Hunting Rifle & Scope setup

[fishnfool1991]

hey bud i have a ruger mark 2 in .30-06 i shoot 120 g bullets and it will kill both of the animals you have listed ruger is the best rifle man. i think in my opinon and my ruger had a 3-9-40 luephold scope sp? they are really nice hope you enjoy

[Turbolover]

I have heard lots of good stuff about the Savage's trigger pull, and accuracy. I haven't heard anything about the Rugers trigger pull, the only person ( I can think of) who has commented at all on the Rugers accuracy was Arkansas Hunter, who sounds very knowledgeable, but also told me to listen to what the others say, and it appears most of the others are saying the Savage is "better", most people talking about the Ruger just say "check it out its nice." Which in the end doesn't sound quite as appealing as very good accuracy trigger pull, and price... I don't know I'd really like to hear from some people with both rifles. Also where would be a good place to try out these rifles to see how they feel, and to shoot (is this even possible)?

Once again, Thank you all very much for all your helpful information. This site has been very helpful to me.

[turner]

Originally Posted by Turbolover

I have heard lots of good stuff about the Savage's trigger pull, and accuracy. I haven't heard anything about the Rugers trigger pull, the only person ( I can think of) who has commented at all on the Rugers accuracy was Arkansas Hunter, who sounds very knowledgeable, but also told me to listen to what the others say, and it appears most of the others are saying the Savage is "better", most people talking about the Ruger just say "check it out its nice." Which in the end doesn't sound quite as appealing as very good accuracy trigger pull, and price... I don't know I'd really like to hear from some people with both rifles. Also where would be a good place to try out these rifles to see how they feel, and to shoot (is this even possible)?

Once again, Thank you all very much for all your helpful information. This site has been very helpful to me.

The Ruger is a very nicely finished rifle with a brand new trigger system in the newer Hawkeye version.(LC6 trigger system). The Savage is an excellent rifle as well, but I think when there is a general overall appearence difference in rifle/action as is definately the case here.... fans tend to dwell on the "cost" or "trigger" facets of one vs the overall feel and finish of the other.(my opinion). I own a Savage 110 (without accutrigger) and also own 4 Ruger 77s, three are MKIIs and one is a new Hawkeye. That could tell you something. The newest Ruger (Hawkeye) has an excellent trigger and it very accurate, being, as a medium bore, able to shoot well under one inch. Again, both are fine rifles, but I still stand by an earlier statement I made "likely the luck of the draw as to which of these models would actually be more accurate in an individual rifle"
The Hawkeye is a brand new model of the Ruger, and as so, not a lot of people own them compared to a Savage "accutrigger" rifle. Simply select the rifle you like best after handling both as I'm pretty confident both will serve VERY well as hunting rifles. When comparing price, do not forget the integral Ruger rings as a plus.
Good Luck!

[bs1865]

Scopes, any of these would be good options in your price range:

Simmons Aetec Master Series
Burris Fullfield II
Bushnell Elite 3200

Great combinations of cost and quality. All can be found for between $130 and $185. Good luck.

As far as caliber, I will echo with the 270, 30-06 and 308 crowd.

Good luck!

[Phil Lozano]

Originally Posted by nathangdad

The .30-06 is the greatest all around hunting caliber in America.

I do not believe that for a second. What makes it better than others that were or were not mentioned ?

I have posted here (on different threads) formulas to help people determine which cartridges are more effective than others. All you, me or anyone has to do is the math.


Best,

[CroMagnum]

I would suggest looking for a used rifle, you can find them all day long under $500. You can take the remainder and buy a good scope, like a Leupold Vari-X III in 2.5x8x32 and put them in some Talley rings. I'd also suggest looking at the 300 win mag, thats a fine caliber and can take any big animal in North America.

[Ron AKA]

The 30-06 is a very popular cartridge. But that does not mean it is the best cartridge. It will certainly do the job for what you describe. I would personally go with the 270 Win, which is exactly the same case, but just has a .277 cal bullet instead of .308. The advantage of a smaller bullet diameter is that for the same bullet weight the ballistic coeficient is better. This gives better long distance performance -- less drop and less wind drift. Also having a smaller bore lets you use smaller bullets down to 90 grains or so for varmints and smaller game. It is a bit easier to load down to lighter loads too. Not huge advantages but minor ones that I appreciate more now than I did 40 years ago.

In the magnum series .264, 7mm, 300, 338, I would suggest the 7mmRM would be the best choice if you are thinking more power. They use essentially the same case. No need or sense in punishing yourself with the 300 or especially the 338. The 264 has some of the same advantages as the 270, but the case is much bigger and it is a bit of a barrel burner. May only be one gun that you can buy (Remington 700 Sendero) in that chamber in any case. It is a fine cartridge but hard on barrels compared to say the 270.

