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Thread: Hunting bolt gun

  1. #1

    Hunting bolt gun

    Looking to start hunting this year. Bought an A300 for my areas birds and possibly deer. May get a bow too for here possibly. Maybe not.

    Anyway, I’m looking for suggestions for a solid bolt action gun that isn’t a super lightweight or a boat anchor. Maybe 7-8lbs. 308, 30-06, 6.5 or 270. Whatever isn’t a fortune and commonly found and doesn’t feel like a truck hit me when firing it.

    Hunting upstate and some range work here and there.

    Goal is to one day hunt more with it.

    Even though it’ll be a big effort to hunt upstate more than once a year, my goal is to make it happen elsewhere in addition over time.

    Budget is $700-1000 for the rifle.

    Some I’ve looked at and liked whether it be online or in person;

    Weatherby High Country, First Lite and Meateater in 308
    Sako A7 in 6.5
    Sauer 100 classic xt in 6.5
    Tikka t3x and t3x stainless heavy bbl (maybe too heavy), and battue
    Steyr Scout gets honorable mention but costs a lot more.


    Scope idk yet.
    Last edited by newyork; 02-27-2021 at 02:41 PM.

  2. #2
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Lexington, SC
    What game and how far will your typical shots be? Stalking or stand hunting? .308 and 6.5 in my area are pretty well unobtainable. You may have better luck finding ammo in a more traditional hunting cartridge. I like the .30-06.

  3. #3
    White tail. Typically I believe 50-300 yards. I plan to take it elsewhere over the years if I’m lucky and have the money. We will see. For now, white tail and upstate NY.

    Little bit of both tree stand and stalking but idk, I haven’t been up there yet. I’m planning and just getting started. I wanted the rifle to not be too heavy in preparation of stalking and not too light as to handle recoil.

  4. #4
    One of my local shops says 6.5 is tough to find. Can’t find it. If I buy a 6.5 he would have 40rds to sell. Yikes. .308 he had a few cases. I didn’t ask about 30-06. I think he had no guns in 30-06 honestly. Some 308, 6.5 guns and 300WM and a few others.

  5. #5
    I personally really like Bergara rifles. I feel like you get a lot more than you pay for in quality and features. Both of mine are shooters. Their B14 series is mostly under $1000 and comes in multiple configurations.

    In a seven to eight-pound rifle with a scope, .270 and .30-06 will cover all of the bases in North America minus brown bears and the largest of ungulates at extreme ranges without knocking your fillings loose. They have been around since 1925 and 1906, respectively. Ammo is common and affordable in normal times. There are plenty of newer and sexier cartridges, but it's hard to argue with the track record. For something slightly less common, I would consider the .280 Remington, especially the Ackley Improved version. The .280 AI will be harder to find ammo for but nearly duplicates 7mm Rem Mag with less blast and recoil. When and if I shoot the barrel out of my.270 Winchester, it will become a .280 AI.

    Enjoy the search.

  6. #6
    For a hunting scope, A Leupold VX-3i or VX-3HD in 3.5-10x40 can be had for under $500 and would treat you well.

  7. #7
    Glad to hear that. Leupold medium rings? I was curious if lower on the bottom end would be better.

  8. #8
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    the Deep South
    I think that anything you mentioned would be fine, but I don't have much time with bolt guns. I would not rule out the 7mm cartridges, like a 7mm-08 and 7mm Mauser. There are lots of right answers. I hunt with a .270 Win, but anything from 6.5 up to a .30-06 would work just as well. If I were going to buy a new rifle today, I'd probably get a 6.5 CM, though I also really like the 6.5x55.

    The new 6.8 Western is extremely interesting to me, because it was designed to shoot heavy for caliber bullets. For years I loaded 160gr bullets for my .270 Win, so getting factory loads in that diameter that are even heavier is very appealing. However, the heavy for caliber loads don't have any practical value for the kind of hunting I do, so I can't really defend my affection for them.

  9. #9
    There’s a Sako A7 in 6.5 creedmoor I keep looking at. Black. Stainless 24.4” bbl. 8lbs. Plastic bottom though. $899. Someone was really pushing me to buy that one. Says it’s much better than it’s price. I’ve read some feeding issue accounts of the sakos in my research but it’s supposed to be nice. Wasn’t sure if 6.5 was the way to go for deer at first but I’m hearing great things.

    I liked the feel of the Sauer and saw one for $600. In the shop it was a camo one at $1000 in 6.5. Really liked how the weatherby High Country felt but it was 1. $900 for a vanguard and it was in 300 Weatherby. Nope. There’s the Meateater model available online in 308 at $800. Basically the same gun.

    Who am I kidding, if I really catch the bug, in a few years I’ll buy a second gun but in a bigger caliber.

  10. #10
    Would 2.5-8 be a little too low? My eyes aren’t awesome. 4-14 seemed like too low a bottom.

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