Thread: First rifle. Rem 700 7-08

I'm in a similar position to you - ended up paying a few bucks more and getting a .308 howa in stainless with a nikko diamond scope.
I'm clearly no expert at all, but read many threads on a couple of forums and the general themes were:

Calibre - everyone has their favourite, you will get a million different recommendations. My take was to steer clear of the more powerful rounds like .270 and go for something middle of the road. I went for .308 in the end coz the guy in the shop recommended it and it seems a little cheaper and more common than some of the others. I did nearly get a 7mm 08 though.

Scopes - packaged scopes at the bottom end of the market are generally a bit crap. You have to start with something though - my Nikko is "OK" but having looked through a mates leupold I am saving up for something better. People will tell you to spend as much on the scope as on the gun but when your whole budget is less than 1k you are somewhat limited.

i am sure some more qualified people will chime in here!