Okay, I need some advice on a rifle purchase. It's not for me, but instead for a very good friend. This is important for me to do right, so I'm looking for advice.

About him: He's a very large guy, 6' and almost 400 lbs. He loves shooting. He's got one rifle now, a Mossberg .300 Win Magnum, which he thinks is all right, but is less than ideal for hunting most species in Washington. He doesn't mind the recoil from the .300 but thinks my .308 is much better suited for hunting here.

He doesn't make much money because he chooses to stay in a dead-end job that has good benefits and flexibility. He does this so he has the time to devote to his nephew, who desperately needs the attention and care my friend spends on him.

As a result, he doesn't have much free time or money. He's never had a chance to go hunting, but we were planning on going next year.

Now he's losing his sight. They don't know what is causing it, if they can stop it, how bad it will get, or how fast.

So-we're going this year. So I'm scrambling to find a good guide in Washington, get vacation set up, find everything we need-and get him that .308.

I'm trying to find a rifle that will be suitable for the climate here in WA, while still being accurate and maybe even beautiful. I would love to get something like a CZ 550 Luxe (CZ stocks are beautiful pieces of wood, and tack drivers) but I don't know if a wood stock is reasonable in this climate.

He's shot, and liked, my Tikka T3 and a Ruger Scout rifle, but neither of these is what I would call beautiful. Is that a consideration that I need to let go of? What would the people here recommend? I'm planning on up to $1200 for the rifle. Less spent there would let me use the money elsewhere, but I'm not going to skimp on this.

So...ideas? Remington, Savage, Browning, Sako, Ruger? Wood, laminate, or synthetic?

My first-cut list:
Remington 700 SPS Stainless
Browning X-Bolt Stainless Stalker
CZ 550 Satin Luxe
Ruger M77 Hawkeye All-Weather
Ruger Scout Rifle
Tikka T3 lite or Hunter
Sako A7 Roughtech Pro

So...thoughts? Thanks for the help.

My synthetic stock, blued Remington ADL700 in 308Win is my usual hunting rifle - light, accurate, reliable...to the point where it is boring . If I take it out hunting, I'm gonna bag something.

Throw in a Kimber Montana .308 into the mix

Although a Tikka with a Leupold VX2 3-9x40 would make a nice package for under a grand that's pretty much guaranteed to shoot well with minimum fuss.


Good luck to him and a great gesture on your part

If you could find a tikka in ss with the laminate stock it would be perfect. I think laminate is a good compromise between wood and plastic for character and weather resistance.

I agree with hwgtyd - get a Tikka. I have owned three, including a T-3 Lite in 7mm-08. All three shot like crazy and have slick-operating bolts. Mount a scope, adjust the trigger and you are ready to hunt. The T-3 Lite was the newest and cheapest of the three, and it still shot about any load - including factory - into an inch at 100 yards, for five shots. I sold two of them, and regret it.

I got nothing for the rifle suggestions as they are so personal. As to where to go here in Wa if the guide doesn't pan out let me know. Lots of very successful Wa hunters on here who I'm sure would point you to some good ground or show you around.

Sako

Tikka T3 Hunter

Weatherby Vanguard Sporter

T/C Venture Weathershield.

"He's shot, and liked, my Tikka T3 and a Ruger Scout rifle, but neither of these is what I would call beautiful. Is that a consideration that I need to let go of?"

I think you have answered your own question.

What you are doing is a great gesture but remember that you are purchasing it for your friend, not yourself, and since you have already stated that he liked your Tikka T3 and Ruger Scout get him one of those two. IMO I would go with the Tikka T3 just because I have never seen one that did not perform above expectations.

drover

I like Rugers but you need to check the trigger pull. My son's is a bit heavy but is crisp so it's good to go.

Sticking to your list I would go with the Browning X-bolt or the Sako A7. Looks on a rifle are a very personal thing, but I really like the look and feel of the x-bolt. Some Talley rings and especially one of the scopes from Doug's Cameraland list today (look in the classifieds) will get you an AWESOME setup easily under your max budget.

A Ruger American in .308 with a decent scope will be around $600 which would leave more money for your hunting trip. Pretty it ain't, but it will get the job done.

I have a NIB Tikka T3 Lite in .308Win.. The first one is excellent so I can part with this one. PM if interested for a fair price.

Why does he like your T3? Would you enjoy saying "I got you one just like mine".

From your list, for a fixed magazine I would get the M700 SPS and have a Timney trigger assembly installed.

For a detachable clip magazine I would buy a Tikka Hunter with the wood stock and blue steel and have a Limbsaver recoil pad installed.

Roamer,
First off it's a really nice thing you are doing for your buddy. The way you describe how little time your buddy has to hunt it sounds like maybe a once a year hunt is all the rifle will be used so I don't think you need to limit your choice to stainless/synthetic. Take a look on Browning's website, they have a lot of options on their X-Bolt and they are a sharp looking rifle. But the thought of your gift will be far more valuable to your buddy than the rifle you choose to give him.He will be happy with whatever you choose. Good luck.

I bought one of the Sako A7s from Cabelas, some exclusive deal with Sako, they have Bell and Carlson stocks. Pretty dang sharp IMO. They have hunter models, varmint models, and long range models.

That's what I'd do.

What do you plan to hunt? It seems to me that the hunt is the real prize here and your buddy already has a rifle that he likes. If that $1,200 would make the hunt appreciably better, I'd forget about rifle shopping and nail down a hunt he will remember forever.

Deer, probably. It's what's most prolific in the state, and I want to maximize the chances of the hunt being successful. I'll finalize once I find a guide-but the only thing here I wouldn't go after with a .308 is Moose, and we both think moose would be a bit much for a first hunt.

So I've got:
2 votes for a Remmy 700
2 votes for a Sako A7
2 votes for a Ruger American
2 votes for a Browning X-Bolt
and 7 votes for a Tikka T3, Lite or Hunter.

I think that's decisive as votes go.

As for why I want to get the rifle, and not just invest it in the hunt: If the hunt doesn't work out I still want him to have something concrete to remember it by.

Thanks everybody.

I'd go with the Ruger all weather. Tough gun. good trigger, accurate.

Followup:

With the info from you guys, I went forth with the girlfriend intending to spend a day searching.

Didn't get past the first place I checked. Adventure Sports in Edmonds - North of Seattle - is a small place well stocked with guns, scopes, and reloading gear. The staff is helpful and polite. I walked in and asked what they had from Tikka or Sako in .308. They produced two rifles.

The one I didn't get is very nice - a Finnbear with laminated stock and a Swarovski 3x9. I was tempted but it was out of my price range - with a case and 9.5% sales tax (no income tax in WA) it would have been over $2k.

So I got the other one. An older wood stocked model (the shop called it an AII, but based on my research it's an AIII made back in 1979) with an aftermarket muzzle brake. They also have a good range of scopes, and I picked up a Vortex Viper HS 2.5-10x44. They boresighted the scope for free and rushed a taller set of rings when the first set was too low and they didn't have the taller ones in stock.

He likes it. Thanks again, guys. Onto the search for a guide...