Looking for a .308, could use some suggestions

O

Ocraknife

New member
I'm looking for an accurate .308 for hunting but I'm limited in funds. Is there anything in the $500 to $600 range you'd recommend?

Thanks.

Okra
 
I'm kind of in the same boat as you . I have decided on the Ruger American. By the time you put a decent scope and rings on it. You should be right in the ballpark your aiming for.
 
$500-$600 will get you a Savage Trophy Hunter XP that comes with a quality scope. There is the Ruger American that gets great reviews everywhere. A Ruger American with a Leupold VX-1 scope will be a great hunting package.

A LGS near me has a sale on Mossberg Patriot rifles they are $289 new. Throw in a $150-$200 scope and you'll have plenty of leftover money to buy different kinds of ammo to find what it likes.
 
Look at Cabellas, Model 10T, that is a Savage but its only sold through the Big C.

Under 500 right now,, heavy varmint barrel, rail, 5R rifling. 24 inch barrel.

Acu trigger (those adjust down nicely to 1.5 lb or you can leave it higher for hunting or go back and forth.

Pretty decent Acu stock.
 
I should have prefaced that my $500-$600 range price point was just for the rifle only. I figure to spend about $300 to $400 more for the rings and scope.

Right now, I'm considering the Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 Rifle. What do ya'll think?
 
Cabelas has both the Savage 10T and the 12FV in .308 under your budget price. Both are very accurate, (I have a 10T and my son has the 12FV) , but both have heavy barrels. The 10T is currently on sale for $499 and is a bargain, unless you don't want to tote around an 11 pound rifle and sling combo. It is also now offered in 6.5 Creedmore, which is very tempting....
But if you want a sporter weight rifle, you could do worse than the Weatherby Vanguard, although it is heavier than some other models. Cabelas has that one on sale with a Leupold VX-2 package deal for $799.99, which is a deal, too.
And no, I don't work for Cabelas, but they do offer some very good deals on occasion. Hope they still will once Bass Pro acquires them.
 
I have had good luck with Savages for the most part but the best out of the box accuracy I have ever seen in that price range by far is the Tikka. Mine will shoot 3/4 MOA groups with the cheapest factory fodder you can find and clean one hole groups with my SST handloads at 100yd.
Browning and Winchester now make their own budget rifles that are supposedly highly impressive in the accuracy department but I have yet to shoot one, all I know is my Model 70 Featherweight in 308 is a respectable shooter (1" with factory core-lokts and half that with SST handloads) as is my A-Bolt in 7mm-08 only it hates ALL factory ammo (3"+ groups) and only groups well with my handloads which is fine by me.
Never owned a highly accurate Ruger, the only one I currently own is a 77 MkII in 7mm Rem Mag, I love the look and feel of the rifle which is the only reason I keep it around, my best handloads and cheap factory fodder both come in right around 1.5" at 100 which is accurate enough for most but I personally like a little more.
Sorry no experience with the Weatherby, their factory stock is too bulky for my liking so I don't own one.
 
Get the Tikka T3 lite. One of the best actions you can get. Especially over the Savage. Trigger is crisp and it fits your budget. Removable box magazine as well. We buy them all the time, just for their actions, since you can't buy them, and scrap the barrel to rebarrel it in a 6.5 Creedmoor. Then put a KRG stock on it and you will have a great tactical/hunting rig

My wife thinks I only have 3 guns
 
I have had three of the vanguards. I prefer the machined feed lips of the traditional manufactured rifles of the past. like win 70, rem 700 and the howa. the wide open receiver bottoms with some sort of magazine filling up the gap makes me wretch. it seems the sav, ruger American (not the hawkeye) titka etc follow that trend.
......weatherby vanguards are the howas with a accuracy standard and can come with a wood stock. priced very reasonable too boot. some complain about the weight but if you are gonna shoot it a lot that is a plus. bob
 
I own some more expensive rifles. But the $400 Ruger American Predator 308 out shoots them all.



This is fairly typical at 200 yards

 
I throw my vote for the Ruger American Predator.

I don't have one in 308, but after playing with my wife's RPR in 6.5 CM I bought the Predator in that caliber for a light deer/antelope rifle.

I was extremely impressed with the accuracy, it does compete with the RPR.

The 308 also being an accurate caliber, I see no reason the Predator wouldn't be an outstanding moderate priced rifle. They can be found in the $400 range.

Its light at 6.5 lbs, so I would recommend going to Midway and picking up a Muzzle Brake.

I put this guy on my predator. Just screw it onto the existing threads, reduces recoil and makes for faster follow up shots or watching the critters fall when hit. Less then $60.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/3...m-5-8-24-thread-ar-10-lr-308-steel-parkerized
 
The two front runners are obviously going to be the Savage Axis and the Ruger American. FWIW, I've been displeased with some of the quality control I've seen on the lower end Savage models lately. I don't have any experience with the Ruger American, but what I've heard has been positive.

If it were me, I'd be looking at a used Winchester 70, Remington 700, Browning A/X Bolt, or something along those lines. For new guns, maybe a Howa?
 
I'd look at the Ruger American or TC Venture. Both would be in your price range and are very good guns for the money. They each have short bolt throws/lifts and are accurate shooting guns. The Tikka would be a good choice as well but, tougher to find in your price range.
 
JMR it is impossible to shoot a group like that at 200 yds with a cheap rifle and scope. it can only be done with a custom blueprinted action $900 sniper stock hand lapped $800 barrel $2000 night force scope and 1/4 ounce trigger lol. nice shooting and you picked a fine rifle
 
Just fair warning I would avoid just about anything with the name Remington on it right now, REALLY bad QC has plagued them since CCM took over, I owned one and will not own another SPS.
 
Never owned a highly accurate Ruger, the only one I currently own is a 77 MkII in 7mm Rem Mag, I love the look and feel of the rifle which is the only reason I keep it around, my best handloads and cheap factory fodder both come in right around 1.5" at 100 which is accurate enough for most but I personally like a little more.
Click to expand...

That's what mine di back in the day. I wound up using factory when I did not have the rounds hand loaded I though I did and a panic buy of what was available. Shot just as good as my hand loads! 1.5 inches.
 
I own some more expensive rifles. But the $400 Ruger American Predator 308 out shoots them all.
Click to expand...

Can we see a 5 shot group please?


What I saw from the 10T was extremely impressive and its got by far the best adjustable factory trigger.

Get one in 308 and you are good for anything including 700 yds with a lot of shots in a row if you are target shooting.
 
Ruger American Predator is the answer.

I have shot most of the others mentioned in this thread and I own some of them as well. The RA Predator is a great rifle that has accuracy beyond the price tag.
 
Not knocking the Ruger guys because I know they have a good gun too, but you have to be a genuine BAD@$$ to top what a factory Tikka can do. Measured that out to be 1/12th MOA center to center and that was shot with 129gr SSTs over 45.5gr of RL19 at 100 yards. Sorry for the tiny pic don't know what happened to it, but that is a dime to the right of the group and the dime easily covers even the outer edges. It might be capable of better then that, but that is about the extent of my shooting ability.
 

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