# Getting a new rifle for next season - suggestions



## Oblivion5888 (Sep 12, 2011)

Hey all, i'm in the market for a new rifle for next season and was hoping to get some suggestions from you guys. I was hoping to spend anywhere from 2000 to 2500 with everything... rifle, glass, sling, etc. I've been using the same old Model 70 Winchester in .270 from the time i could start deer hunting almost a decade ago. Simply said, it's time for an upgrade and to build the rifle I have always wanted.

I would really like to build an ideal hunting rifle that would be good for anything from whitetail to moose. I want something that is rugged, can take a beating, and will shoot accurately.

With that said I've narrowed the rifles down to a couple that I really like. The Browning X-Bolt Hell's Canyon Speed looks and feels awesome, and I wish i could find one in 30-06. Something about their ATACS camo finish with the bronze Cerakote makes for an awesome looking gun. Everything I've read about the gun makes it seem like an awesome rifle for western hunting and it checks all the boxes that i'm looking for. 

The Weatherby Vanguard S2 seems like another great option, and quite a bit less than the Hell's Canyon. My old man has owned about 100 of these and it seems like every single one is a tack driver out of the box and just great guns all around.

I am also open to other gun manufacturers if you guys believe they put out a superior product to the above two. I just list the X-bolt and Weatherby because they are the two that caught my eye. With that said, I've heard good things about Tika, Montana, and a few others.

As far as rifle scopes, I've always been a Leupold fan, but am willing to try something new. I've heard the Nightforce scopes are awesome. Anyone have any experience with them? What other scopes would you recommend?

I'm hoping to be able to use this rifle for most big game, and so I was thinking I couldn't go wrong with the versatility and availability of the 30-06. Do you guys feel that would be a good caliber? Or should I go with something different?

I've never hunted with a bipod on any of my guns, but i would really like to put one on this new rifle. Where are the best places to purchase one? Which brands are good? Are bipods worth using on a (primarily) western deer rifle?

I'd love to hear your guys' opinion on this, and what rifle you would build in this situation. Right now I'm leaning towards the X-Bolt, but I'm 100% open to suggestions!


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## HeberHunter (Nov 13, 2014)

A lot of this depends on price range and desired hunting style. From the sounds of your specification I would lean towards a Tikka T3 Hunter or a Tikka T3 Lite. They are a great gun for the price. (Sub $750) They would be light enough to hunt but not too light to not be able to handle the recoil or break.

In terms of a scope I would lean towards a Vortex or Sig Sauer scope. They both carry incredible lifetime warranties. That way, even if you do over punish the scope it is within warranty. My brother has the Sig and says the glass is clearer than his vortex and nightforce. 

As for caliber, that is personal preference. The 30-06 and 7mm Remington Magnum are excellent rounds. If you bump up to the 7mm Remington Magnum do yourself a favor and have a nice muzzle-brake put on it. They don't kick super hard but you don't want to get a bad flinch due to the kick of a magnum.

Anyway, just my 2 cents worth. There are many great guns, scopes, and calibers all within your price range.


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

Spend money on really good glass. I seem to like the more modern calibers but you also need to decide if you want to have a muzzle break rifle. 
The new brownings are great. Sako, Remington sondero, some high end savages. And up the list is very long. You should also look at some custom or semi customs. Like cooper. CZ, Christensen and so on. 
As for glass look at a bushnell elite tactical with G2 reticle, or night force.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

With that budget, you could have a pretty decent set-up.

My initial thoughts are that you will want to consider your hunting style (do you hike a ton, do you plan on shooting distance, are you a terrible shot and need a semi-auto, etc). This will help you decide whether you need a lightweight rifle for packing up and down hills, or if you should have a heavy barrel for long range shooting. I would also consider whether you want a wood or synthetic stock. If you know that you are going to beat the rifle up, I would suggest synthetic... and then there is the stainless / blued / camo / teflon / parkerized finish discussion.

If you were to say that you wanted a long range shooter in stainless, I think that we could give you some suggestions.

If it were me buying a new rifle with that budget, I would STRONGLY suggest looking into a Cooper Excaliber. Here are some Coopers to look at, but they are just a little high in price here: 
https://hendershots.net/product-category/manufacturers/cooper/ You can even go to Scheels and look at them (they are in a glass case).

