Sub $500 bolt gun

[blindman]

Browning A-BOLT used are around $500. I have one for sale right now in . 223 with varmint barrel.

Found a few I'm interested in, but the distance to go get them is crazy. Same with yours

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[longhairchris]

I have a Rem 783 in .308, bought it just to get a cheap budget beater to start with the caliber. Very happy with the trigger and its accuracy. A little more difficult to single load rounds, but the receiver is beefy as it surrounds more of the bolt.

The scope that came with it is a no name junker, the rear lens popped loose. I sent an email with pic to Remington, and they sent me a new one. Eventually replaced with a Nikon Buckmasters, also a good value for the money.

[blindman]

I have a Rem 783 in .308, bought it just to get a cheap budget beater to start with the caliber. Very happy with the trigger and its accuracy. A little more difficult to single load rounds, but the receiver is beefy as it surrounds more of the bolt.

The scope that came with it is a no name junker, the rear lens popped loose. I sent an email with pic to Remington, and they sent me a new one. Eventually replaced with a Nikon Buckmasters, also a good value for the money.

Good to know. My plans were to replace any budget scope that comes with the rifle

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[papaboomboom]

I ditto Alpha Romeos' post, I have MVP varmint in 5.56 thats a real bugholer with reloads.

[tigerpan]

Tikka

[LynnJr]

Remington 700 ADL varmint.

[Cowboy T]

He's shooting 300 yards. Does he really need a heavy barrel for that? I don't see why something like a Ruger American or a Savage Axis wouldn't be a great idea for what OP is proposing. He's got a lot of good options.

The Remington 700 ADL Varmint guns are nice, heavy guns, good for shooting from prone or bench especially for recoil-sensitive and/or new shooters, not that this matters much for .223 Rem. :-) I have one in .308 Win. However, they do have a slower twist rate. The .223 Rem chambering--and .308 Win, for that matter--both use a 1:12 rate, so that means lighter bullets.

[not-fishing]

I've been very happy with CZ rifles.

[sigstroker]

He's shooting 300 yards. Does he really need a heavy barrel for that? I don't see why something like a Ruger American or a Savage Axis wouldn't be a great idea for what OP is proposing. He's got a lot of good options.

The Remington 700 ADL Varmint guns are nice, heavy guns, good for shooting from prone or bench especially for recoil-sensitive and/or new shooters, not that this matters much for .223 Rem. :-) I have one in .308 Win. However, they do have a slower twist rate. The .223 Rem chambering--and .308 Win, for that matter--both use a 1:12 rate, so that means lighter bullets.

Rational posts are not allowed in these "I want to buy a budget rifle" threads. At least you didn't say anything about the scopes.

[LynnJr]

He's shooting 300 yards. Does he really need a heavy barrel for that? I don't see why something like a Ruger American or a Savage Axis wouldn't be a great idea for what OP is proposing. He's got a lot of good options.

The Remington 700 ADL Varmint guns are nice, heavy guns, good for shooting from prone or bench especially for recoil-sensitive and/or new shooters, not that this matters much for .223 Rem. :-) I have one in .308 Win. However, they do have a slower twist rate. The .223 Rem chambering--and .308 Win, for that matter--both use a 1:12 rate, so that means lighter bullets.

Actually none of the guns listed are very heavy.
I keep reading all these posts about how heavy these barrels are and by competition standards they are fly weight barrels.
My 82 year old father shot a wood stocked 30-06 hunting rifle and with the scope it weighed almost 12 pounds.
Today's shooters want a 6 pound rifle and all that gets you is more felt recoil and a flinch.
The advantage to weight is it overcomes a heavy trigger pull which is detrimental to accuracy. Weight means you have less felt recoil so you don't develop a flinch. Weight means less shooter fatigue. Weight means you can shoot without having to constantly cool the barrel. The only two bad things about weight are a nose heavy gun is harder to shoot and if you are walking all day it adds to fatigue but those aren't issues for the OP.
If you can't carry a 10 pound rifle how are you going to drag out a 100 pound deer or 200 pound hog.
The picture shows my latest 700 Remington hunting rifle in 338 Norma Ackley Improved with a 28 inch barrel that is 0.930 at the muzzle.
The barrel next to it is a heavy barrel

[deadcoyote]

It’s just outside your budget but I just picked up a 783 Varmint with bull barrel and laminated stock in .243 for $501 (without tax and DROS) as a Father’s Day special from sportsman’s warehouse.

[brian5271]

I have two Remington 783's, one in 223 and the other in 308. I am very happy with both.

[NATEWA]

Howa in .243

Bought last year for $350. Sold out right now.

https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/rifles/howa-kuiu-vias-bolt-action-rifle/p/p53487

[blindman]

Well. Looks like I'm going 243. Purchasing from another cg member

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[Cowboy T]

Rational posts are not allowed in these "I want to buy a budget rifle" threads. At least you didn't say anything about the scopes.

Actually none of the guns listed are very heavy.
I keep reading all these posts about how heavy these barrels are and by competition standards they are fly weight barrels.
My 82 year old father shot a wood stocked 30-06 hunting rifle and with the scope it weighed almost 12 pounds.
Today's shooters want a 6 pound rifle and all that gets you is more felt recoil and a flinch.
The advantage to weight is it overcomes a heavy trigger pull which is detrimental to accuracy. Weight means you have less felt recoil so you don't develop a flinch. Weight means less shooter fatigue. Weight means you can shoot without having to constantly cool the barrel. The only two bad things about weight are a nose heavy gun is harder to shoot and if you are walking all day it adds to fatigue but those aren't issues for the OP.
If you can't carry a 10 pound rifle how are you going to drag out a 100 pound deer or 200 pound hog.
The picture shows my latest 700 Remington hunting rifle in 338 Norma Ackley Improved with a 28 inch barrel that is 0.930 at the muzzle.
The barrel next to it is a heavy barrel

For competition, you're right. Seems, though, from what I read, OP's not anywhere near where you are yet (and neither am I--far from it!). He's only going out to 300 yards. I'm not suggesting that weight is necessarily bad in a rifle, just that a heavier barrel (e. g. varmint-style barrel) is not absolutely needed for this particular use case. But it certainly doesn't hurt. Indeed, a varmint-style barrel with an appropriate twist rate for most bullets seems like it would fit his situation well. So would a sporter barrel. Remember that we're talking about .223 Rem-style recoil here, which is minimal anyway.

Well. Looks like I'm going 243. Purchasing from another cg member

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Good choice. That's another fine round, plus it's legal in most states for deer hunting. It's got a little more recoil than .223 Rem, but not much. The twist rate on most .243 rifles is, I believe, 1:10, which means you can shoot the heavier 0.243" bullets as well. And like .223 Rem, .308 Win, and .30-06, the .243 is available just about everywhere. Easy to handload as .308 Win, too.