Buying new rifle - recommendations?
 

I've been looking at purchasing a new rifle in the coming months and was wondering what some of you recommended. I've searched through numerous rifle brands and calibers and became a bit overwhelmed. A bit of history of myself first. I'm 21 and haven't been out hunting since 2009. Went out a few times with my step father, but him and my mother have since split so I've had no chance to (nor the experience like he had) to be able to get out on my own. I've been shooting numerous times but with old rifles and shotguns handed down from my family. Those just aren't making the cut anymore. I've been itching to purchase my own rifle that I can learn inside and out and feel proud of.
I did notice a rifle that was easy on the wallet but still seemed to have good quality while browsing Cabelas website. It was a rifle/scope combo from savage. The 16/116 Trophy Hunter XP if I'm correct. Cost about $700 and came in a wide variety of caliber. I was interested in the .300 Win Mag, though I've heard it's a more expensive round to buy. When I do finally get out of the house to hunt, I'd like to have that extra punch and range from the .300 Win Mag, unless it doesn't seem practical. I seriously want to drop the cash on something that takes a .338 Lapua (wouldn't we all) but I don't think taking down Bigfoot is anything I'll be doing soon, so nothing higher that the .300 for now (unless someone wants to talk me into it :) ). Reloading is also a serious cosiderstion I'm thinking about (step father reloaded all of his ammo).
Sorry for the long post but I'm anxious to hear what everyone here has to say.

Welcome to HNI Brandon. Lots of good info and members here. Hope to see you stick around. What state and what game will you mostly be hunting. That'll help us answer your question. That being said... the savage you found is a very nice rifle, and will serve you well. A .300 mag will also work on basically anything in North America(Bigger for the big bears, but would still work...) I'd probably suggest something in the .243-.30-06 range for 99% of first time rifle buyers. But if you want the .300 mag, no problem with that.

You mentioned reloading. I enjoy reloading and recommend it for anybody interested. But it will cost you some $$$ and some time to learn. There's a good reloading forum here that can help you with info for that.
Hope that all helps!
-Jake

I agree with Bocajnala on what he posted. A .300 is a great caliber especially for elk but if you are looking for a good deer gun with some target practice and varmint hunting something a bit tamer might be a more practical purchase. Welcome to HNI. :sign0016:

You left out most of the important information required for any one to pick out a rifle for you.

What is your budget for a rifle? for a scope?
Where do you plan to hunt?
What game will you be hunting? You don't need a 300mag for whistle pigs!!!!
How tall are you and weight? If you5'4" and weigh 120 You are not going to be happy with a 300 mag either.

The old tried and true 30-06, 308, 270 will take almost any north American game animal with ease. Won't cause you to develop a flinch stock out of the box either, ammo mostly is easy to find even way out in the middle of no where 2 pump gas stations too.

I also do not think to much of those big box stores for rifle buying. Places like Wal Mart, Dicks, Cabala's, Bass Pro Shop and Gander mountain and others. Most of the sales people don't know the fine points of a Remington over a Savage. Most if you have a problem after the sale your pretty much SOL and the rifle is sent out to be fixed and you wait and wait to get it back.
Find a local gun shop to buy your rifle May pay 50 to 75 dollars more but you will be dealing with some one who's soul means of support is the gun shop and GUNS & AMMO. Many have a smith working for them too who fix problems. All of the local gun shops I deal with will fit the rifle shot gun to you at no charge.

There is more to gun buying than money, Brand, caliber/gauge.

:D Al

I agree w/the previous posts. Don't get caught up in the "bigger is better" mentality unless you know that is what you really need/can handle. That 300 Winchester Magnum will have much greater recoil over the more standard calibers mentioned. Very important to recoil w/this caliber is the eye relief w/this scope. What amount of eye relief does the scope provide, especially at max power? Until you shoot the gun w/whatever loads you would intend to hunt with, ie, discover the amount of recoil, you don't really know completely the eye relief is adequate for you.(sarcasm: Scope eye feels really good) The previous non magnum calibers mentioned are very capable and the most practical place to start.

Once you do finally decide on a caliber you may also want to take a look at the Ruger American. It's a very nice entry level rifle and will probably be priced within your budget. have a .243 and a .308 and both are good shooters right out of the box.

I would avoid the combo and go shopping for a scope. Get you hands on as many different scopes as you can and pick the one that suits you and the style of hunting you will be doing.

