rifle opinions

R

Road Dog

Inactive
Got a little question here. Deer season is slowly but surely moving near, and the hunt for a new rifle is on. I need a little advice though, I am looking at two rifles, both in 7mm-08. The first is a Browning, the ones like the old Micro Medallions without the BOSS system. The second is a Weatherby with a SS fluted barrel and synthetic stock. But as you can imagine the price difference is quite staggering between the two and I was just wondering if the Weatherby is that much better than the Browning? I have no experience with Weatherby, and my Browning Stalker is a good quality rifle. Any ideas, opinions, experiences? Thanks RD

Hunting ranges would be from 75-200 yrds max.
 
Go with the Browning over the Weatherby. In a hunting rifle, you don't need the fancy extra's and I doubt that the Waetherby is really more accurate.
My personal choice would be a Remington Model 7. The 7mm08 is a very short cartridge and the Remington Model 7 is the only rifle designed around these short (.308 length) cartridges - maybe Savage makes a short action also?
At any rate, why buy a standard length action that is adapted to a short, when you can buy a rifle designed around the cartridge?
The price will be competitive with the Browning, perhaps less.




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Keith
The Bears and Bear Maulings Page: members.xoom.com/keithrogan
 
Thanks Keith. I had a Model Seven last year in 7mm-08, but it wouldn't shoot very well. about the best I ever got was around 2 inches at 100 yrds, with an occasional flyer that jumped way off. That was even with the rifle scoped.
I eventually traded the gun off, to go in search of a more accurate 7mm-08, I just really like the round.
 
Road Dog: I'll go along with Keith. I'll add that you oughta spend some time in the TFL archives about rebedding the stock, and other tuneups to get better accuracy.

Also remember that 2MOA = 4" at 200 yards, which is the size of a deer's heart, so it ain't that horrible.

For some perspective, 40-50 years ago, any rifle which would give inside of 3MOA was considered plenty good for hunting, although 2MOA was obviously better...

this doesn't mean you should be satisfied with 2MOA; it just means you haven't done the rest of the work that factories can't afford to do at the prices they charge...

FWIW, Art
 
Go with the Browning. I have an old (10-12yrs) hunter in 7-08mm. Put a cheap scope in it, bedded it myself (first time) with Acraglass Gel. With my reloads it shoots into 1/2" at 100yds (never shot a factory round in it.) The trigger is a bit ruff but that can be fixed with a good gunsmith. Why pay more for the same or less?

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keep your options open &
never miss!
 
Yeah, two inches is pretty good with any factory rifle. I think people expect more because gunwriters tend to lie through their teeth when testing rifles by manufacturers who provide the advertising which pays their salary.
Theres an awful lot you can do with a rifle at very little cost, to improve accuracy. Somebody already mentioned bedding. Improving the 39 pound trigger on a factory rifle is another thing. When you're pulling a heavy or mushy trigger you tend to get those flyers. Its easy to blame the rifle but at least in my case its usually myself - a crisp trigger minimizes operator error.



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Keith
The Bears and Bear Maulings Page: members.xoom.com/keithrogan
 
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