cheap bolt action any good?

About a year ago I bought a Remington 700 ADL Rifle/Scope package in .223 Rem from Dicks for $400. After replacing the garbage scope that came with it with a Nikon Buckmaster, I have been able to get 1 inch groups at 100 yards with cheap 55 grain bulk ammo. After upgrading the stock to a Bell and Carlson Medalist (and using the same ammo) I have been able to get those groups to 1/2 inch at 100 yards.

Did I just get lucky? Maybe but it's been a great rifle.
 

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I don't care for the Mossberg. You don't have to spend a fortune for an accurate, dependable bolt rifle, but the Mossberg is just going too far. The Ruger Americans are in every Walmart I see for around $350. Anything less is asking for trouble in my opinion.
 
Arocholl, I Do not really understand buying "cheap" rifles and upgrading them. In the long run, you spend more that way than you spend buying a good one in the first place.
 
My son bought an ADL in 7mm Remington Mag from Walmart a couple years ago. We replaced the scope with one I had laying around and it shoots 1" three shot groups at 100 yards with my handloads. He also killed his first deer with it last year. I think it is a great way to go, he can upgrade it as money becomes available and since they don't sell what he wants the gun to be he was going to have to upgrade/change anything he got.
 
I Do not really understand buying "cheap" rifles and upgrading them. In the long run, you spend more that way than you spend buying a good one in the first place.
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You can afford what you can afford. How many of us bought/drove a jalopy as our first car? We kept the jalopy running as needed and bought a new/newer car when we saved more money. Same concept.

Most "cheap" rifles on the market today are great shooters out of the box. The QC on them may not be on par with higher priced rifles but they're accurate enough for hunting.

For example, Marlin X7 or Ruger American ($300) + any $200 scope (ie, Redfield, Burris, Nikon, Weaver, etc.) = a $500, accurate, all-purpose hunting rifle.

Please provide your example of a good out of the box higher priced rifle.
 
My Marlin xl7 with a Nitrex scope kills bambi just as well as anything else. While a higher priced rifle is nice, it is not a necessity.
 
Cheap bolt action any good

Surprised no one has recommended a milsurp rifle. There are tons or straight military rifles, that can be purchased for very little..Cheap? Would not use the word cheap, for most of these rifles...Battle tested through two or more wars, and still in working order..I am not one to modify a surplus rifle, but for very little,they can be transformed into a thing of beauty, accurate, safe, and sturdy. Killed my first deer 56 years ago with a straight military 98 Mauser, in 8mm, brought home as a trophy, by the assistant principal, at my school, from WWII.
 
+1 D Dan. If "cheap" is the main criteria -vs- "good enough". A gunshow M91/30 certainly fits the cheap piece. The 7.62x54r round is near a 30.06 and there is plenty available for a "cheaper" caliber than those mentioned. It should be "good enough" for lots of purposes.
 
This sounds like a near perfect subject to start a bar fight over.
But, a mil-surp rifle can fill the bill quite nicely.
And they are full of history, too.
No lack of quality, either.
 
Twins, buying a cheap rifle, selling it, and then buying a different rifle is one thing. Buying a cheap rifle with the intention of spending a lot of money on it is the logic I question.
 
I don't own a Mossberg Rifle. Never shot one, but I've seen them at the range, I've talked to people who have them.

From what I gathered they are good moderately priced hunting rifles and do what they are suppose to do at normal hunting distances.

I'd much rather see someone shooting or hunting with a Mossberg (or even a cheap Mosin) then staying home because they can't afford high price rifles.

Why does hunting/shooting sports have to be a rick man's game?

Besides, its the shooter not the price of the rifle that makes the difference.
 
Never heard of that rifle. That being said, I absolutely love my Ruger American in .308, it is accurate and feels good in my hands.

Milsurps are another good suggestion.
 
Ruger American or mil surp, IMO

The Ruger is cheap, well made and accurate, durable, consistent. A milsurp will likely be cheaper, durable but very likely it'll have significantly worse accuracy.

A milsurp can be a hit or miss. I've heard of people receiving M91/30 nagants, that'll shoot around 1.5 MOA, but ive also seen some shoot bad, 2,3 even 4 MOA. The Ruger claims MOA (or close to it) out of the box, you're getting a squeaky new rifle, with modern metallurgy and better/tighter tolerances, but you pay more for it.
 
Do not buy either the Remington 710 / 770 or the Mossberg. The Remington 710 / 770 is a steaming pile of junk. The Mossberg is better, but it's not as good as the rifles I'll recommend. I haven't had a chance to examine the new Remington 783 in detail yet, so I'll withhold comment.

Try the Marlin X7, the Ruger American or the Savage Axis / Stevens 200. Any of them is better than the Mossberg and WAY better than the 770.
 
Cheap bolt action, any good

I promise I am not a snob, but I stay mainly with U S Milsurp weapons. Never owned a soviet rifle, until two years ago...Yes, they are battle proven, and a thousand years from now, around the world, people will be digging up "Spam" cans full of the ammo...Cheap ammo, inexpensive rifle. Sounds like the ticket for our man...One word of warning..Beware of the corrosive ammo out there. It will eat a rifle up, in an amazingly short time! Saw it happen, sadly, to one of my milsurps, while in high school...When in doubt, clean it twice!!!
 
I have a Stevens 200 in 308 and I love it. Topped off with a $150.00 Bushnell it's a tack driver. Gun, scope and mounts came in under $500.
 
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