New Rifle?

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XD Gunner

New member
So, Im new to the site, but not so new to rifles, well, pretty new. Ive only shot a .270Win (Rem 7400) a .30-.30 (Marlin) and a .308Win (Rem 7400, and Ruger)

I am looking for a double duty rifle. One that I can play with in the field, and shoot sub 2" groups at 200yards at the range.

Right now Im looking into Remington and Savage, Model 700 and 116 respectively.

Thinking about .270 caliber. Open to others.

Any thoughts or comments? Suggestions? Different Rifles/brands/Calibers?

Grand Slam scopes? Leupold? Budget is ~800.00 US

Thanks

Aaron
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S

stevelyn

New member
Check out the Tikka and Howa rifles. Both are very accurate and well made. You can spend the money you save on optics.
 
X

XD Gunner

New member
Just picked up a Tikka T3 Lite in .270 Winchester for around $525.00. After reading probably 150 reviews, I saw only three complaints.

1: It has a detachable magazine (that was the entire complaint)

2: Stock broke. Was replaced at no charge.

3: Kicks like no other. Mercury reducer and Limbsaver Recoil pad recommended.

Number 3 isnt a concern, 2 was probably a fluke, and I love the detachable magazine...Perfect factory gun? We shall see...
 
X

XD Gunner

New member
New in box...

Apparently the guy that broke the stock was using handloads, with a homemade bipod...overpressure+redneck-rigging=broken Tikka...

You're best chance for a MOA rifle lies with Savage...........Essex
Click to expand...

Actually, very few people that I have spoken too like Savage...Im hearing that so far some will hit MOA some wont...I LOVE the Accutrigger...But Tikka's are just as adjustable...

All in all, the complaints outweighed the praises in my book, so I veered away from them, It basically came down to the Rem 700 (BDL?) or Tikka T3... and as I said, the T3 had basically 3 complaints out of about 150 reviews...

I have a Remington 7400, and like it. But when It came down to it, Tikka is in my humble opinion, a better buy...

I should have it in hand in the coming week, Will get a scope on it and see what it can do...In the WORST case scenario, its a POS and I trade it for a Savage...

On that note, anyone have any suggestions on some low recoil rounds to break in the barrel with?
 
F

FirstFreedom

Moderator
On Savage

All in all, the complaints outweighed the praises in my book
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There is a certain fairly large segment of gun owners that we will call for our purposes "Gun Show Bubbas". I know them well. They suffer from perpetual rectal-cranial inversion when it comes to blindly adhering to old unsupported "conventional wisdom" about certain makers. You will "discover" from them that Savages and CZs and Howas are junk. You will discover from people who have actually *owned* them quite the opposite.

You might want to look at .308 as you caliber rather than .270 however, just because of all the factory match-grade loaded ammo available for it, unlike .270.
 
A

Art Eatman

Staff in Memoriam
Opinion, from experience: The .270 can be a pinpoint critter, if you handload. Factory stuff is a sort of "luck of the draw" deal. Some loads work; some loads don't.

All in all, for off-the-shelf ammo, the .308 is probably the best choice.

Art
 
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castnblast

New member
You really need to check into a Howa 1500 - bottom drop plate, wide range of trigger adjustment, sub MOA out of the box. They are available from basic composite stock to thumbhole laminate, and everything in between. They have the pattent and built the Weatherby Vangard, and Winchester 1500, as well as several other "1500" models for other manufactures. I'm getting 3/8" groups @ 100 yds. 1+ on the factory ammo...really for any caliber. When I got away from reloading for several years, I had great luck w/ factory Hornady Ammo. It is pretty darn consistant as factory ammo goes.
 
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gr8gun

New member
Five posts ago, XD Gunner said:
I should have it in hand in the coming week...
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If I'm interpreting that correctly, he already made his purchase (or at least ordered it), so continuing to make suggestions at this point is moot.

My first bolt action rifle was a Mosin Nagant M44, my second a Tikka T3 Lite in .308 -- so recoil is not a problem. That said, I put a LimbSaver on the T3 because I'd put one on any rifle, just makes shooting more enjoyable. I handled about a half dozen makes/models at a Sportsman's Warehouse and the Tikka was by far the best feel. I have absolutely no regrets. I scoped it with a $200 Leupold VX-I 3-9x on Warne rings, and the whole package works very well. I'd like to get another T3 light in .223 some day.

Having come from semi-autos, I like the idea of detachable magazines. There are two downsides -- first, the Tikka mags are expensive. Second, the design of the rifle is such that you do not have the optoin of leaving the magazine in and loading through the breach like you would on a fixed magazine rifle -- there is a solid bar across the top that does not leave room for that.

That means that if you ever found yourself in a situation where you had to reload quickly and you did not have another magazine, you would have to drop the magazine and reload it, which means swinging the rilfe over your shoulder or putting it down, because dropping and loading the magazine takes two hands. With deer hunting situations, if you don't get the animal with the first three rounds you should not have taken the shot or need to practice more, so that theoretically should never be an issue.

