off topic: What new hunting rifle?

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gixxer1237

Joined
Mar 10, 2010
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Ok, so this past year I had it pretty rough and had to sell some guns. One of the ones that went was my only hunting rifle, a 300 win mag senders. Now I loved it and was thinking on just picking up a Remington tactical SPS and throwing a new stock on it, but then I started thinking about all I hated on the Sendero. The 26" barrel got snagged on everything. It weighed 14 pounds with scope, sling, bipod, and cheek pad. The stainless glittered like a disco ball.o it's out. So I started thinking about a new Winchester m70 featherweight. The rifle will be used for all my hunting, basically deer, hogs, and yotes. But there are so many good options. So tell me what rifle you like, and what you like about them.
Here's a list of what I'm looking at.
Winchester M70 featherweight
Tills T3
Browning X-bolt
Remington SPS tactical
Cz 550 American
Kimber 84 I think
Ruger 77 Hawkeye
Any models I'm just missing? I don't like Savage.
Chime in with what you like and don't. I'm problem going 308.
 
I'd go with the Winchester but it's personal preference. Having both a relatively new Winchester Model 70 and new Remington 700, I much prefer the M.O.A. trigger on the Winchester to the exposed screw on the X-Mark protrigger. MUCH prefer. Plus I hate the j-lock on the Remingtons. Once I get the Remington where I want it to be, I might as well go custom. YMMV
 
All the above are excellent rifles... Why do you dislike Savage? Value and accuracy wise, you cannot beat Savage.
 
El Bandit0 said:
All the above are excellent rifles... Why do you dislike Savage? Value and accuracy wise, you cannot beat Savage.
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I agree. I had a 111 FCNS that would overlap holes at 100 yards with factory ammo. They make a good rifle. If I would have bought the same rifle in wood instead of synthetic, I'd still have it.


But to really answer your question, where do you hunt? What are your distances? Short barrels are good in the brush, but you lose some velocity and your cartridge won't shoot as flat. Most of my hunting is within 100 yards, so a lever carbine, Ruger 44 semi, handi rifle..... all work pretty well. If I was hunting long distances, I'd want a longer barreled bolt gun in .270, .30-06, or maybe one of the magnums. I guess you also have to figure in rifle weight if you run around in the woods a bit.

All that being said, I'm not sure anything carries around easier than a Winchester 94.
 
Savage Axis in 270 with scope have been selling for around $400 out the door. Good rifle, not to heavy, good round, decent scope.

Larry
Tinkerer
 
Last fall, I picked up a new Ruger American rifle, in .308. After getting it on paper, and right out of the box (new Redfield Revolution 3-9X) ,the worst group I have shot was 3/4 inch at 100 yards. At 200 yards, it is still grouping sub MOA.
Pretty good performance for a rifle that retailed for less than $350
RugerAmerican.jpg
 
Mannlicher said:
Last fall, I picked up a new Ruger American rifle, in .308. After getting it on paper, and right out of the box (new Redfield Revolution 3-9X) ,the worst group I have shot was 3/4 inch at 100 yards. At 200 yards, it is still grouping sub MOA.
Pretty good performance for a rifle that retailed for less than $350
RugerAmerican.jpg
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There was a video of people shooting these out to 1000 yards. It's a good gun. I just wish it was more like the M77s in the action.
 
I live in Kansas. I am a competitive F class shooter and the Sendero did double duty on that out to 1000 yards. I don't shoot at unfounded animals past 300 or so.
My first rifle was a savage in 30-06. The problem I have with em is that they tend to feed poorly, after a pretty good number of rounds they tend to develope issues, and I just don't like the look of em. No they are not bad guns, just not my cup of tea.

The model 70 is the classic riflrmans rifle. I'm pretty set on 308 as a caliber. The only reason Remington keeps coming up for me I'd the ability to mod it to be good at both hunting and F/TR. But I think with a Winchester, Browning, or Ruger I could have a rifle to pass on to my kids.
 
gixxer1237 said:
I am a competitive F class shooter and the Sendero did double duty on that out to 1000 yards. I don't shoot at unfounded animals past 300 or so.
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I have to laugh a little. Then, why are you asking us? It sounds like you know what you want. Just look heavily into all the different versions of the Winchester Model 70.
 
