Opinions bench and hunting rifle

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Rob28

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New to shooting and will be looking to purchase a new rifle in the coming weeks.
Was looking for opinions on a decent all around rifle to take to the range and hunt with when needed I would like to stay with .308 , rifle doesn’t need to be super lightweight as most of hunting would be from a stand.
As of right now I’m leaning towards the Ruger American gen 2 any suggestions and reasons why would be appreciated.
 
Have you fired a .308 to know what you're 'wanting / needing' ? "New to shooting" indicates you might not know what you're looking for/at. I do agree that if your budget can do it, go for a good rifle. However, a 'good' Used rifle might be advisable for starting out ?
 
I would save or spend as much as possible and buy the nicest rifle you can. If you keep shooting you will not regret it and if you end up having to sell it you wont regret it. The budget guns are not bad but anyone that I have known who got one didn't keep it long or want to upgrade.
 
I’m a Tikka nut so I’m going to recommend a Tikka T3x. I would go even further and suggest a Varmint Stainless or CTR. The heavier barrel will make shooting the rifle more pleasant than a hunter lite profile, plus you get the added benefit of more rounds when target shooting but make sure to not get it to hot. (Personally I dislike pencil barrels based on my own experiences)

A T3X will hold its value and if you chose to sell its easier enough to do down the road, also easy to have access to aftermarket upgrades if you wanted.

I have also found the budget guns are just that “budget” a you end up wanting more or discouraged because it doesn’t work. I would suggest going to a gun store (preferably mom and pop) and shoulder a few rifles and see which one fits you best. The Ruger you speak of is new and I’m not sure if there are allot of honest reviews out just yet as it might only be sponsored shooters who have had a chance to shoot them yet.

308 is a great all around cartridge for your intention, a lot of people will suggest other rounds and even I want to but if you want an all around good that does most things well and be able to find cheaper ammo (surplus etc) then 308 is a great choice.

Another thing to consider is getting a threaded barrel. You can throw a brake on while target shooting to reduce the recoil and enjoy the range while working on your technique and trigger time without developing a flinch which happens allot with new shooters and is a ##### to train out (but it can be done) then take the brake off when you go hunting and likely will only fire couple rounds.

My backup rifle which is a range/hunting/long range fun gun is a 308 with a 1:10 twist barrel so it likes heavier bullets.

B
 
Quality is what I went for on my first rifle, did not know at that time how involved I would go down this rabbit hole.
As HOSSONE said above, get some thing you really want and can afford, you will most likely have it a long time.
I still have my first 2 rifles I saved for when I was in my teens and that was it the seventies.
 
Nothing wrong with your idea of the Ruger American at all, they work great. In that price range the Ruger IMO is right up there, I also had a Rem 783 (in 308) that I liked. Always time to upgrade or add to the collection later on.
308 is a great choice as a do it all round. For just learning/practicing how to shoot .22 or a .223 would be a cheaper option with a lot less recoil, but not as capable for hunting big game.

Keep in mind asking gun nuts what kind of gun to buy is like going to a car show and asking what daily driver you should get. Going to get a ton of opinions
 
How much does bolt smoothness and not having a "zipper sound" matter to you? Or what other people think of what you shoot?

If either of those is "very important" buy something else. If not, buy the Ruger American.

My only personal gripe is if you're looking to shoot off a bench they're a wee bit light for me in a 308 Win. Not my idea of a good time although like bdb.hunting said you can throw a brake on it (or the Gen II comes with one, right?). But they're a solid, accurate, reliable rifle in my experiences with several of em.

My personal fav is a Tikka these days.


bdb.hunting,

Thinking of going the CTR route here, but ditching the bottom metal and mag for regular T3x Lite bottom plastic and shaving off some weight. If it could be around 8.0 to 8.2 lbs scoped that would be pretty cool for a 308 "jack of all" rifle eh? Rather than a brake maybe a linear comp just to cut the concussion a bit.
 
