How would you rate the following bolt actions (as they're being produced today) for quality:

Browning X-bolt, Winchester Model 70, Remington 700, Ruger 77, Sako Tika T3, Cz 550.

Quality meaning: fit, finish, accuracy, good design features.

I'm still very inexperienced but have shot a new model 70 and tikka t3 and the tikka was very smooth out the box and accurate, it was actually my choice if I were to buy a new rifle in my price range.

Fit/Finish - X-Bolt
Accuracy - Tikka
Design Features - Ruger

CZ. old world craftsmanship

I've had/have a few of those you listed...

I don't know much about the sako but if I were buying one of the above rifles today I'd be inclined to spend my money on a cz527/550 or a ruger 77.

If 500$ were my budget though Id defiantly drop it on a tikka. Mine drove tacks and carried quite nicely

All my Brownings have been fitted and finished extremely well. Whether a person likes their finish or not, Browning does a very good job of what they do. They have all shot well, too, though I did have a tough time with fouling/cleaning in one from some years ago.

My CZ was gorgeous. Unfortunately, it was not fitted that well and I had to do a lot of messing around with it to get the magazine well metal to stop torquing the receiver when the assembly was secured in the stock. This interfered with accuracy significantly unless/until I got it to go together correctly and not mess itself up. That gun also had among the worst-feeling bolt operations I've ever encountered anywhere, at any time. I worked the snot out of it on many occasions, but it just stayed rough/jerky/catch-y.

My Rugers have all been super-easy to clean, very good to excellent shooters, and armored-tank-strong/durable. Working the bolt whilst watching a comedy show or something has smoothed them up well for me. They're not always fitted to their stocks as well as the Brownings I've had, and I DON'T like wing safeties, but they have worked well for me.

Sako/Tikka: I'm sure the Finns do a good job, or mean to do a good job, or whatever. I just have no interest in dealing with/through Beretta.

Do some searches on M77s and you'll find many people complaining about inaccuracy. This was my own experience with one recently purchased.

Haven't touched an X-bolt, but my two A-bolts had the most silky smooth bolt movement I've ever encountered.

Looked at CZs in the gun shop and the fit and finish weren't as good as some others.

Remington 700s are down in fit and finish, but the new trigger on the 700 I do own easily adjusted down to below 3 pounds, and is exceptionally crisp.

Haven't seen a new 70, but mine from the mid '90s was very nice. But I don't like the bolt wobble when it is open.

I'm a big fan of my Tikka. Accuracy wise it cant be beat, depends if you like a detachable magazine, want to feed directly into the magazine, or want a non plastic rifle. I've taken hogs, deer, and elk with mine. Have a few of the older Sako rifle's. Fit and finish on the Sako is excellent as is accuracy. No plastic there. I myself am in the market for a Winchester or Kimber.

Browning X-bolt #7
Winchester Model 70 #2
Remington 700 #1
Ruger 77 #5
Sako #3
Tika T3 #4
Cz 550. #6

Fondled a new production M77 and M70 side-by-side. The action on the M70 soooooo much smooooother it's not funny. My personal experience on the M77s is the actions just don't "slick up" after use. Haven't shot my new M70 .30-06 (South Carolina, not New Haven) yet, so I can't comment on accuracy.

For me, looks are really secondary or maybe even tertiary. Accuracy is where it begins and ends. Attached to accuracy are trigger (BIG part) and the floated barrel. The way it fits me at the shoulder is another big part of the whole package.

I have a Browning A-bolt that is extremely accurate and fits me well. Love it.

I have a Ruger #1 that is very accurate and fits me well. Love it.

I have a Tikka T3 that is very accurate and fits me well. Didn't think I could ever warm up to the tupperware. Love it.

I have a couple older Tikka (M65) that fit me and my wife well, and are very accurate. We love them.

I gave a M70 Winchester to my son-in-law, and it looks good, fits him well, is pretty accurate, and he loves it. I could get used to it as well.

I have never touched my rifles other than clean them and re-assemble them from NIB. Must be a lucky cuss, cause they all are extremely accurate - out of the box.

The questions I ask myself on a new rifle purchase are:

1. Does it fit me?
2. Does the trigger break like glass?
3. Can I slip a $5 bill down to the action in the barrel channel?
4. Can I afford it?
5. Do I nned it?

No, no, no. You must use a $100 for this test!!!

