Trip to Wholesale Sports, Looked at budget guns.

As others have said, buy a decent used rifle. You will be sorely disappointed in the selection of new junk under $800... and you will likely want to sell it sooner than later. There's plenty of excellent rifles on EE or check out Tradex. If I were forced to buy new, I would go with Tikka or Vanguard. They aren't fancy, but they shoot well out of the box.
 
I picked up an American for dog hunting, my first opinion was it felt cheaper than my Marlin, but man can it shoot, and I now appreciate that light weight while walking the woods, and unlike my other rifles other than the XL7 , if I take a tumble on the snow/ ice I do not get pissed off if I scratch or ding it since I paid under $400 for it.

Everyone should have a nice well made rifle that will last forever and can be passed on generation to generation , but these inexpensive rifles have their place also.
 
I have a ruger american in .270 and love it. Killed my 1st bear with it this year. Its my most accurate gun with cheap factory ammo I own.

Even a cheap guns turn into a 1000$ once you add the scope and rings.

20120707164956.jpg
 
Keep using Grampas gun and save till you can get what you want. It will save you in the long run once you want to dump the economy garbage in a few seasons. BTW Vanguard would be the best choice buy a million miles but not really cheap either. Buy used from EE, so many great used choices for that money.
 
I am a true Remington fan, with Savage being a close second, but given the choices you have looked at, I would either buy the Vanguard or save your money, or look at a used Remington or Savage both can be had with decent opitcs for around the 1000.00 mark. Or use pappy's old one until you have 1500.00 or so and b e very happy with your rifle/optics package of your full choice.
 
skhunter said:
Bashaw Sports is selling Rem SPS rifles for $489.00 A far better choice than what you listed, at least I think so.
Click to expand...

This. My buddy picked up a 700 SPS for $506 taxes in and it came with a case. What a nice rifle for that price. Of course they are regular $629 at cabelas. $489 is a great price.
 
Vanguard. I own every brand here, handled and shot all the rifles you've mentioned except the Ruger. You mentioned under $1000? Here:
ht tp://www.cabelas.ca/product/47124/weatherby-vanguard-s2-synthetic-combo-bolt-action-rifle#./weatherby-vanguard-s2-synthetic-combo-bolt-action-rifle?&_suid=1388763413395048331393187325794

Under your max price, with an above-average Redfield Revenge scope (made by Leupold, lifetime warranty), and Cabela's has them in stock in various calibers. You will not be sorry- no one else backs up their rifle with the accuracy guarantee and factory target that Weatherby does, and these Howa-made actions are like glass compared to my Savages and Rems.
 
Another thought is to look around for a Vanguard Series 1, there's still a few new ones out there for less than the Series 2. And the stock doesn't have those grippy rubber bits you don't like. There's also Howa, who builds the Vanguard for Weatherby. (Howa 1500 = same gun, non Weatherby stock)
Prophet River carries both if you want to look.
 
Last edited:
Silverado said:
Copy this. If dollars are tight, I'd recommend keeping an eye on the EE.
Click to expand...

"Cheap" rifles suck, quality rifles cheap is not hard to do..i have bought in the last three months -
BLR 243 under 650 shipped with bases rings and scope
M700 243 DM in boyds laminate stock, rings and bases under 500
M700 ADL Carbine bases rings and scope in 243 under 600
M700 BDL 308 customized by guntech - bedded laminate stock shortened to 20" barrel recrowned and trigger tuned, talley lapped rings under 650


There are more but that gives you an idea, if you really want to buy a new cheap outfit look at the savage trophy hunter combo with the weaver scope, nice scope, accutrigger, dm for under 700 in your hands.
 
Last edited:
I bought a Ruger American in 2012 because i wanted to try .243 for a dual purpose caliber. This is not a thousand dollar rifle but ruger never claimed it to be. I absolutely love it. As far as the gun snobs slagging the economy rifles goes,they did the same to the rem 788 and that rifle is still putting meat in the freezer.So take their opinions for what they are worth. I have more expensive guns...Big deal,so what? I am not embarassed to take the ruger to the range and proceed to astonish the snobs who occupy the other benches. I really love it when my lowly little .243 outshoots most of their shiny safe queens.These so called economy rifles are getting new hunters in the woods by making it more affordable. What is wrong with that?
 
Advoc said:
Have been looking at getting a rifle this year in the budget category, as some of you may know who have been very helpful in the threads I've posted so far.
The All American was about on par with the 783 for value / bank-for-the-buck. The stock actually felt even cheaper than the Remington, although it did have mounts for rings already on it. The stock actually felt hollow to me. The trigger was a bit crisper than the 783, more like what I'm used to in my 788. but the mag was completely plastic. This one felt like a cheap airsoft gun.

Pros: scope mounts included, detachable magazine. again quite light. crisp trigger
cons: feels very cheap. magazine completely plastic. feels hollow.
Click to expand...

It is, but ridged with a free float barrel. I just bought one from wolverinesupplies in 243 at a great price, I don't think you can beat the bang for buck. Free float barrel, adjustable trigger, rugged and a workhorse, but it does have a sporter barrel.
 
I don't necessarily think that a budget gun isn't suitable or lasting. My plan with this rifle is to have something I'll use forever and pass along to my sons. I'm not sure how often you have to use a gun to not call it a safe queen, but once this thing is zeroed in i'll probably only fire it at most a half dozen times a year. It has one purpose only, to put meat in the freezer. Even with that low round count I wouldn't call it a safe queen.

I feel like the Vanguard can do that and it'll last a very long time. Maybe get a boyds stock on it in a year or two. But it's definitely not something I'll get bored of and sell off in a few seasons to get something more expensive. It'll be a few months before I pull the trigger on this anyway and that's why I've come here. There are so many good ideas and good people to share them, even if some opinions get heated around here. So even if I have my heart set on this I don't want anyone to think I'm not listening. There's a Mark V in stainless .300 wby mag on the EE for $1K sans scope, and that has me drooling. So something else isn't completely out of the question, but I think I have my solid choice unless something else that I really want comes along before I commit.
 
Advoc said:
I really didn't like it. My current rifle is a remington 788, but its nearly 40 years old I think. Quality was different in those days. Most of the rifles in the family are older like that. Mostly we have Remingtons and Winchesters.

I'm probably going to get it in 7mm Rem Mag or .300 Wby Mag, I'm leaning more heavily toward the .300 as we already have one in the family and we have all the reloading equipment for it.
It'll be for bigger game out to distance.

All I know is what I've shot, I've been doing it for a little while, but not with a lot of variety, so I do like the Remington 788, but the 783 just doesn't come close imho.
Click to expand...

If you currently own a Remington 788 then only new rifle you listed that would be an upgrade would be the Vanguard! Personally, I would keep the 788, order up a Boyds laminate stock in "classic" trim directly off their website, have it bedded, buy a new Nikon Buckmaster or Bushnell Elite scope for it, have the trigger adjusted to 2.5-3lbs and call it a good! You should be able to get all that done for around $600. For a few bucks more get the barrel re-crowned too!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom