Rifle Advice Needed

[phillysrt4]

I'm looking at getting a rifle as as gift for someone who doesn't have one of their own. They are the kind of shooter who unpacks it about 2 weeks before hunting season, makes sure its still zeroed, goes hunting for deer, then puts it back in the case until next year. Unfortunately I don't have a ton of money (thanks to my rimfire addiction) so I was looking for something along the lines of the Savage Edge/Axis or the Marlin 336W or C. The person I'm buying this for prefers lever action in a 30-30 but I think the bolt action of the savage in a 308 is going to give slightly better performance and a little more forgiving on accuracy with respect to harvesting a deer. Plus I was told from a gun dealer that Marlin closed a plant and as a result there has been intentional performance sabotage of firearms (heresay, but still...).

Based on where hunting happens and stand/blind opportunities, I really don't see the need to shoot out more than 75m (80yd) with 100-125m (110-140yd) being the absolute max.

All the reviews I have seen for the Savage have been positive overall with the downpoints being the "cheap" stock and no accutrigger. However, with the philosophy of use here I don't see see those downpoints as a huge impact in my decision.

Does anyone have any other ideas, or am I on the right track given the philosophy of use and the price point I'm trying to stay in?

[phillysrt4]

heading out tomorrow to pick something up. I'll see what happens.

[cemnt guy]

i bought the stevens model 200 for my son 2 yrs ago. plastic stock and no accutrigger.having owned many rifles in my life it didnt seem right buying a $300 rifle, but he was 10 at the time.that stevens will shoot with any gun i ever handloaded for! we put a nikon 3x9 on it and we love itsavage ftw!

[phillysrt4]

good deal. I never owned a savage so its good to hear they make a nice product across their price range.

This is for someone who always has to borrow a gun to go deer hunting when the season comes, so I thought for next year it would be nice if they had something of their own.

[John4cam]

I don't know if dicks still has the sale (especially where you live) but I just bought a mossberg .270, with scope, soft case, and an $80 set of bushnell glasses.

This rifle has a nice wood stock. Can't tell you how well it shoots since we haven't even bore sighted it yet.....but for $350.00 plus a $50 rebate you can't really go wrong.

My dad bought the axis and he says it shoots great. He does have the same complaint about the trigger, and synthetic stock.

[Dan B.]

Get the Steves Model 200....they are a Savage model 10/110 (or any other two or three digit Savage cetnerfire bolt gun). They are perfect for what he needs and you can get hem for under $300 w/ optics.

[phillysrt4]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I was going to go with the steves model 200 but I couldn't get it chambered in something suitable, so after a bit of negotiating I wound up getting a Savage Axis chambered in a 308 win and a slightly upgraded scope setup at almost no additional cost ($10.00).

While I was there, I also picked up a 10/22 for the hell of it and speced out a 22/45 pistol (i told you i had a rimfire addiction!)

(EDIT - BTW a stevens up here goes for around $330.00 no optics, yet the dollars have been at or close to parity for a long time. figure that one out)

[John4cam]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I was going to go with the steves model 200 but I couldn't get it chambered in something suitable, so after a bit of negotiating I wound up getting a Savage Axis chambered in a 308 win and a slightly upgraded scope setup at almost no additional cost ($10.00).

While I was there, I also picked up a 10/22 for the hell of it and speced out a 22/45 pistol (i told you i had a rimfire addiction!)

(EDIT - BTW a stevens up here goes for around $330.00 no optics, yet the dollars have been at or close to parity for a long time. figure that one out)

I don't think you can go wrong with that axis for the money. Especially for hunting......I mean how many times have we went through some rough brush guarding our wood stock guns? Here, with a synthetic stock you just barrel through it!

I actually searched you tube for axis vids, and there were many people shooting them and bragging about accuracy, and complaining about the trigger tension. For under 300 bux what the heck.....it's a good buy.

[phillysrt4]

^^^ that was my thinking. I wanted to get something that lets you focus on the deer instead of scratching a wood stock, and for the accuracy everyone claims is possible (even without accutrigger) you can't go wrong at this price point. Everyone I spoke to in person confirmed what I saw in reviews and on YouTube: at less than 100m accuracy will not be an issue.

Plus I was paying cash so there was a little negotiation room in the price. Not much, but some.

Its always nice to get opinions and confirmation from people you know though, hence my thread here.

[somethingclever]

Can't go wrong with a savage 110 for the money...and .308 is a good round.

Sounds like a nice pickup to me..

[phillysrt4]

thanks... getting it sighted in next week (just got a bunch of snow and they don't plow the range. Snow tires help but aren't the end all be all when you get a lot of snow.

[John4cam]

we sighted the .270 mossberg in yesterday......or tried to anyway. That thing refused to group with factory loads. My dad took it out today and ran some re-loaded shells through it with a gun vise and he said it was grouping well. I've heard some guns have trouble with factory ammo. Guess this is one of them....

[phillysrt4]

I think its true that every rifle prefers a specific kind of ammo. The Ruger I just picked up can`t group to save its life with Federal GameShok (both solid nose and hollow point) but is reasonably tight with CCI Velocitor ammo in back to back 10 round clips, but the Cooey I have seems to have no problems with the Federal.