looking for my first deer rifle. i have something in mind...
 

hello everybody im new to this forum i would have used a "search" function on this forum so i wont ask a question that already has an answer to it just did not find it but here we go.. P.S. (haha the search is right there sorry about that nexttime ill look harder)
you can skip to the bottom the main question is there

im looking for a deer rifle i do have an old pump action 270 but it needs alot of work so now im looking for a new rifle this would be my first time shopping for a gun.

i have some in mind the tikka t3 hunter, the wheatherby vanguard, and possibly the m700 or model 70. the last two is not too much of an interest to me even though i know they are great rifles ill just save them for my next gun quest for now.

so i went to the store on Saturday to look at used rifles and i asked the clerk if he had any "as followed " t3, model 70 or model 700 in 308/30-06. and he handed me a new t3 i love this rifle and i believe i may buy it in time. but now ive also found online a vangard ive never heard of this rifle and none of my fiends heard of it dosent surprise me though because they didnt know about the t3 until 6 months ago.

so the advantage of the weatherby is its cheaper and online it looks like an exceptional first hunting rifle but, i dont know anything about this rifle except for the price tag. the t3 on the other hand seems very high end and well balanced for me and the rifle is in my price range of $550-899 and some change.
any advise on these two guns (the t3 and vandguard) would be great and im sorry for this long thread next time ill keep it shorter and cleaner.
also any other rifles within my price range would be great i know there is alot out there

thank you for replying,
Bob

I have a T3 lite in .30-06. This is a sweet handling accurate rifle. Having owned both, I put it above the 700. Being a lefty I've never owned a Vangard or M-70.
The bolt on the T3 is slicker than snot on a door knob and the polymer magazine with its single stack makes for smooth feeding. I would not hesitate to buy another.

I've got a vanguard in 257 weatherby and I love it. It's accurate and tough as I've taken it all over. I guess what I like about it most is its simple and dependable. I also like the 3 position safety for several reason like I don't have to worry about the bolt being pulled open by the brush. I nevered worried about that before until I had my bolt pulled open by the brush when hunting with my model 700. Good luck on your choice

i agree when i looked at it i feel in love. haventt seen the lite yet but im sure i wont go wrong with any t3. the bolt was so amazing on that rifle and for the price i think its well worth it. its high end stuff right there.

funny thing is i looked at $1000+ rifles and i like this one the most. though there is always pros and cons when you go up the price range.

i already made up my mind the t3 is the rifle i want to get. but before that ill like to hear more on this t3.

i didnt dry fire to test the trigger how is it? should i get a trigger job done? i know this is strange question since i didnt even try it but doesnt hurt to ask.

ill have to check it out in the store before i say any more. since im still "looking" there has to be vast improvement on the vanguard for me to reconsider getting the t3. do you have wood stock or synthetic? main reason i ask is if it is wood how does it hold up to the brush and all of the other stuff we run into in the woods. my 270 has a finish on it and it didnt last to long plus its a 45+ yr old rifle so yea.

i am guessing the t3 needs more attention then the vanguard but i may be wrong by a long shot

to any t3 owners how is it is it tough or do i have to baby it?. im actually not too concerned because it is an awesome rifle and i believe itll hold up to anything as long as i do my part at the end.

I am a proud owner a .223 Tikka T3 lite in stainless.

IMO Excellent for the money !!!

I've never owned a Tikka, they seem "cheap" to me. But lots of people like them and they are inherently pretty accurate.

Like I always say, for a budget/first time/truck gun it's hard to beat a Howa 1500...especially for under $400...

also if you were wondering if you couldnt tell already the t3 really made an impression on me i love quality and it was more than i originally expected when i held it for the first time. since most companies tell only the good and make you want to believe there product is the best i feel like i cant make anymore opinions on other rifles in my price range. im a very spectacle person and i have to see it to believe it in some cases. American companies are great at leading you on. and that goes for everybody really.

i saw one in stock on the used/sales rack. ill have to go back to see how it feels. i might consider it. i think i passed it up because it was the wrong cal. .243 i believe.

hows the maintenance on your rifle is it fair? also i was wondering about the trigger does it need a "trigger job"?

for optics ill be using weaver grand slam rmef series model 800475
4.5x-14x40 any advise on this matter. its new just been sitting for a long time

the vanguard is a howa 1500, been marketed through the years under different labels, vanguard, smith & Wesson, and with the parent companies name howa, really decent rifles.
Tikka is also a great rifle but I don't care for the plastic magazine on the T3's
RR

The Howa has a better trigger and bottom metal then the Vanguard, imo. I thought they were the same exact rifle until I had both sitting here, there's a couple differences. The Nosler rifle is also based on a Howa.

Have a howa, 2 vanguards and a Smith and Wesson 1500. The howa and the newer vanguard I have made in 2003 have the same triggers in them. The vanguard with a synthic stock as a better synthic stock on it then my howa with a synthic stock. All of them are nice rifle and the older ones with the two way safties. The one vanguard is an older one with a three digit serial number. Looked at the tikka nice rifle but if I was buying and new one out of the two howa/vanguard or tikka I would get the howa/vanguard.

Two-stage triggers in them?

I would not own a Howa.

They are made in japan by those who killed my uncle in WW2.

