Best rifle for around $1000.

Muleykenobe

Muleykenobe

Member
Messages
28
Ok, I mostly hunt archery and muzzy, but am thinking about upgrading my rifle. I currently have a Winchester model 70 featherweight 300 WSM that I put in a bell and Carlson stock that shoots .75? groups but weighs 8.5 #?s with scope. Currently looking at the Tikka?s, Xbolts, and a few more expensive like the Barrett Fieldcraft, and Kimbers. Anyone have any recommendations. I know the Fieldcraft and Ascent would be the lightest, but i?m a little worried about the accuracy. $1800 would be a little over my budget, but would be willing if I thought it was worth it. Also looked at the Christensen arms Ridgeline.

Thanks,

Landon
 
8.5 lbs isn't that bad. Realistically, you'll be saving about a pound. $1,000 for a pound? Now, if you just want a new rifle...
 
>8.5 lbs isn't that bad. Realistically,
>you'll be saving about a
>pound. $1,000 for a pound?
>Now, if you just want
>a new rifle...


Well, I was going to sell my current gun, so it would be about $300 for a pound, lol.
 
My muzzleloader weighs 9 lbs and i'm 75 and hunt solo in the Colorado Rockies. It's not hard.
 
Tristate made a good point, if it ain,t broke don't fix it. Personally I'm a Weatherby guy, so I pack around a 8.5 lb rifle as well.
With that being said, I've bought 2 Tikka T3 lite's for my kids and I love them. I think they are about 6 or 6.5 lbs, and shoot great! I think you can pick one up for $700 or so.
Marc
 
In that price range, the X-bolt Hells Canyon Speed is tough to beat. Light, accurate, 60 degree bolt, factory brake, factory cerakote.

2a0fcsk.gif
 
I really favor the Tikka myself. I have just about every caliber they offer and I think they are straight shooting guns. I can't say that I have shot out further than 500 yards with it, but it shoots good to 500 yards.
I did buy the Christensen Arms Ridgeline but have yet to shoot it.
 
Being a dealer and having my hands on a lot of rifles, I ton of my customers want Tikka. For your price range a tikka would be a good choice. The top of your price range, the Browning hells canyon would also be nice. Browning has a rebate right now as well.
If your in Utah I do have a Browning Hells Canyon in .28 Nosler I need to move out of my inventory. Message me if interested
 
Keep the gun you have and go to the gym. Get a light gun and you'll be complaining about the recoil.
 
Sounds like you are really just after a lightweight rifle. I recently had that bug too. I purchased a savage model 16lwh in .243. 5.65lb gun. Put a light weight scope and a brake on it. I found i like it so much, that i went ahead and put together another one in .308. This pic is my first 3 shots at 200 yards with the .243.
54293file.jpg
 
Go one step lighter,, buy the tikka super light,, fluted barrel , in stainless,, it saves about 8 ounces,, in a 7mm rem mag, slap a vx3 3.5 to 10 leupold on it and go huntin,, ya it kicks a little so what sub MOA out of the box,, trigger is adjustable, crisp , zero creep,, 4 shot removable mag available,, about 7 lbs with scope,
 
Interesting dialog on the posts here. A couple points I'd like to make;
The Tikka lite in a .270 win. has very little recoil, my 12 year old shoots it. I hope that helps with the original post here.
"hit the gym and lose a few pounds" is also great advice, hunting is way more enjoyable when you do.
If a guy wants a light rifle, a long distance scope, a 300 yard shooting muzzleloader or whatever, and asks for help with that, help a guy out.
-me
 
I weighed 165 on my last sheep hunt in August.
I still much prefer a 7 lb. rifle to an 8.5-9 lb rifle. Rifle weight is way more noticeable/burdensome than pack weight or body weight.
If you don't know that it's probably just because you've never carried a lightweight rifle.
So I don't put much stock in the snide remarks either.

That said, the ?featherlights? can be tough to hold steady, so I don't prefer them.

The Tikka is a great choice for your price range. A lot of folks don't like the factory stocks but a grand even leaves room for a good aftermarket stock.
 