I have several rifles.My favorite is my Weatherby Accumark in 300 Win mag.It shoots sub MOA at 200 yards and I have a one shot kill on all 7 Caribou I have killed with the longest shot being 419 yards.They are expensive but worth every dime!
 
Soulrack223 said:
I'd go with the Winchester but it's personal preference. Having both a relatively new Winchester Model 70 and new Remington 700, I much prefer the M.O.A. trigger on the Winchester to the exposed screw on the X-Mark protrigger. MUCH prefer. Plus I hate the j-lock on the Remingtons. Once I get the Remington where I want it to be, I might as well go custom. YMMV
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Pretty sure they did away with the J lock awhile ago.
 
Well I know target rifles well. Could pick one blind drunk. And I have owned a few hunting rigs, but just looking for feedback. I am.not a huge rifle hunter. My target rig worked for yotes and cornfield deer well. I would not want to carry it for long tho.
 
I am on much the same quest as you, including for .308 and also for a .30-30. My .2 cents on what I have discovered recently. I have been a Remington lover for years. I recently purchased a Remington 700 Police LTR (which are supposedly assembled more carefully than regular 700s). I ran out of horizontal adjustment on my TARGET scope on initial sight in. I suspect the scope mount holes are not coorrect. Still dealing with that problem. A close friend of mine was at a precision rifle school and three Remington 700 had extracors break/come loose. One of them was a new rifle. I will not buy another Remington anytime soon as I think their quality control has tanked. Handled several Marlins and they feel like junk now too. Very rough and poor fit and finish. No offense to any previous posters, but I was looking at a Ruger bolt to try to see how the All American extractor was attached while I was in the gun shop. I flat accidently knocked the extractor out of the rifle. It is a piece of metal with a ball detent underneath. The gun shop was so busy (hysteria) I was able to put it back together and no one even noticed! It does not look rugged to me at all and I will not have one of those ever.

So I guess the original question was what you like and I have not answered that at all. I still like FN and all I have seen have been rugged and well made. Browning X-bolt still seems well made and proven. Ruger M77 still is Mauser rugged although reportedly not always as accurate as some others. I have not been able to handle a Winchester lately but I am leaning heavily that way due to liking the FN extractor and the trigger is so simple. There seems to be very little that can break, unlike some other designs. I have never seen quite a few of those on your list.
 
gixxer1237 said:
Well I know target rifles well. Could pick one blind drunk. And I have owned a few hunting rigs, but just looking for feedback. I am.not a huge rifle hunter. My target rig worked for yotes and cornfield deer well. I would not want to carry it for long tho.
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Sounds like you need a M70 Featherweight.... or at least look for the lightest quality rifle.
 
The Howa rifles are generally very depenable. I have a 1980s Weatherby Vanguard (that was made by Howa) that still shoots rings around most off the shelf rifles. I notice that the CZ also has a mention and I have had great experience with almost al their products. Sako are fantastic rifles but spendy (I have two and would part with neither). The Tikka T3s are getting more popular out here as well, generally they are very accurate off the shelf, the trigger is great, I am NO fan of their detachable magazine design however.
 
I am still a Remington guy and a huge fan of the Sendero. I do only have the earlier versions though. The two tone fluted barrels on the Sendero II just doesn't do it for me. The weight of the Sendero is an issue however I always figured I need to exercise more anyway so I chose to haul the extra weight.

Garth
 
3rd the ruger american. Got mine in. 308. Free floated, bedded receiver, lightweight. Under $375. You could spend hundreds more but get very little in return for a dedicated hunter.
 
I'll add the Marlin xt line. My. 308 shot sub moa, has a trigger similar to the savage accurate trigger. Very inexpensive
 
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