Re: Beginner rifle in 7.62x51?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: boltstop</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 10 Power</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for the advice. However, when I said "beginner" I meant a beginner precision rifle in 7.62x51. I own five .22 rifles and have been shooting for 30 years. Thanks again for the reply's. </div></div>
<span style="text-decoration: line-through">I love the way like five guys immediately assume you're some 13 year-old airsofter. I'm starting to get the impression that every post I read on this board has some tool just looking to jump in to prove how intellectually superior he is. What's wrong, guys? Watching too much Jon Stewart lately?
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Edit - By the time I got to the bottom of the thread you guys had cooled off. Sorry for the hit. Good correction. Anyway:
Here's what I did - I bought a 700 PSP (yes, the year before they put the externally adjustable X-Mark Pro trigger on that rifle, so 2007, I think) for right below $600. I used a Dednutz scope mount for the rifle and purchased a Falcon 4x14x44 FFP scope for the whole deal (this reflects about $1150 total in the gun). While the rifle and scope have proven effective, I don't know that I can really maximize my success with this rifle without:
<ul style="list-style-type: disc">[*]Improving the quality of my hand-loads (better brass, right combo of bullets and powder)[*]Putting a quality stock on the rifle[/list]
If I had to do it over again I might try a different rifle. The Hogue-stocked Howa is supposed to be a shooter, and has a complete bridge over the receiver, which prevents flexing. Now I'm not saying the Rem 700 flexes with a mid-power cartridge like .308 - but I liked the feel of the Howa a bit better, although there are essentially no mods for it. It's a little cheaper, too, and it's essentially a Weatherby as Howa makes the actions for that company.
Another thing - I'll want to put new bottom-metal on my rifle so I can feed with a removable mag from the bottom; hand feeding rounds in from the top is kind of clumsy for me, and I am a gas-gun guy who is used to charging the rifle from underneath.
These are my experiences - I hope they are helpful. </div></div>
None of these posts were being mean, I know for a fact mine wasn't. He asked for advice and some experienced shooters offered the best advice we could with the knowledge we had. No smartassness was intended but the word "beginner" usually means someone who does not own or has very minimal rifle experience. After you've been on here a while you will see why we try to shortstop most beginners. They all want to shoot 2000 yds with huge rifles that are much more of a detriment than they will ever realize. I wish him luck nailing down his first LR rifle. The before mentioned advice about horrible stocks on "budget" rifles is pretty on point. That's the ONLY reason I suggest a budget 700 is because I see used stocks everywhere. You can find them for savage more and more every month. But I won't discount savage, one of my friends has one that is completely factory except for the stock and he has made some guys with $4000 customs feel real bad about themselves with that stick. He is in posession of several customs himself and still shoots the s**t out of that thing.