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Morning Everyone!

I've been looking at several bolt-action rifles and would like to know anyone's opinion on the quality, price, ammo availability, etc. I'm serious about a probable purchase. I do not, however, want a "black rifle" .223 type per se.

All these are new at gun dealer and have have synthetic stocks are in plain black color.

Here is my possible list:

Remington 700 SPS 4+1 in .243 at $569. (no iron sites, but drilled for scope).
Weatherby Vanguard .243 at $399.
Marlin XL7 in .270 at $379.
American Ruger .243 (no price yet)
American Ruger .270 (no price yet)

Purpose is for a Coyote, Hog, and possible Cougar rifle.

Also would like your opinion on most common availability of .243 and .270 cartridges (excepting the Obama scare...)

Thanks,
Bill

I've heard great reviews of the ruger American rifle. No first hand experience though.
I had a vanguard and hated it...it was plenty accurate when it would actually get a good primer strike, and every other round would misfeed... Sold it for about what I had into it. And saved my money for something else( upgraded optic for my "black rifle")

No experience with the marlin or 700SPS however my cousin has a 700 in 270 and that is his go to bolt gun.

I have a 700 in .308, and love it.

.243" & .270" are extremely common and you won't have a problem finding ammo for them....even. With the 30-06 those are the most common deer hunting rounds in North America.

Avoid any frustration and buy both!

The remington 700 is very hard to beat for an all purpose rifle. I like ruger rifles and I think they get a bad rap so if you can get a good deal on the American rifle, it might be worth consideration. All things being equal, the remington is the way to go in my opinion. Happy purchasing whatever you choose!

KC5AV wrote:I have a 700 in .308, and love it.

Winning so far...

Savage 110 or 10 would be a close second.

Those choices are for the abundance of aftermarket parts. .308, being a NATO round will be around in many sizes and shapes.

Rem 700 SPS in caliber of your choosing, you can get a much better price than $569 though. I have a few Remington 700s and 3 SPSs and they are excellent rifles. I HIGHLY recommend the Remington 700, followed closely by the Savage 10/110 line.

I have Winchester Model 70's which I like for their easily adjustable triggers and a couple of other features. Model 700 Rems are great rifles also. I have shot many but never owned one. With that said If I was buying a rifle today I'd go with a Savage. Outstanding out of box accuracy.

Try your luck with the new Ruger or Get the Tikka T3.

For what you want to shoot with the rifle go with the Remington SPS or the Ruger American in .243. The Remington is more of a top of the line model for them while the American is bottom line. The .243 is more than adequate for coyotes and hogs but overkill for cougar. The 100 grain sp or psp ammo works very well on most anything you want to shoot. Buy the lower price ammo in either of the above and save money over the higher priced Fusion and other types of costly ammo. You can get ammo for it at any Walmart or Academy.

puma guy wrote:I have Winchester Model 70's which I like for their easily adjustable triggers and a couple of other features. Model 700 Rems are great rifles also. I have shot many but never owned one. With that said If I was buying a rifle today I'd go with a Savage. Outstanding out of box accuracy.

Take a look at this Savage: http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/11HOGHUNTER" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Iron sights, threaded barrel, accu trigger, and does not break the bank. They go for about $440.

gigag04 wrote:.308, being a NATO round will be around in many sizes and shapes.

A BIG plus IMO.

Also I will admit that I am still surprised that 30.06 is still as popular/common a cartridge.

Remington 700 in 308 or 270 (possibly 7mm-08)

If cost is an issue, then I would look at the less expensive Remingtons (770) or the Savage 110.
Don't know anything about the Ruger American, but I would consider a Ruger M77.