First Real Gun
11-20-2016, 06:40 PM
#1
First Real Gun
A little backstory here, I used to have a .243 rifle my dad bought for me, but in recent years my family fell on hard times and had to sell most of their posessions, and with that I lost my rifle and my fathers rifles. I am currently in the navy over in Japan. I get out for good in 6 months, just in time for deer season.
I am currently looking for a trustworthy and dependable deer rifle. Currently I'm looking at a Savage Arms 11/111 in either .270 or 30-06.
I am not looking to spend over a thousand dollars since money might be an issue in the future. Looking for advice and tips, thank you.
-Nomad
I am currently looking for a trustworthy and dependable deer rifle. Currently I'm looking at a Savage Arms 11/111 in either .270 or 30-06.
I am not looking to spend over a thousand dollars since money might be an issue in the future. Looking for advice and tips, thank you.
-Nomad
11-20-2016, 07:29 PM
#2
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,519
You can't go wrong with that Savage or the cartridge choice. Either one is perfect for deer. I have a savage .270 that my fiancé will shoot this season. I typically use a Remington 700 .30-06 as my "go to" gun.
-Jake
-Jake
Al
11-21-2016, 06:54 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Wisconsn
Posts: 406
You really can't go wrong with what you picked. I'd maybe lean towards the 30.06 if elk/moose sized game were a very common part of your hunting life. Savage are known for being economical, tough, and most importantly, accurate. Buy it and start enjoying having a great rifle.
11-21-2016, 07:03 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,902
A guy doesn't have to spend a lot of money on a rifle just to kill a deer. If you're picky about precision, a little more money will get you a long ways.
The advantage in starting with a Savage 11/111 Trophy Hunter as a "budget friendly" rifle is the trigger. The barrel will be as accurate as most anything out there (and more accurate than most), the polymer stock will be as bad as anything out there, and the trigger will be better than almost anything else on the market. The trigger is really the deciding factor for me. Mossberg and Ruger have licensed the trigger design (as well as the barrel nut design), if you're interested in the Ruger American or Mossberg rifles. I'd favor the Savage.
I bought a Savage 11 Trophy Hunter in .22-250 for my dad a few years ago. Got $450 into the rifle, put a $100 Boyd's laminate stock on it, sold the package scope which came with the rifle for $50 and bought a $250 Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40mm, and Talley integrated mounts & bases for $35 on sale. I did the blocking & bedding work myself. Got all in for right around $800.
Similarly, I put together a Rem 700 .243win for my mom's boyfriend 2yrs ago - Rem ADL black friday deal at Walmart for $377 - $410 after tax. Boyd's stock, Leupold rings & bases, Nikon Buckmaster close out scope, self tuned trigger. All in for $760. (Thread for this one is in the Gunsmithing Projects Sub-Forum HERE
Either of these projects could have been done cheaper by keeping the factory tupperware stocks and simply stiffening the forend and bedding the action with epoxy. A length of All-thread bolt or aluminum angle, a router, and a Saturday afternoon and you'll have a solid stock for about $25.
The Savage won't need a trigger job, only an adjustment at most.
For cartridge, it's hard to say anything bad about the .30-06, other than it's incredibly boring. Effectively, it's exactly enough cartridge to kill anything in North America, with exactly as much recoil as most folks can tolerate in a proper sporter weight rifle without complaints and without padding or brakes, and ammunition is widely available for relatively low cost. It does exactly what's expected and needed of it. Anything else, largely, has some kind of "trade off" - as in the 7mm Rem mag is flatter shooting and more powerful, but also comes with more recoil and higher ammo cost, and lower barrel life. The 7-08rem has less recoil, but is less powerful for hunting larger game... But... the gold standard .30-06 is largely boring for many shooters. There's pleasure to be had in a simple ham and eggs breakfast, but it gets boring eating it every day. I'll never be without a .30-06, simply for the fact it will always do exactly what I need it to do, but in owning a lot of other rifles, it's not usually the first rifle I grab each season.
Looks like the Savage 111's are running about $525-550 these days, add $35 to that for bedding compound and a length of all thread to stiffen the forend, ditch the junky package scope and upgrade to a $250-350 Bushnell, Leupold, Nikon, or Vortex and you'll be in fine style.
The advantage in starting with a Savage 11/111 Trophy Hunter as a "budget friendly" rifle is the trigger. The barrel will be as accurate as most anything out there (and more accurate than most), the polymer stock will be as bad as anything out there, and the trigger will be better than almost anything else on the market. The trigger is really the deciding factor for me. Mossberg and Ruger have licensed the trigger design (as well as the barrel nut design), if you're interested in the Ruger American or Mossberg rifles. I'd favor the Savage.
