Looking To Buy a Rifle - Need Advice/Suggestions

[Chaos_Theory!]

Well im looking for a nice rifle to do some target shooting and stuff with. As of now im really looking for a nice 30-06. If anyone has any suggestions or advice please post here. Im not sure what price range im gonna want but i def dont want anything to cheap. Thanks

[spwz99]

30-06 is a big bullet for target shooting. i like .17 hmr. its super fast and a lot of fun to shoot. you have to be careful to keep it clean though. nothing wrong with a 30-06, its just bigger than i like to shoot for extended periods of time. thats my two cents.

[Chaos_Theory!]

Im not just gonna use it for target shooting but thatll be one of the uses. I like long range shooting and dont mind shooting one for an extended period of time. Just looking for some options.

[spwz99]

how long range? and do you plan on hunting with it?

[Chaos_Theory!]

Hunting is a possability as well. I need something thats good all around really. My mom and step dad have a ton of land along with a shooting range at their house. They shoot all the time and i havnt owned my own rifle so its about time i get one. I feel stupid always having to use their guns. lol

[Lohman446]

http://silverbulletfirearms.com/firearms/fa63.html

Barrett Model 90

[Chaos_Theory!]

Thats a lil much. lol

[spwz99]

a .17 is an excellent gun for varmints. i dont know about bigger calibers for game bc we cant hunt with rifles in illinois. (except squirrels and varmints) we also own several .223 rifles for target shooting. so i guess thats where my advice ends. :dance:

[maxama10]

Id reccomend a .223 then you could get a carbine :D

[Recon by Fire]

M1 Garand?



How about a nifty AK47?
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b70/doublenot7/CX-4%20Storm/DSCF0003.jpg
Comes with handy letter opener...

[splat15k]

I'd also have to suggest .17 hmr. I'm looking into getting one myself (first rifle).

[etjoyride]

.17 hmr unless you're going to hunt bigger game in which case either a .270 or .308

in my opinion they are the best 2 all around calibers ever.

[PyRo]

http://www.euroarms.net/Avancarica/AVIMG/2364-SPRINGFIELD-1863_1-01.jpg

[warbeak2099]

http://www.euroarms.net/Avancarica/AVIMG/2364-SPRINGFIELD-1863_1-01.jpg

Yes, US Model 1861 Springfield Rifled Musket! You can tell it's an 1861 by the springs holding the bands on and the hammer lol. Oh man I really want a Berdans Sharps with the double set triggers. Damnit reenacting is so cost prohibitive when you play paintball too!

[Army]

What part of "long range" didn't you guys understand? He'll need something more than a 100yd .17 rimfire :D

Savage (www.savagearms.com) makes many models of excellent rifles that will happily fill your need. Savage has come a LONG way since nearly dieing out in the early 80's. Quality is top rate, accuracy is arguably the best out-of-the-box (verified by myself and dozens of professional gun-writers and firearm magazines), and Fred at Savage Shooter Supply (http://www.savageshooters.net/sharpshooters) can customize any Savage rifle with barrels, bolts, stocks, triggers, and high grade tune-ups.

Both my Savages will punch itty-bitty groups in the 1/4"-3/8" area all day at 100yds....and beyond:

Savage FP110 .308 Tactical in Choate Sniper stock
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a198/Messkit/MeandSavage.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a198/Messkit/Fairandtankpics050.jpg

Savage BVSS12 .223 in customized and painted stock...
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a198/Messkit/Fairandtankpics046.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a198/Messkit/200ydgroup024.jpg

...which does this easily
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a198/Messkit/200ydgroup001.jpg

You can pay a LOT more, but you won't get much more.

[Maksimus54]

I don't have a lot of personal experience, but the most popular round for distance/precision shooting seems to be the .308. The remington 700 and savage 10fp series seem to be the most popular with the savage being around $500 to start and the remington around $700.

[nulam]

Pre-'64 Winchester Model 70 in 30-06 or .308.

[93civiccpe]

I would agree that he probably wants a .308 rifle, seeing as there is a reason why it is the most common round used in national sniper rifles around the world. For distance and takedown the .308 is a great round. I agree with the above that Savage has come a long way and are making some nice rifles. There are a few other rifles of note worth metioning. Depending on how much you want to spend, you can pick up a remington 700 in a .308 and you'll have a great hunting rifle which was one of the early rifles our marines used as a sniper rifle. Even better, if you can find the remington 700 PSS variant (PSS = Police Sniper Special) then you are getting a rifle designed for long range shooting. It has a longer barrel which has a higher twist rate for the bullet and also has a lot more mass to it (it's a bull barrel) and paired with the correct scope you can't do much better than that. To take it one step further, you get that 700PSS and then get the Choate stock pictured above (yes they do make it for the remington 700's) and you will have one bad rifle. Then again, you are talking $800 - $1000 for the remington 700 PSS, at least another $800-$900 for a nice long range Leupold scope, another $100 for a nice bipod, and then somewhere between $180 and $200 for that Choate stock. Now if you have that kind of money to throw into it, then you are set. You can also find used remington 700 pss's with scope for the low 1000's, sometimes cheaper if you keep your eye out. You could get it and slowly add stuff to it.

Anyways.. that's my 2 cents.. lol.

[WaffleBaron]

Savage is nice, love mine. Don't have much experience with the accutrigger but i believe it is adjustable which may help with your target shooting if you want a lighter or heavier pull for different distances.

[WingMan13]

My friend bought "The Rock" from GA Precision, http://www.gaprecision.net/ ,pricey but very well worth it. I am not much of a rifle shooter but I was shooting tight quarter size groups @ 200yrds all day long.

