First hunting rifle

S

south.texas.dead.I

New member
I have been shooting for about 10 years started with a Henry goldenboy. Bought my first shotgun at 18 and went with a quality browning cynergy sporting. Since then I've decided never to be cheap when getting a firearm. I'd rather have one rifle that I'm proud of than 3 that are average. I am looking for the best all around rifle. I think I've decided on the 7mm rem mag.

I really like the browning xbolt white gold medallion, I also really like the xbolt maple medallion.

Are there any other reputable rifles that yall would recommend?
 
Love the 7mm Rem Mag!

I think you need, in this order:

Winchester 70 Super Grade

Winchester 70 Sporter

Remington 700 CDL

Weatherby Mark V Sporter

Browning X-Bolt White Gold

The Browning White Gold models are gorgeous, but the rifles above are also great and have a well-earned reputation. Good luck in your quest.

By the way, all these guns can be had for $1200 or less, but are still heirloom quality guns. I'm a little jealous, I wish I had the funds to be looking at any of them. :)
 
Oh there are tons of spendy rifles made. American made are very reliable and generically fit just about any adults shoulder. European models are sleek looking and appeal to the eye. Japanese rifles are noted for their fit & finish. But if your intentions are to be a one rifle fellow~~~maybe? My advice: Do some serious research. Find a popular/reputable gunsmith some place across this Nation of ours and have him/them build you a custom rifle made to your specific measurements and likes. Seldom have I seen anyone disappointed with their custom ordered weaponry. But I have seen those who were disappointed with their choice in> Gunsmith.
 
Another vote for the Winchester model 70! The 7mm Remington Magnum is a solid performer. Magazine capacity would be 3+1. If you choose a 270 Winchester or 30-'06, magazine capacity is 5+1. All 3 cartridges will do the same job. My favorite is 270. If I lived in Alaska I think I would prefer a 30-'06.
 
All of the mentioned rifles are quality firearms. I especially like the MDL 70, much more solid than any rifle made from drilled bar stock.

If I had to recommend a deluxe or ultradelux rifle I have to endorse the Cooper MDL 56. Cooper chambers their rifles in chamberings almost unavailable in other makes.

I own a Cooper MDL 22, 6-5-284, 26", 1/8. It is the most accurate rifle that I or anyone I know has ever seen short of a dedicated target rifle. The MDL 54 and 56 are sporting type rifles.

They are expensive, but I can pretty well assure you that you won't see many of them at the range.

When I had a gunsmith in South MS mount rings, scope and boresite it, he told me that I had something really nice, and that he had only seen one of them before, and he appreciated being able to handle one.

You can spend anywhere from $2000-20,000 on one if you want custom. The generic AA+ Claro is very nice, some of the blanks I saw at the factory were amazing!

I'm like you, I have gone through many rifle types, Rem, Mauser, Ruger, Browning and Winchesters amoung others. I have never had a real lemon, some were a better fit for me than others, but all were suitably accurate and reliable.

I now only own a few rifles, Weatherbys, Coopers, Rugers and an old Interarms MKX that my father left me. I would rather own only a few quality rifles than dozens of generic rifles that everyone else uses.

It's hard to really wrong on new rifle these days. All of the manufacturers I know of stand behind their product, some better than others perhaps.
 
When I read the title I was going to suggest a NEF but it seems like you want something ultra fancy to show off. In that case why not a Savage 110 or Remington Woodsmaster? Rugers are nice too. I'm a big fan of the Savage 24 but I don't think you'd be interested in those.
 
CDNN

CDNN publishes their catalogue on-line and you can find some good prices on many of the rifles mentioned above.

On page 62 the close-out price on the TC Icon really tugs at me. I have two Icons in synthetic stocks. I realize the 30TC is a bit of an odd caliber but there's still factory ammo available, you may have to order it. This was a $1000 rifle a few years ago-now there some left overs for $380, probably cost you $450 by the time you pick it up from your LSG. Trust me, it's a quality piece worth consideration at that price.
 
The $380 Icon at CDNN is not the $1000 Icon. It is a junk grade walnut stock. They had some of the ones a while back that were the $1000 rifles. I believe they were about $700.
 
Reynolds357,

You may have a very good point, what is the junk grade walnut stock? I've only held one wood stocked Icon on the used rack at the nearest Cabelas. I could tell it was the laminate skinned treatment. Is that the type you refer to? While I'd prefer a solid wood stock I recall literature describing this process on the Icons and that the high grade wood stocks used the same process. Was the Icon ever offered in a solid wood stock? Would appreciate your insight on this. My only experience has been with the synthetic stocks, the Icons never reached the shelves near me-had to order one of mine, the other was a BassPro exclusive only offered with the Hogue stock.
 
