Best production bolt action on the market today?
- Thread starter coyotewsm
- Start date
precision_shooter
New member
Anyone notice a trend in this thread?
American made firearms have become second-class to Foreign made arms.
Even the "American" companies mentioned here don't produce the rifles (at least not in whole)) mentioned.
Winchester 70 made by FN. in part or in whole I'm not sure.
Weatherby Vanguard, at least the action is made by Howa maybe the barrels too.
Why is it the foreign mfg seem to be better at making what Americans want than our own American companies?
Things that make you go, hmmmmmmmmmmm.
American made firearms have become second-class to Foreign made arms.
Even the "American" companies mentioned here don't produce the rifles (at least not in whole)) mentioned.
Winchester 70 made by FN. in part or in whole I'm not sure.
Weatherby Vanguard, at least the action is made by Howa maybe the barrels too.
Why is it the foreign mfg seem to be better at making what Americans want than our own American companies?
Things that make you go, hmmmmmmmmmmm.
Precision shooter,
Get lawyers and bureaucrats outta the damned way, and Americans will create the world's best everything, including rifles.
The only industry that needs strict governmental oversight is lawyering. Lawyers create nothing of value. They scheme ways to steal what others have earned.
Our Founding Fathers knew of the danger of bureaucrats. We need to get back to our founding.
Get lawyers and bureaucrats outta the damned way, and Americans will create the world's best everything, including rifles.
The only industry that needs strict governmental oversight is lawyering. Lawyers create nothing of value. They scheme ways to steal what others have earned.
Our Founding Fathers knew of the danger of bureaucrats. We need to get back to our founding.
cw308,
I always TRY to buy American made products. The problem is defining American made. If parts come from elsewhere and are assembled her, is the final product American made?
As President Trump has said many, many times, America made of American made parts. But then again, I was never anything but an America-first nationalist.
I always TRY to buy American made products. The problem is defining American made. If parts come from elsewhere and are assembled her, is the final product American made?
As President Trump has said many, many times, America made of American made parts. But then again, I was never anything but an America-first nationalist.
Don Fischer
New member
I Pretty much always buy American. I have owned a few Sakos, really nice rifles and mine were the standard models. Have had a few 98 mauser action's on commercial rifle's, I guess we'd call them Mauser clones. They were very nice rifles. I'd never heard of the Sako 85 Bavarian till a few post's ago so I looked it up. What a beautiful rifle! Not something I could afford though!
Maybe to make this better, there should be a price point. People some of them, cost just doesn't matter to. But will $40,000 get you a better rifle than 8
$800? Pretty'er maybe and nicer finish with nicer wood and hand cut checkering, but is that better or pretty'er? The best is what you think it is!
Maybe to make this better, there should be a price point. People some of them, cost just doesn't matter to. But will $40,000 get you a better rifle than 8
$800? Pretty'er maybe and nicer finish with nicer wood and hand cut checkering, but is that better or pretty'er? The best is what you think it is!
It ain't a matter of "better" - when you spend that kind of dough on a firearm, you expect excellent performance, but moreso, you're doing so because you like the hand craftsmanship and/or you want to support that craft & tradition. There are some really talented craftspeople out there trying to keep their craft alive, but they are successful (and the craft lives on) only when there are people willing & able to pay. A lot of people seem to get on their high horse by griping about the loss of American-this or American-that, while simultaneously being unwilling to pay for it and happy to criticize those who can & do.
One of my favorite bolt-action hunting rifles is my Ruger MKII, RSI, a short-action carbine chambered in .308 Winchester. Mine has a Leupold VariX II, compact, 1x4 scope mounted on it with the supplied Ruger rings. Very fast-handling and accurate little rifle; perfect for hunting in the dense cedar swamps commonly found in northern Michigan habitats when seeking whitetail deer.
dgludwig,
It sure as heck sounds like you have chosen a most perfect rife for hunting big game. And you guys have access to HUGE whitetails in the Upper Midwest.
I hunt the Rockies exclusively. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot 300 yards with a .308 Win carbine. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt bull elk with a .308 Win carbine. I've been told that bull elk are America's toughest big game animal. It might be true if the hunter is a poor shot. Put a 180 grain bullet from a .308 Win fired from a carbine into an elk's equipment that's vital for topside oxygenated blood flow, and he'll hit dirt.
If I found a deal to good to pass on a .308 Win carbine, I'd own a new rifle. Absent such a fortuitous find, I'll be doing the rest of my big game hunting with either a Sako AV or a Model 700, both chambered for .270 Win, and both with fast handling (not as fast handling as a .308 Win carbine) 22" barrels.
