# What is the best rifle to buy that is also cheap?



## texasguy (Jun 17, 2004)

What is the best rifle to buy that is also cheap?


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## Militant_Tiger (Feb 23, 2004)

as far as what, you could get a cheap deer rifle or a cheap rabbit rifle.


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## Whelen35 (Mar 9, 2004)

Depending on what you are looking to hunt/shoot, it would be hard to beet an older Savage 110 I would think you could find one at a local gun show or gun shop's used gun racks. They are very accurate and I have not heard many people complain about them in that area. They don't have the most attractive lines as far as looks go, but they will give you years of service.


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## headhunter (Oct 10, 2002)

I agree with Whelen35. I think you can even get a new Savage a couple hundred less than the big boys. I use to have one, it was a good gun, but the wrong caliber so I traded. I'd go for a Savage.

Militant Boy, quit being a smartass.


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## Militant_Tiger (Feb 23, 2004)

there are a few thousand rifles which fit the bill. im not going to give him information on all of them, and im not going to suggest one rifle which likely wont fit his needs, like you did.


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## texasguy (Jun 17, 2004)

Well i already have a .270 that I hunt deer with, so I'm just looking for a good all around good rifle thats cheap to shoot,(other than a .22) and I can buy parts for, in other words nothing real old or expensive.

How much can I buy a savage for? what Caliber?


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

texasguy,

I too would recommend a Savage. I have a 10FP in 308 thats shoots .3" groups @ 100yards, the other day I shot a group that was .8" @ 200. Right now I think the Savage is the most accurate out of the box rifle you can buy.
As to your needs, do you want heavy or light barrel, long or short action and standard or magnum caliber. Do you know someone with an FFL, I bought my 10FP new with the accutrigger for $460 from a friend who has an FFL. If that is too expensive you can try gun shows or online gun auctions like this one:
http://www.gunbroker.com
If I can help in any way let me know.

huntin1


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## Militant_Tiger (Feb 23, 2004)

the best all around rifle in my opinion is a .243, but a .308 is a good choice too. with the added information i would also lean on the side of a savage, they are well made guns.


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## Aussie shooter (Dec 6, 2003)

I'd go .308 too, depending on if you feel it might be too similar in application to your 270. Brass is cheap and easy to come by, for a .30 calibre it has an excellent ballistic coefficient, and because it is preferred by most military and police snipers you can be assured that is has potential for good accuracy! If you wanted a mid size calibre for a bit of variation, to hone your skills and economic efficiency maybe consider a .223. They're a lot of fun, and maybe sufficiently different than the 270 to give a bit of variation!

As for what brand to buy, I suggest looking into a Weatherby Vanguard Stainless or blued rifle, it's hard to beat the value for money on those. They are very cheap for a new rifle, and in our Australian Shooter's Journal magazine was voted best all round rifle in the cheap category. They come in all the calibres that are common and quite a beautiful rifle. I fired one once, and although they are a little front heavy, it's a very pleasurable rifle to shoot. But I also love synthetic stocks. Look into it anyway.

Hey, let us know what you end up deciding on aye! :beer:


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## texasguy (Jun 17, 2004)

I appreciate you writing me Aussie shooter,

what can you recommend for a gun in .223 caliber?
i've looked at mini 14s and I think theyre too expensive and sort of innacurate.

perhaps I could look for a used remington 700 in .308?


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## Aussie shooter (Dec 6, 2003)

As for what gun to buy, I suggest looking into a Weatherby Vanguard Stainless or blued rifle, it's hard to beat the value for money on those. They are very cheap for a new rifle, and in our Australian Shooter's Journal magazine was voted best all round rifle in the cheap category. They come in all the calibres that are common and quite a beautiful rifle. I fired one once, and although they are a little front heavy, it's a very pleasurable rifle to shoot. But I also love synthetic stocks. Look into it anyway.

They are my preferred cheaper .223. From what I've heard mini-14's leave some accuracy to be desired but I've never used one so I'm not certain. And yes, Remington 700 .308 is perfect I reckon!!! I'm after one of those in a year or so, that's the one I'm keeping a keen eye out for! Have fun shopping, be eager to hear the outcome!

