What rifle to buy
 

I am looking for a first rifle. I have a few criteria it must meet and cant seem to find one that fits and is in my price range. It seems every gun that comes close I can find something I dislike about it.

Here's my criteria.
Lever, Pump, or maybe semi. No bolts. Wood, no synthetic. .270, .308, 30-06. oh and prefer the pistol stock instead of straight like a Win '94 but not a big deal

The obvious answers and what I dislike:

Browning BLR: heard they are not user friendly as far as dissassembly and cleaning/repair, although not a big issue. The big issue is the $$$$. I would like a used one but can't seem to find one.

Marlin:
336, doesnt have the calibers due to tube fed
308 with leverevolution, who know how long that ammo will last.
1895 (I want the guide gun to take flying with me, but that 45-70 is too expensive to enjoy atthe range everyonce ina while and makes a great bear defense round but not a distance deer round)
1894, calibers

Remington 760/7600 havent heard much about them

Remington semi - heard of clip feeding problems.

Winchester 94 - calibers

I know theres a savage lever or two in there and dont remember why i didn't like em, looks maybe.?

If any one can tell me where to go, or maybe just to stop bein so dam picky id appreciate it.

RE: What rifle to buy
 

Rifles are tools...Different ones work better for different usages...

What are you planning to do with this rifle??? If hunting, what will you be hunting??? What state do you live in???

Do you plan to scope it???

RE: What rifle to buy
 

Benelli makes and auto-loader as well. It's called the R1. Don't know anything about it, but you may want to look into it.

If you don't mind my asking, what's wrong with a bolt action? They come chambered in all cartridges that you want and are a lot more accurate.

RE: What rifle to buy
 

The Remington 7600 is a great rifle. They shoot as good as most Bolt guns and just never malfunction. No auto loaders for me. JMO.

RE: What rifle to buy
 

Remington has some great pump guns. I know alot of people that use them and never have problems. The only problem i have seen wa son my dads old clip for his. It had some rust in it and didnt feed right. We used some gun scrubber and oiled it really well and it works fine now.

RE: What rifle to buy
 

760s and 7600s are flat out awesome rifles. They are very often used, but very seldom talked about. People only tend to talk about stuff when it is breaking or doing them wrong... hence the hush. Only complaint on them are the triggers, which cannot really be tampered with without compromising the safety of the gun. That said, any pump that will shoot groups with most bolt guns at 100 and 200 yards is really worth considering (and the 760s certainly will in almost every case).

RE: What rifle to buy
 

Why no bolts? I think you are limiting yourself a little bit. You might be able to find some decent prices on them too, but I would suggest a remington semi-auto or a marlin 336. What type of terrain and distances will you be hunting in? Just my .02.

RE: What rifle to buy
 

I own a remington 742(semi) in30-06 which has never jammed or malfunctioned. My friend owns the 760(pump) in the same cartridge and hehas neverhad a problem. Only difference between our two rifles is that his weighs about 1/2 lb less but it does "kick" a bit more than a 742. Both of our rifles are 30-35 yrs old and neither has had any problems. I have heard that some 742's have jamming problems but my 742 has never had any of these issues. I think you would be quite happy with a remington 760 as it appears you do not want a semi but a pump would be fine. BTW I love my remington 870 pump.

RE: What rifle to buy
 

Well if I wasn't buying a bolt I guess I'd go with a BAR but then again the only auto's I own are shotguns.. Good Luck...

RE: What rifle to buy
 

I started off a semi auto guy too, and now I'm pretty much exclusively a bolt guy, browning makes the BAR, which is an auto made in belgium, use to be anyway, my .270 shoots well sub MOA.

Though I'd strongly reconsider a bolt if I were you.....never been a fan of a pump rifle. The only lever action rifle I can picture is a marlin in a .30-30 or maybe .45-70.

I think benelli makes a semi auto in a .300 win mag, usually you don't see semi autos bigger than .30-06 for a reason.....too I think, jamming on dangerous game isn't something you want.