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What to get for my first bolt gun?


jameslee1223

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I've been kicking around the idea of finally getting a bolt action gun to try some long range shooting. I've never owned one but I have shot them on a limited basis. Like a lot of us, I suspect, budget is a factor. I'd like to stick with a .308 for reasons of ammo availability. I don't reload and I don't have the space and resources to start. I've got about $400 for glass and $800 for the rifle. I've been considering these two rifles.

http://grabagun.com/rem-700sps-tact-308win-20-hb-mblk.html

http://grabagun.com/mossberg-27697-mvp-long-range-7-62.html

The Remington has a bunch going for it. The sheer amount of aftermarket upgrades alone is staggering. The Mossy has what I am looking for in a starter gun but I'm not familiar enough with this particular model in terms of accuracy out of the box and what can be done to make it better. I'd like to buy a rifle that can grow with me. Something I can upgrade, at least to a point, as my skills improve.

What experience if any does anyone have with the Mossberg? What upgrades would be needed for the Remington to match the features of the Mossberg? Are there any other rifles I should be looking at?

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If you're constrained on budget, take a look at a nice .22 rifle and shoot at shorter ranges. You can save a lot of money and still challenge yourself. I think you could buy a CZ bolt action .22lr and glass with your current budget and have a blast.

Otherwise, I'd take a serious look at the Ruger Precision Rifle or the Tikka above. Vortex glass gets great reviews for the price, but you will still need to spend upwards of ~1500 for good glass.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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How do you define "long distance"?

Not sure $400 is enough for glass for extreme distance shooting??? :cheers:

Long distance for me would be in the 500-800 yard range. My AR15 is good to about 500 for target shooting and killing coyotes at no more than 300. I recently learned that Vortex has a great discount for veterans so a Vortex Viper PST 6-20x50 with the EBR-2C reticle is on my shopping list now.

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Tikka's feel kind of clunky in the hand but holy crap they all shoot straight. I have yet to see one that's even so-so, let alone a lemon.

As to Remington 700 vs Mossberg anything... Remington.

If you want to upgrade your gun as your shooting skills improve, by far the very best upgrade is a reloading setup. Working up a handload that your gun loves will make a huge difference in accuracy. And if you shoot enough, not only will the press pay for itself, it will be cheaper to shoot more often.

As others have said, the importance of good glass cannot be overstated. Next time at the range, look through some $200-$300 scopes, then look through a Nightforce or Swarovski. You'll lose your mind, the difference is simply astounding. Vortex isn't the greatest, but they are excellent for their price point.

You want to borrow my rifle? Sure, no problem, anytime buddy. You want to borrow my scope? Go jump in a lake. Preferably one that's on fire.

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I would choose the Rem 700. In its basic form its a classic bolt action rifle and should shoot 1 MOA or better with match ammo out of the box. Later on if you really want to get into it you can customize it the way you want it with a custom stock, aftermarket trigger, match barrel, etc.

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Of those two options, the Remington would be my suggestion. Savage makes really nice rifles for the money and the accu-trigger is quite nice. Also worth considering is the Ruger M77 Hawkeye Varmint Target. In the $800 range, it is a good value, although aftermarket parts are not like those available for a Remington.

Have you considered 6.5 creedmoor? It is about the same cost for factory match ammo as 308.

I agree with the other comments regarding the amount you will eventually spend for good glass. $400 will get you started, but you will probably upgrade quickly if you get stoked on shooting past a few hundred yards. I finally committed to a nice FFP scope and now hitting steel silhouettes at 300-600 yards is almost boring. I have some low-cost, lightly used gear for sale. If that is the direction you want to go, PM for details.

Good luck with your search!

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... Otherwise, I'd take a serious look at the Ruger Precision Rifle or the Tikka above....

I just saw a review for the Ruger, and there was one factory ammo, out of many, that was giving good accuracy. Are there different views about that?

Tikka's feel kind of clunky in the hand but holy crap they all shoot straight.

There's a pretty good variety of aftermarket stocks and some other upgrades for them.

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I've spent a good part of last night and this morning reading the posts here and advice from others. I've made the decision to go with the Savage 10T and Vortex PST 6-20x50. I believe this will give me a good rifle to learn new skills while still being able to perform future modifications to enhance accuracy.

Edited by jameslee1223
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I've spent a good part is f last night and this morning reading the posts here and advice from others. I've made the decision to go with the Savage 10T and Vortex PST 6-20x50. I believe this will give me a good rifle to learn new skills while still being able to perform future modifications to enhance accuracy.