PS: take a look at the 280 Ackley Excaliber on the link I sent you.... 8)8)8)


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Wow Bax, those are some nice guns, I can't imagine being able to spend $8,500 for a .22 LR.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

bowgy said:


> Wow Bax, those are some nice guns, I can't imagine being able to spend $8,500 for a .22 LR.


 I once had a $25 hamburger when I was traveling for work (bison burger with fragois butter) and thought I had made it into the big-league.

Sawsman really messed me up telling me about that website. Now I look at purdy guns that I likely will never afford.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

It is a little bit out of your price range but if you save up for a couple more years you might be able to afford it.

There isn't anything around that you couldn't hunt with one of these, and it will blow away most of those that think that they have a long range rifle at the range.

https://barrett.net/firearms/model82a1/#specfications


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Cooper Arms of Montana. The best.


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## ZEKESMAN (Sep 14, 2007)

Why an '06 when you already have a 270? They will both do the same thing. One shoots flatter and one has heavier slugs. Why not get a 338 or a 6mm something that is different? I just feel You can use your 270 to hunt anything you could with the '06. Or get another 270 if you just want a NEW gun. Vic


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## Oblivion5888 (Sep 12, 2011)

Mostly the 06 because I like the 270, but want the ability to go up to a higher grain bullet. My old man has 7mm mag, 300 wby mag, and others already available to me if I needed to use them. So in my mind, no point in going bigger. I could see maybe 338 mag but dont want to be spending $60 a box. I wouldn't mind going with one of the smaller calibers, like 6.5 or 26 nosler, except that i want to use this gun for elk as well as deer.

I dont do a whole lot of long range shooting, just my personal opinion, but i dont like shooting more than 400 yards at a living animal. So i dont need anything super long range. More of a spot and stalk kind of rifle hunter, ill get close enough to make a good shot and go from there.

Ive seen Cooper mentioned a couple of times now, so i went down to Scheels and looked at them. They look and feel really nice, have a good trigger and the 1/2 MOA guarantee is a good bonus. It seems like the X-Bolt does very similar things for about 1k less. What makes you guys suggest Cooper, and especially the Excalibur over the other guns? Also, im not too familiar with the 280 ackley or 280 AI... Good cartridges?


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

The Browning X-Bolt and Cooper are both excellent rifles. I prefer Cooper and have several because of the fit, finish and sexy wood. Mine have wooden stocks. Just a personal preference. I do not have the Excaliber, but they are made with top notch materials.

A Cooper will cost you more for the added craftsmanship, hand checkering, etc. At the end of the day, it's not going to shoot much better than the X-bolt as far as hunting accuracy is concerned.

As far as cost, it may be best to put the extra money towards optics.


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## moabxjeeper (Dec 18, 2012)

I agree with the above sentiments - you can spend as much as you want on a gun but if you're only shooting out to 400 yards or so, I would get a good rifle you're happy with and drop the rest on some high-end optics.

My personal recommendation would be a Savage rifle. Even a high end rifle with nice wood stock will only run you $800 or so. My hunting rifle is a Savage American Classic in 7mm Rem Mag. It's a beautiful gun. Its value far exceeds what I paid for it. I've got 3 shot groups with it before that you could cover with a dime.

As far as caliber goes, either caliber would be a great choice. I hunted with a 30-06 for the first 8 years or so I ever hunted big game. Some people give it a bad rap because they say it's "old technology". I don't agree with that whatsoever. Hornady and other manufacturers keep making improvements on the old caliber, and you've got bullets in a huge variety of weights that will take any game in North America readily available.

The reason I went with 7mm Rem Mag was simply because we have two 30-06's in the family already and no other rifles in a magnum caliber. It doesn't kill the deer or elk any more dead than the good old 30-06 does. It does shoot flatter and carries a little more energy but a good BDC scope zeroed at 200 yards on a rifle of either caliber will make either one deadly out to 500 yards. Either is a great choice in my book. The 7mm does have a little more kick to it than the 30-06 but I've never bothered with a muzzle break.

Hope this helps you out some! Happy hunting.


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