Cowtown3hunter
(Outdoorsman)
06/11/08 03:41 PM
What brand rifle

A friend wants a .300 WSM stainess steel, synthetic stock "mountain rifle", primarily for elk. He has narrowed down the brands to either a Browning A bolt, X bolt, Tikka T-3, Remmington 700, or Ruger Hawkeye. I would include Savage, but it didn't make his list. Money is always somewhat of an issue, but he will spend the money for better accuracy, but not looks. This one will get scratched up some.

He respects the Browning name but has a rifleman friend (for whom money is no object) who swears by his Tikka.

Any suggestions?


scott123456789
(Pro Tracker)
06/11/08 03:45 PM
Re: What brand rifle

ruger is probably considered one of the less accurate of that group.

If price is a big issue go with the Remmy while the actions aren't as smooth the typically shoot well.


JCB
(Extreme Tracker)
06/11/08 03:55 PM
Re: What brand rifle

I vote for Ruger!
To me they are the best bang for the buck, and I have owned a ton of them and never had any accuracy problems at all!


Lone Ranger
(Bird Dog)
06/11/08 04:10 PM
Re: What brand rifle

I vote for the Winchester Model 70. The new Model 70's should be at gun stores very soon.

chevk4
(Tracker)
06/11/08 04:11 PM
Re: What brand rifle

Quote:

I vote for Ruger!
To me they are the best bang for the buck, and I have owned a ton of them and never had any accuracy problems at all!





I vote for ruger too!
Ruger 77's is all I shoot from 220 swift for yotes 257 roberts ACK IMP and 25-06 for mule deer to the 338 mag for elk you can't beat it. I have no problem making accurate shots with any of them.

God Bless Our Troops


psg1954
(Woodsman)
06/11/08 04:17 PM
Re: What brand rifle

Tikka.

I'm pretty sure the only other bolt action I'll by other than Tikka is a Sako.


Brother in-law
(Extreme Tracker)
06/11/08 04:18 PM
Re: What brand rifle

Awesome round from reading about it. Im going to say Remington. My friend just got a model 7 in stainless fluted in 300wsm with the special weather coating remington offers to harsh environments. I dont think they make this rifle anymore but if you look hard might be able to hunt one down. That would be my first choice.

Not on your list but I have heard good about is the Sako finnlight that is stainless fluted and also Kimber makes a very light model, maybe called a montana?


Texpppr
(Bird Dog)
06/11/08 05:27 PM
Re: What brand rifle

I just got a new SS Tikka with a laminate stock.. really like the looks and its a shooter too.

Crazyhorse
(THF Celebrity)
06/11/08 05:29 PM
Re: What brand rifle

I throw another vote in for the Ruger, I have owned a few over the years and they always did and still do the job I ask of them.

As someone else stated, I have had no problems with accuracy issues.

At present we have two, Lora has a Model 77 ultra-lite in 257 Robert's, this past season we killed 7 deer with 7 shots from that little rifle at ranges fom 80 to 200 yards.

I have a tang safety Model 77 in 35 Whelen that I have killed 4 elk, 1 caribou, 2 pronghorns, and several deer and feral hogs with.

I had the 22 inch factory barrel replaced with a 26 inch barrel, simply because I like the feel and look of rifles with longer barrels.

Ruger's are good rifles and are more accurate than most of the folks that will be pulling the trigger.


HaskellCoDeerKiller
(Pro Tracker)
06/11/08 05:47 PM
Re: What brand rifle

I Like them All you can make any of them accurate with the right loads.

Crazyhorse
(THF Celebrity)
06/11/08 05:52 PM
Re: What brand rifle

Good post.

RWH24
(Pro Tracker)
06/11/08 06:25 PM
Re: What brand rifle

Quote:

Tikka.

I'm pretty sure the only other bolt action I'll by other than Tikka is a Sako.




+1 on Tikka...


jackwabbit2
(Woodsman)
06/11/08 06:32 PM
Re: What brand rifle

Quote:

I vote for the Winchester Model 70. The new Model 70's should be at gun stores very soon.





October is not very soon. Cant really go wrong with a tikka.


Mconner
(Woodsman)
06/11/08 06:56 PM
Re: What brand rifle

They will all shoot. He just needs to hold all of them and and pick the one that fits him best.

