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Ranking 10 Common Bolt Action Hunting Rifles Under $750

I went on a gun buying spree about 5 years ago (about 1 gun a year) I was often shopping the cabelas used gun rack. 1. $470 remington 700 stainless in 270wsm .75" groups. 2. $450 ruger m77 Hawkeye walnut stock in 270 win .5" groups(bought the ernies gunsmith spring to lighten trigger) 3. NEW $799 kimber hunter 7mm08 if I can hold it steady and keep it cool itll shoot a 3 shot group touching. 4. NEW $299 mossberg patriot bantam 243 for my daughter, .6" groups. I feel like I have been really lucky in the used dept. as I could have gotten a couple of lemons. Im really impressed at the accuracy of all of these guns. If I could buy a gun today it would be a Bergara, I wish they made one in a 280 or 280ai.
 
Great thread to stumble on. Trying to decide on an antelope gun in .243. Final contestants are howa 1500, tika tx3 and bergara
 
I just read through the entire thread hoping to see some first hand experience with the Bergara. While my two "go-to" rifles of .270 Win and .300 Win Mag have proven themselves on game and targets for decades, I have recently been intrigued by the Bergara Ridge in 7mm-08. I believe it retails slightly more than VikingsGuy's upper list price. I'm at the stage of," I don't need another rifle" ... BUT...
 
F250 said:
I just read through the entire thread hoping to see some first hand experience with the Bergara. While my two "go-to" rifles of .270 Win and .300 Win Mag have proven themselves on game and targets for decades, I have recently been intrigued by the Bergara Ridge in 7mm-08. I believe it retails slightly more than VikingsGuy's upper list price. I'm at the stage of," I don't need another rifle" ... BUT...
Click to expand...
I've got two Bergara rifles. A B14 Hunter in .270WIN and a B14 Wilderness Ridge in 7mm Rem Mag. My advice is get the wilderness series of whichever model you're considering if you can swing just a little more money. It comes cerakoted which is awesome if you spend much time in the field in sour weather. If you're a fair weather hunter or a range lackey then the non-Wilderness B14's are great. I mean truth be told all of my experience with them has been great. My Wilderness series 7 mag is very accurate with Hornady Precision Hunter and my 270WIN likes just about anything I've put into it so far. All of Bergara's rifles seem to favor heavier for caliber bullets so keep that in mind when trying to find something that it likes. Bergara even gives you a list of the loads they shoot for accuracy testing at the factory so those should be a heck of a starting point in terms of loads to try. I wish all manufacturers did this.

www.bergara.online

Accuracy Testing - Bergara USA

Accuracy Testing
www.bergara.online www.bergara.online
 
Could always put in ta Mauser M18 and Sauer 100. I don't own the M18 anymore but have a sauer 100 and 101. The 101 is over theprice point you talking about the 100 is right in line. i like better than the tikka's. Have yet to shoot a Bergara but that is next on the list.
 
Probably a well known fact. Every rifle on that list could be #1 depending on who you talked to!
 
Nobody you know! :) I had a brother in law years ago that though the best rifle ever made was the Mossberg 800!
 
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huntn100 said:
I went on a gun buying spree about 5 years ago (about 1 gun a year) I was often shopping the cabelas used gun rack. 1. $470 remington 700 stainless in 270wsm .75" groups. 2. $450 ruger m77 Hawkeye walnut stock in 270 win .5" groups(bought the ernies gunsmith spring to lighten trigger) 3. NEW $799 kimber hunter 7mm08 if I can hold it steady and keep it cool itll shoot a 3 shot group touching. 4. NEW $299 mossberg patriot bantam 243 for my daughter, .6" groups. I feel like I have been really lucky in the used dept. as I could have gotten a couple of lemons. Im really impressed at the accuracy of all of these guns. If I could buy a gun today it would be a Bergara, I wish they made one in a 280 or 280ai.
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I bought that same Mossberg Patriot in 243 for $299 also. Got home and ordered a wood stock right away. Waiting on the wood stock I worked up a load for it, 75gr Hornady V-Max 1/2" at 100 yds. Blew my mind!

Other than a well used 22 RF in my teens, long ago, it's the first Mossberg rifle I've ever bough, got two now!
 
Only thing that worries me about the bergara is the tacky stock. Very concerned about them turning into a gummy mess like the brownings did a few years ago. Anyone notice this yet? Otherwise it is between that and the vanguard for my next rifle.
 
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About a year ago my wife picked up a M70 Featherweight Compact in .308 for $200 when the local gun shop had to reduce inventory. Not really the gun for Southeast Alaska, but couldn't pass it up. We gave it to one of our boys on his 13th birthday. It is a beautiful rifle and shoots just fine. He had his heart set on a Tikka Veil Wideland. . . so he saved his half, we paid for the other half, and that is his pride and joy.
 
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AndyPOW said:
About a year ago my wife picked up a M70 Featherweight Compact in .308 for $200 when the local gun shop had to reduce inventory. Not really the gun for Southeast Alaska, but couldn't pass it up. We gave it to one of our boys on his 13th birthday. It is a beautiful rifle and shoots just fine. He had his heart set on a Tikka Veil Wideland. . . so he saved his half, we paid for the other half, and that is his pride and joy.
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When I lived in Alaska, a friend and I used to go up the Portage River fishing. Carried a rifle along just in case, there were huge bear print's where we went. We carried along my Mod 660 Rem in 308 loaded with 200 gr bullet's. They lacked in accuracy but didn't plan on shooting anything we didn't have to! I could have zeroed in at 25yds and been good to go and would have been down under an inch!
 
I'm going to try guns this weekend to see what feels right but I've heard good things about the Tikka T3x Lite. That and the Bergara B-14... I'm going to try out a few things but those are the two I'm most excited about. I still have to figure out caliber but I gotta talk to the folks to see what they recommend.
I've been shooting in the past but I have never been shooting with the intent to purchase so I'm actually pretty excited.
 
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