:beer:


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## sdeprie (May 1, 2004)

You guys may think I'm full of beans, and you'ld probably be right, but I'll add my 2 cents. I haven't use one of the Savage 110's, but have heard a lot of good things. One thought, have you considered single shots? There are several and most have interchangeable barrels. I have an H&R in 243 and can't wait to get extra barrels, from 22 Hornet to 45-70. Also have one in 17 HMR and it's a bang. Like I said, just a thought.


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## texasguy (Jun 17, 2004)

sdeprie,
thats a good idea, i can hunt squirrel and deer in one day just by changing barrels!

How much do these run?
What are their availabilty?


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## Aussie shooter (Dec 6, 2003)

That sounds like a good point!
I haven't really heard much about interchanging barrels, are separate barrels comparatively expensive? Remember I live in Australia so dollar values will mean basically nothing! But it would be much cheaper than buying separate guns I guess.


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## sdeprie (May 1, 2004)

I'm not sure about the availability in Australia. H&R barrels are up to $100 american, but you have to send the action back to the factory to be fitted. A little.... heck, quite a bit more expensive, are the Thompson Center systems, which I have heard nothing but good things about, and you don't have to send the action back, just buy extra barrels. The initial expense is significant, but I think no more than a quality rifle, anyway, and the barrels are sure cheaper than another rifle. They have an amazing variety of calibers available, and it is true, you can hunt deer in the morning and squirrel in the afternoon by changing barrels.
:sniper: 
:sniper:


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## texasguy (Jun 17, 2004)

I saw the Tomphson center arm's Contender. It has different barrels and stuff like that you can buy, But how much are they?


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## sdeprie (May 1, 2004)

The Contender was designed as a pistol which has been upgraded to accept rifle (carbine) barrels, but the Encore was a total upgrade, if I am not mistaken, and I think a little stronge, meaning more powerful and higher pressure calibers. Cost? I'm not sure, help me out, guys. Where are those gun search sites?


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I agree with sdeprie. My son's have all had the H&R or New England arms in 223. They don't have the best trigger, but that can be worked. The only beef I really have is the 223 rounds didn't always eject reliably. I have a 357 mag in H&R. The 223 that my son's have are very accurate with Hodgdon 322 and 40 gr Sierra bullets. My hunting friend had one with a 223 barrel and a 45/70.


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## sdeprie (May 1, 2004)

I have 2 H&R's, one in 243 and one in 17HMR. The 17 shoots like a dream. I just put a $40 bipod from Wallyworld on it and plan to use it for fox. The 243 doesn't eject well and and I now carry a cleaning rod with me whenever I shoot it, but I love shooting it. I have not spent enough time at a long distance range to really know how well it shoots, but no complaints so far. The weakness in ejection comes from a spring loaded ejector which may not be strong enough if you have one with a sticky chamber. I have tried polishing it a couple of times (lightly) with steel wool and will try some special light ooil to see if that helps. I also got my 243 at Wallyworld and it was well under $300 when I bought it, and new barrels can be fitted for numerous calibers from 22 hornet to 45-70, including 25-06, 270, 280 and several others. Currently the most expensive is $100, plus shipping, etc. The only drawback is that you have to send in your receiver to have the new barrel factory fitted. The barrels come with either iron sights or a scope rail and hammer extension. I'm trying to decide what to get for my 243 as we speak. I think a bull barrel 223 and 45-70. If it comes with iron sights, it is drilled and tapped for the scope rail which you can order separately. MY OPINION is that this is a very inexpensive way to obtain a variety of rifles (actually one rifle with interchangeable barrels) in different calibers. The 223 and 243 come in a superlight model weighing 5 1/2 pounds. They also have a superior grade with laminated stocks, longer heavyweight barrels, etc in calibers like 25-06, 308, 223, others. Check out their website at http://www.hr1871.com/ for more details. Maybe not the finest quality, but good shooters for a good price. Plus, I like the challenge of a single shot.