Hope this helps.

All the above are absolutely correct. About anything from a 260 thru 30.06 will do the job on deer sized targets. 30.06 ammo is the easiest to find most anywhere.

Another thing to consider is do you expect to do lots of shooting with your new purchase to the tune of hundreds of rounds per year or just a box of ammo a year?

Reason I say this is there are models out there now than cannot be re-barreled which to me is like buying a car and the lug nuts are welded so the wheel cannot be removed.

It is so easy to ruin a barrel as contrary to popular belief they are quite soft. One wrong pass with a jointed cleaning rod can take off or wear down the muzzle crown and you just destroyed the accuracy you had.

Tens of thousands of vets had their rifles (rodded) prior to leaving the firing line on military ranges by range personnel running rods down M16s from the muzzles. I saw this happening at Camp Perry in the Small Arms Firing School and made a report on the practice when I got back to work.

A little background, I went to work for the US Army Small Caliber Weapons Lab in the 70s and was subsequently assigned Product Engineering Responsibility for all rifles, shotguns and SMGs in the Army inventory except the M16. One guy had that by himself and when he was covered up I was assigned M16 work which was mainly conducting Catastrophic Failure Investigations on the ones that came in. Most everyone on the internet calls such KABOOMS and other terminology I have seen.

I noted the "rodding" that went on at Camp Perry and came back and reported it and it took a couple of years and thousands of ruined barrels for the Army to issue orders that there would be no more "rodding" of barrels.

As an example of how little it takes to deteriorate your barrel's accuracy I walked into a gun show in Jax,Fla and walked up to this first table and this guy was dumping a Rem 700 Varmint in 223 and sold it to the dealer for 200.00 before I caught on to the conversation. The dealer offered it to me for 250.00 and I started looking it over.

It was obvious the rifle had seen very few rounds and that told me there was something wrong with it. I looked down the bore, OK and it was straight internally. Note: just because a rifle barrel is straight on the outside doesn't mean it is straight on the inside.

It took me a bit of examination and I worked my way to the muzzle and I saw it. There was a very tiny nick on the crown. I estimate it was about .003" wide (sheet of paper thickness) and I was convinced it had happened at the factory as the little nick was blued.

I paid him and left and came home loaded up three different loads and went to range Sunday afternoon and it shot 1 1/2" at 100 yards. Monday I called my contact in Remington Engineering and asked him what the acceptance was on Varmints and he said 1 1/2" and he wanted to know what I had. I told him what I had found and was going to pull it down and recrown the muzzle. He agreed.

Got home and recrowned it and took it to the range. The exact same ammo was shot again and the worst group I had was 5/8ths inch at 100 yards ! ! ! !

The point here is some rifles have barrels to short to go through the headstock on a lathe so you are stuck with a rifle with a damaged crown because you can't remove barrel to fix it.

http://www.fulton-armory.com/%5Cfaqs...%5CTEGauge.htm

Give the above a read, written by a good friend Bruce Woodford who just died a couple months ago. It will give a good background on how critical damage to your muzzle can be.

Personally I would not recommend a disposable rifle, it just goes against my grain to consider such.

Great advise from all. I would second what Game Stalker said, "don't get caught up in the bigger is better craze!" That is the #1, best advise a newer shooter can hear! If you have experience with the .300 and that's what you want, that's OK. But there are not that many critters in NA that need killing with a .300+.
Second, I would recommend buying the gun and scope separately! "Package deal" scopes are usually garbage and would be used as a trot-line weight!
Get the best glass that you can reasonably afford, good luck and welcome to the HN board!

Thank you for all of the replies! :) I did leave out some information, and I'm sorry for that. I live in Peoria, AZ. I'm 6' 2" and weigh 220lbs. As for the game I'd hunt, basically anything to start. Whether that's local coyote or if I am able to get drawn for Elk, etc. I'd go down the road to my local range to get accustomed to my rifle for a bit at first as well. Budget wise I'm a bit flexible but I'd rather not spend $1k+ (for rifle and scope combined). At least i dont want to spend more then that until i know it will be something that i will want to spend more money on im the future. That's why that Savage combo seemed decent to me. The scope on that was a Nikon 3-9x40, but I haven't checked up to see what the max distance or anything about it would be. Would it be a bad choice to look at combos or should I research them both seperately? Any recommendations on rifles and scopes would be appreciated.
As for reloading, yes I am very interested. My girlfriends, aunts, boyfriend (that's a mouth full, I know) use to reload and has all of the necessary equipment. My hope is to hopefully buy it all from her if she allows me to. Should hopefully save me some cash there. I got more questions on reloading but I'll wait and redirect them to that fourm later on.

