Ballistic
Active Member
- Messages
- 258
When you buy within your budget - research aftermarket components for the rifle -like the stock. If the gun has a Remington footprint -immense options. Bergara fits this. Tika and Ruger don’t have many options for good aftermarket stocks. Savage has a decent amount of options. If you buy the accustock savage - great stock.
If you want to rebarrel some day and change the caliber. Immense do it yourself remage barrels for the Remington blueprint and the same for savage. Every gunsmith is setup for the Remington blueprint - not many are setup or like to work on the tika or Ruger. Many will work on the savage- just barrel TPI is different than Remington.
Aftermarket triggers you will find the same as above.
Tika and Ruger are still great setups - just limited for upgrades and gunsmiths that will work on them.
Scopes are mostly overrated and under-tested by hunters. Cheap $300 fixed SWFA and $300-400 Arken (chinese) scopes will track true and return to zero with 1000,s of rounds through them. Athlon is in the same class. The glass isn’t the newest HD -but the average hunter won’t be able to know the difference- it’s that good. I know some guys that compete w the Arkens and love them. The same for SWFA. They aren’t nightforce or leupold or vortex but for a budget scope -hard to beat.
Spend $1000 on the rifle and the scope.
Then take the $500 you have left over and find a load that shoots well and spend every penny of that $500 shooting it. Shoot at distances/angles/wind/rain/cold and hot.
The extra money spent on a high dollar scope will not make you a better shooter -time practicing will.
But spend $1 on a notebook and a pen and take good detailed notes. You will be years ahead of the average hunter.
The $1 expense will be the best money you can spend for your project. JMO
If you want to rebarrel some day and change the caliber. Immense do it yourself remage barrels for the Remington blueprint and the same for savage. Every gunsmith is setup for the Remington blueprint - not many are setup or like to work on the tika or Ruger. Many will work on the savage- just barrel TPI is different than Remington.
Aftermarket triggers you will find the same as above.
Tika and Ruger are still great setups - just limited for upgrades and gunsmiths that will work on them.
Scopes are mostly overrated and under-tested by hunters. Cheap $300 fixed SWFA and $300-400 Arken (chinese) scopes will track true and return to zero with 1000,s of rounds through them. Athlon is in the same class. The glass isn’t the newest HD -but the average hunter won’t be able to know the difference- it’s that good. I know some guys that compete w the Arkens and love them. The same for SWFA. They aren’t nightforce or leupold or vortex but for a budget scope -hard to beat.
Spend $1000 on the rifle and the scope.
Then take the $500 you have left over and find a load that shoots well and spend every penny of that $500 shooting it. Shoot at distances/angles/wind/rain/cold and hot.
The extra money spent on a high dollar scope will not make you a better shooter -time practicing will.
But spend $1 on a notebook and a pen and take good detailed notes. You will be years ahead of the average hunter.
The $1 expense will be the best money you can spend for your project. JMO
