help me pick out a rifle

[jaymark6655]

Savage or Remington in a .308, you can almost buy ammo anywhere, it has almost the same performance as 30-06, and is a short action rather than a long action.

[snowshoes22]

Savages won't win any beauty contests but out of the box they are about as accurate as rifles get.  The 30 cals have the biggest bullet selection for someone who doesn't reload, but 7mms and 270's will kill elk, deer and bear no problem.  IMO glass is more important than todays rifles. Put your money into optics.  All major brands of rifles are reliable and accurate enough to hunt with to 300+ yards. 

[jrebel]

Marlin 45/70 xlr......OH yeah, you are on a budget    Don't count out the 45/70 as a great west side gun.  It will take deer, bear and elk with no problem.  If you shop around you can find some used guide guns for fairly cheap.  I personally like the XLR as it has the longer barel and it is a 300 yard gun all day long with the leverevolution bullets.  It is a lever gun which you are familiar with beings that you have a 30-30.  Fast follow up shots and not alot of recoil either.   

[Swannytheswan]

Someday I will have a 45/70...but right now I'm looking for a bolt gun.

[Biggerhammer]

Tikka...

Why don't you like tikka...I have only heard good things so I am curious?

He is just messed up. Don't mind him

You will hear only a couple things bad about the tikka's the stock and the clip. Flat out they are the best shooting gun around the 500 mark out there. We have 5 of them and every one shoot's lights out. I have been around 30+ of them and they are all great guns. If you don't like the stock buy a after market one, there is a lot popping up now days.

I would say the one all around gun I would go with is a 270 wsm. I am a big fan, I never thought I would be but I really love them. Will kill anything that walk around here.

I guess the saying,

" One mans trash is another mans treasure"

That applies to Tikka owners.

[Swannytheswan]

come on biggerhammer either throw out some reasons or stop trying to poke the bear...as they say "s*** or get off the pot"

[Biggerhammer]

Here's a quick run down for you but remember it doesn't matter to me what you hump through the woods.

Crap fit and feel, trinket stock, crap ejection port that requires complete removal of the magazine to correct any malfunction. The magazine design is a train wreck, blah ,  blah , blah.

One of those issues is a capital offense when it comes to firearm. To each their own, a Tikka doesn't even ride in my trucks. I'll seat belt a wet lab straight out of the river on a leather passenger seat before I'd let a Tikka slide around in the bed of my truck for a day and that's no joke.

[wraithen]

Here's a quick run down for you but remember it doesn't matter to me what you hump through the woods.

Crap fit and feel, trinket stock, crap ejection port that requires complete removal of the magazine to correct any malfunction. The magazine design is a train wreck, blah ,  blah , blah.

One of those issues is a capital offense when it comes to firearm. To each their own, a Tikka doesn't even ride in my trucks. I'll seat belt a wet lab straight out of the river on a leather passenger seat before I'd let a Tikka slide around in the bed of my truck for a day and that's no joke.

To be fair, and while I do respect his opinions pretty highly when it comes to firearms, but bigger can impulse buy things that I have to budget for half a year. If he buys a 700 that just isn't good enough, he can afford to make it a tack driver or experiment with it and not care a hole lot. I vote for the savage though. You can tinker with it far more easily. It's not very accrurate? Throw a ne barrel on it! Trigger too heavy? Adjust it! Etc. Plus you can get a decent combo withh scope brand new for under 500.

[pianoman9701]

Rem. Model 700 .30-06.

[Holg3107]

  or in .300 win mag.

[MikeWalking]

I'm in a $$ bind and I'll sell my 30-06 for $500

Remington Buckmaster SPS w/Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x with a BDC, Butler Creek pop up covers (the front is problematic) Limbsaver, padded sling w/ammo loops.  I don't have pics.

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire/model-700/model-700-sps-buckmaster.aspx

[carpsniperg2]

Tikka...

Why don't you like tikka...I have only heard good things so I am curious?

He is just messed up. Don't mind him

You will hear only a couple things bad about the tikka's the stock and the clip. Flat out they are the best shooting gun around the 500 mark out there. We have 5 of them and every one shoot's lights out. I have been around 30+ of them and they are all great guns. If you don't like the stock buy a after market one, there is a lot popping up now days.

I would say the one all around gun I would go with is a 270 wsm. I am a big fan, I never thought I would be but I really love them. Will kill anything that walk around here.

I guess the saying,

" One mans trash is another mans treasure"

That applies to Tikka owners.

Now you are making me laugh! Kinda like the xmd right?

Whats the most important thing? How do they shoot? We have never had any problems with our 5 and out of the probably 100+ people on this site that own them. I have yet to hear of a problem, or see any problems in any of my friends, family, oh and clients guns

I will give you that the stock is no manners or mcmillian. Still fits good enough to shoot 1/2"-3/4" in all my guns. for 500.00 what do you get. A great shooting gun and a cheaper stock and clip that still shoots lights out.

To each there own

[Curly]

I don't think Marlin has been mentioned yet.  The X7 should be worth a look.  I have no experience with them personally, but have read good things about the rifle.  I'd probably go for 30-06.

Here is a Marlin X7 on sale for $332.  That seems like a great price to me.

[Huntbear]

Tikka...

Why don't you like tikka...I have only heard good things so I am curious?

He is just messed up. Don't mind him

You will hear only a couple things bad about the tikka's the stock and the clip. Flat out they are the best shooting gun around the 500 mark out there. We have 5 of them and every one shoot's lights out. I have been around 30+ of them and they are all great guns. If you don't like the stock buy a after market one, there is a lot popping up now days.

I would say the one all around gun I would go with is a 270 wsm. I am a big fan, I never thought I would be but I really love them. Will kill anything that walk around here.

I guess the saying,

" One mans trash is another mans treasure"

That applies to Tikka owners.

Now you are making me laugh! Kinda like the xmd right?

Whats the most important thing? How do they shoot? We have never had any problems with our 5 and out of the probably 100+ people on this site that own them. I have yet to hear of a problem, or see any problems in any of my friends, family, oh and clients guns

I will give you that the stock is no manners or mcmillian. Still fits good enough to shoot 1/2"-3/4" in all my guns. for 500.00 what do you get. A great shooting gun and a cheaper stock and clip that still shoots lights out.

To each there own

Says Tikka, but is made in Sako Factory...  A very accurate AFFORDABLE gun for the working stiff....   I want at least a couple in my safe before I am done....

[Curly]

Another candidate should be the Thompson/Center Venture.  It can be had for $463 and it is made in USA and comes with an accuracy guarantee.

If you wanted to be really unique, you could get it in 30TC and have a cartridge that almost nobody else has..............but a 30-06 would probably be a wiser choice.  Who knows how long 30TC will be around.