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## dlip (May 16, 2004)

> Militant Boy, quit being a smartass.


lay off of him, he just asked a question, i wondered the same thing, but id go with the new england arms single shot 308, 270, or 30/06


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

Savage is the discount gun :beer:


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## sdeprie (May 1, 2004)

dlip, for what it's worth, I know how popular the 270 is, can't fault it myself. But (of course there's a "but) the NEF 280 comes in a 26 inch barrel and can get a fairly significant increase in velocity over the 270 in a 22 inch barrel. With the single shot setup it's still not a cumbersome rifle. Also, like I said, Savage is economical, creating quite a stir among the "professional" writers, and you can relatively easily interchange barrels as well if you want to change caliber, wear out a barrel, etc. My problem is where to start, or should I say quit.


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## jim21 (May 25, 2006)

Since your on a budget,I'm not going to mention the caliber.I think that should be up to you.There's one gun that should do the trick.STEVENS Model 200.I got one in 7-08 and its got quality in it. 8)


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## MarineCorps (Dec 25, 2005)

I would go for something in 30-06 you can load it hot for large game such as elk or load it light for hunting squirrels.


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## dogdigger (Jan 26, 2004)

thread is over two years old..................................

mark


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## Remington 7400 (Dec 14, 2005)

Pick up a used remington or ruger bolt gun in .223.


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## SDHandgunner (Jun 22, 2004)

texasguy said:


> What is the best rifle to buy that is also cheap?


Back to the original question. Generally BEST and CHEAP do not mean good things when they are in the same sentence. However there are two exceptions to that rule, and it just so happens that both Rifles have already been mentioned.

Over the years I have had 3 different NEF Handi Rifles, a Stainless-Synthetic in .223 Remington, a Stainless-Synthetic in .243 Winchester, and a Sporster version in .22 LR. I did a few simple modifications to these rifles and was totally pleased with the results. The first thing I did was to BED the scope mount to the barrel. My gunsmith buddy built a shim so to speak to go between the forward portion of the scope mount (that does not contact the barrel, but rather hangs in mid air) and the Barrel. Once the shim was made he Accu-Glassed it to the scope mount to get a perfect fit. The NEF Scope Mounts attach with 3 screws and as stated the forward portion (actually the portion where the front scope ring ends up most of the time) sits on the part of the scope mount that does not come in contact with the barrel. By bedding the scope mount for a perfect fit it provides more support for the scope and helps keep the screws tight.

The other thing I did was hand lap the bores to smooth out the Rifling followed by a break in procedure.

The only trouble I had was with the .243, and it turned out that the chamber was slightly out of round. My gunsmith polished the chamber and I did not have any other problems with empties sticking in the chamber.

(for the record I paid $275.00 tax and all out the door for the Stainless-Synthetic NEF Handi Rifles.)

Last year before Christmas I had read and heard so much about the Stevens Model 200's I just had to have one. I picked one up in .223 Remington Chambering at Sportsmans Warehouse for $259.99 + tax. The first thing I did was mount a 3x9x40mm Nikon Buckmaster Rifle Scope in Warne Steel Bases and Rings. I then searched on the net to find instructions on how to tune the trigger on this rifle. As a side note this Rifle is basically identical to the older Savages that were made prior to the introduction of the Savage AccuTrigger. I was able to get the trigger super crisp and set it at 3 Lbs. Next I hand lapped the bore, followed by a break in period. The forend of the stock on the Stevens Model 200 comes Free Floated from the Factory (ie the barrel does not touch the forend of the stock). In addition when the stock is injection molded there are aluminum pillars insert molded into the stock at the point in which the action screws pass through the stock. The ones on my stock seemed a little short and if I had kept the rifle I would have probably had it glass bedded, but as it was shot quite satifactorily.

This rifle just seemed to love the Ultra Max Commercial Reloads loaded with 55gr. Winchester Pointed Soft Point Bullets. If I remember right the LARGEST 5 shot group I fired with this rifle at 100 yards was right at 1".

If you have a Rifle to use for Deer Hunting with the .270 you have, and just want a Rifle to plink with and or maybe try your hand at shooting Varmints or Calling Coyotes or Fox IMHO the .223 would make a good mate to your .270. The .223 is ecomonical to shoot, produces mild recoil and does not heat the barrel up as quickly as the larger capacity cartridges for extended shooting sessions. In addition if you do not Handload there is an amazing variety of .223 ammo available not only from the major ammo makers, but also from the Commercial Reloading firms.

A new Rifle is never an easy choice ot make, and as such one not to be taken lightly.

Good luck

Larry


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