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advise on bolt action rifle

7K views 22 replies 13 participants last post by  juju1243 
#1 ·
It'll be my first time buying and hunting.

I'm looking to buy a bolt action rifle for big game deer hunting. Came across the remington 770 for 299.99, and was wondering if anyone have experiance with the 770. Thinking about .300 mag or 30-60 on a 24" barrel. Which one do you guy's think will be more suitable for the deer hunting rifle?

thanks
 
#2 ·
300 or 3006

You can use both cal for deer. I would go with the 06, cheaper price for amo than mag amo, 06 has been doing the job on deer for over a hundred yrs. As far as a rem 770 go'es check out other makes in that price range.
Mossberg, savage, They all have combo units for sale too.
 
#3 ·
You can use both cal for deer. I would go with the 06, cheaper price for amo than mag amo, 06 has been doing the job on deer for over a hundred yrs. As far as a rem 770 go'es check out other makes in that price range.
Mossberg, savage, They all have combo units for sale too.
I'm still learning here and there. just wondering what would be better as far as barrel length. 770 comes in 22",24",26". I do believe that the longer the barrel the further the travel,
 
#4 ·
Of the two cartridges, I'd vote for the 30/06 as a deer-specific cartridge. The .300 will, of course, do the job, but the added power over an '06 is not needed for deer. For someone new to the sport, the added range should not really be a consideration either. Being familiar with your '06 and it's trajectory will allow a hunter to cleanly harvest deer to 400+ yards and it takes a practiced shot to be confident and capable of that task.

As far as the platform you've mentioned, I am not a fan of that rifle. I think that for slightly more money, there are better platforms out there. The Rem 700s and Model Sevens may be excellent rifles, but the 770 has exactly zero in common with either of those fine actions/rifles.

Marlin produces a rifle in that same price range, the XS7 that has garnered lots of good reviews. The Howa 1500 can be found for slightly more if you search around and I feel it a much better platform. The Mossberg ATR 100 would also be a better choice. Not everyone likes the same rifles, but buying simply for "maker" and price might not be the best idea in this case, IMHO.

There are also a whole lot of quality used rifles in that price range that I would also recommend above the 770. The Rem M700, older post '64 M70s and any number of Ruger M77s & Savage 110s in their various renditions would all make a very good choice for someone. The '06 is not hard to find in any of those models.

Best of luck with whatever you choose and do not forget to get a quality scope for on top as well!! :thumbup:
 
#6 ·
Pass on the 710 or 770 Remingtons

I am not against Remington, they make fine rifles and ammo. This series of rifles the 710/770 line are garbage. I am sorry if anyone that owns them is offended by my opinion. Remington makes the model 700 SPS rifles that are great just a cheaper version of their regular model 700. The 710/770 series were made to offer an entry rifle at the bottom pricepoint and they should have avoided that pricepoint all together. As a consumer you have much better choices, I also recommend the Marlin XL7 or XS7 rifles. These are available for just under 300.xx and are far superior to the 710/770 Remingtons. Other posters have also suggested Savages, Mossbergs, and the entry level Kowas by Weatherby. There was a recent article in I think Guns and Ammo that compaired 18 bolt action entry level rifles. Six different rifles with 3 examples of each one were tested. All the testers agreed they would be happy with 4 of the 6. The two they didn't recommend were the Remington 770s and the new entry level Savage. They did recommend the regular Remingtons and Savages just to stay away from their bottom level model offering.

Karl
 
#8 ·
My suggestion on caliber and barrel length

Some shooters/hunters really like magnums. If you have a need for them, shots at really long distances on tough animals they are perfect. Most of us that shoot/hunt don't shoot that far, or shouldn't shoot that far. Deer are not that hard to kill cleanly. The 30-06 you are considering has been a perfect Deer cartridge for over 100 years and nothing has changed. It is easier to learn a rifle if it isn't kicking hard as you fire it, the 30-06 will kick alot less then the 300 Win mag. The price of ammo is also cheaper to stay with the standard cartridges compaired to the magnum ones. Learning a new rifle requires time at the range and the extra cost per box will add up quickly.
When looking at barrel length unless you are comparing the new compact magnums a magnum should have a barrel length of atleast 24 inches. Most standard rifles in 30-06 are equiped with a barrel of 22 inches. Two inches difference in barrel doesn't sound like much but it is noticeable when walking through the woods.

Karl
 
#9 ·
I've been doing a good deal of research on this matter and in this price range.

Savage Axis is about that price range or less. It has a heavy trigger, but from what I've read, a good gunsmith can make it into a 3lbs trigger for a couple dollars in parts. It has had very good reviews, out of the box and can be a 200-400 yard rifle. They do sell replacement triggers, but they can run about $100 for a rifle that's maybe $260.

