Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 1000 -1500 dollar rifle

For $1500 I personally would be looking for a donor and rebarrel candidate. To that end either a Kimber or a Rem700. The Kimber comes with a great trigger and great stock. The M700 has those items easily available.

You might as well shoot the donor, especially the Kimber, since it already has the other stuff.... you mention Kimber QC issues but I haven't seen that. Very well made rifles. If it has a bad barrel, rebarrel it and still be on budget. Chances are good it won't. You don't need bughole accuracy anyway for the ranges you propose shooting.

Big Stick, little buddy, c'mon. What did I say that was wrong? I'm trying to let the OP know that you didn't have anything against him personally. I don't want you to scare him away after all.

You did well this time though. Even though you gave the same recommendation as you always do, tactless as it was, it was correct this time. Heck, a guy could come here asking about CQB options where a 14 inch barrel and CCO were more appropriate and you would go on and on with some diatribe about "ping pong balls" and twist rates and COAL and erector travel and shooting at the 2000 yard line, blah, blah, blah and all the guy wants is a rifle and appropriate optics to clear rooms in a building or to shoot deer in the woods at less than 200 yards. Then you would go on to tell him how wrong he is, how stupid he is and how he has female genitals and does nothing but sit on the couch and eat cheetos and watch Oprah, all of this without ever meeting him. Usually, you will have been no help at all while demeaning the unsuspecting victims who only sought multiple opinions and help. All of this while you would be the only one in the thread who posted what he did not need or seek. Go get'm tiger.

Two thumbs up this time little buddy (minus your personal attack and defamation of the unsuspecting new guy).

Does the AI come in 40...and 30?

Appreciate the replies. I have been lurking here for years so being insulted by big stick feels like an honor. When I started this thread it was more
For the fun of the discussion than expecting an answer. Though this may change tomorrow right now it is between the tikka and the montana. I'm slightly leaning towards the Montana. Though I left this out in orginal post it will definitely be synthetic and preferably stainless. Also looking at Howa Alpine and vanguard backcountry. Not sure
About cerakote. No rush on my end but will update everyone when I do actually make a purchase. My wife
Makes fun of me as every year I talk about
A new rifle but then spend money elsewhere. Appreciate your time.

If anything, this does not complicate, but rather simplifies the choices. The demands are not really great.

About any commonly available bolt action with a 22" barrel and decent handling characteristics will manage New England deer hunting from stands, ground blinds, or on foot. "Fast handling" is more a function of practice than anything else.

Most any factory sporter weighing 6.5-8 pounds is capable of managing 300-400 yard shots ...just a function of enough practice.


Here's a buck killed in a New England clear cut at about 200 yards from an elevated stand with a Parker Hale Mauser 270 and 140 gr BT. That rifle has killed a bunch of others as well. It's owner is an accomplished match shooter....Hint.

I would look at the Weatherby Wilderness model, same as the Backcountry without the Cerakote and will save you some $$$. You can get into one for around $775.00. Since you like Weatherby's.

That's a pig there Bob

I've had good experiences with my Tikka's, but IMO the Montana is way more rifle. I'd pick one up in 7-08 if I could find one, and even in the off-chance the barrel was no good, you could be into a mighty fine stock, trigger, action, and a match-grade barrel, and come in at or under budget.

Easy choice to me. If you were constrained by half the budget, then I could see living with a cheap plastic stock and going T3. But even then I'd probably just grab a Rem 700 and upgrade stock and trigger as funds allow.

Not that my opinion matters very much and it isn't what was asked, but personally, looking back a lot of years, and going thru the gun buying scenarios as the OP is, I wish I would have spent more money on the hunts than guns.

I personally did what the OP asked and invested in a Weatherby, had it rebarreled with a premium barrel,set it in McMillian stock and put a Leupold VarX III 3-9 on it. Shot like a dream. However,it didn't kill anymore elk than the guns I had and I suspect the OP will find out a new rifle won't kill anymore deer either, but it's a fun road to go down if you have the $$$$$.

I now use one rifle for deer and elk and one for antelope, except for my ML tags.Works out fine

True enough, but he could get a T3 in 7-08, put a 3-9 Conquest/Cabelas instinct/Doug's CL Meopta 3.5-10 and be under $1500 easily. Nothing mentioned will outshoot one anyway plastic and all. No offense to the Kimber guys but it would be near the bottom of my list.

