I just got a Marlin 917VSF for christmas and im having lots if fun with that, but i'd like to get a centerfire sometime soon.(when i have the cash) I would be using it for target shooting gopher hunting, coyote hunting, badger hunting and so on. The amount of money i would have to work with would be $1500. I would like to get not only a rifle but also a nice scope. ie: leopould. I already have a bipod. At the moment im thinking about getting a .223 because of the cost for ammunition. I can also reload my own shells to cut down on price. I'm open to anything because im just getting into the sport and dont have much(if any) knowledge about good rifles, etc. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
i want to get into precision shooting and dont know what to get...
- Thread starter smile661
- Start date
punkrockboy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Eastern Bantario!
Remington 700SPS..... retail around 600 dollars , leaving more than enough for a nice scope/mount etc...If you bought the 700 police, it comes with a much nicer stock(IMO).
With handloads, you can get amazing accuracy out of this rifle!
With handloads, you can get amazing accuracy out of this rifle!
Before you go blowing the whole wad at a store, there are some fine rigs for sale used in our equipment exchange forum. In 10 seconds I found these...
And yes, a 223 will drop anything smaller than a deer quite nicely after all, they are NATO's first choice for killing humans
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=231408
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=208194
And yes, a 223 will drop anything smaller than a deer quite nicely after all, they are NATO's first choice for killing humans
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=231408
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=208194
Its hard to beat the price of the savages. The remingtons are excellent too. I used a 700 in 243 for a few years and then when the barrel burned out, I turned it into a 6mmBR.
Your choice of the .223 to start is an excellent one. Something to consider is the barrel twist rate. Most, if not all, Savages come with a 1:9 twist which will stabalize the heavier bullets like the 69 grainers. The Remington SPS is a standard 1:12 or 1:14 twist. This twist is better suited to lighter pills like 40s and 50s. If you are going to use it to reach 600 yards and beyond, you need that faster twist. If shooting out to 400 yards on critters and coyote sized game, then maybe the 1:12 is fine. Nice thing is with either choice, once you burn out the barrel, you can upgrade to whatever you want and 4000 - 8000 rounds later you should be well practiced in the precision game to make a decision as to what you want next in a precision rifle and cartridge.
Good luck in your endeavor.
Your choice of the .223 to start is an excellent one. Something to consider is the barrel twist rate. Most, if not all, Savages come with a 1:9 twist which will stabalize the heavier bullets like the 69 grainers. The Remington SPS is a standard 1:12 or 1:14 twist. This twist is better suited to lighter pills like 40s and 50s. If you are going to use it to reach 600 yards and beyond, you need that faster twist. If shooting out to 400 yards on critters and coyote sized game, then maybe the 1:12 is fine. Nice thing is with either choice, once you burn out the barrel, you can upgrade to whatever you want and 4000 - 8000 rounds later you should be well practiced in the precision game to make a decision as to what you want next in a precision rifle and cartridge.
Good luck in your endeavor.
i dont think i can afford a savage and a good scope and ammo. Plus at the experience level that im at it wouldnt help much since im just starting. I think i'll look into getting a .223 Remington 700 SPS Tactical, Varmint or Police. I'll have to check with my local dealer to see what they can get then make a decision. If i can get one i'd like a Leupold Mark 4 8.5-25x50mm ER/T M1 Front Focal. About how much would they retail for??
The Savage model 10 and model 12 are less expensive than the Remington SPS series.....less than $600 each.Both rifles sport somewhat less than stellar stocks. These are usually the first things to go.
As for scopes........Leupolds set an amazing standard, but they are costly. The scope you mentioned would eat up your entire budget and leave you with no money left for rings, bases or a rifle. Try looking for used.
Its sound advice to buy right the first time, but I also understand what its like to be in your shoes. You only have X amount of money left over for optics and we usually buy what we can afford thinking we will upgrade later. This in itself gets costly. You now paid for three scopes to evntually years later upgrading to get the one you really wanted. But in hindsight, you wouldn't have had the need to upgrade if you bought that one in the first place. As I mentioned, look long and hard at the EE forums. The guys are all excellent to deal with and the right deal will come along if your patient. They always do.
As for scopes........Leupolds set an amazing standard, but they are costly. The scope you mentioned would eat up your entire budget and leave you with no money left for rings, bases or a rifle. Try looking for used.
Its sound advice to buy right the first time, but I also understand what its like to be in your shoes. You only have X amount of money left over for optics and we usually buy what we can afford thinking we will upgrade later. This in itself gets costly. You now paid for three scopes to evntually years later upgrading to get the one you really wanted. But in hindsight, you wouldn't have had the need to upgrade if you bought that one in the first place. As I mentioned, look long and hard at the EE forums. The guys are all excellent to deal with and the right deal will come along if your patient. They always do.
Mk 4 scope?...much more than your $1500 budget I'm afraid.
Stick with a reasonably priced rifle for now. No point spending a thousand bucks on a factory rifle. The SPS varmint or tactical or a mid range Savage is an excellent choice.
Look at this site here. These Falcon scopes are excellent for the money
http://www.allengunworks.com/
You're on a budget and that's fine. One day you may want to kick things up a notch and put a match-grade barrel on your gun and turn it into a true "precision" rig. Savage and Remington are both good choices. You can jape it up down the road by finding a cool stock to put on it and if there's one out there, its certainly gonna be for a Remington.
