cpsniper05

I am currently going to buy a deer rifle. Maiximum price range is $700. I really like the look of the Tikka T3 and they sounds nice but havent held one and dont know much about it. Is this a good rifle or do you reccomend something better. Could you also reccomend a caliber. Thanks

TimberCreek

I have the Tikka T3 Lite Stainless in 300 win mag and love it. Excellentaccuracy. I did not like the rings that come with it and you probebly won't either. I bought the Leupold bases (54447) and rings, they are very good. The Tikka is an excellent rifle andoutperforms my winchester Model 70.Asyou know the tikkais made by Sako and if you have the money around $1200.00the Sako Finnlight has a much better feeling stock than the tikka but I could not justify spending twice the money as the tikka. http://www.berettausa.com/product/product_rifles_main.htm

retrieverman

Is the $700 supposed to cover rifle and scope or just rifle? Also, is the gun going to be a deer gun only or will you be hunting elkand larger game as well? My brother just bought a stainless/synthetic Ruger M77 in 270 this year. I am not sure exactly what the price was but definitely under $700. He has a great big brother who gave him a scope so that kept his price down. I don't know anything about the Tikka guns, but you can go wrong with a Ruger, Browning, Winchester, or Remington bolt guns. For the money you are talking, you can get a pretty nice rifle. If the $700 is scope included, Savage offers some package guns that are not bad. For deer only, I would look at 308, 270, 30 06, 25 06, 25 WSM, 270 WSM, or 7mm08. These are all excellent deer cartridges and any of themshould serve you well on deer size game. Good luck with your decision.

timbercruiser

$700 isn't a very big budget if you are trying to include a scope on a nicer rifle. I would spend at least as much on a scope as the rifle. It depends on how much you are wanting to invest on the rifle. I bought a cheap .243 H&R breech load for about $200 for my grandsons to use just to make sure they are going to enjoy hunting. Thus far two shots and two dead deer.

Lil Bald Man

CZ makes a very nice rifle for around $600 and it has a set trigger which is very very nice..........

DoctorDeath

Remmington model 7 is HARD to beat for the money ...

DD

coolbrze0

I'm partial to the Rem. 700s

stevoja

Remember it's not the gun it's the gunner. I bought a traditions old school carbine muzzel loader for $119 and bushnell 4x scope for $20 15 years ago(both new). I have filled my tag as well as others party hunting every year. So why would I spend $100's on a new inline. Likewise I bought a savage 7mm for under $500 many years ago and have only upgraded the scope 3x9x40 from a 3x9x32. No probs with those 2-3 hundred yard shots. Get as good a scope as the gun with the money you have and save some money for a few boxes of rounds for the range. The tikka does look good in the case but it will be up to the musician to make it sing. As for the cal. I wouldn't go below a .243 for deer hunting. Cal. depends on the hunting conditions you will most likely face. Where I hunt there are long forestry cuts and field lines so the 7mm mag has performed for me well (reach out and touch them at 300 yards). In the heavy bush I will use a 30-30 or one of my old .303's. Before you decide on cal. it is important to know the hunting conditions you will be facing most (esp. if you are restricted to only one gun). Best of luck

fillae

I have a Browning A-Bolt in 7mm mag with Leupold 3-9x40 var xII scope and I paid right at $650. I certainly think $700 is a plenty good budget to get a nice setup. As to the caliber, you need to decide what the use of the gun is. If it's deer only, then retrieverman listed some excellent choices. If you want to go after bigger game (elk), then you will want at least the 270 and up, although most elk hunters do not think the 270 is enough.

Chuck7

If you are only hunting within 100 yds I would reccomend Walmart's 30-30 Marlin rifle. With a 9x scope from Walmart as well and see through rings we are talking 400.00 I shot a buck last year at about 70 yds. Fell dead immediately.

Just my 2 cents.
Chuck

PS Groups at 50 yds are within a quarter using the scope. Sorry our local range only goes to 50 yds.
Ammo 9.96 a box