First rifle which to buy?

[ranger400ex1994]

I have hunted 13 years in a shotgun deer zone all my life and used a 870 slug gun. Now it got switched to rifle. I have saved up $400.00 to buy a rifle. I have been looking at the Marlin XL7 and the savage m 111. I have chosen between the 30-60 and the 7mm. I have never shot a 7mm but a 30-06 i have But kick really dosent scare me i came from slug guns which really kick alot. I would really like a do it all rifle. Which of these rifles do you guys like better? What other suggestions do you have? I know i can't get the marlin in a 7mm. i also have my eyes on the remington model 700 adl combo and the weatherby vanguard.

[Wingbone]

The Savages are known for their accuracy. If I had to choose between the rifles you mentioned, I'd go with the Savage. You would be well served with either an '06 or a 7mm mag. There is no bad choice between the two.

[bigbulls]

My choices in order would be the Vanguard or Remington as number 1 choice, then Savage, then Marlin.

The recoil of the 30-06 and 7mm Rem mag are nearly identical so don't worry about that.

IMO if you are only going to have one cartridge then the 30-06 would be my first choice.

[needs_recoil]

To me the vangaurd is weatherbys bottom of the barrel rifle kinda like the 770 remington. The remington 700 is what I would look at. Then Id look at savage. I cant say much about the marlin bolt rifles cause Ive never spent any time with one. You can customize every inch of a 700 because everyone makes something for it. As far as chambering either one will do fine on anything in the lower 48 and then some. I agree with big bulls though about the 30-06. I would choose it first.

[Sheridan]

First rifle and then a one rifle guy with $400.


Marlin in .30-06 and you still need rings and a scope.

[bigbulls]

To me the vangaurd is weatherbys bottom of the barrel rifle kinda like the 770 remington.

Do you have any actual experience with the Weatherby vanguard / Howa 1500 (Howa makes the vanguard for Weatherby)? Because you you couldn't be more off base with that statement if you were standing on the moon. Remington, Savage, and Marlin should aspire to make their rifles with Howa's quality.

The vanguard/Howa 1500 is one of the strongest action in production today. In 2000, Howa also acquired the ISO 9001 certification.

The receiver is a forged steel flat bottom piece and incorperates a massive tapered recoil lug machined into the bottom of the reciever while the other three use a washer type of recoil lug sandwiched between the barrel and receiver.

The vanguard uses a one piece forged two lug bolt....... which means it isn't a casting, there are no pinned or brazed on bolt handles like with the other three, no pinned on bolt heads like with the Savage and Marlin, or anything of the sort. Just solid steel.

The bolt body is ventelated to expel gasses away from the shooter in the event of a case or primer rupture. The bolt face also completely encompases the cartridge head just like the Remington does.

The extractor is m16 style and is one of the strongest and robust extractors available aside from a mauser style claw extractor.

The barrel is hammer forged.

The bottom metal (trigger guard, floor plate) is actually made of metal instead of plastic. The trigger guard is aluminum and the floor plate is steel.

[bugsNbows]

Originally Posted by bigbulls

Do you have any actual experience with the Weatherby vanguard / Howa 1500 (Howa makes the vanguard for Weatherby)? Because you you couldn't be more off base with that statement if you were standing on the moon. Remington, Savage, and Marlin should aspire to make their rifles with Howa's quality.

The vanguard/Howa 1500 is one of the strongest action in production today. In 2000, Howa also acquired the ISO 9001 certification.

The receiver is a forged steel flat bottom piece and incorperates a massive tapered recoil lug machined into the bottom of the reciever while the other three use a washer type of recoil lug sandwiched between the barrel and receiver.

The vanguard uses a one piece forged two lug bolt....... which means it isn't a casting, there are no pinned or brazed on bolt handles like with the other three, no pinned on bolt heads like with the Savage and Marlin, or anything of the sort. Just solid steel.

The bolt body is ventelated to expel gasses away from the shooter in the event of a case or primer rupture. The bolt face also completely encompases the cartridge head just like the Remington does.

The extractor is m16 style and is one of the strongest and robust extractors available aside from a mauser style claw extractor.

The barrel is hammer forged.

The bottom metal (trigger guard, floor plate) is actually made of metal instead of plastic. The trigger guard is aluminum and the floor plate is steel.

+1 ...great comeback.

[BOWHUNTERCOP]

You can't go wrong with any of your choices, you need to handle them all, I agree with the .30-06, many different loads to choose from. Also put a really good or at least a decent scope on it

[VAhuntr]

As bigbulls stated the Weatherby Vanguard is an excellent rifle and would be my choice in this case. If you look around, many times the Howa 1500 is priced a little better than it's Vanguard brother. This savings could then be put towards optics.

[harter66]

Personaly any of your choices of makers are good ,I have Savages in 308 and 30-06' with no complaints and have shot with many freinds and family with 700BDLs for 30 years not 1 complaint about either rifle family.

Cartridges there's a place where I'm quite biased and will say 06' every time anybody asks about an all pourpose cartridge. Open market it is available everwhere ammo is on the shelf. You can buy loads from 100grn varmit HPs all the way up to 220grn moose slayers in about any shape you want . If you decide to hand load for it you can open it up from 40-250grns.

Good hunting