Thread: Explaining Brands

Hey Guys

New too all this , just in the process of sending away for my FAl at the moment . Obviously browsing online for rifles and just wondering if you could shed some light on which brands i should be looking at ?
Been looking at 308, 270 , or 7mm08 kind of narrowed caliber choice down , but Im lost as to what brands better .

Is it a case of the more you spend the better the rifle ?
Looking to spend around the 1000-1300 ish mark for a scoped rifle

Seem to of come across a few cheaper savages for the 600 Mark , but just recently found Howa's for just over 1k new

Possibly opening a can of worms here i guess ,but just a wee bit lost
Also understand the value of scope plays a huge part in the combo too

In the off chance i do come across a great value deal , the father in-law will buy it and i'll but it off him once my applications finalised .

Thanks in advanced

Just want to be first to say TIKKA T3!

Definitely a big can of worms, lots of opinions, and lots of options.
Value for money the Howa's are hard to beat, most guys here love their ones. I can't comment on them as I haven't used one. Only thing I'd say, is that a lot of the really cheap packages seem to come with a below average scope
Savages are also hard to beat value wise, I haven't looked recently but you could get a scoped package within your budget. Some folks love the accu-trigger, I'm personally not a huge fan.

The Tikka T3 seems to be the go to rifle, for higher quality but at a reasonable price. Many folks here love them and many folks think they are over rated.
Personally I think they seem to be so popular due to good marketing and being offered as good package deals by the Big green hunting chain store.

I would recommend a Tikka, I have two and love them. The triggers are awesome, they are light weight and both my are a lot more accurate than they should be. Quite a few stores offer package deals, but if it were me I'd go 2nd hand. Best thing about Tikka's are that everyone seems to buy them, and sell them at a huge loss on Trademe.
Right now I count: 4 7mm08s, 2 270, 1 308 for sale in different forms.
Between Trademe and this forum, you can pick up a near new one, scoped and suppressed within your budget. Some people ask stupid money for them, but usually doesn't take long and you can score a bargain.

Scopes are another topic, probably more confusing than the rifle. I highly recommend the Burris Fullfield 2s as a good value for money scope.
After all my Tikka ranting, these Howas look pretty good.
Howa M1500 .308 Camo Hogue Stock Burris | Trade Me
http://www.trademe.co.nz/sports/hunt...1246931193.htm

Sort of....your Kimber Sako Forbes cough Blaser are in a different price bracket to your Tikka Howa Savage Weatherby Mossbergs for a reason.

That said there is no reason any of the last group wont serve you well and be acceptably accurate.
Package deal scopes are often not even worthy of being on a 22lr...my advice if you must buy new is get the best deal on a bare rifle and then spend at least 500 on a scope....then if you upgrade the rifle the scope can at least go on the new rifle.

As Beetroot said, Tikka is an awesome choice. Lots of people love them and some hate them. However, nobody can argue that they are not rugged, reliable and normally more accurate than the shooter. There is a good reason they are the country's most sold rifle. With the introduction of the T3x (latest model, with just some extra fruit added on) it means there are some pre face lift tikkas at a good price.
The other rifle i was really surprised with was the ruger american. Yes the stock is a bit plastic, but they shoot well and at around 900 new they leave 400 for a vx1 or similar scope. Good option.
Howas are great, bit clunky but shoot true and normally have some good deals. Dont get sucked into the combo deals tho, you are normally just adding cost to buy a crap scope. Buy the rifle by itself and do the scope separately.
savage are good, but would never buy one myself.

I like budget stuff, but not the very bottom tier, and find that they all shoot pretty well. I've had a go with Howa, Savage, Tikka, Marlin, Zastava, Browning and probably a couple of others that are within your price range. To be honest they all seem to shoot about the same with a hand load worked up. The best option is to fondle as many as you can and buy the one you don't want to hand back. For me that was Savage, but I also have a couple of Zastava's in the safe that I really love too.

I'd buy second hand for a good deal. Don't be in too much of a hurry and wait for the right one to come up.

I agree with gadgetman, look for used. So great deals out there but get someone who knows what they're looking at to help you.

For me tikkas are more hype than anything. Despite all the stories I'm yet to see one that shoots like people claim. They are a budget rifle, just like other budget rifles, nothing more nothing less. See a ton of them at the range, and they seem ho hum. Howa are worth a look, and the non-axis Savages are great bang for buck. I would back them against a t3 if you want to talk grouping. Vast majority of modern stuff is more than adequate accuracy wise for hunting anyway.

Fiend of mine recently brought a package deal in 243. Was a Remington 783. Rifle shot OK but would have been better if it had open sights as the scope was terrible. Not even a name on the side of it. I don't suspect it will / would last very long.

Nothing wrong with the Howa, a little cheaper than the Tikka. They are a good budget rifle. I don't like the hogue stocks on them but you can get them with factory wooden stocks that have been floated and bedded.
Keep on eye out for second hand if your budget is only around 1200 max. As others have said you need/should spend a bit on glass as well.

Another approach could be a trip to Gun City or your local sporting store. They have a huge selection of rifles in your price bracket and will allow you to handle them and figure out what brand you prefer.

Not skimping on good optics is always solid advice.

As much of a fan as I am of the 270, they are a step up in recoil from the 308/7-08, probably not what I'd recommend as a first centre fire rifle for a new shooter.

Howa 1500 308 | Trade Me

As Beetroot,on your budget.never need another.

Try before you buy. The fit, feel and trigger pull has a lot to do with how you shoot for best bullet placement and a caliber you can comfortably shoot without flinching as any cal will kill. Go second hand rifle and get a good optic, and don't get suckered in from the shops, get what you really you need and not what they say you need. Your the one paying and using it not them.

The T3 is a benchmark. Not the absolute best but a standard to compare other rifles to.

Likewise the Leupold VXI if the benchmark for scopes.

second hand only look at under-5 yr old, Trusty old BSA Parker Hale RugerM77 Mauser SMLE Remington often Command prices beyond their valve compared to new.

Budget for a hundred pack of ammo. Use 50 to sight in test get trajectory and youll have 50 for hunting and checking Zero. Choose one low / medium price ammo and don't experimerit. Insufficient quantity and mixed ammo often let down new shooters on a modest budget. Your benchmark aCcuracy should be 50mm at l00m Not trying for l MoA with $1300 gear (at first).

As others have said, buy the rifle then the scope afterwards....go to a couple of gun stores, feel the fit when you put it up to your shoulder, can you easily flip the safety off, what does the bolt feel like (if you decide to buy a bolt action)

i bought a 'combo' Howa 1500 deal, sold the scope straight away and put a Leupold on it, sold the rifle bag, & scope mounts it came with too, ended up getting a brand new stock rifle for $700, which was really cheap at the time!!!!!

good luck with your decision mate!

@Scouser has raised a good point, bolt action, single shot, semi auto lever action.... Presuming you are right handed which makes things easier.

When starting out I would begin with a bolt action 22 and get used to it and then move up to a centrefire. Reasoning behind this is the price of ammunition. 22 is still less than 20c a round, my 308 with good quality factory is $3.50 one good scope on the 22 can move onto the centrefire in the future.