I have had 2 x-bolts in 7-08, the fit and finish on the brownings are second to none. They both shoot well within moa. If I was in the market for another new one today thats what it would be.. The only newer remington I have is a model 7, it is ok and shoots ok but the x-bolt is a nicer gun by far.
cant comment on the others as all I have dealt with is older ones.

How about Savage 110/10, Ruger American, Marlin X7, etc.?

If I were buying new today I'd look at Winchester 1st, or Kimber if I really wanted the lightest rifle. I might consider an older Remington, but nothing currently in production interests me. Not a comment on recent quality. I just don't like any of the current offerings.

The Tikka I owned was accurate, but no more so than my Kimber or Wincesters. It was however inexpensive and a lot of gun for the money.

I respect Ruger for building probably the toughest, no nonsense gun out there. Accuracy has been spotty on some, but most are plenty good enough. For just a little more money, I still prefer the Winchester which is a very similar design.

No experience with Browning or CZ centerfire rifles. The CZ 22 I own is a little crude, but shoots well.

Hard to believe anyone that is serious rifle looney would consider a newer Browning. I'd consider one made in Belgium.

I am kicking myself for the Remington 700 I bought in May of 2012. It is by far the worst Remington I own, so with the new rifles, I would rate them as follows.

Browning X-bolt #3 - Tie
Winchester Model 70 #2 -Tie
Remington 700 #6
Ruger 77 #4
Sako #1
Tika T3 #3-Tie
Cz 550. #5

I have a Browning X-Bolt, Remington 700, Ruger M77 and a CZ 550 American. I like each one of my rifles for different reasons and would have a hard time rating them for quality because, 1) fit and finish doesn't necessarily make a gun shoot more accurately or shoulder more comfortably. 2) A smooth action doesn't extract a spent case any better than a harsher feeling action. 3) While a lightweight rifle might be easier to carry, it may not be easier to shoot accurately. 4) In my case, my rifle with the lightest trigger doesn't necessarily produce the most accurate results at the range, and I'm more than comfortable in hunting with my rifle that has the worst trigger of the bunch. I like all my rifles and will keep them as long as they serve my needs; if not, they're gone.

Savage #1

I would consider a Savage Model 14 American Classic in 250 Savage
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If I could justify buying another rifle I don't really need. My 6.5 Swede fills that gap nicely. But ya never know . . . .

My latest new-rifle acquisition is a Win M-70 FN/South Carolina Featherweight in 257 Roberts.

I won't try to say where it ranks in the list of other rifles, but I will say that the fit, finish, and overall performance exceeded my expectations.

They are putting out nice rifles today and I would gladly buy another or recommend them to others.

I have bought 3-Savages in the past 6-mos and every one of them shoots under an inch with little effort. Not the prettiest gun, but who cares, they are a tool.

I have 2-Ruger's that are very accurate, so i guess i am lucky and would buy another in a heart beat.

Buy a Remington if you want a project.

I didn't mention the Savage bolt because, altho reportedly very accurate, the cheap wood stock and the awkward positioning of the bolt handle have always been turn offs to me. I'd certainly keep one if someone gave one to me, but I'd always buy something else.

Never heard of the Ruger American (off to do some googling). I've heard of the Marlin X7, but am not familiar with it. I've read some people complaining about a decline in quality of Marlin rifles, so that would put me off, without knowing more.

Huh? Why not? I know some older posters still harbor ill-will toward the Japanese, is that it?

As for quality, this isn't the '50s anymore! The Japanese have a (well deserved) reputation for high quality. They make higher quality products than Americans, unfortunately, because the demographics of the American workforce isn't the same as it was before 1954, also unfortunately.

I've owned, so far:

Remington 788
Ruger 77 Mk 1
Browning A bolt
Winchester Model 70 Classic Featherweight
Browning A bolt II
Ruger 77 Hawkeye
Remington 700 XCR II

The Browning A-bolt II was easily the most accurate of these with the Model 70 in second place.

Although a good-looking rifle that is inaccurate is useless to me, looks (and a smooth working bolt) are important to me and, I'll guess, a majority of buyers.

Maybe it was just luck, but my XCR II was accurate straight out of the box. My only complaint about it is that the recoil pad doesn't fit well to the stock, which seems common to all the 700s being produced today.

I just hate the newer Jap made Brownings and always have.