Brandon, the biggest thing you will be hunting in Az. is elk. 270 or 30-06 will do the job without knocking you around from recoil. also ammo is easier to find at most gun stores. I lived in Az. about 20 years ago and used to sell guns at a sporting goods store. most of the customers usually bought 270 and 06's for hunting back then.

Thanks everyone for the feedback so far. Sounds like .270 or .30-06 is the way to go. Reloading them sounds cheaper as well. As far as brands go, which brands for those calibers would you all recommend? Also recommendations for scopes would be a plus.

I have shot a number of elk with a 30-06 and they have always gone right down. Never had one get away. In addition it has taken dozens of large bodied northern whitetail a few caribou and a long list of varmints. That caliber along with .308 and .270 are excellent calibers for all around use.

Brandon, sounds like that combo with the Nikon is actually a good deal. I am an avid Nikon user. Every firearm I have that has glass has Nikon glass on it. USUALLY I am with most the other on here as far as combo deals being a bad idea but you USUALLY see junk glass on them not a decent quality scope. I am also with everyone on you NOT needing a .300WM to start out with. Just because you are big doesn't make you automatically recoil tolerant. I'm a little over 6'5" and average around 260# and I really hate the recoil from many of my rifles. My .500NE double would make a Brown bear sit down and cry from either end :D A good .30-06 is more than sufficient to take anything on this continent as long as you use the proper bullet and put that proper bullet where it's supposed to go. I've dropped several Moose right where they were with my 06's. In all actuality, the .300WM really has no advantage over the 06 until you pass around 400 yards or so.

super_hunt54, thank you for the informative reply. That's the big issue I seem to face right now is whether to look for the rifle and glass separate or at the combo deal. I researched that Nikon scope a bit and read a lot of good reviews about it. But then again, is there a scope comparable or slightly better then that for a decent price? Not sure where to look or what brands are quality.

I don't think Nikon makes a bad scope.

If I am thinking correctly, that looks to be a ProStaff model Nikon on that rifle. They are an excellent entry level to high medium quality glass scope in my opinion. I have a few ProStaffs and have never had a single problem from any of them. Honestly, for the money, they are a very good quality product. They aren't on the level of a Monarch but they aren't far enough apart for the price difference in my opinion. That little 16/116 Savage is a short rifle built for hunting. It's not really a long range rig in any cartridge offering anyway so that pairing seems about as perfect a mate as you can get for that price. My own little opinion would be to tell you if the rifle fits you well then jump on it. It's a fair price for that combo and in 30-06 would be a fine rifle for anything you want to hunt on this continent. Savage is hard to beat for out of the box factory rifle quality and precision. Especially for the prices.

The prostaff is a good scope. Not top of the line, but it will work well for you and you can spend more to upgrade later. I have a prostaff on 3 different rifles and have been pleased with all of them.
-Jake

So, after some more searching, I came across a Remington 700 long-range (not sure if it's an overrated rifle since I hear everyone and their mother either is talking about one or owning one). Cost about $740 with no glass. Like i said, not sure if these rifles are overrated, or if they're quality. Also saw a Remington 700 SPS Stainless for $700.

Earlier in the thread, you were cautioned about the big box stores. I generally agree w/what was said, but I do believe you should consider Dicks Sporting Goods if you have one not too far from you. As long as you go into a big box store knowing what you want and that they have it, you're good to go. Just don't ask them any questions so they can change your mind or cause you to question what you need.

Dicks is great if you catch them on a sale. Here's an example. The first Thompson Center Omega I purchased was a Camo, stainless, weathershield, muzzleloader w/thumbhole stock. The gun was easily a mid $500 purchase. (Read very good gun) The gun was on sale for, IIRC, $459, a $100 discount. It lso had a $50 mfr. discount. Tax price was about $414 for what could have easily been a $600 tax price gun.