Savage 111 series has the Accu-Trigger and some (all?) have the Accu-Stock. The trigger is well regarded and can help with accuracy. The stock has had mixed reviews, especially if you want to replace the stock. The 110s should have the Accu-trigger, but not accu-stock. The nomenclature for the Savage rifles can be found online, to help you understand the difference between a 111 FN and a 111 FXP. Savage has developed a good reputation for quality and affordability.

My buddy who is a very experienced smith and shooter told me that you can get a good Remington 700 BDL for $400 or so if you don't mind minor factory defects, like stock blemishes and scratches (those are the 700s at Walmart). The 700 is very well regarded, especially for new hunters.

I have not researched other makes/models, so the reason I wouldn't recommend another maker is my own ignorance.

I'm leaning toward the Axis. My buddy can tweak the trigger (yeah, it voids the warranty). In central Penna., I won't be shooting more than 200 yards or so, maybe 300. So, I'll put the money saved into optics and ammo.

I think others have pretty well stated the case for the 30-06, as well.
 
#12 ·
You may want to cut down on barrel length also. You won't gain much fps over say a 22" barrel and you will appreciate the shorter barrel over the long run. First rifle, I'd go for a 30-06 or 270win they both will do everything you would want. I haven't heard anything good about the Remington 770 line and this is coming from someone who has 1/2 doz remington firearms. Look for a good used 700 rem mountain rifle/scope combo and you will be happy forever.
 
#14 ·
770 are throw away guns, my good friend has several gun stores and he offers lifetime warranty on all his guns. He will not even stock or take one in on trade because he wont offer the warranty on 770 at all. Sometimes it is worth spending a few more $ and get something that will last. Several people have recommended a Stevens, I bought a Stevens for my wife to use and she has had nothing but great results. With my hand loads it is just as accurate as my $1000.00 Rem 700 CDL SF. 30-06 is a great caliber if you’re only choosing from those 2. 300 mag is way too much for any N. American hunts. You will shoot it once and say wow, 2nd say ouch, and 3rd put it down. The 3 calibers I swear by are .243, .270, 30-06, my favorite being the .270.
 
#15 ·
I favor the Remington 700, mainly because I have one chambered in .223.
Although both the .300 mag and the 30-06 are fine calibers there are many others you should consider. some that will recoil much less than the .300 mag. these are the .243 or the 6mm Rem (better ballistics than the .243) the .270 and if legal in your state the .223 which is very inexpensive to shoot by comparison to the other choices mentioned. any of these especially the .243 and the .223 can easily become a favorite varmint rifle.
 
#16 ·
y'all couldn't give me a remington product period. not the newer ones. My buddy just got a remington 700 SPS tactical. shot all over the place. took it back and it ended up being a SMOOTH bore rifle..lol. their QC has gone to heck.. The older ones are fine weapons, my son has a 700 youth model in .243 that is about 9 years old now that is an absolute dream to shoot.
 
#17 ·
New Remington's quality?????

This kinda hurts, I really wanted to buy both a M700 Mountain and a 750 Carbine one day. The situation hopefully is one that they will fix SOON. The Detroit 3 Auto Companies finally learned to consider quality a requirement. Hopefully the people in charge at Remington will again spend the resources required to bring it back before their reputation is ruined.

Karl
 
#18 ·
I would never sell my Rem 700 bdl mountain rifle, probably one of the best shooting/carrying rifles I own. Remington products have never let me down. I wouldn't purchase a newer low end budget rifle from them right now though! I think they had better do a quality check quickly.
 
#19 ·
I have 2 rifles and a shotgun right now, all older Remingtons.
An 870 Wingmaster w vent rib 1986,
a 572 pump .22 1994
and a 700 BDL varmint special in .223 1992.
all of which are very nice firearms. silky smooth actions, solid and accurate.
 
#20 ·
I own a .30-06 770 bought it a month ago. Dont get it i regret it. although it does shoot fine nice tight groups. i dont like the clip or the bolt. And i already am having to replace the bolt stop on it cause it does not stop the bolt from coming out anymore. Like others have said shop around you can find some at the same price or just a little more that are way better. I will be buying a new one for next season for now it will have to do.
 
#21 ·
Well I finally purchase the savage axis with bushnell scope. We tried it out and the range at 50 yrds and 100 yrds. scope wasn't zeroed in. It keep hitting down/left at 100yrd, 50 yrd is much more closer to the middle target. About the rifle, I like it very much just that when you tried to bring the action back after a shot to get another in, it just get stuck and I just have to look at it or swing the action back and forth a little to get it in the chamber. Otherwise great gun.

Going back to the range this weekend after I zero out the scope.
 
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