Help Choosing Rifle

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Ilove2race4fun

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Ok guys, let me start off by making it known that I'm new to this hobby/craft/area of interest/ect. (everyone considers it something different to them). I've been trying to do as much research as possible and I do believe that I have learned a lot, yet I also do believe that I still have A LOT more to learn as well, and thus, this is where you all (the experts) come in.

I've been searching for a rifle so that I can start shooting long range. For me I love the challenge of trying to place my shots at a great distance. I am currently on a budget, however I don't really have a problem with paying a little more for better quality. The budget that I'm trying to work with is about $300 - $350. Again I'll go a little higher for better quality.

Now what I'm looking for is preferably something with the caliber that of a .308. Possibly a 30-06 will suffice as well, however I heard of two issues with the 30-06 which is that the barrel life is a lot shorter and also recoil is much greater due to the larger caliber. I came across another caliber such as the .270, but I don't know much about it and not sure if it's worth getting. I was recently at my local gun show and saw a Mossberg Maverick .270 selling for $260. I don't know much about the weapon and I can't seem to find any reviews online regarding the quality of it. The dealer told me that with that weapon it's pretty good and that it can take down anything in North America!? What's your take on such a rifle? As for the .308 and the 30-06 I know that they are pretty much similar except for the increase of power of the 30-06. When searching online I came across multiple reviews of people suggesting the savage and the remington 700. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions as to what I should get??? Also, what would be a good price for either of the two weapons (new and used)? That way I'll know if I'm getting a good deal or not. I know that remingtons came in different models that have also been discontinued, such as the ADL, BDL, and I think the CDL. Any ideas on prices new and used??? Sorry to drop such a big load of questions and ramblings, but I'm trying to learn as much as I can and need all the expert advice that I can get.

Like I said, I would REALLY LOVE to get a .308, but at the show they are all running around $700 and way up! Found a few 30-06, but those are a little steep, but again would rather prefer the .308. As for the .270 I'm still trying to research that round, but have no idea as to whether or not it's worth it. If you guys have any ideas about any other calibers to look into please let me know. I don't really want to go for a .22 caliber weapon, even though ammo will be REALLY CHEAP, mainly due to the complete difference in the feel of weapon such as recoil.

I can really use the help so any and all information and advice will greatly be appreciated. Also, I would like to thank all participants in advance.
 
check out a Stevens 200 @ gunbroker.com honorable mention: Weatherby Vanguard synthetic (Howa 1500) or Mossberg 4x4 synthetic. the really good ones cost considerably more; Remington, Winchester, Ruger, Tikka, etc... again check out gunbroker.com
 
Have you done any shooting prior to this?

If not, i strongly urge you to get a .22LR or even a .223 if you want something that will go further.

And that complete difference in feel isn't a bad thing! Learn to shoot on a smaller caliber rifle... mainly for the sake of your wallet.
 
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No disrespect, but it's unclear from your post if you have any previous firearms experience, if you wish to hunt animals, and how far is long range to you.

If you are new to firearms, I'd buy a .22LR (long rifle) rimfire and start from there. That is a rimfire round, cheap to shoot, but an invaluable aid to learning to shoot.

As far as .308win, .270win, and .30-06, it depends on what you want to shoot and the range you want to shoot. For hunting, there is (arguably) little difference in those cartridges, depending on range and what animal you wish to shoot.
 
First thing is to determine what you want to use the rifle for (hunting, paper only, etc).
Not knowing your plans, I would say to go with .308 for the biggest starter rifle. On the otherhand, .223 may be more economical if still learning the basics of rifle shooting or if only planning to shoot paper.

Howa's seems to have reasonable prices (been a while since I look at prices). Also, do not skimp on scope. especially if planning to shooting long ranges.

Check snipercentral.com for reviews
 
Listen to the guys here. Really define exactly what you want the rifle for. Then heavily consider a .22lr (which can be accurate out to well over 100 yards themselves).

If you are dead set on a .308 or .30-06 bolt rifle in that price range, I'd also consider the Remington 770. They are cheap online, and are often sold in Walmart gun cases for about $270. Decent rifle for the money and it comes with a 3-9x40 scope installed.

~LT
 
If ammo cost is a factor,,,

Consider a Stevens 200 chambered in .223,,,
It's a very high quality rifle capable of long range accuracy.

