Budget Rifles.

[Jred]

Which of the new budget rifles out there would you recommend for a beginner as an all around big game gun?
Mossberg Patriot
Ruger American
Remington 783
Savage Axis
Or any other reasonably priced entry level options. Also caliber wise 270 or 6.5 Creedmoor? I already have an old 30.06 but it seems a little to much of a cartridge. Thanks.

 

[Bowman]

30-06 would work fine, unless you want a new one..

 

[Bowman]

I would save for a ruger American predator or Tika , but all those rifles mentioned would work..
I would op for 6.5 or 308

 

[TRICER]

Ruger american in 308 will kill everything and always work. If you want to reduce recoils go to a short action cartrige. 6.5 CM , 7mm-08, and 308 are all great calibers that will get it done

 

[NBK]

Ruger...

 

[rbduffer]

6.5cm Ruger American. It'll cover you from varmint to deer. Plenty of ammo selection at a decent price. Least recoil, best overall since you already have an 06 for the big chores.

 

[Aeon]

Soooooooo we got some learnin to do.

First any reason you want to buy more guns is a good one. So just do it.

You already have a working 30-06

The 270 is very similar to the 06. Both born from the same case and they both do kinda the same thing.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is very trendy right now. Its a very good cartridge but it does not fill a void you have with the 06. You can go big or small with the 06.

Why buy a cheep gun? Save your cash and buy a good one when you are able. You already have the Swiss army knife of guns in the 06

 

[Baller]

Ruger American

 

[Jred]

Thanks for your responses. A lot of Ruger fans it seems. My problem is that my 30.06 is an old model FN with peep sights which I posted here when I joined the forum. I was going to have it drilled to put a scope on it and use it for my first hunting season but I was told that would totally ruin its value as a collectible and it would cost as much as an entry level rifle with a scope. I took it to the range the other day. I was unable to sight in the peeps ( probably because my own inexperience) and I was... let's say greatly surprised by how powerful the round was, so I'm back in square one looking for a rifle I can afford. May be I can wait a little longer. If those options are not decent quality, what would be the next best thing?

 

[Dawnandusk]

I own a T/C compass on .308
It is inexpensive and works well. I am absolutely sure that when the time comes if I miss, it will be entirely my fault and not the rifle's.
I also own a Weatherby on .243 that I have not shot yet, I am expecting good results but it costed me double than what I paid for the T/C.

 

[sdolan617]

FWIW... I have no remorse on my recent Savage 11/111 Long Range Hunter in 6.5cm purchase. Found it for $499 on grabagun. Got a great trigger, shoots truer than I ever will and I like the adjustable cheek riser.

 

[BIGCIM]

Out of the brands you mentioned the Ruger American would be the best option IMO. If you had a slightly higher budget Tikka would be a great gun. In between there somewhere would be a Howa. Also Savage has decent models with a slightly higher price tag as well, they'll come with a nice stock and an accu-trigger

 

[ilovesprig]

I own both a Ruger American and a Savage Axis....Both shoot well, with the Ruger seeming a little (& I mean very little) better built.

Pick one and you'll be just fine....Don't over think this....270...Queen of the mountain guns (caliber) would be my choice.

 

[BIGCIM]

I own both a Ruger American and a Savage Axis....Both shoot well, with the Ruger seeming a little (& I mean very little) better built.

Pick one and you'll be just fine....Don't over think this....270...Queen of the mountain guns (caliber) would be my choice.

Ruger has the added benefit of the adjustable trigger pull.

 

[Bowman]

You have time , wait for a sale. Meanwhile go-to the gun shop.
Look, touch, handle.
Then buy....
X2 what Steve said.

 

[TheGDog]

Get a Savage that has the AccuTrigger. The Axis II's have the AccuTrigger.

When you say "too much as a caliber". What do you mean?

Do you mean in terms of recoil? Or in terms of how much it tears-up the animal?

.308Win and .30-06 are essentially the same.

.270 win is just a .30-06 necked-down to a .27 bullet. So similar recoil.

Maybe consider the .243 Win ?

Also... if you don't need super long range, you *could* also pickup a .30-30 Win. They are much more pleasant to shoot than .308 Win. but still has some stank on it when it connects with game. Depends on how married you are to the idea of a Bolt-Action.

OK.. just read your subsequent post.. yeah man.. get a .243 Win or a .30-30 Win I don't particularly care for the recoil on my .308 Win, which is basically same as a .30-06. But.. one thing you need to remember is that when you're hunting. You're barely going to be shooting at all. So even if a certain round kinda pounds you a bit harder than you'd like. It's not a big of a deal when hunting because you spend most of the time carrying the thing.

And BTW.. if you know for sure you won't be doing long-range hunting then you might also want to check-out a .44 Mag in a Carbine! I just picked-up a Marlin 1894 in .44 Mag and it's nice and light and slim! And it's near to the same as .30-30 Win in energy.

 

[Kellendv]

I own both a Ruger American and a Savage Axis....Both shoot well, with the Ruger seeming a little (& I mean very little) better built.

Pick one and you'll be just fine....Don't over think this....270...Queen of the mountain guns (caliber) would be my choice.

I like Steve's advice. For a rifle to get you started on anything up to and including elk at moderate ranges... just get the .270 in whatever rifle you think handles the best. .270 is pretty mild as far as recoil goes in my opinion, I'm not a big guy. You need to learn to shoot your gun (whatever you choose). All of the modern high powered rifle cartridges are going to feel like they have significant recoil if you haven't shot something like that before. There are lots of books out there that cover the basics of good shooting technique. I can recommend some if you like. Or find a mentor at the range. And go shoot!

 

[TheGDog]

To get an idea for the kind of recoil energy you may experience... checkout "Chuck Hawks Rifle Recoil Table". Look for the entry comparable to the .30-06 load you weren't too keen on firing. Observe those recoil energy numbers listed... taking into consideration the bullet grains, muzzle velocity and rifle weight.

Then go look at the numbers for whatever other cartridge you're considering. This could help give you a good starting point for judging how much of a cartridge you think you can tolerate. That is, if you know for sure you don't want something that kicks as hard as that .30-06 you fired.

 

[Jred]

Thank you all. Lots of good advice like always, this is the most reliable site on the Internet. I got Jack O'Connor's Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns and I'm going to check out Larry's suggestion about the recoil chart. I need a general purpose rifle, so far I like the Ruger American Predator, a little pricier than the base model but comes with a Vortex scope. In the meantime I want to take the old 30.06 back to the range and give it another try. The range officer was trying to help the other day but it's hard to sight in a peep sight rifle at 50 yrds without binoculars. One last question, are there no Remington rifle fans here?

 

[SurfNHuntSD]

One last question, are there no Remington rifle fans here?

The 700 is a great platform, but I haven't heard anything good about the 783. For the price range, the Ruger American is your best choice out of the ones you listed, and use the money you'll save on the rig to get a nice optic.