TexasEd
(Pro Tracker)
06/11/08 09:15 PM
Re: What brand rifle

My next rifle will be a Weatherby Vanguard.

yukons95
(Bird Dog)
06/12/08 12:08 AM
Re: What brand rifle

Nothing is smoother than the model 70 action, but if i had to chose, go with the browning stainless stalker! most i have seen will shoot around 1 inch groups! if not better. i think for the money that is the best out of the box rifle out there! if money was not an issue. buy the browning mountain-ti. now that is a rifle, camo stock,stainless finish, excellent accuracy and most of all very light. a friend of mine bought one in a 7mm-08. and it is awesome!!! under an inch groups with several brands of ammunition! not just one. anyways' that's my 2 cents worth!

westtexaswatkins
(Tracker)
06/12/08 09:43 AM
Re: What brand rifle

Remington, can't go wrong.

colt45
(Pro Tracker)
06/12/08 10:42 AM
Re: What brand rifle

since the Savage is out, my vote for a remmy

fowlplayr
(Tracker)
06/12/08 11:05 AM
Re: What brand rifle

Quote:

My next rifle will be a Weatherby Vanguard.




That would be my first choice. Relatively cheap, reliable and accurate. What else is needed? But since it's not on the list of options, you CAN'T go wrong with a Remington.


texaschef
(Woodsman)
06/12/08 11:56 AM
Re: What brand rifle

i vote remy, always been a fan and never been let down

hawk
(Woodsman)
06/12/08 12:28 PM
Re: What brand rifle

The one that fits you and feels best to you! I have remingtion, browning, and winchester. I personally prefer the browning, but that is just me. They are all good guns, but when I hold the gun the browning has always "fit me" the best!

WileyCoyote
(Pro Tracker)
06/12/08 08:04 PM
Re: What brand rifle

Opinons are like noses and other bodily orifices....everbody's got one

After studying this kinda question couple years ago when I was looking at consolidating and downsizing from a bunch that included stuff I never shot anymore to just a handfull of everday shooters...and owning 40-50+++??? "deer rifles" over the years I settled on two Tikka T3's - swapped a Tikka WTHunter for a T3 in the same caliber but went from blue/wood to SS/syn & may yet swap that 'un for a 'nuther one in a slightly different caliber but still in a T3, an early '90's M70 Classic Grade SS/syn in a longer range medium large caliber - in a dead up swap from a Browning A Bolt SS/syn in the same caliber and have always felt like I got the better of that deal bigtime - I'll explain later, and a CZ 550 American wood/blue - to get a specific caliber only offered by CZ in this country.

In the popularly price range guns you've mentioned I'd rank the guns , based on ZERO extra dollars needed to be spent in corrective & factory flaw rehab 'smith work done X's out of the box accuracy for a brand new outta the box SS/synthetic stock sporter weight hunting rifle:

IMO Tikka T3 as the best overall value for the expended dollar. Usually Hyper Accurate with a wide range of bullet weights and brands of ammo, but will never win a beauty contest. Prone to rust even in SS in 100% humidity & salty climates because of the heavy bead blasted non glare finish holding moisture particularly in the coastal Alaskan environments that are the harshest test of a rifle's fucntionality and toughness I know of...that is easy to fix by having a finer grit polish job done - like the "brighter & slicker" finish on a SS Ruger MkII - or a CerraCote finish applied but you can do that to a blue steel gun too, but have T3's are the only guns besides SAKO to have SS trigger assemblies that are a single screw & consumer adjustable thru the magazine well.

Ruger Hawkeye - might still need the new style trigger touched up a bit but a signicant step better than the old ones from what I hear ...and mebbe a float and glass job too but overall a good value for the dollar. See comments above on the new bead blasted non glare finish on H'eyes with same issues as T3's.

Remington Mtn Rifles are a tad pricey for me but lots of folks like them - I understand they still will have trigger issues especially in the super wet to frozen conditions like the high Rocky's and Alaska, where the triggers are prone to rust or freeze solid as they are still blue steel. Lot's of aftermarket tuning goodies around to play with...and some of them really need the help. To be fair however, I've never been a Remmy fan and have had several mechanical failures in used guns I'd traded for that I thought were unnecessary, and due to poor craftsmanship...and the knock in craftsamnship on the newer stuff especially at the lower end price points is not something you want to hear about and think of when you spend double + $$'s for the same basic design in a little fancier finished gun. Lots of '70's, '80's & even early '90's 700's being sought after for the better receiver's to be built into custom guns...kinda like the last days of Winchester and M70's that were pure crap for the most part.