[MANN]

If you are wanting a good deer hunting/long range rifel get a Weatherby 7mm magnum

http://www.reloadbench.com/cartridges/7wm.html

I dont know how easy it is to get one, but if and when I buy another rifel it will be one of these. I have shot my fathers a handfull of times and I love it. It is fairly light weight (compared to my 30-30 and 243) and is super comfortable to shoot. It doesnt kick as bad as a 30.06, but has just as much power. I personally am not an accurate shooter, however I have seen dad shoot bottle cap off a bottle from 150 yards, and kill quit a few deer with it as well (actually I have never seen him miss). The only downside that I see with it is that it only holds 3 or 4 rounds. I like having 7 or 8 for my 30-30, as I hunt sort of like I play paintball. Spray and pray. :p (not really, I just get really excited when I am hunting and always shoot a "warning" shot. AKA i missed, and shoot again)

[Chaos_Theory!]

Thanks for all the help guys. After looking into it a little more a .308 seems like it will work very well. If anyone has any suggestions on those please lmk. As of now savage is looking pretty good.

[Crighton]

I always liked the 1895 Take Downs, in .405 win.

Certainly not as cheap to shoot as .308 but still a nice deer rifle.

[stonersr26]

Like several of the other guys have already said go with the 308. It is comfortable to shoot for extended periods, ammo is widely available in many weights and styles, it has good range and power, and ammo can be bought for a relatively cheap price, you can't say that about .270 or 7mm. Myself I would go with a Savage rifle with accutrigger, a bad trigger can ruin a good gun and accutriggers are about the best thing out right now when you compare price/quality. Whether you want the bull barrel or not is up to you, I like how they look and feel, and the bull barrel does indeed make it easier to shoot long range with. Just remember to balance out what you want, weight-range-power-price. You can get the 24 inch bull barrel with choate stock and all that and by the time you put a scope on it you are looking at a 12-15 pound rifle which can get heavy if you are planning on doing much walking with it. But whatever, just don't go cheap and get a gun you don't want you will forever kick yourself for it.


Have fun.

[edweird]

Im gonna back up Army here, as Savage does if properly maintained make the best Sub-MOA .308 tactical rifle for the money.

however far as im concerned that only covers one aspect of Rifle ownership... I also feel its important that you own a carbine/varmit rifle of somesort... Be it .223 or some sort of pistol round its important to have something to shoot small game and clear houses with.

My personal choice is the AR-15 I just built, yours should be based on personal prefrence. Before I built my AR-15 I relied on my trusty Mini-14 ranch model to preform them tasks.

[BeaverEater]

well your price range also is gonna determine what kind of gun your gonna get. Are you looking to compete target shooting or are you just looking to go out and shoot some targets?? If its your first rifle id go with a .22 cause ammo is fairly cheap and you can familiarize yourself with shooting without killing your budget.

[Destructo6]

How much did you want to spend?

Pretty much anything you can do with 30-06 can be done as well with .308/7.62x51 at lower cost.

That being said, a "Service Grade" Springfield Armory M1 Garand can be had from the CMP for about $550, straight to your front door.

Army, is that Lytle Creek? It's been a while, but it sort of looks like it and at the same time doesn't.

[Army]

Army, is that Lytle Creek? It's been a while, but it sort of looks like it and at the same time doesn't.
San Luis Obispo Sportsman Association (www.slosa.org) club and public range in California. We range from 7 to 400yds for any caliber rifle or pistol. We boast the Hogue Action Range, host of the Smith and Wesson Revolver Championships, the International ICORE Championships, and the International Steel Challenge which brings in some of the worlds best shooters. In between all the world class shoots, we have weekend shoots for USPSA, ICORE, IDPA, and Steel Challenge.

We also sponsor and host the John Wayne Classic for Cowboy Action shooting (SASS), and the Western Region Small-bore Silhouette Championships.

We have ranges for trap and skeet, rifle and pistol, high power steel (500yds), and traditional blackpowder (mountainman)...We DON'T allow in-lines!

We have closed the 700yd gong, due to the possibility of an errant round going into the National Forest....but some of us still shoot at it to see if we can cut the supporting steel pipe.

Absolutely the finest and most complete gun range in California.

[kruger]

Might as well throw my 2 cents worth in. Why not try a 25/06. It is a necked down 30/06 to 25 cal. It is a flat shooting, 300 yd gun. Very little recoil, and is a proven deer sized killer. My personal rifle is a Tikka. Tikka is owned by Sako and they have one of the smoothest actions avalible. Best part commin' up......................................they are about 350 bucks. Probably one of the best deals out there. You can top it off with a quality scope and be shootin' flies off the target post at a 'hunnerd yards for under $600.

Another round to think about the 7mm08. This round is a necked down 308 to accept a 7mm bullet. Fast and flat, yet still will kill deer sized game at 200 plus yds. This is a short case round, which makes for a smaller receiver, less weight. Also, very little kick. Almost all rifle manuf. offer both of the cal.

[zt10]

I agree with army that you should go wwith a savage, best guns for the money, and 90% of the ones in my store come with a scope and mounts...... :shooting: also the bull barrel is very accurate

[Chaos_Theory!]

I decided to go with this one Peeked my interest more than any others ive ran across. However, if anyone knows of any other good 308 please lmk.

http://www.savagearms.com/10fphsprecision.htm

[Recon by Fire]

That 308 Winny will put nice holes in just about anything

[edweird]

excellent choice on the savage!

now treat her nice and do a proper barrel break in proceedure on it.