As afar as fit goes, they are all good enough unless you get a bad one which can happen with any of them.
Finish and accuracy are also plenty good enough in all of them. Most of them are availiable with different finishes to suit different tastes, and I have yet to see any of them can't shoot at least 1 1/2 MOA with some effort.
The big difference to me are design features and how those make for a good, reliable rifle. That means the CZ, Ruger and the Winchester M70's are in a class by themselves.
From there is gets down to the small but important details. I've found that open trigger designs, as long as they can be adjusted to a really nice break are highly desirable. If not the most important feature. That leaves out the current Winchester M70's unless they are fitted with the old style trigger.
I prefer the Winchester M70 safety in that it's much easier to use than the Ruger. Both of them lock the firing pin when on safe.
I don't know enough about the CZ's, but I do know that their 98 Mauser style action can be fitted with both an M70 style safety and trigger for the hard to please.
But, out of the box, it's Ruger. If Winchester ever mends their ways and goes back to their older style trigger, it would be No.1 in a factory rifle as far as I'm concerned. E

Interesting. I have been looking at a couple A-bolt II's in ought-six wood classic unfired. The action seemed perfect and fit and finish are good but a 22" barrel and a thin one at that? For some reason I find that odd, unfamiliar and irritating. Especially with all my & most manufactured ammo ballistics,my holdover scope, and other data at 24"-26". Probable wait times for accurate group testing seem likely. Strange to me and for some reason I keep wondering if I should I walk or run? My first post here and I am enjoying some good posts with great points. Look forward to learning from you marksmen and experienced riflemen...Happy New Year from the SA Texas area.

Really like my Browning x-bolt. 7-08 of course. The only thing I am not crazy about is the very modern looks. Other than that its about perfect. Fits me well. Always under MOA. I like the way the rings mount to reciever. 4 instead of 2 screws. Trigger? yea man nice! Mine has the Duratouch composite stock. The coating is pretty "grippy". When I bought the gun I questioned the durability of the coating on stock. It has held up very well.

Modern but Kool

If it isn't a 700 then is isn't any good...........at least in your feeble mind!!!

I just bought a Sako A7 stainless in 7mm-08 from a forum member.
The A7 is a close cousin of the Tikka Lite and shares the same barrel mfg.

For the past twenty years I have owned one variation or another of the Remington 700 Mt. Rifle. Just got back from the indoor range and I am very impressed with the A7. The trigger is excellent out of the box, I cant say that about any of the 700's I have come across.

I have been watching this thread with much interest. I recently had the same question, which is the best today?

I have shot a Tikka 300 WM - liked it but felt it was not up to what I wanted out of a rifle. It ended up being my second choice. It is a darn fine rifle for the cash.

The Ruger's disappointed me, period. And I like Ruger.

The Remington's impressed me but only the higher end ones. In shooting a Sendero and SPS accuracy was as to be expected. Still have to put them at number three.

For fit, finish, accuracy, trigger, and use - the Winchester Mod 70 SC did it for me.

Browning, CZ, and others did not make the test as just not interesting enough.

I have been a fan of Winchester's for a long time so it did not surprise me to find that's what I ended up with. What did surprise me was how much rifle you get for your buck. The same can be said for the Tikka.

Now you can spend more money for a hunting rifle and go Kimber or Sako but I was just looking for a gun that could take the abuse of hunting and the Oregon desert. Really the way the stock fit and the trigger are what sold me but the rest of the package is what sets it apart.

And in my feeble, uninformed, biased mind, that would be Mauser.

Lots of good rifles out there. Jap made Brownings just ain't one of them. I can see they appeal to young kids with monster trucks. Serious shooters and hunters should buy something serious.

And question 5 is irrelevant.

If I knew what 'nned' was, I'd agree with you...

My tastes run to Waffenfabrik Mauser, Oberndorf Mauser, 1950's era Brno 2, 5, 465, 21, 47, and early Sako, Browning,and LSA series Tikka...and at a pinch, '70s/'80s Remington 40XBR.

But you fellows should all chase the new shiny stuff because it is so much better made and fitted.

Eremicus - haven't ALL these designs shown themselves to be reliable? The 700s had that AD problem but with the new trigger that is fixed, so they're all good. I prefer the tang safety of the Brownings, myself but they're all okay.

Edjk - I am hunting the final days of the season not too far from you. Pipe Creek, to be exact. Lots of rifles come with 22" barrels, not just Brownings.

False on both counts.....

Postoak:

I know many rifles have 22 barrels, just have never had a caliber 30 Rifle with less than a 24". Just went and looked at some KDF Blaser's and a K15 - wow!

