Thinking about a new rifle, because ideas. Wife is in Montana for the next week, I can pick something up and stash it in a location she won't find for 6 months. When she asks, I'll point to the dust and say-"We've had that a while, where'd you find it? I need to clean it and go shooting..." Caveat- it needs to be in the ballpark of the current value of a Ruger KMK 10 MKII. They're going for nutty prices on GB, hoping to work a deal with a shop owner for some sort of swap. Thinking .243 in a lightweight platform, deer and antelope/ coyote rifle. Gotta be a bolt gun. So many choices out there, Rem. model 7, Ruger American, Savage etc, etc. No to the Kimber 84. Out of the swap range though it would be a great one. Thoughts? If nothing stands out, going to go with a bolt .223. Thoughts on that also? Thanks, JB- going to work on 'prints again, check in later.
I didn't look up the value of your piece, but the next rifle I'm getting will be a Tikka t3 lite. I suggest checking out the Tikka line.
I've got a Savage .243 with synthetic stock. I shoot Hornady light magnums because the gun likes them and it brings the ballistics specs up to that of a .270. Been very happy with the Savage.
I like the savage rifles. If you shoot a lot barrel life on a 243 isn't as good as the 260, 7-08, or 308. They all are the same case but necked down. 6.5 Creedmoor is another round with not too much recoil and can be in a lighter weight rifle. I like the predator max in the savage line. Not sure how light you want to go on it. 223 would be the cheapest with good barrel life and almost no recoil.
I have 2 Remington model 7s-a 7mm-08 and a .222. Both are 1980s vintage. I have nothing but praise for them.
+1 on Tikka I've got a Tikka in .223 with the heavy Varmint barrel and it's a tack driver right out of the box. Fit and finish are very good...better than any other I've seen in the same price range. The action and barrel are the same as their higher priced big brother Sako as I recall. It's a lot of quality gun for the money.
Gonna head down to Denver Sat. morning, stop in and waste time at a shop with a great selection. I think my best bet is the next Tanner Gun Show next week end though. If I run across a Rem. 600 or 660, I'll be a happy camper. Love those little rifles. Thanks for the input, am going to check a Tikka med. MT. Forgot Beretta acquired them. I need a Beretta, one form or another.
Been out of the shooting games for a couple years now but I used lots of Savages as build platforms. The barrel nut and interchangeable bolt head means you can swap barrels/cartridges at your leisure. I have four Sav actions and probably 30 different barrels depending on my mood. Now you may be wondering why anyone would want to do such a thing. Well it's a lot cheaper to just buy a barrel and much easier to get by the wife. Most of my builds are single shots bench guns. The last one I did was a lightweight repeater because I wanted something for around the house. It's a 204R or with a mag switch I have LW barrels in 243' 7-08, 308. All in one gun.
I have a Rem. model 7 in .308. The action of the bolt is very sloppy. My son has a Savage bolt, that is much tighter.
I had a guy in the shop today who is a machinist and 'smith. I posed the question to him and added the- why don't I just build one? Do you have the time? was his response. He's got more half finished projects than I do so he knew exactly where I was going with that. This one I buy, next few I'll build. As soon as I find my damm headspace gauges.... That Sav. 11/111 mountain rifle looks intriguing, 5.5lbs claimed? I like that.
The nice things about Savages, at least the older models, is they are all modular. There is no machining to do. Just swap parts back and forth at whim. Takes about five minutes to swap a barrel. Some of the newer models arent as easy I hear.
Another vote for a T3. I've fallen in love with Tikka's the first time I picked one up. They're a bargin IMO with a slick action and great hammer forged barrels.
Aww, heck. I've got the time, just gonna save up and build one. Starting to shop for a suitable action. Probably look for a Brown Precision Kevlar stock, very light but tough to work. Alternates? I'm gonna shoot for 5lb. w/o scope. Thanks all, for the direction.
My son has a Savage in 243. It comes in left handed and it has a tang safety so that when he inherits my rifles he'll be used to the safety being there. It was inexpensive and shoots straight. It is most firmly in the "working gun" rather than "barbecue gun" camp. Recoil light enough after I added a decent pad that he was able to complete a 5 day class at Gunsite with it when he was 11. While a 308 would be more versatile, using a Barnes triple shock and the patience to wait for appropriate shots, he's achieved clean kills on animals as big as gemsbok and zebra. It is a very practical rifle.
One to take off the list for me is the Ruger M77MII Scout/youth/compact (not sure the wording now adays) My dad bought it for me when I was 12 as my first deer gun. Not really knowing any better at the time, I just sucked up the recoil as "that's what a deer gun feels like". I don't know what is wrong with the dynamics in that gun but it absolutely is the worst kicking rifle (normal deer calibers) I have shot. I shot it one time next to a buddy and it literally blew my hat back little and he started laughing when I told him it was only a .243. He shot it as he didn't believe me, and he was just dumbfounded that it kicks the way it does. As much as I hate that gun to shoot, my Dad isn't here anymore, so the gun is staying put, the memories are worth more to me than the few hundred dollars for the gun and Leupold scope, so it lives in the safe at camp where the memories were started.
My fiancé has a Ruger compact in .260 and my nephew has one in .243. They both love them, but they seem to beat me up more than my .30-06. I think the stock length and shape works for them, but is too small for an adult man. I have to watch my thumb when I shoot those rifles or it ends up in my nose!
You guy's aren't alone. The Ruger pitch and comb height just makes for an uncomfortable rifle to shoot. That's saying a lot, as I grew up with a Rem. 722 in .308. Nastiest sharp kicking rifle ever! 'course, I still have it. It was Dad's.
700 Remington is a great platform and like the 10/22, there are a lot of accessories available if you want to trick it out however I think the Savages are some of the best bang for your buck rifles out there.
My old ruger m77 tang safety has horrible stick geometry which lends to higher perceived recoil. It's in 270 win, but might as well be a 270wsm.
