hunting calibers

Gatehouse said:
Synthetic stock doesn't have to be synonymous with low quality. Just the opposite in many cases, especially if you are more concerned with performance than having wood. And beleive me, much of the wood we see on factory rifles these days is not anything to write home about....
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A rifle I owned and should never have sold was a Rem 700 Classic in a 222R. Bought new I sent the first rds down the pipe. With bedding and handloads, 1/2 min at 200yds was the WORST that it shot. It ran, it fed, it was smooth, it just worked like a dream. The trigger was crisp, light and a joy to use. Wood stock was a very pleasant piece of american walnut. Bluing was glossy, even and deep. So nicely put together.

Jet forward to your local hunting store and pull a SPS off the rack. Yes, prices are way down but so is everything. This is not the same Rem that graced that Classic. Not without a whole bunch of TLC.

That unfortunately has been a trend with many time tested brands. Production costs are what they are and old styles of assembly require short cuts in many important areas.

Now some companies are retooling, reengineering, getting smarter about what they design, how they are manf and most importantly, how they are assembled. Costs plummet and margins soar EVEN with much lower sale prices. It's all good.

Best thing is that nowadays, even a "crappy" rifle will not surprise if sub MOA is produced with handloads. how many years ago would shooting sub 2" at 200yds would have justified a glossy magasine article and cries of accolades.

Savage, like them or not, has been one of the most consistently sub MOA production rifle produced on this continent. 1/2 min is not only normal but becoming expected (their comp rifles can on occasion, shoot even better). Bedding is of course needed more often then not due to "drop in fitment" but that is an easy solution.

Now, you have some very smart engineering that reduces the issues with factory inletting to a point where it might not really be necessary for the average user.

All, with prices, unheard off even 3 yrs ago.

Times they be a changing....

Jerry
 
Mystic Precision said:
A rifle I owned and should never have sold was a Rem 700 Classic in a 222R. Bought new I sent the first rds down the pipe. With bedding and handloads, 1/2 min at 200yds was the WORST that it shot. It ran, it fed, it was smooth, it just worked like a dream. The trigger was crisp, light and a joy to use. Wood stock was a very pleasant piece of american walnut. Bluing was glossy, even and deep. So nicely put together.

Jet forward to your local hunting store and pull a SPS off the rack. Yes, prices are way down but so is everything. This is not the same Rem that graced that Classic. Not without a whole bunch of TLC.

That unfortunately has been a trend with many time tested brands. Production costs are what they are and old styles of assembly require short cuts in many important areas.

Now some companies are retooling, reengineering, getting smarter about what they design, how they are manf and most importantly, how they are assembled. Costs plummet and margins soar EVEN with much lower sale prices. It's all good.

Best thing is that nowadays, even a "crappy" rifle will not surprise if sub MOA is produced with handloads. how many years ago would shooting sub 2" at 200yds would have justified a glossy magasine article and cries of accolades.

Savage, like them or not, has been one of the most consistently sub MOA production rifle produced on this continent. 1/2 min is not only normal but becoming expected (their comp rifles can on occasion, shoot even better). Bedding is of course needed more often then not due to "drop in fitment" but that is an easy solution.

Now, you have some very smart engineering that reduces the issues with factory inletting to a point where it might not really be necessary for the average user.

All, with prices, unheard off even 3 yrs ago.

Times they be a changing....

Jerry
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Jerry;
You have made several good points re accuracy and the modern rifles and I also give the manufacturers high marks with their ammunition. I have seen myself, more off the rack rifles go out and shoot moa with off the shelf ammo in the last 3 years than in the thirty previous. I don't personally agree with all your opinions but I will say rifles and ammo in general are significantly more accurate than 20-30 years ago despite their appearance. I must say though that I would still rather put the needed TLC into an SPS than a Savage, but that is just my own opinion.
 
Build and use what you like. I have played with a number of Rems over the years before moving to the Savage. They can be really nice. We do ALOT of work with them now for both hunting and competition.

Correct on the ammo bit especially on the bullet side of things. Hunting bullets of yore might be lucky to shoot MOA under perfect conditions. We now have varmint bullets that are almost as good as true match bullets with under 1/2 min performance the norm. companies like hrn are upping their game too in improving their jacket manf.

I remember reading a factory tour article for Barnes years back, where they suggested their QC for the barnes X bullets was under 1.5 min in their test tunnel. Try and sell a bullet like that today. Barnes bullets today certainly shoot worlds better.

ALL aspects of the shooting field are getting better yet some items have dropped in pricing. Bullets are not one of them :)

As long as the rifle in your hand gives you a warm feeling, who cares what it is. Enjoy.....

And I think the worlds most expensive hunting rifles still wear MAUSER somewhere on the receivers.....

Jerry
 
Varmints: 22-250 in a med-heavy rifle. My varmint rifle is a Rem 700 with a heavy barrel.

Deer: .270win. or .280 rem in either Remington Mountain Rifles, Winchester Featherweights or Husqvarna 4000.

Elk & moose: 300 magnum for distance and a 375 H&H for shear knockdown power. I like my 300 wsm x-bolt carbon fiber and my Dumoulin 308 norma magnum. I don't have a 375 YET. But if I find a good 338 RUM first, then that's the one I'll go with.

then get a 30-06 just because everyone needs at least one. I have several.

then get a 6.5x55 or 7x57 just to have one. My 6.5x55's are both Husqvarnas.

That's a good start on a nice slew of centerfire rifles.

I dont know much about shotguns, so I'll leave that one alone.
 
CZ 452 .22lr (small game, vermin)
CZ 527 Varmint .223 (coyotes)
7x57, 6.5x55, 7mm-08, .257 Rob or .280 rem Remington Mountain Rifle/Winchester Featherweights/Husqvarna 4000/Kimber (Deer, maybe Elk)
Ruger M77 .338-06, .35 Whelen or 9.3x62 (Moose, Bear)

Beretta/Browning/SKB/CZ SxS or O/U in 20 or 28 (Upland birds)
Benelli M2 field camo (Waterfowl, turkey)

These are my personal choices, most of these I've acquired already and I love them.
 
Snowshoe hare, grouse, ptarmigan, trapping: .22LR, 20GA, 12GA
Coyotes, fox, lynx: .204, .223, .22-250
Moose, caribou: 6.5x55, .303, .30-06
 
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