Shop and compare scopes on a web site like http://www.opticsplanet.com/riflesco...flescopes-US-S

I have a good many scopes, Bushnell, two muzzle loaders, 308 Remington 700, 243 Remington 700. Leopold (my most hated, only scope I've ever had to send back for a repair) compact on Remington 700 300wm, Ruger 77 22lr, Simmons Ruger 77 220 swift, Ruger 77 22 hornet, Pentex My favorite scope of all on a Remington 700 mountain rifle 7mm08, Remington model 7 in 7mm08.

My favorite bolt rifle is a Remington 700, not as well made today as they once were but I really don't think any thing is.

Just keep in mind when you buy from a box store there is not one bit of service worth a crap after you drop all those dollars on the counter or swipe the plastic. You will be on your own once that is finished.
I learned that lesson the hard way. Bought a new shot gun from Sears (yes once they sole shot guns and rifles.) in Mid June 1970, At the range shooting trap the end of July a part broke so it would not eject empty hulls, took it to Sears expecting a replacement, NO it had to be sent to the factory under warranty. Sept. arrived along with pat hunting, rabbit hunting and I do not have a shot gun. Oct arrives and Pheasant season arrives with duck season and goose season and I do not have a shot gun.
Decide if I am going to do any shot gun hunting I will need to buy a new one. this time I went to the local gun shop and I still own that shot gun today 46 trouble free years later. The one sears sent in I got back finally mid February 1971. Gave it to my brother when he got out of the service, hunted part of a season with it hated it and traded at the local gun shop for a sxs he still has.



:D Al

After hearing that the Savage combo deal comes with a Nikon scope, it sounds like a good rifle to start out with! Any caliber from .270 .280 .308 or 30-06 will do what you need without rattling your teeth! Good luck!

.223 for the smaller stuff.

.270 for the smaller hoofed animals.

7MM for the larger hoofed animals.

.338 for the dangerous stuff.

Spend more on the bases, rings & scope than you do on the rifle.

Remember to practice.....................................you'l l be fine !

Everybody has given you good advice and Sheridan above has given you more specific caliber advice. As you get more into hunting, you will find that you upgrade a lot depending on what you're hunting, what kind of terrain, etc. If you end up like most of us, you'll get hooked and figure out that you "need" more than 1 rifle and scope, shotgun & even pistol for the different kinds of hunting that you decide to do. The more you get out and hunt, the more you'll figure out what else you need (likely more than 1 rifle and scope). If it helps on selecting your first rifle, figure out what game you're likely to hunt in the next 3-5 years and choose accordingly. You can always add another rifle as you expand the types of game you hunt.

I just bought a 300 ultra in Remington 700 SPS. Got it for around $500 and then replaced the stock with a nice bell and carlson. So you can always go that route buy a cheaper rifle like that (and they shoot) and replace that tupperware stock. But calibers 7mm mag, 300 win mag, 30-06, .270 etc. I would probably stay in the magnum because you never know you might get that itch to do some long range hunting lol

If you are picking scopes my preference is Vortex. They make a line that is in the Prostaff price range but Vortex warranty is top notch!

I'd stay away from the magnums, until you need one. A quality made rifle with great glass (scope) will serve you well. Based on your initial post, you wouldn't be wrong choosing .270 or 30-06, with a slight lean to the .270. (or split the diff and go with a .280Rem*)

For a price range, you're looking at $1,000-$1,300 for a decent/serviceable rifle and a pretty good scope. Any package for less will get you the same rifle and a scope of lesser quality.


*ammo may be harder to find than the other 2 calibers.

I love my Savage because I can tinker with it. I don't need to go to a smith to do a barrel swap. I went with the .270 basically because I hunt deer and pigs and don't need anymore then that. In my opinion you would be much better served buying a decent savage with or without scope (I ended up replacing my nikon with a redfield) and using teh rest of your budget to get into reloading. Simply being able to build custom ammo will do more for you then a higher end rifle shooting factory ammo. IE I got a ruger american .243 for my son which is a decent $400 rifle which 1" to 2" 5 round groups with different factory ammo. I decided to work a load up for him and he is now consistently shooting .750" groups @100yards. Many times we have had guy plop down there $1000 remi or whatever and get out shot by a 10 year old with a $400 rifle.

Since you're wanting to buy one rifle to use for everything from yotes to elk, I think the 30/06 is tough to beat...especially since you are going to reload. It has a very wide range of bullets you can purchase and load according to what you're wanting to hunt. Bullets from 110 grains up to 220 grains. In versatility it is pretty tough to beat for a one rifle owner (at least for a while, lol).