Buying My First Bolt Action - Advice?

[ar15barrels]

Thanks everyone for their input and great advices.
So, I haven't purchased anything as of yet, but after a little more research, I've come close to pulling the trigger on this and spending a little more:

https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/rifles/savage-arms-110-apex-hunter-xp-with-vortex-crossfire-ii-scope-308-winchester-black-bolt-action-rifle/p/1541344

Thoughts? It seems to have the better scope and trigger, etc. As well I am leaning mostly towards a .308 just for its reliable and longer lasting barrel life.

This option is absolutely no good for longrange shooting but would be fine for typical 300yd hunting use.
The barrel is too short to realistically be used at 1000yds (the standard for "long range") as well as too skinny to shoot to the level of precision required for even mid-range (600yds).
The lightweight barrel also allows the recoil to be problematic after a few rounds per day.
The scope is not good for target use but would be fine for 300yd hunting use.

[ShaunBrady]

Thanks everyone for their input and great advices.
Thoughts? It seems to have the better scope and trigger, etc. As well I am leaning mostly towards a .308 just for its reliable and longer lasting barrel life.

Better, but still not very useful for shooting at longer distances or learning the techniques for doing so.

You'll be getting warm in the Savage line when the gun is a 110 that includes the accustock with the full set of accufit features, an accutrigger, a 20 moa base and no scope.

At that point, the Tikka and Ruger American will be back in the picture.

If you share the local range you have in mind and how you think you'll be using the rifle there, it'd help refine the feedback you're getting. "Target" paired with "Hunting" and "Long Range" are a couple of the dog whistles in this forum. It's sort of like saying "clip".

[FourT6and2]

Thanks everyone for their input and great advices.
So, I haven't purchased anything as of yet, but after a little more research, I've come close to pulling the trigger on this and spending a little more:

https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/rifles/savage-arms-110-apex-hunter-xp-with-vortex-crossfire-ii-scope-308-winchester-black-bolt-action-rifle/p/1541344

Thoughts? It seems to have the better scope and trigger, etc. As well I am leaning mostly towards a .308 just for its reliable and longer lasting barrel life.

As the other guys said, that's not a very good idea. If your goal is to hunt at 300 yards, fine. Go for it. But for actual long-range shooting, you'd be better off with the Ruger Precision Rifle. It's offered in many different chamberings and it will be good enough for up to 1,000 yards: https://ruger.com/products/precisionRifle/models.html

Or the something like a Tikka: JRTXC382CB for $1,150.

That said, for the price they command, you could save some more and part together a good custom bolt-action. Grab a Bartlein barrel blank from BugHoles.com, the action of your choice (Defiance, Lone Peak, ARC, Terminus, Impact, Big Horn, etc.), a Trigger Tech trigger, and a chassis system like Masterpiece Arms, Foundation, MDT), and then find a smith to chamber the barrel for you.

If you get an action that accepts pre-fit barrels, you'll save some money. And a decent chassis that doesn't require bedding will save you more money. Then you wouldn't even need a gun smith. You torque on a pre-fit barrel at home and bolt it into the chassis are you're good to go. All for about the same price as a higher quality off-the-shelf rifle.