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Well I really am getting the "fever" for a new gun and I don't have a proper bolt action in my collection. I would like to enlist the help and garner advice from the vast knowledge base on this forum. I know there are several good-to-great manufacturers of bolt action rifles out there and I'm not a brand fanatic. I would like to set up some parameters and hopefully get some feedback to narrow it down. Right now, I'm going to school to get my FAA mechanic certifications, so I don't have a huge budget (and I've always been a best bang for the buck kind of guy anyway). I would like to be able to hunt whitetail with it in the future, but don't plan on shooting anything bigger than that (no elk or bear or whatever). I want the ammo to be inexpensive enough to be able to practice at least monthly, perhaps 50 rounds?. I want the ammo to be in a caliber that is readily available in many locations/websites. I don't care if the stock is wood or synthetic, but synthetic would be preferred. I want it to be able to kill whitetail cleanly out to 200 yards. AND, though I know what most people would say about this requirement, I WANT IRON SIGHTS. Yes, it will get optics put on it, but a firearm without irons just seems incomplete to me. I will take any and all reasonable suggestions into account. So, I'll say thank you, right up front.

243, 270, 308 or 30-06 would be my recommendations. Basspro has several Remington packages (scope included) for around $450

I'm a fan of the Remington 700 series. If your on a budget, Academy has some 700 ADLs for about 349. My caliber of choice would probably be the .308

Heck, why not a Mosin. Can knock down a moose. Ammo is cheap. And it comes with iron sights and a pig sticker.

sookandy wrote:Heck, why not a Mosin. Can knock down a moose. Ammo is cheap. And it comes with iron sights and a pig sticker.

pig sticker?????? I thought that was the kick stand for when you wanted to park it

For reasonably priced guns, the Savage with accu-trigger do a great job.

mr surveyor wrote:

sookandy wrote:Heck, why not a Mosin. Can knock down a moose. Ammo is cheap. And it comes with iron sights and a pig sticker.

pig sticker?????? I thought that was the kick stand for when you wanted to park it

Just don't walk through the house at port arms with the bayonet attached. It likes to eat light fixtures.

I'd look at the used / consignment racks at gun stores, and check the local classified ads. There are lots of scoped bolt actions that still wear open sights out there, many cast off as hunters go for newer models. "Gotta have the latest!"
I prefer aperture rear sights, but most models interfere with scope mounts. If you get a more common rifle - Remington, Winchester, Savage - you have a better chance of finding ready-made accessories.
As far as calibers, look for what's common at the stores. .30-06 and .308 are my favorites for a general purpose rifle, but if you're limiting yourself to whitetail at 200 yards, you can find several good cartridges with less recoil and similar availability. See what's common and less expensive in hunting ammunition: .243 comes to mind in the smaller caliber range.
I like old military rifles more than most, but the Mosin Nagant is kind of awkward as issued, the bolt does not fall to hand for quick follow-up shot for which I like to be prepared, and the scope mounts for modern scopes are clunky. It can be sporterized, if you like that kind of thing (I do!).

Just get a Remington 700 in .308 and be done with it. A "clean" kill is going to be more dependent on shot placement than caliber.

Jumping Frog wrote:For reasonably priced guns, the Savage with accu-trigger do a great job.

Another vote for Savage. Also consider CZ, and if you are into surplus, maybe a K31 or Swede Mauser.

So it seems so far, the votes are leaning toward Savage or Remington to meet my needs, likely in .308. So, I just need to start shopping around. Thanks for the replies so far, but anyone else can feel free to add their 2 cents worth.

sookandy wrote:Heck, why not a Mosin. Can knock down a moose. Ammo is cheap. And it comes with iron sights and a pig sticker.

Or Mauser k98.

243, 270, 308 or 30-06 would be my recommendations

mine too.

An advantage of 308 is cheaper FMJ practice ammo is easier to come by than the other
calibres since it is a military round (the military round is actually 7.62mm NATO)

'course if you are reloading then any of those calibres will do.

I prefer Remington, but reasonably price guns are available from Mossberg and Savage that
would do the job.

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/store ... 4294965700" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/store ... 4294961476" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can't go wrong with a Remington 700. .270, .30-06, or 7mm. Just stay away from the 770. I owned one and will never again. PM me if you want details.

That being said, if you can find a Marlin XL7, get it. I own a 700 and an XL7 and will choose the Marlin over the 700. They copied / stole the accutrigger from Stevens, and copied the best of the 700 to make an incredible rifle. It has dropped each and every deer dead in it's track. Über accurate, and a fun rifle to shoot. Super smooth trigger and great with my Nikon BDC glass. I never thought a Marlin bolt action would be número uno, but it was. I love it. .270.