Help decide on rifle purchase
12-12-2006, 12:10 PM
#21
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Berkeley Springs, WV
Posts: 1,293
RE: Help decide on rifle purchase
Heres the Burris FF II scope for 186
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00023200160
Here it is for 184 with free spotting scope.
http://www.swfa.com/pc-8071-203-burris-3-9x40-fullfield-ii-rifle-scope.aspx
Personally Id go with a Bushnell 3200. You cant beat the Rainguard finish for the field. Not just for rain but if you have ever hunted in the cold and had your breath or the heat off of you face fog up a scope you'll understand how important the Rainguard is. The 3200 and FF II have the same quality of glass.
If you want to spend a little more you wont find a better scope for under 300$ This is for a Elite 4200 3-9x40mm for 279$.
http://www.swfa.com/pc-7280-185-bushnell-3-9x40-elite-4200-rifle-scope.aspx
If you can spend 400$ then get the Conquest. You cant beat the quality of that scope for the bucks. To me the Conquests and 4200's are by far the best scopes you can get for the money.
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=00023200160
Here it is for 184 with free spotting scope.
http://www.swfa.com/pc-8071-203-burris-3-9x40-fullfield-ii-rifle-scope.aspx
Personally Id go with a Bushnell 3200. You cant beat the Rainguard finish for the field. Not just for rain but if you have ever hunted in the cold and had your breath or the heat off of you face fog up a scope you'll understand how important the Rainguard is. The 3200 and FF II have the same quality of glass.
If you want to spend a little more you wont find a better scope for under 300$ This is for a Elite 4200 3-9x40mm for 279$.
http://www.swfa.com/pc-7280-185-bushnell-3-9x40-elite-4200-rifle-scope.aspx
If you can spend 400$ then get the Conquest. You cant beat the quality of that scope for the bucks. To me the Conquests and 4200's are by far the best scopes you can get for the money.
12-12-2006, 12:15 PM
#22
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 917
RE: Help decide on rifle purchase
OK...I've been shopping for a similar rifle/scope combo for about a month now. My final take on this: If you like high-powered scopes, get a 7mm Rem Mag...it will be able to take some of those tempting longer shots just a bit better than an '06.
Also, get a rifle with a 24" barrel as opposed to 26"...the resulting tiny loss in velocity is nothing but lugging around a longer rifle sure is something to think about.
Lastly, elk hunting isn't always done in open country like your Eastern Montana deer hunting will be, so a scope that starts with 4.5x magnification may not be your best choice. I'd take a look at some 3-10s like the Weaver Grand Slam...or there are a few really nice 3-12s out there, like the Sightron SII and the Burris Signature Select. At 3x, you should be fine even in thick woods, and 10x-12x is more than adequate for shots at any distance you should be shooting at game.
For a great deal, I'd go with a Ruger All-Weather in 7mm Rem Mag ($500)with a Sightron SII 3-12x42mm ($299) or a Weaver Grand Slam 3-10x40mm ($269). Rings come with the Ruger, so no more expense would be incurred.
You can play with the Ruger a bit down the road, like having a good gunsmith work the trigger, free-float the barrel, etc. You may not need to, but it sure is fun to tinker a bit!
Also, get a rifle with a 24" barrel as opposed to 26"...the resulting tiny loss in velocity is nothing but lugging around a longer rifle sure is something to think about.
Lastly, elk hunting isn't always done in open country like your Eastern Montana deer hunting will be, so a scope that starts with 4.5x magnification may not be your best choice. I'd take a look at some 3-10s like the Weaver Grand Slam...or there are a few really nice 3-12s out there, like the Sightron SII and the Burris Signature Select. At 3x, you should be fine even in thick woods, and 10x-12x is more than adequate for shots at any distance you should be shooting at game.
For a great deal, I'd go with a Ruger All-Weather in 7mm Rem Mag ($500)with a Sightron SII 3-12x42mm ($299) or a Weaver Grand Slam 3-10x40mm ($269). Rings come with the Ruger, so no more expense would be incurred.
You can play with the Ruger a bit down the road, like having a good gunsmith work the trigger, free-float the barrel, etc. You may not need to, but it sure is fun to tinker a bit!
