First rifle for a newbie

[jzeror]

Ok guys, this is my first post so take it easy.

I am completly new to shooting anything over 150 yards. I'm looking for a setup that I can save up for and hopefully purchase by mid summer.
The intended purpose for this rifle would be hunting whitetail and shooting paper. It's intended range would be up 400 yards. I've been looking at the Remington sps tactical in .308 since it seems to be relitivly cheap and well loved on this site. I'm hoping to have a budget of about 1000 dollars.

What are you guys thoughts on this as in rifle, scope, accesories and whatever else I would need?

 

[triceratops3]

Re: First rifle for a newbie

Hello and welcome to the hide.

If this is your first rifle what other shooting experience do you have with 'heavier' cartridges? Also if you're not an experienced hunter I don't think trying to make 400 yard shots would be a good idea. (unless you were just going to shoot paper that far).

Remington makes a fine weapon and seems to be very popular. I would think a Remington would be a good first rife. But there are also many other options out there as well. Savage would come to mind for me because that is what I have. I got a savage model 11fl (im a lefty) in .308 and i love it. its pretty light so it has been pretty easy for me to lug around in the woods and everything but its not that bad on the range either. But if it was a range gun i would want it to be heavier (like the model 10s or 12s from savage.) The out of the box accuracy of a savage is hard to beat for the price. getting a righty rifle will open up more opportunities but at your spending limit i think a savage or remington will fit the bill well.

As for a scope. hmm. i dont really know that much about different scope off hand but i have a 3-9 bushnell on my .308. I think a 3-9 or 4-16 would be plenty of scope for shooting out to 400 yards on a target/hunting rig.

then as for accessories, i think a harris bipod would work well. Everyone seems to like them and they're reasonably priced compared to some, they're also pretty sturdy. Also a good sling will help you carry your new rifle through the woods. Then spend as much money as you can on ammo and get out adn start shooting.

I hope some of my info has helped you. This is my first real trying to be informative post. lol.

 

[jzeror]

Re: First rifle for a newbie

I've had plenty of experience behind my fathers .270 and a friends 30-06,
this would be my first rifle on my own. the longer range shots would be at paper until I become more confident(and accurate) at that distance. I havent heard/seen much on Savages but they definatly are worth checking out!

Thank ya for the info!

 

[ar-don71]

Re: First rifle for a newbie

i think you asked a question that will get you lots of opinions and answers.
i dont think you could go wrong with any of the mid priced .308s out there.you just need some trigger time .
there is a lot of good factory .308 ammo out there and its very easy to reload for.
you should have no problem finding a rifle/scope combo that you will be happy with for under 1k.

remington,savage,and tikka would all be rifles to look at.

 

[Johnny Lately]

Re: First rifle for a newbie

I'd say Savage, they are really gaining popularity, are easy to change parts and barrels out(Savage Shooters is a good website for info) and are well known for their accuracy, I'm partial to Savage though. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a Remington though! Either will suit you well.

Definitely go with a .308, there is a ton of ammo out there and handload data if you handload. It'll kill almost everything and ammo's cheap enough to allow you to shoot often for practice.

Scope? Hard to recommend with a 1K budget? Maybe a Nikon Buckmaster?

 

[fox5]

Re: First rifle for a newbie

Welcome! hmm for hunting look into some good shooting sticks, good choice on the rifle, find the right scope and you should be ready for a great time this summer. range your shots and keep track of dope

 

[wmr264]

Re: First rifle for a newbie

My pickup rifle is a sps 22-250 in a bell and carlson light tactical.It has leupold one piece base and rings and a vx3 3.5x10x40.It shoots factory loads good and handloads great.

For what you are looking for sps 308,hs take off or b&c,egw base,tps or vortex(seekin)rings.Just my opinion.

 

[tacdrver]

Re: First rifle for a newbie

you can pick up a remington 700 and leupold vx1, burris fullfield, bushnell elite 4200, nikon buckmaster or the new redfeild scopes.. and still have enough money to get a bipod and a couple boxes of ammo

 

[jzeror]

Re: First rifle for a newbie

Awesome guys. Thanks for all the input so quickly!

 

[sberge84]

Re: First rifle for a newbie

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Johnny Lately</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Scope? Hard to recommend with a 1K budget? Maybe a Nikon Buckmaster? </div></div>


Don't overlook these. I was in the same boat as you a few months ago with the $1k budget and I've become completely addicted since. I went with a Rem 700 SPS Varmint in .308 and the Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14x40 with the mildot reticle. With Weaver base and Leupold rings, I walked out the door for $978. That'll leave you enough for a cleaning kit or a box of rounds.

I originally purchased this scope thinking that it would do fine until I could save the money for a Vortex PST Viper FFP 6-24x50. That is still the plan, however, I WILL NOT get rid of this little Nikon and it will go on one of my old Woodmaster 742's. The glass is fantastic and holds it zero very well! I'm no expert, but you can look at reviews yourself and see what others say too. For a "starter" scope, you WONT be disappointed. Remember though, a second focal plane, variable-zoom scope with a mil-dot reticle is only spec'd for one zoom (reticle subtensions change at different zooms)...The Nikon is set up for 12x. I don't mind it as I'm still working on tightening my groups and working up a handload for 300 yds as of right now.

IMHO, and like I said I'm no expert, but Leupold's aren't all they're cracked up to be anymore. And the one's that are, are past your $1k budget alone. Consider this, my wife is a photographer, she uses Nikon equipment religiously for good reason. On the other hand, guess who makes ALOT of glass for photography equipment? Carl Zeiss. Zeiss scopes are pricey as well, but if an optics manufacturer also deals with photography optics, I'd imagine their glass is top-notch. Think about it

 

[Shooter21]

Re: First rifle for a newbie

My suggestion will bust your budget, but is a great investment none the less. A Rem 700 SPS tac in .308, EGW 20 MOA rail, Burris XTR mid rings (30mm), SWFA SuperSniper 10x glass, and choice of either B&C A2, HS Precision, or any other you want to save your pennies for, such as McMillan, or Manners, leaning more toward the last two. If you keep watch, any of the mentioned items can be bought here for a relatively decent price. good luck to you on your shooting adventures and welcome to the Hide

 

[jzeror]

Re: First rifle for a newbie

Awesome stuff. thanks for the input!