>Go one step lighter,, buy the
>tikka super light,, fluted barrel
>, in stainless,, it
>saves about 8 ounces,, in
>a 7mm rem mag,
> slap a vx3
> 3.5 to 10 leupold
>on it and go huntin,,
>ya it kicks a little
> so what
> sub MOA out
>of the box,,
> trigger is adjustable,
>crisp , zero creep,,
>4 shot removable mag available,,
>about 7 lbs with scope,
>

Savage 16 lwh is just a little bit lighter, and yeah they do kick a bit. Thats why we have muzzle brakes though. I like these witt machine clamp on brakes. Put them on both the .243 and .308. Different colors so i can tell the 2 rifles apart.
1902920180303120551.jpg
 
>I weighed 165 on my last
>sheep hunt in August.
>I still much prefer a 7
>lb. rifle to an 8.5-9
>lb rifle. Rifle weight is
>way more noticeable/burdensome than pack
>weight or body weight.
>If you don't know that it's
>probably just because you've never
>carried a lightweight rifle.
>So I don't put much stock
>in the snide remarks either.
>
>
>That said, the ?featherlights? can be
>tough to hold steady, so
>I don't prefer them.
>
>The Tikka is a great choice
>for your price range. A
>lot of folks don't like
>the factory stocks but a
>grand even leaves room for
>a good aftermarket stock.

I tried a lightweight rifle. I'm an offhand shooter and like you said. They're harder to hold steady. As for the extra weight? It never bothered me.

I'm just giving him the option of keeping what has already. Some agree with me. No snide remarks unless you want to take them that way. Just being honest.
 
You can buy a tikka and invest a bunch of money in making it a nice gun, or buy a kimber and be set. Oh yeah, no plastic parts!
 
>You can buy a tikka and
>invest a bunch of money
>in making it a nice
>gun, or buy a kimber
>and be set. Oh
>yeah, no plastic parts!

?no plastic parts? as in plural? Ohh no it has a ?plastic magazine box? weight saver!!! For something that doesn't need to be metal...
 
Muley, it kinda came across that way to me too. But I can see the misunderstandinding. With that being said, I'm not sure what you mean by off handed shooter. Personally, I have to find a knee, tree or have a prone position when I shoot. I've done well "offhanded" on moving game, but for me I count that as luck.
If a guy wants a light, accurate rifle, I gave him my best opinion. I personally don't carry the Tikka as my first choice gun, but its my backup gun on every hunt. I just like the Weatherby more, and it weighs to much for this discussion.
Muleykenobe, sorry to get side tracked. I'm not trying to sell you anything, but when I put my three girls and wife in the jeep to go hunting, I know they have a good rifle that they can handle. The Tikka does that for us. Go to your local gun store and try a couple out. I hope this helps.
Marc
 
THE WORD TIKKA HAS SURFACED FOR A GOOD REASON MANY TIMES. MY .300 WSM IS THE PERFECT SOLUTION FOR ALL MY NORTH AMERICAN HUNTING. LIGHT ENUFF TO CARRY ALL WEEK & ACCURATE. TIKKA...............AND DONT LOOK BACK!!!

...................YD.
 
>
> THE WORD TIKKA HAS
>SURFACED FOR A GOOD REASON
>MANY TIMES. MY .300 WSM
>IS THE PERFECT SOLUTION FOR
>ALL MY NORTH AMERICAN HUNTING.
> LIGHT ENUFF TO CARRY
>ALL WEEK & ACCURATE. TIKKA...............AND
>DONT LOOK BACK!!!
>
> ...................YD.


X2 YUKONS the man!!!
 
Be careful with advertised weights. If weight is a primary concern, I'd be taking a scale with me to verify.
 
Looked at a Plastikka in about 2004. Picked it up and promptly set it back down. I've held BB guns that felt built better. Haven't touched one since. The Sako Roughtech Pro hasn't been mentioned. Lot of gun for the money looks like. I'd personally buy a Remington AWR with the 5r barrel. But, I'm not scared. mtmuley
 
>Muleyken............Is your Model 70 a pre
>64? I might have a
>buyer if it is.