12-12-2006, 01:09 PM
#23
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Saskatchewan Canada
Posts: 6,921
RE: Help decide on rifle purchase
ORIGINAL: Folically Challenged
I'm sort of in the same boat with you. I want to get a 7mm-08, and I want to get a Savage, since I've heard many good things about them, and because the Savage rimfire I bought this Fall is a great little gun. But I go to the gun shop, and I hold the model I've been eyeing,and it feels "clunky" in my hands. It's not grotesquely objectionable, mind you, but it just didn't "do it for me". Then I pick up a Remington Mountain Rifle, which I've always wanted, and it was far better - it just flew right up to my shoulder.
So, for sh!ts & giggles, I have the guy hand me a Remington 700 CDL, and it's PERFECT! It's as if the gun was made for me by the friggin' Gods! It fits all my nooks & crannies (and folds, and rolls, and...) just ever so. So why don't I get one? Because that's what I already own, onlyin a .30-06! Why get the same gun in a different caliber? I feel like I'm back to square one!
The first time I ever went to a real gun shop, with a ton o' selection, I was amazed. I asked the counter lizard why there were so many kind of guns ineach caliber. He calmly replied, "beacause there are so many kinds of people". I wasn't expecting to get sage advice from the whippersnapper-du-jour behind the counter, but I have to agree with him. If the gun doesn't fit you, you'll never be really happy with it, and the "two of you" won't perform to your capabilities. Like it or not, you & your rifle are a team.
On sites like these, you'll find all of us zealots extoling the virtues of the models we like from the manufacturers we like, while positively slamming all the other companies. If you think about it, though, the only objective information you can get about which companies are best, is to look at which ones are still in business, or are growing. Apparently, Savage, Remington, Marlin, Tikka, Sako, and many dozens of others, are still making guns that many people can reliably kill animals with. So, you might as well choose what works best for you, and let the posters excoriate you, or praise you, as they will.
As for me, I kind of like the looks of the CZ 550, but it comes in 6.5 x 55, and not in 7mm-08. If the gun fits me like a dream, I guess I won't have too bigof aproblem going to a different caliber. I just think it's a b!tch that the longest story I'll ever be able to tell the kids about thisgun, if I can ever make a choice,is how friggin' long it took me to pick it out!
Best o' Luck!
FC
ORIGINAL: npaden
... I didn't really think I would get a resounding "you need to buy this brand and this caliber" response, but you never know. ...I guess I'll go see how they feel.
... I didn't really think I would get a resounding "you need to buy this brand and this caliber" response, but you never know. ...I guess I'll go see how they feel.
So, for sh!ts & giggles, I have the guy hand me a Remington 700 CDL, and it's PERFECT! It's as if the gun was made for me by the friggin' Gods! It fits all my nooks & crannies (and folds, and rolls, and...) just ever so. So why don't I get one? Because that's what I already own, onlyin a .30-06! Why get the same gun in a different caliber? I feel like I'm back to square one!
The first time I ever went to a real gun shop, with a ton o' selection, I was amazed. I asked the counter lizard why there were so many kind of guns ineach caliber. He calmly replied, "beacause there are so many kinds of people". I wasn't expecting to get sage advice from the whippersnapper-du-jour behind the counter, but I have to agree with him. If the gun doesn't fit you, you'll never be really happy with it, and the "two of you" won't perform to your capabilities. Like it or not, you & your rifle are a team.
On sites like these, you'll find all of us zealots extoling the virtues of the models we like from the manufacturers we like, while positively slamming all the other companies. If you think about it, though, the only objective information you can get about which companies are best, is to look at which ones are still in business, or are growing. Apparently, Savage, Remington, Marlin, Tikka, Sako, and many dozens of others, are still making guns that many people can reliably kill animals with. So, you might as well choose what works best for you, and let the posters excoriate you, or praise you, as they will.
As for me, I kind of like the looks of the CZ 550, but it comes in 6.5 x 55, and not in 7mm-08. If the gun fits me like a dream, I guess I won't have too bigof aproblem going to a different caliber. I just think it's a b!tch that the longest story I'll ever be able to tell the kids about thisgun, if I can ever make a choice,is how friggin' long it took me to pick it out!
Best o' Luck!
FC
12-12-2006, 01:16 PM
#24
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Saskatchewan Canada
Posts: 6,921
RE: Help decide on rifle purchase
npaden, you ask for opinions you get them. However we all said you need to find whats right for you interms of feel and features. Not a stitch wrong with any of them just boils down to personal likes and dislikes.