Spend a bit more and get a Savage Edge in the same chambering,,,
Savage/Stevens are the same company.

The Edge has what is known as an Accutrigger,,,
Lotsa people out there swear by them,,,
If not they buy the Stevens 200.

A friend of mine has the Stevens 200,,,
He consistently hits at 300 yards with his rifle.

There are lots of rifles out there that will fit your criteria,,,
These are just two suggestions for you to look at.

Aarond
 
I don't know where you got the ideal the barrel life is shorter with the '06 then the 308. I shoot both a lot, and haven't found that to be true.

I have "06's that are about 100 years old (1903, 1917s) that have been abused in their military service yet still shoot pretty good.

I have a Garand that I've shot thousands of rounds through, (not counting how many in it's military days) since it was made in 1942. I've shot it to the point it got so hot the sap and oil was boiled out of the handguards, it still shoots quite well.

Also the recoil of the 30-06 isnt that much different then the 308.

The 270 is an excellent round, Great for hunting and long range work.

Either of the three you mentioned will suit you. The advantage of the 30-06 is the cheap military surplus ammo you can get from CMP.

I'd recommend going to a few gun shops and check out the used racks. You can find some great deals within your budget. Just about all will shoot 2 moa, which will keep most of your shots in the 10-X ring on the NRA 600 yard HP target.

Don't discount the 91/30 mosin rifle either, Can be had for $100 and lots of cheap surplus ammo. Get one of those, spend the additional budget on surplus ammo and learn to shoot its iron sights. Just about every one I"ve seen will shot 3 MOA, that's more then enough clean the CMP GSM targets.

Don't get hung up on all the talk of sub-moa rifles and scopes you read about on the internet. You see a lot of post about these but with the rubber meets the road, you see very few clean targets at 600 & 1000.

Get a 2 or 3 MOA rifle, and get where you can shoot 2 or 3 MOA in all conditions, then worry about tiny groups.

Its about the shooter not the rifle. The cheaper you can shoot, the more shooting you'll do the better you will be. (Assuming its proper practice concentrating on marksmanship fundamentals).

I left out rim fires as that wasn't the subject of your post.
 
First welcome to the forum.:) Second listen to what kraigwy said:) He has probably fired more ammo and taught more shooters than any 3 of us has seen or talked to in our lifetime. I respect his knowledge and experience. I also will say that the cartridges you have mentioned are all very similar in all respects as previously mentioned. In fact the 270 is a 30-06 necked down to the smaller caliber. If you want to by new savage or stevens will be well inside your price range. If you are willing to spend the time, shopping the used gun racks will pay off with a good older gun. The price will vary depending on locallity. I recently purchased a win model 70 for $500. You will likely do well with any bolt action sporter that you find. Most people don't shoot enough to wear out a barrel in 3 liftimes. When someone says that they wore out a barrel they are a professional shooter, shoot one rifle every day, hundreds of rounds a week. And worn out means that it no longer shoots one hole groups at 100 yards. It will take you a lot of practice to see the difference between a one hole gun and a 2 moa gun. So get one that goes bang and practice. By the time you are good enough to see the difference and know that your gun won't shoot better than you can you can save for an expensive super accurate one hole gun. And have fun doing it :D

Also take a class on safety. Hunter education classes are free in many areas. You can look it up in your states fish and wildlife hunting rules. Also take a class on marksmanship.
 
Welcome to our Sport, With your budget you will get more bang for your buck from a used rifle, or like someone mentioned earlier, a Stevens 200.
The Stevens 200 is the old original Savage 110 and is a good proven design.
If you plan to shoot long range, and cheaper, I would recomend the .308 Winchester, you can buy Target ammo cheaply, as well as millitary surpluss.
The .308 barrel life is longer as you mentioned.
Another good alternative is a .223 as that ammo is affordable and very easy to find.
If one day you choose to take up reloading, the components are readily available.
I would urge you however to consiter a Rimfire Rifle for inexpensive target shooting, You can buy a 550 round box of ammo for about $20 from your local walmart, or sporting goods store.
Good luck.
 
I like the idea of the cost effective .22LR and .223. I will try to still keep those calibers in consideration. However, I want to keep looking for something a little bigger and powerful, so with that in mind I'll look at the .270, .308, and 30-06.

