Looking for a short, bolt action .308

[mickalder]

Has anyone been to any firearms dealers or been online and seen a bolt, short action .308 rifle for around $300, im in the market for my first rifle and eager to go shooting and get back into practice before the season starts,i prefer the marlin xs7, and hoping to find something with a scope and the supplier for marysville walmart said that they can't ship to walmart any more, no clue why.  Any one have any suggestions, thanks mama mickey 

[JackOfAllTrades]

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/centerfireBoltAction/XS7.asp

You'll want the XS7. My teenage son has this in Win270 (XL7).  Wonderful rifle for the price.  (was $320 out the door a year ago Christmas)

Let me know if you can't find one.

-Steve

[mickalder]

thanks im looking now, take care mickey

[mickalder]

what do you folks think of the Remington 770 .308 Winchester i found it on a gun auction for under 300, wondering if it would make a good rifle for my first and for a female?? thanks mickey

[MtnMuley]

That's the rifle I would suggest.

[mickalder]

 i also found a Savage 200 Stevens Package 308 Win for around 300 as well, has the short action i am looking for as well.

[JackOfAllTrades]

It'll be a bit heavier than the Marlin. Not new? Won't have the adjustable trigger that the Marlin has. Won't have the well engineered recoil system that the Marlin has.  Pillar bedded action like the Marlin? Fluted Bolt like the Marlin?  The marlin uses a standard Win70 scope mount system that comes with it. Not that the Rem version isn't as readily available.  The Marlin and 770 come with sling mounts already installed. Uh.. The 770 is listed from Remington as having a scope mounted with a higher msrp. Dunno what the quality of the scope is but I'd probably replace that with a used Leupold or Nikon.

The Remington 770 is comparable to the Marlin at that price point. The Marlin has a blind box magazine. The 770 has a detatchable clip. Advantage Remington. Clips aren't cheap though. Clips add weight to the design of the action.

The stock on the 770 looks thicker at the action area. An important thing to me is how a rifle carries in the hand in the woods. If you have smaller hands, I would say it's nicer to have a stock, that forward of the pistol grip, is a bit thinner in girth.

There's one thing I can't recall about how the safety works on the Marlin that I'll be happy to check this evening for you. I think there's something I liked about it; why I wanted that rifle for my son.

Those points noted... You're on the right track for a budget minded 'capable' rifle. I would get both in my hands.. See how they point/carry before I ordered one. (dare I say that there is also a Smith & Wesson model at the same price point that you might like)

-Steve

[JackOfAllTrades]

But the Savage - Stevens won't have the Accutrigger that the Savage 110 has. It's a nice rifle, but the better trigger is worth either more cash, or looking to something that already has an adjustable trigger.

Advantage of the Savage is that it would be relatively cheap to change the barrel to a different short action cartridge based off the 308win.. Say.. 243win if you wanted to down the road.

 

-Steve

http://www.gunblast.com/Stevens-200.htm

[mickalder]

all very goo points steve thanks so much looks like im lening backwards the marlin as a good first rifle

[Pathfinder101]

Just bought the Marlin XS7 for my son for his birthday in .308 short action (I got him the youth model).  Has a trigger similar to the Savage Accutrigger, that's why I went with it instead of the Stevens.
I just saw one yesterday at the Cabelas in Post Falls ID for $259.00 

[coriantonk]

Just took my wife to the range last saturday with her brand new Marlin XS7.  It is a sweet shooting gun.  Cabella's was having a sale and we picked it up for $249+ scope, out the door for $360.  My wife is a short person, 5'4'' and I did like others have suggested, I had her hold the Marlin and the Remington.  The action on the marlin felt much smoother than the Remington, and the marlin has a better trigger.  With that said, either one should be a good starting point.  The most important thing is to get the gun that feels good in your hands and at your shoulder.  I would stay away from auction sites untill you know exactly what you want.

[hoosier85]

770 . please dont get that rifle. I dont think it even feels right. Know a couple of people that impulsed that. not good. If you want to keep you price range than get the marlin. when its voted top 10 then i guess there is a good reason. i didnt read the whole thread so hopefully you didnt get the 770. If you did good luck with it.

[JackOfAllTrades]

Yeah, What the hell!  She hasn't been on line since the first week of the month.  I wanna know what she ended up buying.

-Steve

[Ridgeratt]

http://hunting-washington.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=1593&cat=21