$1,000 Hunting Rifle Package

[Bowhunter_619]

I would pick up a Savage 111 accu-trigger model in 300 Win Mag, Leupold VX3 (3-10x40) with Leupold rings and bases.

PS: I have this setup with a VX2 and it doesn't disappoint.

[DennisCA]

How experienced of a hunter are you?
Where are you going to hunt Elk?
How good of a rifle shot are you from field positions?
What's your recoil tolerance?

Those are damn excellent questions!
There is no sense of getting a gun that is too much for you.
I would have someone be able to shoot a 30-06 good than someone
who has a (for example) .338 and can't hit a broad side of a barn!
Also - Which is just as important, know what is max distance you feel
comfortable to shoot. If it's 200 yards, then so be it

BTW - Invest a really-really good range finder, most people can't judge
distance in field situations.

[Fjold]

It would be your rifle that you are buying for yourself. So what would you buy?

First, I wouldn't limit myself to $1,000. If you have $1,000 buy the gun that you want, almost every factory gun is available for that amount. Buy the scope and mounts later, it's a long time until Elk season starts.

Second, I don't have to buy any more Elk rifles. I have a bunch of rifles that will already do the job for any hunting situation.

Savage 11 in 300 WSM, 3-9X Leupold VXII, Burris Zee rings and bases.
Ruger MkII in 7mm Rem Mag, Leupold VXII, 3-9X, Ruger rings.
Remington/Baikal 45.70 double rifle, open sights
Remington 788 in 308 Win with a 2-7X Redfield, I don't remember what bases and rings are on it though.

Each of those cost me less than $1,000 when I bought them. But the only gun above that has killed any elk is the Remington 788 in 308 Win using 180 grain bullets.

I'd rather use my Winchester M70 Classic Safari Express, 375 H&H Magnum, Leupold VXIII, 2.5-8X, with Talley QR bases and rings for elk.

Although my Zastava Mauser M70 Custom in 458 Win Mag with Leupold VXII 1-4X using Warne QR rings and bases would hit like the fist of any angry god in the black timber hunting situations.

Each of the guns alone cost more than $1,000 though. All my bolt guns are left handed so I have to pay a premium from most manufacturers for that.


As you can see, I have a variety of rifle makes. As long as the rifle fits you and has adequate accuracy for the type of hunting that you do, who makes it is the last thing that you should consider. Find a gun that feels right to you and practice with it until you feel confident.

A lot of people seem to think that you need to have some kind of whiz bang scope with a nine function reticle and self cooling beer tap. All the big game scopes that I have use simple duplex reticles and are noticeably lower powered than a lot of people seem to recommend.

I won't shoot big game past about 300 yards (deer to me are medium game so I will shoot further for them) so I could do all of my hunting with the 2.5-8X VXII and feel comfortable shooting an adequate cartridge past 300 yards if I had too.

I'm one of those people who believe that big game needs penetration and power to kill cleanly and quickly so I tend to use heavy for caliber bullets in any gun that I use.

[TROYSD]

i just bought a used rem 700 in excellent shape on gun broker for 400.00. caliber 270 short mag. leupold one piece base and scope rings and ziess scope for about 450.00

[pterrell]

M1 Garand from the CMP will run you about $650 and keep it irons

[Gene1986]

Mossberg 4x4 30-06 ~$500
http://www.woodburyoutfitters.com/mo....aspx?id=38463.

Leupold vx2 4-12x40mm~ $380

http://www.opticsplanet.com/leupold-vx-ii-4-12x40mm-rifle-scope.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=plusbox-beta&gclid=CLOBhNTvtb0CFQqCfgodFb8ACw

[DaveInOroValley]

Weatherby Vanguard (non S2 model) B&C stock VX3 6x LRD and Talley one peice rings and bases.
$425
$350
$230
$50
Close enough to $1000 and it would need no alterations to perform superbly!

Plus one here for the Vanguard. I have a first series one in 30-06 with the Redfield Revolution series on it and it is a beautiful setup for the money.

[Sir Toast]

M1 Garand from the CMP will run you about $650 and keep it irons

WHAT HE SAID!

