a accurate scale.
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Fair enough. Real world though with a proper sling it feels like nothing at all.
I'm a big to medium guy at 5'11 220lb's and when my M70 FWT is slung on my back it sure doesn't slow me down let alone feel the least bit heavy.
 
tomjones said:
Fair enough. Real world though with a proper sling it feels like nothing at all.
I'm a big to medium guy at 5'11 220lb's and when my M70 FWT is slung on my back it sure doesn't slow me down let alone feel the least bit heavy.
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Im 5'10 and 215 so im not all concerned about recoil. Im thinking a 7mm might be the next purchase, I have a 270,243 for rifles right now so a 7mm should be good
 
hunter-4-life said:
Im 5'10 and 215 so im not all concerned about recoil. Im thinking a 7mm might be the next purchase, I have a 270,243 for rifles right now so a 7mm should be good
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I believe there are people who are "recoil sensitive" in all weight classes. As a matter of fact I reckon just about every body is somewhat recoil sensitive and will shoot better with less of it. Many people tolerate more recoil because they need or think they need the "extra power".

I know a rifle maker who was building a "light" custom rifle for an older fellow. The client asked what cartridge the maker would recommend and was told that a .280 Rem. would be a nice match. The fellow talked to some friends and they said "No no get it in 7mm Rem. Mag." And he did. After his first trip to the range he took it back complaining it kicked too much. I believe the gun builder sold the rifle for his client and built him one in a nicer to shoot cartridge.
 
Ive shot big guns (.338 win mag, 300 saum) and recoil doesn't bother me, but I like to shoot a lot so I mean I have to be able to shoot it for 3 hours on average.
 
This is starting to make my head hurt. When you get your new lightweight magnum and 150 rounds of ammo to burn through in 3 hours make sure to either invite some of us or record it because not only are you going to be black and blue, but you'll have diagnosed shell shock and will be scattering shots all over the countryside.
 
Too many conflicting goals in this purchase, it's evident you're new to the game and nothing wrong with that, it's why you're asking.

QF scopes, honestly utter trash, you're better off to light your cash on fire as at least you'll be able to say you burned money, literally, once. :) It won't last under good circumstances, let alone atop a light weight magnum. Even entry Bushnells are complete rubbish, a friend's just internally collapsed on us while shooting his Remington .308 (heavier gun, light recoil). We were shooting 500 yards and I was spotting, shots started going multiple yards to either side of the steel, and I was wondering what was up. He said "Hold on, look at this" and I looked throught the scope, glass had actually fallen out of place, crosshairs broken, and that's a GOOD scope compared to the Quigley-Ford.

Point 2, the rifle won't be custom under $3,000, below that you can get nice semi-customs like Cooper, and then below $2,000 get a nice production rifle, below $1,000 a cheap production rifle (pre-scoping prices). The recommendation for a new Winchester Model 70 is a good one, and in your budget, high quality, nice features production rifle. Splurge the $500 on a Leupold scope, and good rings / bases, and you have a really nice, affordable hunting rig.

As all the others have mentioned, avoid lightweight magnum rifles. No matter how recoil seasoned you feel you are, a 7lb .300 Mag will clean your clock in a serious way, no way you're shooting that for hours. In 7mm Mag your recoil's about the same, but you can burn out a barrel in no time shooting it several hours at a time, they're hard on barrel throats. I shoot .375 H&H mag exclusively for hunting, and I wouldn't touch a 7lb .300 for a regular shooter / long range days rifle. A .308 or .30-06 would serve you very, very well, they're giving you sound advice.

Good hunting. :)
 
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