Good luck with your hunt. May the cool weather move a big boy you way!

Right...there is this bridge in Sydney that I can sell to you...!

Lots of good rifles out there. Jap made Brownings just ain't one of them. I can see they appeal to young kids with monster trucks. Serious shooters and hunters should buy something serious.

That's just a silly statement! I guess you have to drive a Chevrolet or Ford to be a serious hunter also? Both of my A-Bolt II's are the ONLY rifles I own that didn't need to be messed with. Both shoot sub-MOA with many hand loads including several factory loads. Barrels don't walk when hot and go BANG everytime.

What do you expect from a feeble mind!!!

[was] ..Getting hot in here ... were one to place a market value on a Browning A-Bolt II .30-06 Hunter 22" matte blue wood unfired nib what would it be? Curious what kind of response that elicits. I am guessing 0.00 - 525.00 and I drive a f150. hehe.

Are you familiar with gunbroker.com? Although it is an auction site, a lot of dealers use it too, so you can see what they want for them. Or you can pick up a good deal on a used one.

Well we do know the preferrred choice of the golf cart driving ass shooters.

TFF !!!

Do tell....what brand of cart do you drive and what size Browning sticker does it have on it?

Some 16 years old monster truck driver or their girlfriend might get their Daddy to buy it for them. I wouldn't own one if it were a gift.

You don't know???

Look in your driveway..........that's where it was parked last !!!

I'm guessing closer to the $0.00 figure but I may be wrong. If you had to pay someone to take it, however, you'd be looking at the -$0.00 figure...

This is about the funniest "online experience" I have ever...experienced...certainly with regard to hobbies that go bang. I do appreciate the effort put forth at the expense of others. Markedly Outstanding and overtly precise in its target wise nature. I do not have a horse in the race at this juncture and that makes it that much more amusing. Guess its not a party till someone gets hurt ... physically or otherwise.

I do not care for the X Bolt at all, but its not for any lack of quality issues. They are very, very nice guns, they just dont appeal to me. I am a huge 700 slut, but there really isnt anything in the current lineup that does anything for me, either. On that front, I will keep my early 70s vintage ADL, and my 308, which is OEM 700 in only the action. Savages just seem cheap to me, even though I know they shoot quite well.

If I had to buy a new boltgun, I would have to sit and think real hard, deciding between a Ruger Hawkeye/77, Vanguard, or CZ. If Howa would build something with some decent wood, or a quality synthetic, I would be all over it. Luckily, there are enough used, older bolt guns on the rack that I dont have that dilemma.

I have a CZ-550 Premium, and it's a damn fine rifle. Of course it's also a .270...

They're all crap!
Buy a Cooper and have it all, looks, fit, finish, accuracy, great trigger. Not cheap, but you will have a well done classic american style rifle that will serve well for a lifetime.

Don't own a cart or any stickers for that matter. I choose to drive a Tundra, don't have to work on it either. I'll take all the free Browning's you can round up. Funny thing, I never see them selling that cheap. I own half a dozen 700's, it's my favorite action. That being said, it's not the only show in town. Only a true azz hole would argue such a point.

Today's bolt actions are reliable if not alot is asked of them. But I've noticed that hunting sometimes does that. Ammo loaded on the hot side can too.
In the 50 yrs. I've been handloading, I've seen lots locked bolts from hot loads. I've never done one myself. But, when you blow a primer completely out of a case, that does it with your average bolt gun fitted with plunger ejectors and hook style extractors.
That I have done, twice. Both times I was able to open the bolt and eject the case. Thanks to the mauser 98 style extractor, and other design features.
I've had hot loads shave off brass and eventually plug a plunger style ejector. Not going to happen with a fixed blade ejector.
I've had crude get into Remington triggers, probably from the safety lever slot above the enclosed trigger. You'll either get a heavy, erratic trigger break or even an AD. Never happend with an M70 safety and an open trigger design. Had the bolt stop lock open as well. Weatherbys were famous for this problem at one time. Never happen with a 98 mauser of a Ruger.
Ever look at a mauser 98 firing pin ? Lots of travel. Goes bang when others don't either. In spite of their long lock time, they shoot just fine.
To each his own, of course. I like pretty wood and nice finishes too. I bought my 7-08 Custom Sako due to it's beautiful wood and it's fit and finish, not because I needed another rifle or needed a 7-08. But the rest of my serious rifles have high quality synthetic stocks, and most wear fixed magnification Leupold scopes.
What I really need is a very reliable rifle that will perform under tough conditions if I get faced with them. Which, sometimes, I do. E

Forget to wear safety glasses, and have a case blow, with the "reliable" 98 and you could loose an eye.