I noticed it because one time when we were getting back in the truck I unloaded and put the round that was in the chamber in my shirt pocket, and dropped the magazine. We reached the next spot and when I reloaded I forgot about the round in my pocket, put the magazine back in, and later realized I only had two rounds in the gun. I went to top it off and couldn't without dropping the magazine. Not a huge deal, just something to keep in mind. I believe there are 5 round magazines available also.
 
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castnblast

New member
Sorry...In my book should and will are two different scenarios...:p Just picking you on, not nit picking...we only pick on people we like...:D
 
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X

XD Gunner

New member
Okay, so Im still waiting on the rifle...should be here Monday the 6th...Local armorer said he would knock 50% off a Leupold VXII scope because of the wait and hassel, so Im not too upset...

On to the point of having to speed reload...

Won't need to if Im shooting at a deer, if I miss 4 times, I need to use the next round on my foot...

If I find myself in a situation where Im being attacked by various wild animals or neighbors cat, I carry a SA XD40 as well...so, if I need 17 rounds to kill whatever is attacking me...Im staying the hell out of the woods...:D

There is a certain fairly large segment of gun owners that we will call for our purposes "Gun Show Bubbas". I know them well. They suffer from perpetual rectal-cranial inversion when it comes to blindly adhering to old unsupported "conventional wisdom" about certain makers. You will "discover" from them that Savages and CZs and Howas are junk. You will discover from people who have actually *owned* them quite the opposite.
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The "gun show bubbas" as you say were the ones pushing the Savage on
me...Im sorry, but about every other review I read, plus the word of mouth that Savage owners have given me, tells me I have about 50% chance of spending more money on the Savage than on the Tikka to get a comparable gun...I know the Savage's have excellent potential...but the fact that so many hate the stocks and the Savages I looked at weren't what I would call, excellent craftsmanship...it appeared the Stock didn't fit the gun in most cases...seems they could have done better...

I went into this search wholly expecting to buy a Savage, I ended up with a Tikka, I almost got a Remington, I learned to hate Winchester Model 70's, and learned that "Because its built in America" is apparently a legitimate reason to not buy a gun...(I had a gentleman at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Kodak, Tenn tell me that)...

All in all the search was a knowledge goldmine...but Like I said, Worst case scenario, I have a POS Tikka (is that possible?) so I trade it even for a Savage/Rem 700SPS...
 
R

rem33

Moderator
We all have our own experiences I guess. I have a couple of 700's made in America that shoot great. One out of the box and one out of a pawn shop. Had some in the past that did too. In fact so far I have not had a bad Remington. Knock, knock.

I also have a CZ I am extremely happy with.

Have a 49 year old Winchester 88 that shoots better than me free hand

I have a brand spankin new Savage I wish I had never seen. I can't get it to shoot a 5 shot group under 3 or 4 inches at best using several different reloads and Factory ammo, most are 4 to 6 inch groups. Now I have shot clover leaves with a 270 I have so is it me a ranting Bubba, or is it the Savage?
Savage I owned in the past did ok but it was made when they still used walnut for stocks. That was before Savage started making the accurate guns they are making today.
I had read how they were shooting cloverleafs "out of the box" I didn't really expect that and woulda been OK with say 1 1/2 inches but not 6.
Plus the stock feels like a club compared to either my CZ or BDL's but then compare them to say, a real quality rifle and they don't have that feel either. But thats my hands too which ain't very sofistercated. Savages ain't very purty neither.
I guess mine is the exception and not the rule from what I have read but talk is cheap, and so is this rant.

Bottom line to me is some guns will shoot good out of the box and some won't at least not without a buncha fine tuning. I don't really expect bench rest accuracy from a factory sporter gun but 6 inches? Thats too much in my book. So do I spend a buncha time and maybe money on a $450 gun to get it to shoot or just buy another?
Good chance the Savage is history.

XD If I was you I would get what I wanted that felt/ looked the best to me.
 
X

XD Gunner

New member
We all have our own experiences I guess. I have a couple of 700's made in America that shoot great. One out of the box and one out of a pawn shop. Had some in the past that did too. In fact so far I have not had a bad Remington. Knock, knock.
Click to expand...

I have a Rem 7400 in .270 Win that you couldn't pry out of my hands, EXCELLENT gun...I personally would rather a firearm be made in America if at all possible, ya know, support the country, all that...but, it so happens that the Tikka (Finland) is a better gun for my use and my pricerange...

a 6inch group is what Im talking about with Savage, from what ive seen, some will hit it, most wont...

My 7400 (pawn shop special) will do 3 inches at 100yards, which is MORE than enough for what its used for (quick shots, short distances), However, Im going to start hunting strip-mines and I want a more accurate rifle...

Basically when it came down to the line, I compared the "big three" like so...

Savage-CHEAP (cost, build, appearance) crappy bolt action, did not feel like it fit correctly/hard time opening and closing, half reviews were go, half were no...

Remington 700 SPS-Great gun, its Remington after all, didn't like the trigger though, stock felt a little...rubbery? Nicer/smoother bolt, Particular rifle had iron sites...

Tikka T3 Lite-buttery smooth trigger, cheapish feel to the butt of the stock, but otherwise a very well made/fitting rifle...nice bolt, but not quite as smooth as the Rem...

All were in .270win Caliber...
 
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