For guns I actually like the Remington 700's. They have a solid action that is the basis for many benchrest target guns. Look for one that has the new adjustable trigger. They probably brought that out to try and keep up with Savage, which is good too.

Ron

[billy]

you could get a savage(which i love) and still have 500 bucks for a scope.

[Ron AKA]

I would not suggest spending more on a scope than this one, which is a quality scope, in the power range I think you are looking for.

Bushnell Elite 3200 2-7x32 Riflescope Matte 322732M w/ FREE UPS Rifle scope 2-7x32mm

I would spend the rest of your budget on the gun.

Ron

[turner]

Here's a couple more to look at. There's no need to purchase bases or rings with the Ruger Hawkeye. And a couple of killer deals on scopes. Good Luck!

GunsAmerica - HAWKEYE - Ruger Rifles > Model 77 - Guns For Sale & Gun Auctions

The Optic Zone - Detail

Bushnell 3-9x40 Elite 4200 Rifle Scope

[wirehunt]

Weclome to G&G.

Forget about the savage/ruger argument. Pick both up and shoulder them, as well as several other brands/models. The one that fits BEST is the one to buy. The trigger can be fixed on anything if it's not up to standard, I did however shoulder a Ruger the other day and the trigger is a vast improvement over what it used to be, but the rifle didn't come home with me. For deer you don't need minute of angle, it's a big target so you need minute of deer, to totally different thing's. The 30-06 will do the job for you, if you decide you want to start shooting a bit farther out then go buy a rifle more suited to that, but for your first deer slayer that will do fine.

Varipower scopes can move their point of impact when you start mucking around with them, but it would be unusual for it to move so much that it would cost you a deer. My preference is for a fixed 3X or 4X and in open country a pair of binoculars, in heavy bush I use a red dot which has no extra power. Remember you can see a deer with the naked eye easily at 300, so why would you need or want to have a 9X on top, just more that can and will go wrong.

[AKHunter]

Ok, I have to chime in here in regards to the variable power scopes and moving the point of impact scenario. All of my high power rifles have variable power scopes on them. All of my shot are taken at practical ranges of 300 yards or less, I shoot those distances on the range. Never has changing the power of magnification resulted in loss of accuracy or point of impact that I can detect from my .243 to my .338wm.

Others may have different experiences but, I think if you have a noticeable change in point of impact when changing the magnification on your scope, you have a problem with the scope.

I think this is just another wives tale or urban legend.

[sc928porsche]

My opinion (for whatever it is worth) is to go to the 300 WM. It shoots flat. It shoots far. It hits hard! I don't think that anyone out there will argue with that. Yes, 30-06 is a great cartridge but does not stand up to the 300 WM. You can take any game in NA with it. From pronghorn to Large bear. Ive used one for many years now with great sucess. Ammo is readily available and not too costly. Just bought some fresh ammo at Wally World and the 26-06 was $25, the 300 WM was $28, tax included.

I would highly recommend that you get a decent scope that is veriable (4-12 maybe?) with AO (adjustable objective).

As for the rifle, Ruger makes an excellent one. It is very rugged and reliable. Like the Timex watch, it takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

I have a very large arsenal to choose from and when hunting time comes, it always seems that I end up with my old 77 in 300WM. Boom....Meat on the table with no chase!

[FishingFather]

Wow, I am still fairly new here and amazed at the 'discussion' and amazed nobody has asked "what have you shot before?" Find a friend or two and shoot their guns or go to a range or call the NRA for a safety course but shoot some with knowledgable shooters and figure out what you can be comfortable with for recoil. A .270 will do everything you want with proper shot placement, a .338 will be more forgiving of a shot that is a LITTLE off but if YOU can't shoot it well it is junk. How often are you willing to consistantly practice to develop and maintain good skills? You need to know your limitations and your rifle's.

Ruger and Savage are both good guns, I lean towards Savage but haven't shot or handled a Ruger in a while. I also like my Winchester M70 and the Remington's hold their own too. A good used gun would allow you to put more money toward optics. I like the 2-7 variables, 3-9 is good too. I have no experiance with the fixed optics but it is something to consider from a reliability perspective. I also like Leupold and Kahles, but there are other good optics out there. Get a decent rifle and good optics and then enjoy shooting them both, often.

Good luck on your hunts!

[Ron AKA]

An AO on a .300WM... Interesting concept. Can you explain why?

Ron

[thebigitch62]

I'd go with a ruger 77 in 7MM mag stainless. then put a leupold vx-II 4X12 scope on it. thats a good elk rifle out to 300 yards should cost just under $1000. and it doesn't kick my .300 RUM

[irish murphy]

Originally Posted by turner

Here I go... "Shame on you!" This fella has NO NEED for a .300 mag or .338 as a NEW hunter ONLY hunting game UP TO elk, period. "!