Of all the rifles I've owned in the sub 1500 category, I'd have to say that Sako is the nicest of the bunch. The Finnlite is a good option.

I know there is a lot of Tikka love here, but they don't seem to fit the bill as a "nice rifle" indulgence.

The Montana and Finnlight are good factory options. If you look hard enough, a pre-loved Cooper might be a nice option.

If you want to look down the semi-custom road, consider posting an ad in the classifieds. You don't seem to have a specific layout in mind yet, so something might catch your eye at a price that you couldn't duplicate in a fresh build.

saddlesore,

Ain't hindsight wonderful? Or depressing, depending on the moment.

Sako or Tikka.

Yep.I sure wasted a lot of money over the years that could have been spent on some darn good guided hunts where others packed the camps in,wrangled stock,gutted and quarted the game ,then packed it out.

So Stumpy:




Is RUST one of your accuracy secrets?

Rusty metal and crap paint jobs with your teenage daughter's funky colored nail polish, seem to be a common thread in ALL of your firearms...

oh and the 'studly' pirate bumper stickers etc...

I gather these are all Accuracy Improvement and Velocity Enhancing secrets of yours...

No wonder all your Groupies think you are so AWESUM!!!!!

Who would have thought those would help accuracy out???

You're just a friggin Genius there Stumpy....

do you recommend cold creek water, or to soak the rifle in warm salt water, to speed up the rusting process?

I'm sure your Groupies can wait for your words of wisdom dripping with Authentic Alaskan Trailer Park Gibberish...

Cheers Stumpy, and I hope the hangover is easy on you tomorrow morning...and hows that blood pressure treating ya?

Les: Yes it is. 228 dressed.

I run a Kimber Adirondack chambered in .308 and love it. I live in the upper area of New England and it's been fast, accurate, and extremely light.

Jeff-O,

Someone who "does" and "knows" as "much" as you...will ALWAYS be better off asking questions,than giving "answers". Congratulations?!?

The only things you shoot are your mouth and Imagination.

Bless your heart.

Laughing!..............















TheBitchingSniveler,

Fell free to bolt all of your Imagination and Pretend together,to conjure the Delusion that I've ever been "mistaken". Congratulations?!?

You suck a mean ass,undoubtedly due to all them years of practice...you "lucky" kchunt.

Bless your heart.

Laughing!.......................















BR,

40-degree or bust.....................















'carr,

Dumbfhuqkery ain't an "honor",it's a fhuqking plight. Congratulations?!?

I getta kick outta you Do NOTHING Dumbfhuqks and all of your Imagination and Pretend. As per your always,when it's all said and done...there will have been a fhuqk of a lot more said,than done.

Bless your heart.

Laughing!.................















NH,

The OP couldn't knock the "new" offa used pair of boots and certainly wouldn't(couldn't) crowd within 25% of an OEM Montucky 308's potential.

'Course I'm being wellllllllllllll beyond gracious and optimistic...............(grin)















'ROY,

The fewer the bolt lugs on a Weatherby,the better the mousetrap. That being said and the VG/Howa easily being their best efforts...they are a pile of fhuqking schit,compared to a Montucky.

Hint...................















Jordan,

Tikka is a fhuqking joke,compared to a Montucky...............















'sore,

You've never not been a Turd Polishing Clueless Fhuqk and there's no "risk" of them facts changing. Congratulations?!?

"All" that you've "learned" in your "Life"...wouldn't wet the bottom of a thimble.

Bless your heart.

Laughing!.....................















Shefire,

I'll feign my GREAT "surprise",that you've more pictures of me and my wares in "your" album,than you do your HILARIOUS "results". Congratulations?!?

You'd need a co-signer for the Jolly Rogers alone and only McMillan rates one. Hint.

Bless your heart.

Laughing!....................















DV',

I hear good thangs...................(grin)

Holy cow Bob! Did you just post a picture of yourself and an animal? Honestly, I think that's the first one I've seen! Or maybe it's some other accomplished shooter??😳

BTW, nice chain hoist! Lol!