As far as scopes go 3x9 or 10 is all that I feel is required for a biggame scope. I have never seen the need for more in the field and I hunt areas where shots can be longer than I am willing to take. If you think you'll be regularily shoots of500 yards or further then sure a larger mag scope may be of use. Burris FFII is a decent scope, in the elite 3200 class..good bang for your buck. Few of my buddies use the FFII's and are pleased, I have a couple 3200's which they compare favorably to my eye. I know nothing about the spotter you mentioned, sorry.
As far as scopes go 3x9 or 10 is all that I feel is required for a biggame scope. I have never seen the need for more in the field and I hunt areas where shots can be longer than I am willing to take. If you think you'll be regularily shoots of500 yards or further then sure a larger mag scope may be of use. Burris FFII is a decent scope, in the elite 3200 class..good bang for your buck. Few of my buddies use the FFII's and are pleased, I have a couple 3200's which they compare favorably to my eye. I know nothing about the spotter you mentioned, sorry.
12-12-2006, 01:24 PM
#25
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Saskatchewan Canada
Posts: 6,921
RE: Help decide on rifle purchase
ORIGINAL: chr103yod
You cant go wrong with a Rem 700. For a little less money Savage makes really accurate rifles. They may not be as pretty but they shoot great. I have both a 7 mag and a 30-06. Bullets for the 7 mag run almost a dollar a piece. You can pick up cheap 30-06 bullets for $10-$12 a box. The ballistics between the two guns aren't THAT much different. You can also get anywhere from 45 gr acelerator rounds to 220 gr bullets for the 30-06. It's big enough to drop and elk and you can still buy small enough bullets for antelope. I could never see buying a Zeiss or Leica scope for any of my guns. The thought of putting a $1000 scope on my $500 rifle just doesn't make sense to me. I think I would buy a middle of the road Leupold, Burris or Nikon and spend $300-$400. When I look through a $1500 scope and a $300 scope I just don't see $1200 worth of difference.
You cant go wrong with a Rem 700. For a little less money Savage makes really accurate rifles. They may not be as pretty but they shoot great. I have both a 7 mag and a 30-06. Bullets for the 7 mag run almost a dollar a piece. You can pick up cheap 30-06 bullets for $10-$12 a box. The ballistics between the two guns aren't THAT much different. You can also get anywhere from 45 gr acelerator rounds to 220 gr bullets for the 30-06. It's big enough to drop and elk and you can still buy small enough bullets for antelope. I could never see buying a Zeiss or Leica scope for any of my guns. The thought of putting a $1000 scope on my $500 rifle just doesn't make sense to me. I think I would buy a middle of the road Leupold, Burris or Nikon and spend $300-$400. When I look through a $1500 scope and a $300 scope I just don't see $1200 worth of difference.
. I know not everyone feels a scope is worth the coin but I personally believe don't sell yourself short on glass and mounts just asimportantas the rifle itself. I personally will not bring myself to buy 1000 USD priced scope but I buy the best I can for every rifle I own and top it with quality rings/bases.
12-12-2006, 06:29 PM
#26
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 1,401
RE: Help decide on rifle purchase
Okay, I went and checked them out and the rifle I was leaning toward the least is that one that I thought was the most comfortable. [&:]
I had ranked the guns in my mind as #1 - Tikka T3, #2 Browning A-Bolt, #3 Ruger All weather and #4 Remington 700.
Trying them out I really liked the action of all of them. I didn't like the extra little bump on the pistol grip of the Browning. I really liked the dettachable magazine on the Tikka and the ability to adjust the trigger and the guaranteed accuracy but I thought the stock on the Tikka looked cheap. I liked the feel of the Remington 700 the best. I tried a Sako and it was nice but I didn't ask how much it cost. I think the Tikka could be improved to fit me better by adding some type of padding on the forward part of the stock where I would grip it with my left hand and adding a recoil saver type butt plate because I'm long armed and all guns tend to be short for me. The Reminton 700 was short but the front part of the stock was a little wider and it felt good.
Any thoughts on my test fitting?
I had ranked the guns in my mind as #1 - Tikka T3, #2 Browning A-Bolt, #3 Ruger All weather and #4 Remington 700.
Trying them out I really liked the action of all of them. I didn't like the extra little bump on the pistol grip of the Browning. I really liked the dettachable magazine on the Tikka and the ability to adjust the trigger and the guaranteed accuracy but I thought the stock on the Tikka looked cheap. I liked the feel of the Remington 700 the best. I tried a Sako and it was nice but I didn't ask how much it cost. I think the Tikka could be improved to fit me better by adding some type of padding on the forward part of the stock where I would grip it with my left hand and adding a recoil saver type butt plate because I'm long armed and all guns tend to be short for me. The Reminton 700 was short but the front part of the stock was a little wider and it felt good.