Before you go and pawn the grandparents silverware to buy another gun, look at buying the bits and pieces to reload your own ammo. It's fun, you can save money down the road, and hand-loads in a modest factory gun can make a huge difference to accuracy
Above all, get out there, shoot, have fun, and try and keep your groups under an inch!
Stick with a reasonably priced rifle for now. No point spending a thousand bucks on a factory rifle. The SPS varmint or tactical or a mid range Savage is an excellent choice.
Look at this site here. These Falcon scopes are excellent for the money
http://www.allengunworks.com/
You're on a budget and that's fine. One day you may want to kick things up a notch and put a match-grade barrel on your gun and turn it into a true "precision" rig. Savage and Remington are both good choices. You can jape it up down the road by finding a cool stock to put on it and if there's one out there, its certainly gonna be for a Remington.
Before you go and pawn the grandparents silverware to buy another gun, look at buying the bits and pieces to reload your own ammo. It's fun, you can save money down the road, and hand-loads in a modest factory gun can make a huge difference to accuracy
Above all, get out there, shoot, have fun, and try and keep your groups under an inch!
I went with the Savage 12fp (10fp would be good too) and Bushnell 3200 10x40 Mildot scope.
Rifle - $589
Scope - $239
If you read enough posts under the search function on here, you'll see that this is one of the most recommended entry level set ups and easily within your budget. However since you have some extra above that, get the Savage and put it into a better scope...
Rifle - $589
Scope - $239
If you read enough posts under the search function on here, you'll see that this is one of the most recommended entry level set ups and easily within your budget. However since you have some extra above that, get the Savage and put it into a better scope...
Mystic Precision
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Summerland, BC
There was a used Savage in 223 with an Elite 4200 6x24 scope, rings and all. Was listed for $700 plus shipping. I doubt it stayed on for more then a few minutes.
Check the exchange. You could not find a better entry level package for the money.
Being able to see matters to me and spending a bit more on optics would be my way to split your budget. Great optics for decent bucks include the Elite 4200 6x24 w/mil dots, 4X16 or new side focus 1" or tactical. Used around $400 to 600. New under $750.
Nikon Buckmaster is another decent scope and I have used the 4X14 side focus with excellent results. The new BDC reticle might just what you need to get out further. These have target turrents too. $350 - 400ish.
All of these scopes will get you within spitting distance optically of the rather expensive Leupold. All of these have great turrent mechanicals.
Rings and bases are another $75 - Burris Sig Zee rings with inserts, Weaver bases.
You can still buy a new Savage or Rem and be under your budget. $600 for the rifle. I prefer the Savage as I can push 75gr Amax as far as I want.
If you shop wisely and buy used when it makes sense, you can get your rifle/scope and reloading gear and be within your budget (under actually). I would not hesitate to buy used dies with the Lee Delux Collet die set being my number 1 choice. If you snoop around the exchange, you can find all you need to reload for 50 to 75% of retail.
Happy shooting and enjoy the journey. Sometimes being on a budget gets you more then you expect. Buy performance not bling...
Jerry
Check the exchange. You could not find a better entry level package for the money.
Being able to see matters to me and spending a bit more on optics would be my way to split your budget. Great optics for decent bucks include the Elite 4200 6x24 w/mil dots, 4X16 or new side focus 1" or tactical. Used around $400 to 600. New under $750.
Nikon Buckmaster is another decent scope and I have used the 4X14 side focus with excellent results. The new BDC reticle might just what you need to get out further. These have target turrents too. $350 - 400ish.
All of these scopes will get you within spitting distance optically of the rather expensive Leupold. All of these have great turrent mechanicals.
Rings and bases are another $75 - Burris Sig Zee rings with inserts, Weaver bases.
You can still buy a new Savage or Rem and be under your budget. $600 for the rifle. I prefer the Savage as I can push 75gr Amax as far as I want.
If you shop wisely and buy used when it makes sense, you can get your rifle/scope and reloading gear and be within your budget (under actually). I would not hesitate to buy used dies with the Lee Delux Collet die set being my number 1 choice. If you snoop around the exchange, you can find all you need to reload for 50 to 75% of retail.
Happy shooting and enjoy the journey. Sometimes being on a budget gets you more then you expect. Buy performance not bling...
Jerry
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- Location
- calgary alberta
223 is not used to kill people, just wound them. If the military units want to kill someone 308 works far better.
punkrockboy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Eastern Bantario!
The Falcon scopes are definitely a good deal....I have a Falcon Menace 4.5-18x on my remington Police .308, awesome scope, and you can buy it new for around 400 dollars.That combined with the remington 700 sps or varmint in .223 would be well within your stated budget.
The guys are right though, if you are patient, and wait, Im sure it wont take long, and you'll find a nice package for a good price on the EE!
The guys are right though, if you are patient, and wait, Im sure it wont take long, and you'll find a nice package for a good price on the EE!
I think thats the first time I've seen you put Savage on par with Remington.
A factory gun is a factory gun. You can spend 2G on a decked out Weatherby, Sako, or Browning and they'll all drill the same sized group of holes with factory ammo... but poor Jerry has been picked-on so badly by the big bad bench-resters lately that I have to stick up for Savage out of solidarity.
In all honesty, they are doing things smart though, excellent choice of calibers, reasonable prices and some good quality. If only their triggers weren't so freekin' ugly. I'm pyssed at Remington for D/Cing the XR100.I just might buy a Savage myself.
