I'm thinking about picking up my first bolt action rifle. The thing is I really don't know muck about them. Right now the only rifles I own are semi auto chambered in either .22 or .223.  I don't hunt, so I don't need a cartridge that will take down a white tail at 400 yds but, I think I want something with a little more punch that a .223 (enough to make it fun not painful). I'm thinking something good for target shooting at maybe 200 yds or so.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        

 

I don't have any real experience with scoped rifles (or how to sight them in), so I'm looking for ideas on a decent entry level rifle and scope. I don't have a lot of money to spend, maybe $600. Any ideas, tips, or suggestions are appreciated.

The two classics should fall right in your price range. Remington 700 or Winchester 70. And a .308 or .30-06 would be excellent at 200 yards.

 

Or maybe another .223 if that's the range you'll be working at?

My first center fire bolt gun was a .243 win., great first gun and can definitely reach out 200+ yards.

.223 would be a lot cheaper in terms of ammo usage for you... and you can definitely be very accurate at 200 yards with .223.  

 

Lower end budget rifle would be a Savage Axis II XP - has the savage accutrigger and is a very nice affordable gun ($450'ish).  I have a Savage Axis XP (Without the accutrigger) in .308 - seems to be a tack driver so far...

.243  6mm or 6.5 Creedmore.  Fast flat and will not punish your shoulder.  Avoid rifles with a light sporter barrel,such as the Ruger American Rifle or the Savage Axis, the price may seem attractive but they are strictly hunting rifles.  Check out the Ruger American Predator and the Ruger Precision Rifle.  Savage also makes a few decent rifles with mid weight barrels.  The problem with thin barrels is they heat up fast. Not a problem for hunters but will cause a lot of grief at the range if you plan on pulling the trigger more than four or five times.  Thin hot barrels destroy accuracy.

 

Of the three calibers I mentioned, 243 is probably the most economical to shoot.  You can find pretty good 243 ammo on sale for around $16-$18 per 20/rds I shoot Prvi Partizan (PPU) and occasionally get it on sale for about $12 per 20 rounds.

 

You don't have to spend a fortune on glass but count on spending almost as much as the rifle itself.  I'm a big fan of Redfield's Revolution scope.  It's almost completely made in the USA at the same plant in Oregon as Leupold and has a lifetime warranty .  Nikon (so I've heard) makes a very good scope too and it's probably a better value than the Redfield scope but I only buy Made in the USA when there is a US made option.  Yeah, my Redfield cost me a tiny bit more compared to a Nikon but that's my own personal preference.  Let your budget guide your conscience.  

 

So that's my two cents worth.

.243  6mm or 6.5 Creedmore.  Fast flat and will not punish your shoulder.  Avoid rifles with a light sporter barrel,such as the Ruger American Rifle or the Savage Axis, the price may seem attractive but they are strictly hunting rifles.  Check out the Ruger American Predator and the Ruger Precision Rifle.  Savage also makes a few decent rifles with mid weight barrels.  The problem with thin barrels is they heat up fast. Not a problem for hunters but will cause a lot of grief at the range if you plan on pulling the trigger more than four or five times.  Thin hot barrels destroy accuracy.

 

Of the three calibers I mentioned, 243 is probably the most economical to shoot.  You can find pretty good 243 ammo on sale for around $16-$18 per 20/rds I shoot Prvi Partizan (PPU) and occasionally get it on sale for about $12 per 20 rounds.

I 100% agree. 243 is fast, flat and accurate. Minimal recoil. Better in the wind than 308 and easier to shoot. Less expensive ammo. Give "Old School" on here a shout if you want to get into the benefits of 243. He loves 6mm rounds.

 

C

OK, so we have a $600 budget and are looking for a bolt action for target shooting up to 200 yards and maybe a little hunting in the future, one never knows. Fitted with decent glass.  For me, 6MM and 6.5 Creedmore are off the list, To me they have a specific purpose and no budget gun if chambered in them will give the performance for the cost of the ammo.  So we are looking at the popular calibers, 22-250, 243, 270 Win, 7mm-08, and 308. Popular caliber sized ammo will always be available with lots of load choices.  For me a Ruger American with the Redfield scope option would be a great first bolt gun choice.  I would want a caliber that covers a bunch of different situations, the .308.

