I'm getting ready to add to my rifle collection and can't decide which brand/model/caliber I want. I currently have a Savage .17HMR, and a Ruger 77 MkII .300WM. I'm happy with the accuracy of both rifles even though they both have heavy triggers. I've been looking at the Weatherby Vanguards in .308. I like that they have 24" barrels instead of 20-22" barrels like most other brands. I don't have the funds for a custom and don't care for Remingtons or Tikkas. As far as cal. goes, I'm open to almost anything. This will be used on southern whitetails and paper. I am planning on reloading, so I'm not opposed to some of the more obscure cartridges.

Thanks in advance!

Ruger .260 or Ruger 6.5mmSwede.

For strictly deer hunting the 6.5 cals are excellent as are the .270, 280 and 30-06 and 308.....further the 7-08 and 7mm Mauser work quite well too.

Many folks use the 6 mm and .257 calibers with excellent results as well.

That said, the Vanguard by Weatherby is a fine rifle worthy of your cash. Pick your favorite caliber and have a ball.

Accumark in .257 Weatherby.But they are kinda pricey, why don't you like the Remingtons??

How about a Stevens model 200? Many calibers to choose from, but I like the .243 or .270. Or you can go with the old 30-06. The rifle itself is what I would recommend. It's basically a Savage without the accu-trigger. You can easily and inexpensively fix that if you want, but factory trigger pull is about 5.1 pounds. No creep or overtravel either. They run about $315. Great price for that rifle. No sights, but drilled and tapped. If you like your Savage .17 (I have one also) then you will love this rifle.

Only negative thing that could be said about it is that it has a blind magazine, meaning no floor plate. You have to cycle the bolt to remove rounds. I don't mind this at all, but I know some who do.

Good luck

Same reason I don't like American made cars anymore.

I think their quality isn't what it used to be. When I shell out my hard earned cash for something, I want it to last longer than the warranty period.

Thanks for the replies so far!

Tough to beat an American Classic Savage with the accutrigger and high grade wood, Savage emblem on the pistol grip, free-floated, dual pillar mounted rifles or any Savage for accuracy.

For the past few months, I had been looking for a gun to "fill the gap" between my 7 mag and my .220 Swift. (Not that I couldn't just use either one to do the job on whatever Icould ever expect to hunt - I just really wanted another caliber.) I did quite a lot of reading(mostly on the forum here) and researching, checking onballistics, brands, caliber comparisons, etc. I talked with the gun guys at every place in town that sells guns. I just tried to get as much info as possible.

Heard good things about Savages; everyone loves the new trigger and their accuracy. One shop guy thought the world revolved around Tikkas, another thought they were ok, but that CZ was a better gun and a better value. Others who I know were NOT on commission thought the value was in Ruger or Savage.

I ended up buying a Ruger 25-06 stainless today. I actually kind of wanted to get something different, since I already haveRugers, but everything just kind of kept coming back to them.The gun'scoming in later this week and I've already got it scheduled to get the trigger work done, so its 'weak link' will already be cured by the time I shoot it.

I'll probably end up switching out the stock for a laminate eventually, too, but I would have done that with whatever I bought.

just my $.02

Good luck - nothing beats gun/bow shopping!

I guess I should have said I don't want a pretty gun. This gun is going to be used on southern whitetails in swamps and out of towers. I don't want something that I'm going to feel bad about bashing around. My Ruger is Stainless/Laminated and I've already put some nicks and dings in the stock. Kinda got a sick feeling when I noticed them.

I've been thinking of 7-08, 308, 257 Weatherby, and 25-06 for cal.

update: just picked up my Ruger 25-06 Stainless today. When the guy I was dealing with brought it out, I asked if the trigger work had been done already or if I needed to check it into their gunsmith area now. He said he was pretty sure they hadn't done anything to it yet. He put the bolt in and cycled it and dry-fired it a couple of times. As he was doing this, he kind of had a weird look on his face and said it was an exceptional trigger and that they must have worked on it. I tried it, too, and it was really light and crisp with no creep.Then he took it into the back to ask the gunsmith and came back a few minutes later shaking his head. He said they hadn't touched it but that it was exceptional and that he wouldn't have expected that from Ruger.

No idea if all of Ruger's new guns have better triggers or if mine was some kind of 'fluke'. Either way, I'm pretty impressed.

Now I get to spend that money on getting the trigger redone onmy oldM77 7mag. (which should have been done *years* ago )