Getting a rifle, help me choose!

[Dan-o]

Well its definitely a reoccurring issue.  This will be my one and only. Luckily savage didn't bat an eye and acknowledged its a common issue. Its back in their hands now. Hopefully I see it back in a timely fashion.

That sucks.

I bought Savage Axis for 4 of my kids, and have been completely satisfied.
I HATE when a firearm malfunctions.   It's hard to regain faith in one once you lose it.

[wapiti22]

I have a very nice Browning BBR in 270 Win. Built in 1982 with a blued barrel and wood stock with exotic wood forend tip. Wears a 4X Leopoldo. A tack driver with factory ammo. It’s available!!!

[meatwhack]

I’d never had a browning until a couple years ago. I purchased an x-bolt hells canyon speed which would be at the upper end of your budget.  It’s been a great rifle, shoots extremely well and is pretty light so it’s easy to pack.

[HunterofWA]

Good to hear all this. Running to Sportsmans this evening to handle a Tikka and whatever else they've got.

[NiteHawk]

I have an original Tikka T3 that I picked up about 14 years ago. It's topped with a Vortex 5-20 and it's a sub 1 MOA gun at less than 200 yards and a 1 MOA gun out to 500. Haven't shot further than that but it's a great rifle. I keep the barrel clean during the off season and hunt with the barrel fouled and it's extremely accurate. Affordable and accurate, you can't go wrong. It does have quite the recoil, but one can lessen the recoil with a limbsaver recoil pad.

 

[Jonathan_S]

Well its definitely a reoccurring issue.  This will be my one and only. Luckily savage didn't bat an eye and acknowledged its a common issue. Its back in their hands now. Hopefully I see it back in a timely fashion.

That sucks.

I bought Savage Axis for 4 of my kids, and have been completely satisfied.
I HATE when a firearm malfunctions.   It's hard to regain faith in one once you lose it.

Lost confidence doesn't usually return! That's exactly how I felt about the Savage Axis (2) that I had. After a LOT of polishing and spring replacement, I got it to fire 100/100 primers (imagine those days, popping primers just for that?!)

I offloaded them for $150 a piece and warned the buyer.

[Randysonia]

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.

    Very Good Caliber choice! Can't beat it!  A Browning X Bolt with a 3x9 luepold scope.

[huntnphool]

 https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,267334.msg3628126.html#msg3628126

[Wanttohuntmore]

T3 Tikka in 30'06.   You won't ever regret that.   The 270 is good but for elk and moose,  the 30 can hurl more energy at range.   My son uses a 270 and we use some heavy 145 ELDx to gain more energy at a distance, all hands loads...  with the 30 it's easy to buy commercially loaded heavier loads.

[Lady Grouse hunter]

I shoot a much rarer cartridge, in .280 Remmington It's a FLAT long range bullet.

[KNOPHISH]

Whatever you choose it would be wise to pick a caliber you can get ammo for or reload. 30.06 ammo used to be on every shelf of every store and killed all sizes of animals.

[Lady Grouse hunter]

One can still get .280 in 180g off the shelf...

[Jimmy33]

270?...absolutely (I have shot 90% of my rifle animals with this caliber)
Savage?...no way
Bergara?...maybe
Tikka?...Yes

I prefer a browning to most any other rifle out there but it is out of your price range unless you buy an A bolt or x bolt used (good option). Dont discount the Kimber Hunter...Not a fan of the stock but a good gun for the money in my opinion.

[C-Money]

I've heard more than one Axis story firing when the bolt is lifted to unload...blows up in the users hand. I've also heard of the misfires. My son has a youth axis in .243 we bought a few years back. Its been a good rifle, and he's killed a few Pennsylvania bucks with it. My daughter used it this year in PA, she never had a shot at a buck. Towards the end of the day my son shot a buck with a different rifle. It was not quite dead yet when we found him, so he used the axis .243 to make it quick for the buck. "click" Second attempt it went off, and buck went to sleep very ethically. BUT!!...Man! If my daughter had a buck in front of her that day, the "click" may have costed her a deer. With the stories about them blowing up and misfiring, that rifle is on the short list to be gone. Kinda sad as my boy got his first buck with it a few years back, and we may end up keeping it for that reason. I'd advise to pick something else. Either a different model of Savage or go with a Howa, Hawkeye/M77, or Browning A bolt

[swanderek]

Tikka t3x super light  in 6.5 or 30-06.
With limbsaver and omega 300, it kicks a little more than .223