I grade Browning as my last choice mebbe because I went thru all the trigger, bedding & beginnings of exterior corrosion & pitting issues on an early '90's SS/syn gun. My gun needed a new trigger 'cause I didn't want to play silly games cutting springs and it was totally "adjusted out" and still was tripping the scale at over a 6lb pull, and the Timney swap out is the cheapest easyist way to go at about $125 for the trigger alone. My gun shot decently but I hated the Rube Goldberg design of the bolt as well as the trigger unit and won't buy another one unless I can steal it to sell to someone who gets off on the Browning name.

IF I had a "lil' mo money" to invest I'd look at a Kimber Montana or better still a SAKO except in the lastest greatest new one that is a Tikka ripoff at twice+ the bux, ummm... an mebbe a Steyr too.

Understand I am a picky old fart about deer rifles ... but you asked...and I've have seen more than a couple thousand rifles up close and personal working the industry for 13 years from the mid '70's thru the late 80's and choose to own what I own for a particular use or application with no illusions of grandeur or ego tied up in them. As always this is JMHO an YMMV.
Ron


yukons95
(Bird Dog)
06/13/08 12:38 AM
Re: What brand rifle

I would still go with the browning's! I know they had some trigger issues in the past, but that was in the early 90's! C'mon that was almost 15 yrs ago! The new a-bolt II will outshoot any of those other models that cost twice as much. The kimber montana is a good choice but the only drawback is a blind magazine, it has to be loaded and unloaded from the top. that makes a big difference to me. the remy's are excellent choices also. i understand some people will have worked for the industry for all those years, but that was then this is now!!! rifles have very much improved. it all boils down to seeing what feels right to you and what you prefer!!! by asking you can get somewhat of an idea, BUT you will get hundreds of answers and sometimes you can get more confused than when you originally started. your best bet? ask your close buddies that has always worked for me! instead of getting thousands of answers!!

helomech
(Extreme Tracker)
06/13/08 12:52 AM
Re: What brand rifle

Browning all the way. I am shooting 150 grain sst hornady light mags, and I have the BOSS. These are my last two 200 yard 2 shot groups. The first one was my second to last adjustment, and then after that I adjusted and shot the last pic. These pics were taken before I sighted in, when you tune the BOSS it changes the point of impact.





catchcat
(Woodsman)
06/23/08 06:10 PM
Re: What brand rifle

Great ifo here, years of experience. I wish I could retain half of what some of you guys know. Thanks.

Deans
(Outdoorsman)
06/23/08 06:46 PM
Re: What brand rifle

My only advice is if your friend is recoil sensitive after he shoots that 300 WSM mountain rifle he will do one of two things sell it or put a muzzle brake on it.
This is a short action rifle and a few ounces less than a long action. It would be better if he just got a 300 WSM in a standard rifle with a 2.5 x 8 or 3 x 9 scope the rifle should weight anywhere from 7.5 to 8 lbs. This should be just about the right weight.

Deans


krs_2007
(Tracker)
06/24/08 11:00 AM
Re: What brand rifle

The best advice to is go look and hold each one, cycle the action and see what fits. I prefer the Ruger, it has not failed me yet, the only thing I dont like is you cant adjust the trigger, but you can replace.
I love my Ruger, but thinking of switching to TC for versatility.


JED
(Bird Dog)
06/24/08 01:22 PM
Re: What brand rifle

Out of the box the Savage's Whether Warrior series will out shoot them all. I have one and it will put bullet holes inside bullet holes at 100yds. The accu trigger is awsome.

DLALLDER
(Bird Dog)
06/24/08 09:42 PM
Re: What brand rifle

Get youeself a copy of the latest issue of Field & Stream. They ran an accuracy test on 10 different brands. The brand that won is guess what, the "SAVAGE"

Brother in-law
(Extreme Tracker)
06/24/08 09:59 PM
Re: What brand rifle



k-town
(Woodsman)
06/28/08 01:00 PM
Re: What brand rifle

RUGER


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