help buying first rifle please.

[adamb701]

I am not sure on the brand of rifle i should buy.i know i want it in 308. and that i have a price limit of about 650$. i was looking at some savage packages
with there new trigger.I also was looking at a Remington SPS but they don't have my caliber.i think that i will get a Leupold's rifleman scope if i don't a package deal.I will be hunting moose and deer..please help!

[elkdom]

308win,a very good all around caliber, a very broad assortment of factory ammo , very reasonable prices and available almost any where you travel. If your thinking of a Savage bolt action, a good choice for the money and most savage riffles are very acurate, the 308 is a very effective round,with the right bullet it will take all species you wish to hunt in BC! practice and shooting confidence are what makes a marksman ,So far you have good sense, dont get bumped up to Magnun status untill your expert with a moderate recoil round such as 308 win,. good luck !

[bc sportsman]

Adam, if your price limit is $650 with scope then look for a used rifle. You save the taxes and likely get it for a few hundred less than a store bought. The mistake I made when I bought my first rifle was to get the least expensive I could find. The end result was after a few years I upgraded to mid quality and then a few years later, upgraded to a high quality gun. Save yourself some trouble and long term costs and get the best bang for your buck.

Make certain your scope is of good quality. Gun can't shoot straight if the scope doesn't stand up. A 'quality' fixed 4x scope with fog/waterproofing lifetime warranties (Bushnell, Leopold) is adequate for that caliber. Spend more on the rifle by keeping with a fixed power scope.

The major manufacturers all make reasonable quality rifles. I prefer bolt actions to any other. I've owned pump and lever actions. I can work a bolt action very fast and still be very accurate. I am a fan of Sako, Browning, Tika.

Very important, make certain that the rifle feels good when shouldered and goes up fast. Don't make the mistake of trying the rifle on for size wearing your street clothes. Put on a thicker jacket (like what you will be wearing when hunting) and then see how the rifle feels.

The 308 is a good, versatile caliber. Use quality bullets (Barnes TSX or Nosler) and it will do the job for both moose and deer and potentially Mr. Grizz.

[ruger#1]

now those two posts are good sound advise.

[brotherjack]

Savage makes some of the most accurate rifles available today - irregardless of budget. Given your price range, I think a Savage is your best bet.

[bc sportsman]

Oh yeah...I forgot...Ruger is another good manufacture. Never owned one but friends have and love them.

I owned a Savage lever action. Nothing wrong with it. I used it more as a backup gun in case my primary rifle was damaged as it was a banged up gun when I got it.

[ruger#1]

http://www.firearmscanada.com/gun_dealers.html this site will have all of the Canadian gun dealers, look for the ones in B.C. they have a good used stock of rifles.

[Steeleco]

Something else to add to the sound advice given so far, is to get the Savage package and use if for now. Save you money for a little and budget for a new scope in the sumer next year. A little range time and you're good to go.

There are lots of good used packages for sale, both here and on Gunnutz, but we all NEED new toys once in awhile!!

BTW Welcome to the site.

[Nailgunslinger]

I just bought a Weatherby stainless/synthetic vanguard combo a month ago in .308 was about 750 comes blued about 650 w/scope,scope could be better but does the job . No fog problems and good in dusk and dawn. I can take the head off a grouse from quite a distance away (lol you have to with a .308 anyway but i digress) It comes bore sighted but you can tweak it to what you want, its been through hell already , got seawater in it when my boat was almost sank and after a solid cleaning the next day it has no problems. I would get another for sure. Howa is the company that makes the vanguards they are based in Japan, you can usually pick up a Howa made gun for a lower cost, similar rifle though.

[todbartell]

the packages have terrible scopes and mounts, so they're not really as good of value as they seem, when you consider that the optics are worth almost nothing.

I would suggest a Remington 700 SPS, which they chamber in 308 in their hinged floorplate models. Top it with the Rifleman and you'll be much happier with the setup, and still be out the door for a lil over a grand with taxes. Better yet would to top it with a VXI for the extra $40, it gives you a bit better optics and the LR duplex reticle