I bought a Savage 11 Trophy Hunter in .22-250 for my dad a few years ago. Got $450 into the rifle, put a $100 Boyd's laminate stock on it, sold the package scope which came with the rifle for $50 and bought a $250 Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40mm, and Talley integrated mounts & bases for $35 on sale. I did the blocking & bedding work myself. Got all in for right around $800.
Similarly, I put together a Rem 700 .243win for my mom's boyfriend 2yrs ago - Rem ADL black friday deal at Walmart for $377 - $410 after tax. Boyd's stock, Leupold rings & bases, Nikon Buckmaster close out scope, self tuned trigger. All in for $760. (Thread for this one is in the Gunsmithing Projects Sub-Forum HERE
Either of these projects could have been done cheaper by keeping the factory tupperware stocks and simply stiffening the forend and bedding the action with epoxy. A length of All-thread bolt or aluminum angle, a router, and a Saturday afternoon and you'll have a solid stock for about $25.
The Savage won't need a trigger job, only an adjustment at most.
For cartridge, it's hard to say anything bad about the .30-06, other than it's incredibly boring. Effectively, it's exactly enough cartridge to kill anything in North America, with exactly as much recoil as most folks can tolerate in a proper sporter weight rifle without complaints and without padding or brakes, and ammunition is widely available for relatively low cost. It does exactly what's expected and needed of it. Anything else, largely, has some kind of "trade off" - as in the 7mm Rem mag is flatter shooting and more powerful, but also comes with more recoil and higher ammo cost, and lower barrel life. The 7-08rem has less recoil, but is less powerful for hunting larger game... But... the gold standard .30-06 is largely boring for many shooters. There's pleasure to be had in a simple ham and eggs breakfast, but it gets boring eating it every day. I'll never be without a .30-06, simply for the fact it will always do exactly what I need it to do, but in owning a lot of other rifles, it's not usually the first rifle I grab each season.
Looks like the Savage 111's are running about $525-550 these days, add $35 to that for bedding compound and a length of all thread to stiffen the forend, ditch the junky package scope and upgrade to a $250-350 Bushnell, Leupold, Nikon, or Vortex and you'll be in fine style.
Last edited by Nomercy448; 11-21-2016 at 07:22 AM.
11-21-2016, 10:09 AM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Wisconsn
Posts: 406
I wouldn't ever call a caliber that does what it is expected "boring". I'd call that very exciting and an absolute reason to use that caliber over something "exciting" that may or may not function as needed.
Go get that 30.06 HPNomad. Oh and the stock, especially if you have the 11/111 with Accustock, will be as good at doing what it is supposed to as almost anything else. As pretty? As comfortable? Maybe not in the eyes of the beholder, but it will work extremely well and a gun to be very proud and pleased with. Get a good quality scope and rings to fit your hunting needs and you will be in business. Years down the road if you want to spend more money to maybe/maybe not improve the actual performance of the rifle, you can.
Go get that 30.06 HPNomad. Oh and the stock, especially if you have the 11/111 with Accustock, will be as good at doing what it is supposed to as almost anything else. As pretty? As comfortable? Maybe not in the eyes of the beholder, but it will work extremely well and a gun to be very proud and pleased with. Get a good quality scope and rings to fit your hunting needs and you will be in business. Years down the road if you want to spend more money to maybe/maybe not improve the actual performance of the rifle, you can.
11-21-2016, 11:05 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
After around 55 years of the "boring" old .30-06 and the thousands of game animals I have taken with various rifles chambered in it (hogs put me in the thousands category so relax) I have to say I kinda favor "boring" myself! Granted nowadays I usually pick up one of my 7mm-08's for my out of state deer hunting (Illinois is SG/ML only) or my 6.8 SPC,.458 SOCOM, or .338Fed for hogs nowadays but when I trip up to Alaska for Moose, 95% of the time 1 or 2 of my .30-06's are in a case and the other 5% either one of my old .30-30's or a muzzleloader.
As far as your brand choice, Like NoMercy stated, it's pretty hard to go wrong with them. Excellent trigger, and if you go with the 11/111 FCNS model, that accustock is pretty much what NoMercy was saying to do with the cheap tupperware stock on the 11/111 Trophy Hunter XP.
As far as your brand choice, Like NoMercy stated, it's pretty hard to go wrong with them. Excellent trigger, and if you go with the 11/111 FCNS model, that accustock is pretty much what NoMercy was saying to do with the cheap tupperware stock on the 11/111 Trophy Hunter XP.
11-21-2016, 01:28 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
Yeah those stocks on the Trophy hunter XP are pretty flimsy to say it nicely. To say it accurately they are junk. But those accustocks are pretty solid. I've read several reviews on them as well as shouldered a few at the range myself. They feel solid and I felt no need to do anything with them as far as bedding and such. I handled a couple of the Trophy hunter models and was far from impressed. I imagine they would be "okay" probably as Savage usually doesn't let total crap out of their factory but they weren't my "cup O tea" in the least.