No single stage triggers. Both the howa and the vanguard or only a couple years part. I got the vanguard for high school graduation and got the howa while I was in college. The vanguard is 300 wby and the howa is 338 win. Both had heavy trigger pulls to I had them lightened buy a gun Smith.

:love:I am a sucker for a used gun, I would look for one that needed some TLC, an make it my gun !!! :biggrin:

What's wrong with your pump? I'll take it off your hands if your done with it. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those options listed.
-Jake

Williams gun sight, Davison Michigan.
Used
http://shop.williamsgunsight.com/mor...ucts.aspx&ai=M

http://shop.williamsgunsight.com/mor...ucts.aspx&ai=M

to buy from them.
To purchase a used gun from us simply call us at 1-800-530-9028 Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm EST, Sunday 10-5 - We will then walk you through the process of purchasing a gun. You may pay us for the firearm using a credit card. We'll have you locate a firearms dealer in your area that will accept a transfer gun on your behalf. Once we receive a copy of their Federal Firearms License we can ship your gun to the dealer who will transfer it to you.

If you would like to search for other used rifles go here.

http://shop.williamsgunsight.com/products.aspx

I have bought several rifles and shot guns plus a pistol from them. Very good folks and good to deal with. Just put a huge addition on the store and are remodeling the old store. I was just in there yesterday and looked at the 270 T3 nice condition rifle.

:D Al

its a great rifle but it has been used alot! its a remington model 760 . the things im concerned about is the action, it needs to be looked at. the action is very playful too much for my taste and safety. it is somewhat accurate but i believe i shoot bigger groups do to shooter error. since the pump is very playful it is unreliable. i missed a bore once because of that, had to recycle the action and they ran off before i could get a shot... happens alot at the range too

now its not that i want to get rid of it i just plan on getting help from a friend (gunsmiths son) so ill do that this summer.

p.s. its always good to have a nice bolt action at your disposal cant really go wrong with that

thanks for the site. thanks for looking too its nice to have a inside scoop on the guns and quality. ill check it out right now. since i already have a 270 and love that cartridge i wont hesitate getting another .

whats your primary hunting rifle?

its either your mag or you short shucked it, my old 760 that I bought in 78 is flawless long as you keep the mags tweaked, its killed a tractor/trailor load of critters, and the action is very loose, but you can put five rounds through it in less than 3 seconds if ya need to
RR

sorry for the lack of gun terminology but the "ejector slide cover" has to manually be closed more than half the time; therefor if it isnt, it doesn't engage properly.. at first i thought the same, i wasnt racking it all of the way, but it turns out that the parts are just worn out do to constant use in all types of conditions, since this is my only rifle above 22lr and not a shot gun.

back to the mags ,can you explain please?

the feed rails on the mags are quite fragile, they get bent just a bit and the next round does not get in proper position to be picked up when the action is cycled, the ejector slide cover is a piece of plastic and is just there for looks, believe me, mine has thousands of rounds through it, it was my deer, groundhog, target, plinking truck rifle for a lot of years, its retired now but still would use it if I didn't have better stuff to use.
RR

ok ill look at them thanks for the heads up and yes one of my mags are malfunctioning.. . and i know for sure nothing on my gun is plastic whatsoever all metal. is the butt on your stock plasticrubber or metal?

ill explain more; i may be mistaken on the term i used to explain. it is a part of the action but to me it looks like the only function is no more than a cover for the action/bolt. there is no aftermarket dust/dirt shield that u would normally see on ar15 style rifles
i could clarify more once i check out my mags

just dug mine out of the back of the safe, pretty sure its black nylon, I know the one on my 742 was cause I had it out when I rebuilt the bolt
RR

ok i thought they didnt start the plastic nylon till they made the 7600.

btw ive been using powershock federal ammo 150/155 grain when i hunted pigs last time a bit heavy load and i dont like fragmenting rounds also, it did kick harder than my friends 30-06. what ammo do you use, any suggestions?
all this talk about the 270 is really making me want to take it out..

also i never considered a semi auto just never appealed to me like bolt/pump does for hunting anything bigger than a coyote that is. im sure ur 742 is a fine exceptional hunting rifle

130 nosler ballistic tip, if that's not suitable try the 130 accubond, have had ero problems with the BT, the 130 sierra ain't bad but doesn't shoot as well as the noslers in my rifle
RR.

OH GAWD you had to ask!!!!!!!!!
Probably the Ruger 77 220 swift & a Ruger 77 22 hornet (squirrel rifle) since we hunt coyotes and crows all year long except the short time the seasons are closed about 3 months.

For deer I have a Remington 700 Mountain rifle set up for distance shooting across cranberry bogs and down the beach in 7mmo8 and a Remington model 7 set up for the thick cedar swamps also in 7mm08.

Also use a Remington 700 in 308, 243 and 300 win mag.
Remington 700 Ml 50 cal. and another in 54 cal.

All my bolt guns.

:D Al

so im going back to the shop tomorrow, hopefully... and ill check out some other rifles to make my final decision ill pick out a top 3 that i want and post it, ill wait a week or two before i buy anything, so plenty more time for advise. or ill get 2 budget rifles,,, nah i dont think so...

You've mentioned other issues, but make sure you're working that action hard and full stroke. You can't baby the pumps, they like to be worked. Sounds like you have some other stuff going on, but I've seen guys do this multiple times with their pumps and complain that it isn't feeding/ejecting etc.
-Jake