Someone above mentioned the Howa 1500. I have one and love it. Has a synthetic (Hogue) stock, so it's not beautiful, but it shoots great! ...And it's in that middle price range. An excellent hunting rifle.

The Howas are mighty fine, and I personally have a couple of them, the 770 doesn't compare at all.

Just an observation but if the crosshairs won't stay set that has nothing to do with the rifle itself. Unless the scope is not lined up in the rings and is pinched but that is a rare circumstance. That's still not the rifles fault. They may not be the best of rifles but I'm sure someone has got one that shoots really well. I've bought two pistols before that were the same model and caliber and had one not shoot well at all while the other is still in my gun safe and the bad one is gone on to some poor unlucky soul. I feel for those that have bought lemons I know I have before.

My comment on the crosshairs not holding zero was no reflection on the gun--it was a Bushnell scope, but a very inexpensive one that could not be zero'd. It was just a .243, but apparently too much recoil for this scope. I just sort of felt sorry for the guy because he was out there to show his cousin how much fun shooting is and didn't have much to work with----John

I'm not a gunsmith but I shoot a lot and see a lot of issues at the range. I'd throw a totally bogus statistic out there that better than 70% of scope issues are cause by being improperly mounted.

How many here have actually taken a brand new set of rings and without doing anything to them just drop a lapping bar into them to see how out of round and alignment they are? I'd say not many. Well I have and it's the reason why I stick with top screw rings like Warnes. I still drop a lapping bar in those but typically I don't see nearly the issue like with side screw type mounts.

To add another point. I have a $49.99 Bushnell special on my 45-70 Marlin Guide gun. It's in quick release Warne's mounts and hasn't had an issue.

Tom

I was so close to buying a Remington 770 in .243,but I bought I Savage instead,I hadn't heard about this at the time,but now I am very glad I went with my Savage.

~~RW