The Icon is a fine rifle; I think it was just a matter of timing for TC that the gun did not take off.

I remember seeing the Walnut model when they came out, and watching a clip on a shooting show of how they were made at the TC factory.

I don't know what they CDNN models look like, but if it's the walnut they used from the get-go they were gorgeous rifles.

I have a synthetic stocked Venture, and if the TC Icon is better than the Venture, it's worth $380 regardless of caliber. The Venture is a fantastic rifle.
 
A buddy of mine has a venture, says he's getting clover leafs at 100 yds. I doubt any better is possible with the Icon nor is it necessary for hunting. The big difference between the two in my eyes is the amount of value in the design and build between the two rifles. They will shoot very similar but are two different builds all together. I'm sorry, but in my opinion, the venture stock is cheap, otherwise I'd own one. The rest of the rifle is very well done and economically made-a round-bottom receiver that shoots very well. The Icon has the more expensive to produce flat-bottom receiver, intergral scope base, and aluminum block bedding system. Barrels and triggers are the same between the two. The CDNN price is definitely a head turner and the only reason I mentioned it above. I've got 7 bolt actions, two Icons already so I'm not in the market. Whoever takes a chance on the CDNN offering will get a nice rifle.
 
Majority of 7mm MAG rifles feature a 24 inch barrel. Shorter barrels drop velocity and are genuine flame throwers. I don't wish to sound snobbish but I would not purchase a rifle with barrel longer than 20 inches, for portability. My .308 Remington carbine has served me very well during the many decades that I've owned it. This carbine is short, fairly light, accurate, and powerful.

Jack
 
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My model 70, 7mm rem mag is one of the pushfeed, synthetic style rifles, unsure of whenvit came offvthe press. It's impressive enough at the range that I might have to work on taking it to the woods in two weeks, if I dont score a deer with my 700.

Also it has the old style trigger, which I like because it doesn't have too many parts to go afoul. It has shot three in a dime from sandbags at 100yds, with 160 grain Accubonds, and eats up those 168 Berger hunting VLD's like a puppy licking up peanutbutter. ;)
 
I recommend a Cooper model 56 if you can afford it. Sure wish I could :( Although if I had one I could not see myself carrying it through the woods. Too nice for me to scratch up and beat around while hunting. All Cooper centerfires have a 1/2" at 100 yards guarantee.

http://cooperfirearms.com/our-rifles/99-model-56

Brownings are fine rifles, I just never have been a fan of them personally.

If you're not ready to spend the money for a Cooper, a Winchester 70 Super Grade is my recommendation.
 
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I'm sorry, but in my opinion, the venture stock is cheap, otherwise I'd own one.
Click to expand...

Most affordable rifles have cheap stocks. I will say the Venture is the stiffest I've seen in plastic factory stocks.

Boyd's makes Venture stocks now, in any flavor of wood you could want. Pick one up. They are great shooters.
 
I've noticed that older Browning A-bolt Medallions can be had used in the $5-600 range all day long, often being sold by folks wishing to fund their next generic black rifle.

I mention this because I once felt like the op did and dropped significant money on a semi custom Cooper rifle. I ended up with a beautiful, supremely accurate rifle that I was afraid to shoot or hunt with, lest I damage it. ( yeah yeah, I know, real guns have character marks, etc.)
The Cooper also lacked some features that, with more shooting experience, I found that I wanted more than a pretty stock. I sold it at a loss.

I now hunt with an old Synthetic Stainless A-bolt in .30-06.

By buying a nice, used rifle, it'll give you a gun you can be proud of and something you can gain experience with. After shooting and hunting with it for a while, you may decide you want something more utilitarian, or you may opt for a full custom build. Either way, you don't have thousands tied up in a gun you may decide you don't like.

Also, if your name is any indicator, a 7mm might be a little overkill. Granted, it'll allow you to hunt most anything in North America, but it's an awful lot of noise, velocity and recoil for our 100# deer down here in S Texas.
 
SCGman, The ones they have cheap were "plain" walnut. They really look more like Birch than Walnut. The expensive ones were either grade 2 or 3, forget which.
 
Well, I'm one of those that don't like short barreled rifles. My 30WCF wears a 20" barrel and its OK, but a longer one would be perfectly acceptable. Higher pressure cartridges become offensive in short barrels. My buddy has a SOCOM 16. I hate that thing when it goes off. I use good earplugs, but they aren't good enough for that thing. My 270 operates at similar high pressures, but its 24 inch barrel isn't nearly so loud. A 7mm magnum needs a 24 inch barrel, perhaps even longer but certainly not shorter. I like carbines too, but with appropriate cartridges, and I accept their limitations.
 
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