Not something I have experienced.

They don't sell much at all except to kids just old enough to hunt.

Keep fighting the good fight Swampman700.

Ranking my own interest:

Browning == No Interest
Winchester == Yes, but only if mfg by FN
Remington == Much more interested in used than new
Ruger == Yes!!!
Tikka == More than some
CZ == Ambivalent/Not too much

Oh ? The gas venting system on a 98 Mauser doesn't work ? I think you are confusing them with the pre-64 winchesters. Or maybe the Springfield actions. E

I don't think so. I was reading some of the comments in the "Bolt action and gas leaks" thread" and the 98 didn't sound very safe in the event of a case failure. Maybe I'm reading this stuff wrong...

"My one experience with a commercial Mauser 98 action was with a FN .270, which supposedly has several faults, including the "H-ring" in the front of the action and the lack of thumb slot in the left receiver wall. But I still only got peppered very lightly on the left side of my face, from my eyebrow to my cheek, so my guess is that the flanged bolt sleeve is the major protection from gas leakage."

You read it wrong.

Only experience I have had with a '98 in this regard was at the range two years ago. A guy was shooting his .300 win mag when a case ruptured. It blew with sufficient force to bow the bottom metal, but the action and barrel held. The shooter had gas blown into the left side of his face, as stated above, with sufficient force to punch what appeared to be several gas-cut holes in his face. He and his partner threw their gear in the truck and headed to the hospital.

Is the 98 the best then at protecting the shooter ?

The Weatherby Vanguard in 270 Winchester is the most accurate
rifle I own. Compared to 3 pre 64 model 70,s and 2 Ruger
M77,s and one 760 Remington pump.

Not on the OP's list.

Here you go, enjoy 4,000 frames per second at someone else's expense.

Best

I like your taste! If I had enough play money, my list/collection would be similar. As it is, I've settled on CZ as my primary choice if I buy new.

Even though the ones in bold are rimfire, they are excellent! Do you have a 1950's BRNO Model 5? I acquired a Model 5 from 1970, which is a transitional rifle (BRNO receiver/CZ barrel). Still nice, but not 1950's nice!



As for the OP's list, it's tough to put them in one list because the action types are different. I would rank them by catagory as such:

Modern Mauser:
1. Winchester M70
2. CZ550
3. Ruger M77

I honestly see #'s 1 & 2 being equals in quality, although teh Winchester is significantly more expensive. I don't think Ruger is bad at all, but just not quite as good as the others. I do see them as being smoother out of the box than CZ, but the reason for that is that it has much looser tolerances.

Other:
1. Sako
2. Tikka
3. Browning
4. Remington


Personally, I use a CZ550 American in .30-06 and have no real complaint other than it's hefty (because of which I supplemented it with a CZ527 in 7.62x32). However, it shoulders, handles and shoots very well, but the thing that really sets the CZ apart from the others is the trigger. Many non-owners complain about and berate it, but actual owners & users, praise it.

I've only played with the ones on the other list (except with the M700), so I don't have ownership knowledge of them. I will say that older M700's are pretty nice, but the current crop are finished as cheaply as possible and it shows. I wouldn't spend my money on one.

DW

What no Husqvarna?

If I could find one over here I would have one...they go for obscene amounts.

Wish they still made those 1900's. Smoothest factory action I've ever felt.

Where exactly is "over here"?

That's the large ring if I remember right. I like the 1640 action (small ring) more.

The one I was referring to is this one made in the early 70's. I think they were called the 8000/9000 in the USA. I have two of them.

Australia.

I was on a post here awhile back bagging on Winchester's QC. I have a stainless featherweight that had ongoing stock finish issues and was sent back three times. (long story) In their defense they "made it right" and it is now one sweet rifle. I took a chance once again and bought another "shot show special" yesterday, a supergrade in 264 wm. It is absolutely a work of art. The fit and finish is excellent and the actions on both S.C. rifles are smoother and slicker than any other model 70 I own. (slickness surpassed only slightly by tikka IMHO) I'm sold! I'm still bummed about the portugal thing though.

OK, makes sense now. Usually Husqvarna's are underpriced here in North America for what they are. $500 will buy you a really nice one.