I went with a 700 in 7mm08, no regrets

I would try to scoop up a used Remington 700 in .223. .223 will be the cheapest round for that type of distance.

I would recommend the savage axis II XP.  Mine was just slightly over $300 after the $50 rebate savage has going on right now and it came with a scope (laser bore-sighted at the factory to be on paper at 100yards).

 

The scope is cheap, but it works.... Weaver Kaspa 3-9x40

Go to the Oaks gunshow... pickup a Mosin Nagant with a decent barrel. If you want to go with a scope option, find a PU version (can easily pull the scope and shoot irons if need be).

 

I'm saying that because you can have a rifle that goes pretty good into the power range, yet is still affordable to purchase and feed. You could go with an Ishapore 2A or 2A1... and have a more common caliber; 7.62x51mm. But there are other rifles to look at. Mausers are still around, and you can sometime find ones in more affordable calibers (Israeli ones are usually in 7.62x51mm). Swiss rifles are known for their accuracy. There are quite a few others, especially US rifles... but you'll either go out of your $600 budget or have a caliber that isn't that easy to shoot (Italian, Japanese, French, British, etc).

 

At least with surplus rifles, you can go into a lot more than picking up an entry level Savage or Ruger. History and collectibility really make it more than just something you are going to shoot. I have a stack of books on the handful of rifles I own, whether it is Garands, M1903s, Mosin Nagants, or the others that have some unique history behind them.

If you want an accurate gun right off the bat, I was told Ruger Precision Rifle is the way to go unless you like to tinker.  It comes in 308, 243 and 6.5 Creedmoor.  The price range is higher than you wanted but you just need to add an optic and feed it.

 

http://ruger.com/micros/rpr/models.html

 

The optic is probably the most expensive part though and can cost more than the rifle.

Yeah. Rem 700 in 223. I agree.

So folks have mentioned the Rem 700 and Savage axis line. I think the mossberg MVP could also be in the conversation. I'm not sure what the differences or pros/cons of each is though. Reading online it seems a matter of religion and preference.

 

Remington 700 is a great pick....you can custom build off the tried & true action

Thank you to everyone who replied to this post for the ideas and insight. I've had a couple offers from forum members to shoot their rifles (very cool and appreciated) and get a better feel for what may be best for my style of shooting. I will defiantly be taking some of them up on their offers 

I would love a Mauser or K31. Where would one find such things?

 

Also would it be difficult to find a Mauser in 7.62? And anyone know if the k31 came in other calibers?

Try gunbroker....

I would love a Mauser or K31. Where would one find such things?

 

Also would it be difficult to find a Mauser in 7.62? And anyone know if the k31 came in other calibers?

As said, GunBroker. AIM Surplus did have Swiss rifles for sale from time to time... think they just sent out an email about more. Other than that, Oaks gunshow or one of the Cabelas might have something.

 

There will likely be a few 7.62mm Mausers out there. Was common in Israel, and other places that wanted to convert their rifles to take something more modern. You'll find a few different calibers with Mausers, as they were widely rechambered when sporterized.

 

Don't think there were K31s in any other caliber... at least commonly.

700. Lasts forever. Easy to work on. Plenty of aftermarket parts to upgrade down the line.

Why must we make life so complicated?

I have a few bolt guns, but my absolute favorite is the old Remington 700ADL in .243 I inherited from my mother. It was her deer rifle, and it has quite a few kills at her hands. Minimal recoil, flat shooting, and very accurate. Hers has a fairly cheap Tasco 4x on it, I've never had the heart to change it. Besides, for west Texas white tails on my ranch, I don't need much more than a 4x.

 

 

Find an older 700 at a gun show or on GB. Much better build quality than the new production Remington's, IMHO.

The aftermarket support for this rifle is nearly endless.

 

You are welcome to shoot mine (mom's) 700 at SJSC, if you like.