Hunting rifle advice?

Another vote for the Wincester extreme weather. Good stock, trigger, crf, and good weight (not too heavy or light). Expensive at about a grand, but like the old saying goes, buy once, cry once.
 
I am kind of an x-bolt guy myself. They have very nice features, are very lightweight and are accurate out of the box. Can't go wrong with a Winchester model 70 either.
 
I'd buy another T3 Lite. Trigger is easily adjusted without disassembly and it's very good. Ergonomics of the stock are much better than most. I like the palm swell too. Action is smooth as butter and the magazines feed well. It's my go-to rifle these days. Being a .243 Win, I don't often use it for long-range deer hunting, but is great to carry and use for coyotes beyond 300 yards.

Accuracy is 5/8" 5-shot groups at 100 yards. Mine has a 3-9X Leupold VX2 with wider small crosshairs than the ones in the regular multi-plex. The model number has a "W" after it.

Sorry, I just can't find anything wrong with my T3 to talk about.
 
Are you using it's stock trigger?
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Yes, haven't seen any need to mess with it, breaks nice and clean with a "hunting" resistance. Couple ounces of resistance is nice if you're sitting in a blind, but after running up and down the hills after an elk I need something that goes off when I want, not when I breeze hard.
 
I suggest a Savage Weather Warrior. It will come in well under your budget and leave you some extra money for the scope. I would suggest another caliber as I believe .308 and .30-06 are slight overkill for deer/boar in most situations, but it will open up a whole new can of worms. All I'll say is the Weather Warrior is also offered in .25-06, .260 rem, 6.5 creedmoor, .270 win, and .270 wsm, to name a few.
 
SteveNChunter your right that would be a perfect rifle for the OP, my daughter has one in .270 win, and its very nice, wer'e developing loads for it right now actually.
 
The .270 is one of the best all around deer cartridges IMO. Whats your favorite load with it so far? My father hunts with a Ruger M77 MKII all weather in .270. He used to handload for it until he tried some 130 gr. Federal fusions. He shoots consistent MOA groups, and all the deer he's shot with it were DRT if he put it in the right place. I use 120 gr. fusions in my .25-06, same results. My wife shoots 95gr. fusions in her .243, same results. To the OP, If you end up buying a rifle in a pretty common caliber, I strongly recommend trying a box of Fusions. Unfourtunately they aren't offered in many uncommon or obsolete calibers.
 
She shoots 130 grain Core Lokts to good results right now, but the loads wer'e testing is 140 grain Partitions and RL 19 powder, but we haven't shot that yet.
 
Not meaning to hijack the thread with reloading talk, but while the partition is a great bullet that has stood the test of time, a 140 gr. might not get full expansion, especially at longer ranges, unless she hits the deer squarely in the shoulder bone. They are really tough bullets. I'd consider the 140 gr. partition closer to an elk load. Personally I'd stick to 130's for whitetails. The extra velocity will aid in expansion and shoot a little flatter at the same time with slightly less recoil. But that is just my opinion and your results may vary. RL-19 is a good powder, as well as RL-22, IMR4350, and H4831. I havent dabbled in reloading as much as my father who loaded for his .270 for years among other calibers, but all those powders have decent results in a .25-06. A .270 should like similar powders. Try some different primers as they can make more of an accuracy difference than one might think.

Not trying to tell you what to do, Im sure you have more experience reloading than I do anyway. I'm still wet behind the ears. I just like to get in a good reloading conversation every now and then. I usually end up learning something. ;)

Ok, sorry OP. Now back to hunting rifle advice
 
jmr40 said:
With a $1,000 budget, Winchester EW. Street price should be just under $1,000. This gets you true CRF and a quality stock instead of the cheap tupperware versions sold by everyone else. Best buy in a do it all gun.
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I just picked one up in .270 Win but I'm pretty sure it will be impossible to keep at or under $1000 with optics. I haven't found a price around cheaper than Bud's is offering and I looked for about six months before I bought my rifle. With shipping and FFL fees my used EW cost right at $800. Scope rings and bases I'm into it for another $400 not terribly over budget but still not cheap.

However the EW has some things I don't like about it. It feels a little thick through the wrist and forend but I've been spoiled by the McMillan Edge. I'm not a fan of the fluted barrel as well it looks cool but does nothing for the rifle IMO. Other than that I still have to shoot the rifle, hopefully this week sometime if the weather holds out I was going to shoot it yesterday but accidently left the ammuniton on top of the safe.

For $1000 you have a lot of options, and if you aren't in a hurry you can get a great rifle together. I'd start looking at all the pawn shops and LGS's used rack, find a rifle that fits the bill. I know you stated .30-06 or .308 but don't discount other cartridges as well. If you never hunt outside of FL there will be many other smaller cartridges that will serve you well. I'd spend about $300-350 on a decent used rifle, if I didn't like the stock I could pick up a decent Bell & Carlson stock for another $300, a good scope for another $300 and have around $100 left over for rings and mounts.
 
mosin nagant is 100$ and is a popular hunting rifle with loads of add on parts to buy, also round is equivalent to 30 odd 6 and is cheaper to buy
 
I've yet to see a new Mark V under $1k around here, but thats not to say they cant be had. The top of the line Vanguards are pushing $1k. The Vanguard Series 2 Back Country has a msrp of $1399 but usually sell for $900-$950.
 
MSRP on the fibermark is $1500. If you have a dealer that treats you right you can get it for about $1,100. About 6 years ago, I bought several Mark V's for $475 each.
 
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Buying a rifle is like buying clothes, dont buy something because it looks good but doesnt fit you. And remember the rifle is only a part of the equation, a bad scope will make a good rifle bad in a hurry. And a good rifle and good glass is nothing without practice, practice, practice. Out of all the rifles suggested you wont be disappointed.
 
With your budget there is a plethora of high quality and accurate rifles from which to choose - FN 'Winchester' 70, Savage 11/111, Weatherby Vanguard S2, Tikka T3, TC Icon, Browning X and A bolts, etc. Handle as many as you can - preferably back to back at a well stocked gun shop - and see which one fits you best. Better yet, see if you can fire some of them at your local range before making your selection.

Let us know what you select. And post pictures of the rifle and groups. Remember, some of us are living vicariously through your rifle purchase.
 
Ideas

Sporterize Old Rifles Such As:

- Mosin Nagant
- Springfield 1903
- British Enfield
- Mauser

New Rifles:

- Browning X-Bolt
- Remington 700
- Mossberg 4x4
- Ruger M77
 
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