If I only knew when knowing would have been most beneficial, I'd of made other choices. What I have now is excellent, but it's not what I wish I had.
I could not imagine carrying a 28" barreled, 15 pound .338 LAPUA up and down ridges at high altitude of the Rockies. I'd rather stay in camp and be waterboarded.
It sure as heck sounds like you have chosen a most perfect rife for hunting big game. And you guys have access to HUGE whitetails in the Upper Midwest.
I hunt the Rockies exclusively. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot 300 yards with a .308 Win carbine. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt bull elk with a .308 Win carbine. I've been told that bull elk are America's toughest big game animal. It might be true if the hunter is a poor shot. Put a 180 grain bullet from a .308 Win fired from a carbine into an elk's equipment that's vital for topside oxygenated blood flow, and he'll hit dirt.
If I found a deal to good to pass on a .308 Win carbine, I'd own a new rifle. Absent such a fortuitous find, I'll be doing the rest of my big game hunting with either a Sako AV or a Model 700, both chambered for .270 Win, and both with fast handling (not as fast handling as a .308 Win carbine) 22" barrels.
If I only knew when knowing would have been most beneficial, I'd of made other choices. What I have now is excellent, but it's not what I wish I had.
I could not imagine carrying a 28" barreled, 15 pound .338 LAPUA up and down ridges at high altitude of the Rockies. I'd rather stay in camp and be waterboarded.
I am not sure I know what the OP means by "Production", but to me it means "not custom" and there are a good number of American Made quality Production rifles. Cooper Rifles, Montana Rifles, GA Precision, Barrett, Kimber, Proof Research, Christensen Arms, Seekins and many others.
Most of the rifles mentioned so far have been mass production or big box available rifles (as the OP asked) and not the high end stuff. But the OP said "best" and IMHO, there are some really good ones left out. Yes, I have some of the inexpensive ones, some of the mid-tier ones, but I hope best still means best, whether the respondent owns one or not.
Maybe it should be best under $1K and best over $1K.
Most of the rifles mentioned so far have been mass production or big box available rifles (as the OP asked) and not the high end stuff. But the OP said "best" and IMHO, there are some really good ones left out. Yes, I have some of the inexpensive ones, some of the mid-tier ones, but I hope best still means best, whether the respondent owns one or not.
Maybe it should be best under $1K and best over $1K.
precision_shooter
New member
Most of the rifles mfg listed above don’t make their own actions and/or barrels, so they should be considered custom rifle mfgs. Buy parts from various companies and modify or assemble to their specifications = custom to me.
I read SA1911s post. I agree. I have killed elk ( a few 0f them) and my wife and several friends have too with my 308. 2 seasons ago my wife and my friend all used the same rifle for their elk and we took 4 of them in 3 days. The 308 I am referring to is a Mossberg MVP with an 18" barrel. It was just fine. The secret is not the gun or the cartridge as much as it is the bullet. Any bullet that will penetrate at least 28" after it expands is fin for elk from about any gun or cartridge.
I prefer to use 165 or 180 grain bullets in my 308 for elk, but as circumstances worked out the rifle was loaded with 150 grain Winchester power points hand loaded my me about 20 years ago for use in some military style 308s I have. The shots were all at about 300-375 yards. Most of those bullets exited. I recovered 2 on the skin of the off side on 2 different elk. Both were quartering shots. One weights 124 grains and one weight 129 grains. Both broke bone.
Magnums and their like are just fine. But that's not to say you need one for elk. I have been hunting and killing elk now for almost 50 years. If you have a bullet that will do it's job you'll be fine.
I have killed elk with three 44 magnum handguns, a 454 Casull handgun, two different 270 Winchesters, one 270 Short mag, one 7X57 Mauser, two 308s, one 30-06, 300 H&H, one 8X57, one 338-06, a 338 mag, a 375H&H, one 62 cal flintlock and one with a wood arrow and single blade broad-head.
I have also seen elk killed by friends, family members and hunters I have guided with 25-06s 257 Roberts, 257 Weatherby mag, 6.5X55, 280 Rem, many 7mm Mags, many 300 Mags, many 30-06s many 270s about ten 308s, 7.65 Belgian, 35 Whelen, 9.3X62s 416 Taylor, 416 Rigby, 45-70s, and one with a 458 Winchester. Add to this list a handful killed with arrows. And I am sure I have missed a few that should be on the list too but that's what I can remember off the top of my head.
The #1 factor in poor kills has been poor bullet placement but the #2 factor is poor bullet construction.