Any thoughts on my test fitting?
12-12-2006, 07:07 PM
#27
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hamiltucky, OH
Posts: 485
RE: Help decide on rifle purchase
ORIGINAL: npaden
Okay, I went and checked them out and the rifle I was leaning toward the least is that one that I thought was the most comfortable ... I liked the feel of the Remington 700 the best. ... Any thoughts on my test fitting?
Okay, I went and checked them out and the rifle I was leaning toward the least is that one that I thought was the most comfortable ... I liked the feel of the Remington 700 the best. ... Any thoughts on my test fitting?
No matter which one you thought felt best, there'd be people out there to slam your choice. Or to praise it. I happen to have a 700 CDL, and it's perfect for me. In particular, I love the R3 (Sims) recoil pad on it - makes a world o' difference. And the stock is as slender as a supermodel...
On the other hand, I can't for the life of me understand how people shoot Marlin 336 .30-.30's. I know they're incredibly popular, wonderfully dependable, and devastatingly effective. And don't forget how cool lookin' they are! I mean, I really, really want to like them, but they just don't seem to fit me. And that's fine - I have hundreds of other choices in guns, and the 336 fans can keep stocking the meat poles year after year. We all win!
Love or hate the 700, there's no denying that these guns havebeen taking game for upwards of 40 years, and that the action has been reliable/dependable enough to be adapted to dozens of models. You may not have chosen a ooh-and-ahh custom gun, butthe 700'swouldn't have such a long and loyal following if they weren't getting the job done, and done well.
If it really fits you well, that's far and away the most important thing! Congrats!
Now... which caliber did you pick????!!!!!!!!
FC
12-12-2006, 10:56 PM
#28
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Saskatchewan Canada
Posts: 6,921
RE: Help decide on rifle purchase
Like said you answered your own question.
As far as the trigger on the 700 it is easy to have the trigger pull reduced(minus the savage AT). Unless you know somebody who is versed in this process or gunsI suggest youtake it toa gunsmith to do it for you. Here the cost is 30 bucks if no spring needs to be replaced, which in an out of the box new rifle I doubt you'll have to worry about unless your wanting to go lower then the 3lb area. If you don't care about ss barrel the 700SPS is offered in a Detached Mag version with the matte black barrel on black synthetic stock, FYI. DM is also available in a mountain rifle package which is wood on blue..not sure what calibers they are chambering this run though. I am a lefty so neither are applicable to my needs but my partners bought the boy aSPSDM this year so i know its an option if of interest.
As far as the trigger on the 700 it is easy to have the trigger pull reduced(minus the savage AT). Unless you know somebody who is versed in this process or gunsI suggest youtake it toa gunsmith to do it for you. Here the cost is 30 bucks if no spring needs to be replaced, which in an out of the box new rifle I doubt you'll have to worry about unless your wanting to go lower then the 3lb area. If you don't care about ss barrel the 700SPS is offered in a Detached Mag version with the matte black barrel on black synthetic stock, FYI. DM is also available in a mountain rifle package which is wood on blue..not sure what calibers they are chambering this run though. I am a lefty so neither are applicable to my needs but my partners bought the boy aSPSDM this year so i know its an option if of interest.
12-13-2006, 06:01 PM
#29
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 248
RE: Help decide on rifle purchase
ORIGINAL: skeeter 7MM
My suggestion was not a 1000 scope but rather a zeiss conquest 3x9x40 - sells for $400(or less), in your range. I know not everyone feels a scope is worth the coin but I personally believe don't sell yourself short on glass and mounts just asimportantas the rifle itself. I personally will not bring myself to buy 1000 USD priced scope but I buy the best I can for every rifle I own and top it with quality rings/bases.
My suggestion was not a 1000 scope but rather a zeiss conquest 3x9x40 - sells for $400(or less), in your range
. I know not everyone feels a scope is worth the coin but I personally believe don't sell yourself short on glass and mounts just asimportantas the rifle itself. I personally will not bring myself to buy 1000 USD priced scope but I buy the best I can for every rifle I own and top it with quality rings/bases.
12-14-2006, 06:18 AM
#30
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location:
Posts: 25
RE: Help decide on rifle purchase
Well theses guys know what their talking about. Myself having invested several thousands in scopes the past couple years have come to the conclusion that $500 is entry level price. skeeter and onebadf250 recommendation on a Zeiss is excellent.