I don't think you will regret buying the Savage, I have read that in today's standards and industry Savage beats Remington, hands down. Maybe 10 years ago things were different with both companies but today savage has the edge. The Savage is also a lot more user friendly. You can swap barrels pretty easily. The trigger is great for out of the box, as well as the stock. This may make you mad, but last week when I bought my 10T, Cabela's web site had a rebate linked. After discussing this with Savage and Cabela's I found it wasn't eligable, but Cabela's made it right and gave me $100 gift card to make up for their mistake. So I recieved $200 off instantly. Remember the sale ends on the 21st. So don't miss it.

The pst line is nice. I was going to buy the pst 6-20x50 but couldn't pass up a $700 4-16x50 scope for $550 when I will be shooting 200 yards most times.

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In the last decade, Savage has earned a reputation for making some great target rifles. I don't think you'll regret your decision. I've no personal experience with the Vortex but if others here recommend it, it must have something going for it.

I will diverge the thread here however, If you are using two piece rings for the scope, I highly recommend lapping them in. It doesn't take a lot of time, but if you don't have the tools, the initial expense may make having it done a better option. Lapping the rings assures that the scope has better contact with the rings for a more secure mount, and also minimizes or eliminates marking the scope tube. It will also show you how well the rings are aligned or if there is a problem that they can't be aligned because of a manufacturing defect.

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I would suggest that you go over to snipershide/scout and do some reading over there. Tons of good info and all this has been covered umpteen times. They also have a classified section with lots of good deals on high quality equimpment. I have bought and sold stuff over there and never had a problem.

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OK, I'm back with some news. I pulled the trigger, if you'll pardon the pun, and purchased a Savage Model 12FV in .308. It has a 26" varmint barrel with a 1 in 10 twist and a 4 round fixed magazine. The stock is synthetic and has some flex in the forend. The stock is my least favorite aspect of this rifle so it'll get changed fairly soon. The best part of this was the price. Seeing as how I'm perpetually broke from constantly buy gun parts and accessories I was quite pleased with the sticker price of $419.00. Add to that the ridiculous sales taxes I had to pay the total out the door price was $490.99. I do have a $100 mail in rebate from Savage that I'm sending off first thing Monday morning though. So, rifle cost me $390, a decent stock another $300 and some glass $600-800 so not more than $1500. I'm a happy boy tonight. Pics to follow.

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Unhappy update. As my fellow Illinoisans know, if you want to buy a gun here in the Peoples Democratic Republic of Illinois you first must get a Firearms Owner Identification card, aka FOID. This I have. I also have a concealed carry license from Illinois. This means I have had my background searched at least twice already. The problem is that when you buy a gun you must also submit to an "instant" background check. This happens at the time of sale and the purchaser is charged $4 for this.

Here in the PDRI that check is performed by the Illinois State Police. For whatever reason, though I suspect it's the current budget mess in Springfield, that system is currently backed up. The nice people at Cabelas informed me that my name is in the "queue" which is currently 2 pages long and they couldn't give me a definitive time on when I'll be able to pick up my spiffy new rifle. By law, which I looked up last night, the ISP are required to process all instant check withing the waiting period as defined by law for the type of firearm being purchased, 24 hours for long guns, 72 for handguns. The law does not state what the remedy is if the ISP is taking longer than the proscribed amount of time. So, here I am in limbo feeling like the little kid who has his nose pressed up against the toy store window knowing that he can't have the shiny new firetruck. Man, I hate this state.

Rant over, thanks.

James

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I've been jonsing for a Savage 12 series rifle (in .223) for a couple years now.

A friend has one and I am really impressed with how it worked out of the box. His was the thumbhole model and all he did was put a sight rail on it, mount a half way decent scope, and he is getting 1" and less at 200 yards with almost no effort, minimal load development, and at a price that didn't bust the budget.

Enjoy your new rifle and please report back with how she works for you.

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As soon as the goons in the Illinois State Police process my background check I'm going to the GS. The biggest hassle is that the Cabelas I bought it at is a 65 mile drive. I went up there yesterday and the drive was so hard on this old man's back that I could barely walk after I got home. (I've been hospitalized for my back in the past and long trips in my Jeep are not good. Next time I'm taking the Lincoln, at least it has heated seats.) I'll post pics once I get it home.

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