Not a pre-64, it was made in New Haven, Connecticut...these were not bedded very well from the factory, put in in a Bell and Carlson stock and tightened up the groups a lot. I won't be selling it, because my son loves it. I have a Winchester featherweight carbine that I whitetail hunt with that is a pleasure to carry...I actually backpack hunt a lot, and even float in to some spots with a kayak...that's why I'm looking at the smaller, lighter rifles. The carbine I have shoots about 2 inch groups at 100 yards...OK for woods, not good for out west.
 
Oh ok. I thought you said you were selling it. No problem. My buddy has about 10 pre 64 Model 70's and I know would buy another one. he loves them obviously.

Nothing wrong with a light rifle if you like them. I think about them when i'm huffing and puffing up a mountain, but i'm more recoil sensitive in my old age than I am carrying a heavy gun.
 
I almost bought a tikka once. Just couldn't get past the plastic detach mag.

This thread may well be the first I've ever heard of a brake on a .243. I'm as recoil sensative as they come and a brake on my featherweight has never crossed my mind.
4abc76ff29b26fc1.jpg
 
last year in Elk camp there was a guy from Texas that had the Tikka 300 WSM if I remember right. He said that it shot great but that the barrel heated up quite high if you shot it several times as you would on the range.

We compared it to my Ruger .338 Mag after we shot them at the range and his barrel was quite a bit hotter than mine was.

not sure that matters but it could be that the barrel won't last as long.
 
NOT THAT IT MATTERS,,,,,,, BUT I WAS UP ON THE RANCH YESTERDAY WITH MY TIKKA .300 WSM. RANGED A YOTE AT 584 YARDS. POPPED THAT YOTE DEAD IN ITS TRACKS, WITH A 180 GR. NP ELK LOAD.

I LOVE TO BUILD CONFIDENCE WITH A GOOD RIFLE..........YD.
 
Muley, have you looked at HS Precision?

Joe


?Sometimes you do things wrong for so long you
think their right" - 2001
"I can't argue with honesty" - 2005
-Joe E Sikora
 
+1 to cbeard,
Back in the day an 8.5lb gun would have been considered light, but now days that's on the heavy side for anyone that backpacks into hunting sweet spots. A pound doesn't make that much difference if you are cruising around on a 4 wheeler, but back country hunting is a game of ounces for most of us.
I can attest to how losing an extra pound or two makes hunting a whole lot more enjoyable.
I was sold when I traded my old heavy weight Remington for a light weight Browning. I have since had Zeke build me a rig that's even lighter. That's especially helpful while father time keeps winding his hands.
 
HuckleberryHound said:
>Go one step lighter,, buy the
>tikka super light,, fluted barrel
>, in stainless,, it
>saves about 8 ounces,, in
>a 7mm rem mag,
> slap a vx3
> 3.5 to 10 leupold
>on it and go huntin,,
>ya it kicks a little
> so what
> sub MOA out
>of the box,,
> trigger is adjustable,
>crisp , zero creep,,
>4 shot removable mag available,,
>about 7 lbs with scope,
>

Savage 16 lwh is just a little bit lighter, and yeah they do kick a bit. Thats why we have muzzle brakes though. I like these witt machine clamp on brakes. Put them on both the .243 and .308. Different colors so i can tell the 2 rifles apart.
1902920180303120551.jpg
Click to expand...
Dug this thread up huck, I have the 16lwh In the safe love it, never thought about a clamp on break, going to look into it, ever looked at another stock? That’s my one gripe with it is crappy stock
 
slamdunk said:
Just got my myself a Franchi in 6.5 PRC which is made by Benelli, It's right at a grand.
I'm impressed!!
Click to expand...
I love franchi shotguns I’ve always wondered how their rifles stacked up? Seem like a good value Slam any reports on how it is grouping for you?
 
Last edited:
Sure, the gun you have is fine, but.....who doesn't like a new gun right? I have lots and lots of rifles, from your cheap ole ruger american all the way to a Best of the West rifle. For $1000 you cannot go wrong with the new Christensen Mesa FFT. My boy just got one in 6.5 PRC, and I got the Ridgeline FFT in 300 prc...the Mesa is steel barreled, cerakoted.. and its shoots lights out. I am totally impressed with the price point and the quality of the gun.
 

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