Congrats to you!!!! On graduating and picking a great caliber and having good parents. I like the Savage but liked mentioned try to go to Cabella or Bass pro somewhere where you can get the feel of a few different ones. I like the Tiika also it seems to shoulder very well for me. I would try and spend as much money as I could on a good scope. Camera Land has some good deals on scopes. They had a 3x9x40 Minox for 299.00 Hard to beat the Zeiss Conquest for 399.00. You won't regret it. For ammo I reload but for the next best thing in a factory shell is Hornady Custom loads in a 130 gr. Sp. Cabellas has them right now for 19.95. Buy a couple boxes to see if they group good. If they do buy a bunch that is a great great deal. Sight in 1 1/2" high at 100 yrs and you'll be right there at 200 and just aim high on the deer if hes out at 300yds. Good luck. But really like as mentioned here "Don't get a packaged scope" You will be taking it off next yr and it might cost you a big buck. Spend at least 200 bucks on a scope. And don't go with see thru mounts. Shoot straight and let us know what you got and any more questions you have will be answered here by someone.

I bought my son a Savage 270 combo about 10-15 years ago. It has taken quite a few deer and hogs even with the package scope. If you can afford to upgrade the scope, fine, if not, fine.

Today's savage is a great buy. I agree with many others on not buying the rifle / scope combo. Buy the best glass you can buy even if it means a lesser rifle. You'll be glad you did the first and last 5 minuts of shooting light.

On my hunting rifles, I spend the same amount on the scope as I do the rifle.

my aunt and her sons swear by savages and thats what I hunted with before, and my uncle has the remington 700 so i've felt that....however it was in 300 ultra mag. and I will be hunting with the longest shot of 150 yards in heavy woods.

I like Remington Model 700's myself. However, a few friends of mine have had really good luck with Savage Rifle's. I agree that you will be better off buying the rifle then buying a scope separately. As others have said, the scopes that come in rifle/scope package deals are usually pretty cheap.

Good luck, NYH!

Picked up a Marlin XL7 acouple of years ago at BPS at their hunting sale. Great gun for the money. They had it on special for less than $300 .

I bought my daughter a Howa last year and she took her first deer with it. It's a nice shooting gun.

Just about any modern bolt action is going to group well enough at 100 yards, and even 200 yards, to make a great deer gun.

I personally have a savage 30-06 and 22LR, both with the accutrigger, and really like them. They are not too heavy, easy to keep clean and the trigger is excellent. For hunting out to 200 yards, the 30-06 will kill them as dead as a rifle 10 times its price.

UPDATE: a brand spankin' new Savage Axis is now in my possession with a Bushnell 3-9x40 scope, all for under 300!!!!

I have looked at the Howa and it looks like a nice rifle topped with Japanese made scope. I have been told by a couple of sources that Weatherby uses Howa recievers.
I was shopping for a 308 right before Obama took office and it was hard to a rifle, around here, for under a grand. I ended up with a Savage 11 from Dicks Sporting goods and upgraded the scope later. I have no idea who makes scopes for Dick's... Its not bad but my 30-30 is still my deer rifle, The Savage is a general purpose rifle for now.