300wm has bugger all recoil when shot offhand.You would be lucky to feel it when you have a trophy stag standing in front of your rifle.

Oh i forgot about the question.30/06 will do the job you want it for.300wm will also as well as many other worthwhile calibres.Ive got a brno 300wm with a bushnell sportsman 1.5/4x20.It has good eye relief,usually stays on 4 power and is supprisingly good under low light conditions even with a 20mm objective.Also have a weaver 2.5x20 that i am going to mount of one of my 303.The old steel tube weavers are a good old scope.I have a 10x42 on my model 70 winchester 22/250 and its is very good in low light or under spotlight.I always creep around ebay looking for the old steel tubes.

[turner]

Originally Posted by AKHunter

Ok, I have to chime in here in regards to the variable power scopes and moving the point of impact scenario. All of my high power rifles have variable power scopes on them. All of my shot are taken at practical ranges of 300 yards or less, I shoot those distances on the range. Never has changing the power of magnification resulted in loss of accuracy or point of impact that I can detect from my .243 to my .338wm.

Others may have different experiences but, I think if you have a noticeable change in point of impact when changing the magnification on your scope, you have a problem with the scope.

I think this is just another wives tale or urban legend.

+1... I own a lot of scopes and have NOT seen any difference in POI when changing power, that would cause me any concern while big game hunting. This may have been a concern years ago, or possibly today with the least expensive of variables, but should not be of any concern in the price range(s) you have indicated.

[soonerborn]

First off +1 for the Judas reference. but "you got another thing coming" is the best. lol

Heres my opinion. I agree with the 2 or 3 that said spend as much on the scope as you do on the rifle. Honestly I would rather go with a good used rifle and a great new scope.

I would pick a rifle that fits you well. Has the right length of pull for your build mainly. If you do not have average length arms then you might find that the rifle you want isnt the right one for you unless you spend the money for a new butt or butt modification.

I would pick a rifle that has some weight to it. Go with wood over plastic, I would get laminated wood if you can get it on the rifle you want. Its more durable and less flexible. You want your rifle to have enough weight so the recoil is reduced, that way you develop good shooting habits before developing bad ones from heavy recoil.

I would stick with a .243, .270, 30-06, .308. If you really plan on hunting elk then go with one of the last two. I would highly recommend not getting any magnums until you shoot enough to develop your habits.

I wont really say too much about a brand except to say I have a good deal of experience with remington and ruger and for rifles I pick ruger hands down. I havent had a savage but I am interested in getting one of the accutrigger models. I do know that for all the reading on rifles and talking with people, most people recommend ruger, remington, browning or weatherby. Then some mention savage, sako, marlin. I rarely hear kimber. I have seen some bad reviews on tikka so I would stay clear of them. Another thought is to go with a single shot NEF. They are cheap, you only get one shot, but they are tough and I have seen some very positive reviews on them.

For a scope I would absolutely go with one of these Burris signature select, Bushnell elite 4200 or a Sightron SII. I would avoid leupold, not because they make bad scopes but because they charge way more than either of those 3 for the same quality. They do have a lifetime no hassle warranty, but so does Sightron. I would probably go with a variable 3-9 x 42. I rarely use anything but the 3 setting when hunting, but its nice to have when you do need it. Just get good quality mounts and rings, it matters.

A few other things you may want to save a little of that money for. You may find that the gun you wind up buying might need a little work. Lapping a rifles barrel, bedding and trigger polishing are all very economical ways to make a good rifle into a great rifle. Those 3 provide the most bang for the buck for tightening up your shot groups.

As for the variable scope changing your shot placement, I wouldnt worry about that. Have never heard or experienced it but I guess its possible with a cheap scope. Your grip, elbow placement and shoulder placement will affect your shot much much more than different power settings on a scope anyways. Just changing the way you use the sling and your finger placement, or how hard you squeeze the handguard can deflect your shot groups by several inches at 100 yards. Hence the desire to free float your barrel and bed your stock.

[Turbolover]

Originally Posted by soonerborn

I wont really say too much about a brand except to say I have a good deal of experience with remington and ruger and for rifles I pick ruger hands down. I havent had a savage but I am interested in getting one of the accutrigger models.

A few other things you may want to save a little of that money for. You may find that the gun you wind up buying might need a little work. Lapping a rifles barrel, bedding and trigger polishing are all very economical ways to make a good rifle into a great rifle. Those 3 provide the most bang for the buck for tightening up your shot groups.

First, I want to say that I really like your "quote" about the ATF. Just want to hear more on why the like Ruger so much. Also, how much do you think I would spend on lapping, bedding, and polishing the trigger (also would I get that done by a gunsmith)? Thank you; I'm happy to see this thread is still getting good feedback.