[robcoe]

If you were looking to buy a new hunting rig for deer and elk, and had only $1,000 to spend, what would you buy and why? The $1,000 includes the rifle (caliber), scope, rings/bases (not tax).

I know that it's a natural inclination to "buy" what you want, but the question is......."what would you buy IF you only had $1,000"......not $1,400, $2,000 or more!

Buying new

Savage Axis combo in .30-06 and a bunch of ammo(substitute Ruger American/Whetherby Vanguard/Tikka T3, any inexpensive bolt action).

From what I have

My Marlin Model 3000 in .30-30 and the Bushnell scope I have on it, total about $400

or I could go real cheap and use my M91/30 and just run iron sights, $70, leaves me $930 for ammo

I consider the best hunting rifle a fairly inexpensive gun that I am not worried about dinging when I walk through the woods, light is also nice.

[Bull Elk]

Buying new

Savage Axis combo in .30-06 and a bunch of ammo(substitute Ruger American/Whetherby Vanguard/Tikka T3, any inexpensive bolt action).

From what I have

My Marlin Model 3000 in .30-30 and the Bushnell scope I have on it, total about $400

or I could go real cheap and use my M91/30 and just run iron sights, $70, leaves me $930 for ammo

I consider the best hunting rifle a fairly inexpensive gun that I am not worried about dinging when I walk through the woods, light is also nice.

Do you really like those Axis rifles? They look and feel so cheap.

[robcoe]

Do you really like those Axis rifles? They look and feel so cheap.

They go bang every time and hit what you aim at within reason(they are not sub MOA sniper rifles, though the Vanguards advertise sub MOA accuracy as a guarantee out of the box), same with the rest listed, they might feel cheap but they are light weight, which is nice when you are carrying it around the woods, and they are cheap enough that you aren't going to be heartbroken if you put a gouge in the side of the stock or scratch up the finish.

I actually owned one of the Ruger American rifles shortly after they came out, good little gun, only complaint I really had with it was it was light enough that after 20-30 rounds my shoulder was killing me with .30-06.

I worry about nice feel and looks when I build a custom AR, a long range target rifle, a target pistol, things like that, for a working rifle or pistol I look at what will do the job without breaking the bank. I can't speak for everyone, but I can count on one hand the number of shots I have had while hunting that were over 150 yards, most of them were well within shotgun range, so I don't really see the value in a high dollar hunting rifle. If that's what someone want's then that's their choice, but for me I will stick with cheap and reliable.

[toby]

Let me know what those Axis and American rifles do in 100 or 100+ degree weather or the flip side 0 degree weather with their $5 injected plastic stocks.

[robcoe]

Let me know what those Axis and American rifles do in 100 or 100+ degree weather or the flip side 0 degree weather with their $5 injected plastic stocks.

I live in southern California, it doesn't get down to 0 degrees, and I am not out hunting when it's 100+ because I am not a masochist.

This was after all a thread that asked what each person would buy for a new deer rifle, not a "what is the best all weather hunting rifle for use from the arctic to death valley".

BTW, I have shot that American rifle when it was 100+ out, not hunting just at the range, it worked fine out to the 200 yards I could shoot at that location.

[toby]

I live in southern California, it doesn't get down to 0 degrees, and I am not out hunting when it's 100+ because I am not a masochist.

This was after all a thread that asked what each person would buy for a new deer rifle, not a "what is the best all weather hunting rifle for use from the arctic to death valley".

BTW, I have shot that American rifle when it was 100+ out, not hunting just at the range, it worked fine out to the 200 yards I could shoot at that location.

There's more to it then that and the temps don't have to be extreme those cheap stocks flex and twist touching the barrel at different points throughout the day thus affecting accuracy. Why risk it, for $100 more you can get a proven reliable rifle.

[mstlaurent]

My hunting rifle is a Vanguard S2 in .270 Winchester, Leupold steel rings, a Redfield Revolution 3-9x40 scope, and a cheap neoprene sling. Plain vanilla, but it's a tack driver. I took it out to zero for deer season last year, first shot out of a cold barrel at 100 yards was about a quarter inch off the center of the target. All tolled it was about $700.