Getting a rifle, help me choose!

[HunterofWA]

Hey all,

I'm turning 20 here soon and my Dad is gifting me a rifle. I'm looking for one that will last a long time but is around the $500-$1,000 range. Any tips you can share would be appreciated!

The game I want to be able to hunt with it primarily includes deer (mainly blacktails, but I'm game for others in the future) as well as elk. Thinking a .270 is the caliber I'm shooting for (sorry for the puns   )

Any scope rifle combos you know of? Does anyone have opinions on these rifles?

Weatherby Vanguard MeatEater Edition Tungsten Cerakote Bolt Action Rifle – 270 Winchester
https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/rifles/weatherby-vanguard-meateater-edition-tungsten-cerakote-bolt-action-rifle-270-winchester/p/1683542

Bergara B-14 Timber Bolt Action Rifle
https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/rifles/bergara-b-14-timber-bolt-action-rifle/p/p42885

Savage Arms Axis XP Camo With Weaver Scope Black Bolt Action Rifle - 270 Winchester
https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/rifles/savage-arms-axis-xp-camo-with-weaver-scope-black-bolt-action-rifle-270-winchester/p/1541431

110 APEX STORM XP
https://www.savagearms.com/content?p=firearms&a=product_summary&s=57340

Thanks in advance!

[Bob33]

Those all look like great choices, and there are others as well. The 270 Winchester is a tried and true caliber. I would suggest visiting a store and handling as many as possible, to see which feels best in your hands.

PS - get ready for ten pages of posts telling you why you need something else. 

[X-Force]

Those all look like great choices, and there are others as well. The 270 Winchester is a tried and true caliber. I would suggest visiting a store and handling as many as possible, to see which feels best in your hands.

PS - get ready for ten pages of posts telling you why you need something else. 

True statement. Get your hands on a bunch until you find one right for you.

Hunting in Washington; rain, snow etc. I’d recommend a synthetic stock and stainless action.

[Igor]

We went with the Savage Arms Axis XP Camo With Weaver Scope Black Bolt Action Rifle, but in 7mm-08 for my 16-year-old grandson.  Great rifle for the money.

[pianoman9701]

Those all look like great choices, and there are others as well. The 270 Winchester is a tried and true caliber. I would suggest visiting a store and handling as many as possible, to see which feels best in your hands.

PS - get ready for ten pages of posts telling you why you need something else. 

[HunterofWA]

Haha, I figured some would suggest a different caliber. I'm open to considering others. The 6.5 Creedmoor caught my attention today (because it was in stock! lol) but I'd be interested to hear more about that one too.

[raydog]

Those all look like great choices, and there are others as well. The 270 Winchester is a tried and true caliber. I would suggest visiting a store and handling as many as possible, to see which feels best in your hands.

PS - get ready for ten pages of posts telling you why you need something else. 

True statement. Get your hands on a bunch until you find one right for you.

Hunting in Washington; rain, snow etc. I’d recommend a synthetic stock and stainless action.

Absolutely agree with the stainless and synthetic!

[Igor]

Haha, I figured some would suggest a different caliber. I'm open to considering others. The 6.5 Creedmoor caught my attention today (because it was in stock! lol) but I'd be interested to hear more about that one too.

The .270 Win is a great caliber.......I own two rifles in that caliber.  My grandson was just not fond of the recoil while shooting one of mine, so we went with the 7mm-08. 

[Stein]

Do you have money for a scope?

[fowl smacker]

Those all look like great choices, and there are others as well. The 270 Winchester is a tried and true caliber. I would suggest visiting a store and handling as many as possible, to see which feels best in your hands.

PS - get ready for ten pages of posts telling you why you need something else. 

Ha ha, laugh all you want but my 6.5 creedmoor took this Idaho buck at 574 yards this yr.  It was bang & flop. .I shot my first 19 blacktail with a .270 however.  I like them too.

[BigGoonTuna]

Lots to love about the .270. Good enough for anything in this state, flat shooting and not a ton of recoil. In normal times, ammo is very affordable as well.

I’ve handled a few bergaras, they all felt like very solid guns with slick actions. Same goes for howa.  If I was looking into a savage I would stick with the 10/110 series or one of those variants. Why? The axis have always felt sort of cheap to me. That said, lots of guys seem to like them.

While stainless guns are great for our weather, there’s nothing wrong with walnut and blued steel. Just requires a bit more attention to maintenance.  I do a lot of hunting with my lever actions in the rain with no trouble, but I always give them a good wipe down with an oily cloth afterwards and let them dry out somewhere with good airflow (NEVER in a case!).  My most recent purchase was a model 70 extreme weather in 30-06 though, because upkeep time cuts into my time in the woods these days, with 2 little kids at home.

For a scope, I recommend budgeting as much as you can afford. My preference for blacktail hunting(ok, most of my hunting) is for something with low magnification on the bottom end, like 1.5-2.5X. That gives a wide field of view that’s great if you need to take a shot at a running animal. I’m a fan of the Leupold VX-3 2.5-8x36.

[pianoman9701]

Those all look like great choices, and there are others as well. The 270 Winchester is a tried and true caliber. I would suggest visiting a store and handling as many as possible, to see which feels best in your hands.

PS - get ready for ten pages of posts telling you why you need something else. 

Ha ha, laugh all you want but my 6.5 creedmoor took this Idaho buck at 574 yards this yr.  It was bang & flop.

[HunterofWA]

Do you have money for a scope?

Yeah, I'll buy the scope if it's outside the allotted amount.

[b23]

I'd take my chances with a Tikka in 270 Win over any of the other off the shelf factory guns.

[Stein]

Do you have money for a scope?

Yeah, I'll buy the scope if it's outside the allotted amount.

I would go with the Bergara then, been looking at buying one myself.  That said, I've never shot one.