Thread: First Rifle Setup (need advice)

Hi all, as promised, here come the newbie questions.

I'm looking to buy a good value .308 rifle, with the intention of using it to hunt deer & goats. Im running on a budget of roughly $1600 for rifle, scope and suppressor.

Because of my budget and personal preference I've set my sights on a Howa M1500 in Stainless.

I've seen package deals around that sell the whole setup for ~ 1500, but they usually come with a Nikko Stirling Gameking or Panamax 3-9x40 scope (which I've heard aren't too great).

I've sent a few emails out regarding pricing. Gunworks reckon they can do the rifle with leupold bases for $985 and GW suppressor for $300 more, putting me at $1285. I'd then spend the rest on a scope from another retailer.

My questions are:

• Are the Nikko stirlings that bad?
• Should I go with the package deals or would it be cheaper and better value to create my own build?
• If I was to go my own way, what scope would you recommend for my budget?

I've heard good things about Nikon scopes. Would a prostaff be any better than a nikko stirling? Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Ben