With that said, what do you guys know and/or think about the quality and accuracy of the Mossberg Maverick or even the Mossberg 4x4? From tons of research I know that the Remingtons and the Savage/Stevens models are really good to have. The only reason that I'm asking about the Mossberg is because I found them to be REALLY inexpensive, which is great since I'm trying to shoot on a budget, but yet still with quality rifles and good calibers.

Also, I have fired firearms before such as .22 rifle as well as pistols and even 9mm pistols. I will mostly be doing distance shooting, however I would like to have a caliber that is well rounded for anything. You never know when you may want to do something a little different for a change.
 
308 or 30-06 will do just fine. As for barrel life and which has more? There is so little difference, that it is not a factor. I doubt that you could actually "burn one out" in your lifetime. Most factory 308 ammo is loaded at a higher pressure than the 30-06. That is essentially how they were able to get the 308 to perform at 06 level. If you reload, you can get a little improvement in the 308, but reloading the 06 can make quite a bit of difference in performance. This is the main reason that I prefer the 06 over the 308.

Either way, a good target grade rifle is going to cost you a bit more than what you were looking to spend. The latest trend in out of the box accuracy in rifles seems to favor Savage.

Good luck with whatever your decision will be and welcome to the sport of hunting and shooting. I hope that it will be as rewarding for you as it has been for me.
 
Big al said Kraigwy does have the cool dope here, and he always holds sway. But listen if it's about economics and you say it's long range you crave, both the .308 and the 3006 get the nod. As far as a rifle goes look at Midwestguntrader.com, for maybe a used rifle with some life left in it. We here at my camp love Savage rifles, Weatherby rifles, Remington rifles, H&R rifles also. There is a rifle with your name on it somewhere, go out and make it yours. And yes I do love the .270 because it's deadly accurate low recoiling, and not so expensive to buy ammo. But there are a bunch of amazingly accurate calibers to try,,, why not read about rifles and calibers to see whwich interests you have.:)
 
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Being a realist....
You used the term "great distance" in your original post.
How do you define that?? For some, that might be 200-300 yards. For most, it's 600-1000...or more...

And, you neglected to mention the glass, which is even more important than the rifle at true long range distances. Thirty clicks, needs to be exactly 30 clicks- repeatable and precise every time- and cheap glass just won't cut it.

What is the maximum range you intend to shoot?
What is the total budget, including your optic?
Given the tightness of the budget for the stick, shouldn't we assume that ammo cost is a major consideration?
Long range shooting is at least as much the guy behind the trigger (most would say more) as the rifle. The key is practice, practice, practice. And 100 rounds of match grade ammo (required for precision shooting) every time at the range ain't cheap. Do you plan on handloading??

I think a lot more information is required for you to get some intelligent suggestions, rather than "buy a Savage"...

Just my $.02...
 
You still haven't told us what you consider long range. Throw out a number. A .223 is accurate to 600 yards AKA 6 football fields, a .270 a little further, .308 further yet. In most areas of the country you are going to have to drive over an hour just to get to somewhere that you can safely shoot 600 yards.

My personal recommendation is to check out a Remington 700 SPS in .223. They are pretty cheap brand new online, if you can find one used you will have it made in the shade. As others have mentioned don't forget after the rifle you still need a scope, base, and rings. There is a reason people who are serious about shooting distance spend $1500 on a rifle and $3000 on a scope. Scopes are just as important when stretching the legs of any caliber.
 
I'm going to keep saving and I'll check the used rack at my local shop. I've been checking out the prices on cartridges and I've seen that the .308, 30-06, and .270 have about the same price range. I guess I'll have to save up some money and stack up on ammo. I know that the .22 are EXTREMELY cheap and I can get a lot more for the dollar. I would consider those due to the cost of shooting will be really low, but my heart still sits with a .308 and 30-06. Anyone have any thoughts about the .22. I wouldn't mind getting a really cheap .22 in addition to what I really want just for the fun of it. I know that the military and police use the .308 and I'm considering joining them soon too. Still no one has mentioned the quality of the Mossberg Mavericks! I wonder if that's a sign that they're not that great. I've been looking online for Remington and Savage, but I still have yet to visit my local gun shop. I'll keep you guys posted.
 
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