I have seen MUCH better kills from hard cast handgun shots and hard round balls shot from muzzleloaders with hits in the right place than I have from the same placements with poorly made high velocity rifle bullets. And not only a few times either. Poor bullet construction is a big factor in elk rifles. Any bullet that breaks up badly or doesn't exit as a rule, should not be used on elk.
Bullet HOLES kill. Not bullet, not guns, not shell cases. It's the wound that does the job. Use a good bullet and the 308 is a very good elk rifle, (just as most other rifles are too.)
I prefer to use 165 or 180 grain bullets in my 308 for elk, but as circumstances worked out the rifle was loaded with 150 grain Winchester power points hand loaded my me about 20 years ago for use in some military style 308s I have. The shots were all at about 300-375 yards. Most of those bullets exited. I recovered 2 on the skin of the off side on 2 different elk. Both were quartering shots. One weights 124 grains and one weight 129 grains. Both broke bone.
Magnums and their like are just fine. But that's not to say you need one for elk. I have been hunting and killing elk now for almost 50 years. If you have a bullet that will do it's job you'll be fine.
I have killed elk with three 44 magnum handguns, a 454 Casull handgun, two different 270 Winchesters, one 270 Short mag, one 7X57 Mauser, two 308s, one 30-06, 300 H&H, one 8X57, one 338-06, a 338 mag, a 375H&H, one 62 cal flintlock and one with a wood arrow and single blade broad-head.
I have also seen elk killed by friends, family members and hunters I have guided with 25-06s 257 Roberts, 257 Weatherby mag, 6.5X55, 280 Rem, many 7mm Mags, many 300 Mags, many 30-06s many 270s about ten 308s, 7.65 Belgian, 35 Whelen, 9.3X62s 416 Taylor, 416 Rigby, 45-70s, and one with a 458 Winchester. Add to this list a handful killed with arrows. And I am sure I have missed a few that should be on the list too but that's what I can remember off the top of my head.
The #1 factor in poor kills has been poor bullet placement but the #2 factor is poor bullet construction.
I have seen MUCH better kills from hard cast handgun shots and hard round balls shot from muzzleloaders with hits in the right place than I have from the same placements with poorly made high velocity rifle bullets. And not only a few times either. Poor bullet construction is a big factor in elk rifles. Any bullet that breaks up badly or doesn't exit as a rule, should not be used on elk.
Bullet HOLES kill. Not bullet, not guns, not shell cases. It's the wound that does the job. Use a good bullet and the 308 is a very good elk rifle, (just as most other rifles are too.)
This is the one I would go for:
www.gunbroker.com/item/713701353
I had a workmate back in my employment days who shot benchrest hunter matches for a couple of years, and used one of these in your OP caliber. It was unbelievably accurate @ 200 yards, and as I remember, he won a few matches with it using his hand loads. It was used "right out of the box" as from the factory (couldn't say if he adjusted the trigger on it or not, though). The "classic" year for the 7MM-08 REM was 2001, as it shows in the seller's pics. Maybe you can get the winning bid on this one for substantially less than the "buy it now" price, if you're looking to buy.
Your opening OP was quite general in your inquiry; "What do you consider to be the best mass production bolt action on the market today in 7mm-08?" I believe the best answer is, the most accurate one. It's out there... I'd go for that 700 classic.
www.gunbroker.com/item/713701353
I had a workmate back in my employment days who shot benchrest hunter matches for a couple of years, and used one of these in your OP caliber. It was unbelievably accurate @ 200 yards, and as I remember, he won a few matches with it using his hand loads. It was used "right out of the box" as from the factory (couldn't say if he adjusted the trigger on it or not, though). The "classic" year for the 7MM-08 REM was 2001, as it shows in the seller's pics. Maybe you can get the winning bid on this one for substantially less than the "buy it now" price, if you're looking to buy.
Your opening OP was quite general in your inquiry; "What do you consider to be the best mass production bolt action on the market today in 7mm-08?" I believe the best answer is, the most accurate one. It's out there... I'd go for that 700 classic.
BeeShooter
New member
The best Mass Production Rifle? 60yrs ago I'd say Remington and Winchester(they were probably the only two). 50 years ago Ruger was making super rifles. Today - I just throw my hands up in the air and shake my head while buying a Savage. I throw it on the bench and install a match grade barrel, bed it, tune the trigger, reload ammo, break-in and develop load and shoot consistently inside of a .4in. at 100 yards. All joking aside, My vote will go for Savage as the best mass production rifle today with Ruger the second best. Tomorrow? Who knows.