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Personally I would consider a Weatherby Vanguard or Howa, they are a little heavier than a Tikka I prefer their stock over Tikkas, I have several Vanguards and my Wife has one Tikka, I also would not rule out the Ruger American. Tikkas are good rifles but I preferred the Browning X bolt in new, or if you are considering a used rifle a Husqvarna 1900. None of these rifles has the same look as the American Gen 2, but they are all the equal or superior in quality to the American. I would also take an American over a Savage or Mossberg,There are lots of good rifles out there that have not been mentioned, and I would make the rounds and handle as many as you can before making your mind up. I have bought quite a few rifles, most were used, hunting rifles seldom wear out, and many of us lose interest in a rifle and sell at good prices. The look of a rifle should not matter but if we admit it or not looks factor in to our choices, I belong to a generation that grew up watching westerns so I went through quite a few lever rifles, and it was decades before I decided I don't really like levers, so listen to all the opinions you can stand, then buy the rifle you really want.
 
Rob28 said:
New to shooting and will be looking to purchase a new rifle in the coming weeks.
Was looking for opinions on a decent all around rifle to take to the range and hunt with when needed I would like to stay with .308 , rifle doesn’t need to be super lightweight as most of hunting would be from a stand.
As of right now I’m leaning towards the Ruger American gen 2 any suggestions and reasons why would be appreciated.
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If you’re looking for a budget priced rifle check out the CVA Cascade XT or the new Ruger American Gen II, next up Tikka, Bergara, Weatherby Vanguard, Howa
 
I have a Tikka T3X Stainless Varmint, 24 inch barrel, in .260 Rem that I used for many years in its original stock as a bench gun (reloading my ammo), shooting with the benchrest guys. At the time the stock rifle (no rail or rings), cost me about $13 to $14K, well worth it IMO. My after market purchases of pic rail scope rings and a quality scope all combined were far more than the rifle's cost.

It was great to shoot with its heavy varmint barrel, recoil was not an issue. It absorbed heat well and resisted stringing the hits (thin sporter/hunting barrels do NOT do well in BR shooting matches, as they heat up very fast and start stringing the rounds well away from the point of aim). Of course I never beat the 6BR's and 30BR's and 6PPC's in our group and score matches, but I did get great satisfaction through handloading in getting that rifle to shoot close to the true BR calibers. Eventually I switched the stock for an MDT XRS and it was a good move. Very nice to shoot.

I never did hunt with it (yet), but in .260 Rem it would make an excellent deer rifle. I would not hunt moose with that caliber. But in the OP's suggestion for .308 Win it would make an excellent moose rifle with the proper bullet and powder load, and .308 Win is more than adequate for deer in many bullet choices.

The Tikka Stainless Varmints are heavy rifles, and personally I would not try to shoot it offhand, as I am a small statured 150 lbs'. For me it needs a front rest support if I was to hunt with it. I might carry monopod or shooting sticks.

On the factory stock forearm I mounted an Anschutz rail and an Atlas AFAR Picatinny rail for mounting bipods, and the Anschutz rail was for an MPOD. On the MDT XRS I mounted their Arca rail and used adapters for for various bipods and 3 inch wide front rest BR plate. Tikka is well supported in the after market gear.
 
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If on a budget, check out the Stevens model 334 with synthetic stock. Available from Cabella's in .243, 6.5 creedmoor, and .308 for $550. I've had a good look at one, they are good quality rifles for the price.
 
Rob28 said:
Was looking for opinions on a decent all around rifle to take to the range and hunt with when needed I would like to stay with .308 , rifle doesn’t need to be super lightweight as most of hunting would be from a stand.
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Hunting what? I assume deer as you mention stand hunting.

If it's deer, I would lean heavily towards the 6.5CM instead. Less recoil and more fun to shoot for a new shooter esp at the range.

A T3 would be a good choice. Lots of new shooters opt for a cheapo entry gun that usually gets sold down the road and replaced with something nice. It's not so cheap a route now.
 
Bear in mind that looking for a rifle for both range work and hunting is a bit like seeking a two-seater sports car with an 8-foot bed and a trailer hitch. 🙂
 
bench and hunting choice may be about the optic just as much as it is the platform
Stand hunting may call for low magnification, 1 to 3 at the low end while range use will depend on distance but 12 to 16 is not out of line
For proper target use you may want turrets on for dialing distances, at least have a bdc reticle that can be doped to match your ammo.
Athlon has several in 2-12 and 4-14 class, other makes you will pay a whole lot more for something with 5x or 6x magnification
 
Thanks to everyone for there opinions, appreciate it definitely gives me a lot more to think about before purchasing.
 
Remington 700 varmint profile isn't too heavy, or the SPS with shorter heavy barrel.
Lots of Savage 110T's as well would fit the dual role.
 
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