Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Which budget rifle is King?

Do you think, out of the box, across the board, new 700's will consistently work side by side with new Howa/Vanguard 2's fresh out of the box? All prior to adjusting, tinkering, fixing, etc.

Not questioning, just asking...

DF

Hard to say. You are talking of 2 rifles I am very fond of and have had very little trouble with over a very long period of time.

Every rifle seems to need a trigger adjustment out of the box.

Any time you buy a new gun, especially if you don't see it in person first, it's a crapshoot. But not only with 700s, with everything.

I had 2 CZ 527s. Both NIB. Both 223s. The quality differences/issues right out the box was flipping amazing. I even posted about it on another site.

You never can tell.

Compared to many other brands/models, the 700 and 1500 are both relatively easy to fix/tweak if needed........

Exactly what this is. Howa Youth .243, Mickey Sako Classic. 2-7X33 VX-2, and I did add a Timney trigger. It's pretty darn accurate, fairly compact, and reliable.

Nice.

I like it.

DF

I've have a Howa and a Marlin X7. Yes the Howa is better finish, build. Both shoot real well. Honestly, seeing the X7 online for around $260, and in town for about $300, I'm having a hard time resisting another gun...especially when I have a scope "patiently" waiting in my shop.

Kinda takes it out of the "budget rifle" realm, doesn't it?

I didn't buy it with "budget" in mind.

I wanted a short, light .243, hated the stock (overmolded) and trigger, and wasn't going to put a cheap scope on it.

Shoots good, too.

My last four Vanguard 2s were all good shooters out of the box, with the 6.5 Creedmoors being sub-MOA with three different Hornady factory loads. The 223 and 243 were sub-MOA with rifle-specific handloads and not much more than MOA with a variety of factory loads. Good, but not as good as the 6.5 Creedmoors.

Also, I like the synthetic factory stocks on the Vanguards better than Remington's factory plastic. I have swapped stocks on two of the Vanguards, one to a McM Hunter and one to a Boyds Prairie hunter. I am thinking about taking the Boyds off and going back to the OEM, as the Prairie Hunter is just a little too heavy for my tired old a$$ to carry afield.

Kimber Montana

May not be exactly the budget the OP had in mind...

DF

Add a Mickey and a Timney and SS and your in similar waters

But they don't shoot worth #%^#.....

W

Remington 700 SPS. Cabelas sells them for under $400

I've bought and run 25-30 Remingtons in my life, for about 10 years it's all I owned.... but I won't buy another new one unless it's a donor. I only have one left in the stable now... because it's a 'custom' rifle that has surely earned its place in the rotation (even though it has already been outshot by the CTR in same caliber).

If I had but $600 to spend on the rifle, sans glass/mounting.... there's no way it would be anything but a Tikka.

If I had but $400 to spend.... I'd save my money.... there isn't anything on the market for sub-$400 that I'd expect anything from, especially if I wanted to hunt it hard...

For the price of a $600 Tikka, I just bought a 700 ADL in 243, and glass bedded it into a B&C Medalist.

What I have now is a USA made rifle with a true short action, a fiberglass stock, a steel bolt shroud, a glass bedded action, and a 2.5 lb. trigger, that already shoots 1.25" groups at 200 yds. That is with the 1 and only load tried thus far, so better accuracy is undoubtedly yet to come.

Why anyone would take a foreign made 243 on a long action, tupperware stock, full of plastic parts over said rifle for same price is beyond my realm of thinking. Truly.

I wouldn't classify Tikkas as budget rifles. They may be have budget rifle parts/design, but they certainly don't have a budget rifle price.......

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind (nor in yours, obviously) that you might be the most amazing and knowledgeable rifle expert the internet has ever seen. You regularly exhibit it here. Everyone should follow your trail to Nirvana (rifle speaking).

Awww, shucks. You didn't have to say that.............

The real funny part is that you seem to believe it. I don't.

The last time I looked, small dealer wholesale for a 700 SPS was around $520 for CM and $595 for SS. The high volume retailers can sell the same rifle for less than I can buy it and pay for it to be shipped to me.

If I found stainless 700s for less than $400, I'd probably buy several of them either to restock as shooters or just for the donor actions.

Bud's regular, not sale, prices of $541 for CM and $647 for SS are about as close to small dealer wholesale as you're likely to find without having an FFL.

If you're not going to tinker or accessorize a budget rifle, the Ruger ARA for under $350 retail looks like it would be hard to beat. Maybe it wouldn't be the rifle that you'd buy if you depended on wild game for your meat, but for the majority of casual or beginning hunters who want a new rifle or the shooter who wants an inexpensive quick twist 223 or any 6.5 Creedmoor, where would you go to buy for less or equal $$?

I believe the last sentence of your signature line. And you must also.

Anything constructive to say? Or just out for a whine?

Let me know how you would better spend $600 on a rifle, please. I'm all ears.......

Agreed on the RAR. It is priced at what the Tikka should be priced. But then all the Tikka fans wouldn't get to overpay for less, and throw money out on import fees. It would probably drive them crazy......