What rifle cartridge and rifle to get?

[darinb]

I have not really ever been interested in bolt action rifles but I am getting one in the next few months to plink with, I have a limit of 400 yards where I normally shoot. I want a decently priced and readily available round. I wont spend more than $350 on the rifle. What would you suggest?

 

[U.S. Patriot]

$350 for just the rifle? I assume, then I would look into a Stevens .223. That's is about the cheapest high powerd round right now.

 

[MarkR]

I would suggest waiting, and saving until you can spend more than $350. You are seriously limiting your choices with that price range.

 

[Ryan]

don't overlook the importance of a quality scope, and not just a 10x you can buy at walmart for $40

 

[42769vette]

imo scope is as important as the rifle. for 400 yd shots id stay with the "VARMINT" calibers. im a big fan of the 243. you can get a heavy enough bullet to buck the wind pretty well, recoil is very little, and when everyone goes ar nuts 243 ammo is easier to find than 223. but to be honest either would acomplish what you want. 243 ammo is a little more expensive.

as far as rifle for 350 id try and find a stevens or a really good deal on a used accutrigger savage.

 

[redneckmedic]

imo scope is as important as the rifle. for 400 yd shots id stay with the "VARMINT" calibers. im a big fan of the 243. you can get a heavy enough bullet to buck the wind pretty well, recoil is very little, and when everyone goes ar nuts 243 ammo is easier to find than 223. but to be honest either would acomplish what you want. 243 ammo is a little more expensive.

as far as rifle for 350 id try and find a stevens or a really good deal on a used accutrigger savage.

 

[Indecision]

I would save up a little longer to get something you will he happier with in the long run. It's cheaper to buy the right thing the first time anyway.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

If you're going to reach out to 300-400 yards on a regular basis, I'd even go so "big" as something in .270Remington. More recoil than a .223 or .243, but still isn't bad at all. I'd personally consider a .270 an "all day gun", even though I tend to be a little recoil sensitive.

If you hunt around, you can find a used Remington 710 in your price range...in just about any caliber you want. Might take a while to find one if you're hunting a specific caliber.

The Rem 710 rifle isn't nearly the beautiful machine that the Rem 700 is, but they're still a fine and serviceable rifle. They don't take much elbow grease to get all slicked up like a 700, either. The goofy gray polymer stock can be painted, too.

And, as has been said, optics cannot be neglected. A good rule of thumb is to plan on spending at least as much on glass as you do the rifle itself. And if you want good and consistant groups at 300-400 yards, you'll need to abide by the "price rule". And don't skimp on mounting hardware, either.

-J-

 

[243rem700]

I would save more and get a quality bolt rifle. If you are set on getting a rifle now NEF makes a single shot varmint rifle for under $350 I believe, and a Savage/Stevens would certainly be a good choice.

 

[dbd870]

Your budget is pretty tight for a good long range rifle. The 710's has a history of some problems, I would not go that way. I'd say for a budget rifle .223 is probably your best bet. For a firearm I guess a used Savage would be my recommendation as well. As it has been stated, you need to be prepared to spend $$$ on glass if you really want to shoot long range well.

 

[sp3worker]

I love my Savage .223, I would recomend that. I think I paid $489 new. .243 would also be a good choice, just in case you decide to do some hunting with it.

 

[OrangeCrate]

I have not really ever been interested in bolt action rifles but I am getting one in the next few months to plink with, I have a limit of 400 yards where I normally shoot. I want a decently priced and readily available round. I wont spend more than $350 on the rifle. What would you suggest?

As already mentioned, the Remington 770 would be a good choice for an all-around rifle. The most versatile caliber to get would probably be a 30-06, but for "plinking", I agree with the choice of a .223 something. But, like others, I can't immediately come up with a good suggestion under $350 (Save your money for the Savage). You can get the 770 in .243, however.

See here for additional info on the Remington:

Remington Model 770™

Remington 770 Sport Rifle Package with Scope 30-06

(^, Just a random site chosen for description and price range. Shop around, I'm sure you can find one for under $350.)

 

[Squatch]

For your budget you might want to look at the new Marlins. Reviews look pretty good on them, but I don't have any experience. My father was looking at getting a camo 7mm-08, but they can be somewhat hard to come by in places. He ended up deciding to just keep looking around.

Shane