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best bolt action hunting rifle for around $500

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Matthew T.

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What's a good, reliable rifle for about $500? Here are my candidates so far:

Ruger Model 77 mark II - pros: offers most every factory caliber introduced in the last 100 years, controlled feed action. cons - stiff trigger, don't like the company's politics

Tikka T3 Lite - pros: good trigger, good reviews. cons - are aluminum rings a good thing?

CZ 550 - pros: Mauser action, good trigger. cons - limited selection of calibers, I don't know if the rings are steel or aluminum

Caliber-wise I'm thinking 6 mm, .257 Roberts (both Ruger-only, I know), 25-.06, 7-08 (excludes the CZ), .308, or .270.

I'm fed up with my Savage's feeding problems, so I'm down on push-feed actions right now.
 
just grab one and go. off-the-rack factory rifles are really quite comparable.

on the tikka, aluminum rings are fine - however, i don't care for the plastic mag or shroud.

replace the ruger trigger if you go that route.

never owned a cz so no comment... and i'm w/ ya on the savage thing... however, ime, that is a savage thing and not a push feed thing... my remingtons and sakos (push feed) work just fine.
 
I am seeing alot of good used bolt-action hunting rifles for sale at reasonable prices. lots of rem 700s around in hunting calibers. some folks getting out of hunting? or going to trendy new short/fat chamberings?
I didn't mind paying $400 for a LNIB Ruger 77 (.270) with a 3-9 Leupold Vari-X II, sling, case, and 3 boxes of cartridges.
 
kinda OT - aluminum rings

Are aluminum rings hard to lap? Do they need it?

My only real experience with scope mounting (when I halfway knew what I was doing) involved Burris signature rings with the plastic inserts.
 
no, they lap very quickly so you have to be careful.

i use talley lightweights, and i quit lapping them 2 years ago. so, to directly answer your question: no, you don't have to lap, but if you do, be careful and go slow.
 
Matthew;

T'were me, I'd get a CZ550 in 6.5 Swede & not look back.

900F
 
Yep, the T3 has, in addition to a sweet trigger, a slick action, light weight and guaranteed accuracy. Detachable mag may be a plus or minus for you. Rings aren't the greatest but they work without further expense and you can upgrade them readily enough.

They aren't CRF and the smallish loading port makes them a bit more fiddley for bench work. I have had good results with mine, but one aspect or another may not be to your liking. Therefore you should try before you buy. All the rifles you mentioned can do a good job, but one will definitely feel best to you.

As for chambering, you can't go wrong with 6.5x55, 260, 7mm08 or 308.
 
complications

I stopped by one of my local gun stores tonight to check out a Tikka T3 (which they had) and a CZ 550 (which they didn't - had a Model 3, but I was unimpressed with the overall feel and trigger).

While there, I checked out a Remington 700 Ultra Lite in 7-08. The trigger wasn't as nice as the Tikka, but the action was smoother and it felt good. $600 vs. $530 for the Tikka. No rings, of course.

Another store has a barely used Ruger M77 II in .257 Roberts with a cheap Tasco varmint scope for $500. If I could get the owner to let it go for $400 without the scope I might take it.
 
Matthew;

The model 3 CZ's are CZ's in name only. That model was available only in WSM calibers & the action was an MRC. The model three is not representative of the 550. You need to actually lay hands upon a CZ 550.

900F
 
CZ 550

I plan on going to Wannenmacher this Saturday. I bet someone over there has at least one or two 550s.
 
All CZ 550's come with the single set-trigger. With factory settings, the "normal" trigger is around 4-ish pounds. Activate the set trigger option (as mentioned this is done by using your thumb to push the trigger forward until it clicks) and the factory set pull is maybe 1lb. I use it all the time at the range, and actually used it for my shot on an elk last October since I had plenty of time to set up the shot. Those pull weights are fully user adjustable, along with travel and whatnot.

I just wish they'd make the 550 in a LH config so I could get one for my wife.
 
May I also suggest you look at the Weatherby Vanguard. I really like mine in .308. The Vanguard has what I believe is the best wood stock in the price range. They use a Monte Carlo style stock which is really nice. I get tons of compliments on my rifle. They are, I believe, the only ones that have an accuracy guarantee from the factory. Mine came with a proof target that showed a .93" group. The guarantee is for 1.5" moa from the factory. I looked at all the above rifles and handled a few. The action was as good, and better than most, as any of the rest. The gun has an adjustable trigger. All in all, I find the Vanguard to be the best bang for your buck in the under $1000 price range. YMMV.
 
fro 500 bucks, you will nto beat the cz, yes they have steel rings. you can get one in safari model, with express rear sites. very cool it will also likely be the most accurate, and that single set trigger, almost better than sex.
 
fro 500 bucks, you will nto beat the cz, yes they have steel rings. you can get one in safari model, with express rear sites. very cool it will also likely be the most accurate, and that single set trigger, almost better than sex.
 
fro 500 bucks, you will nto beat the cz, yes they have steel rings. you can get one in safari model, with express rear sites. very cool it will also likely be the most accurate, and that single set trigger, almost better than sex.
 
dont know how that tripled up.
Click to expand...

probably someone else was typing a reply same time as you. Your reply will look like it got kicked off line, so you hit "reply" button again to make sure it went thru. Ends up posting multiple times.

Worse with dial up as it takes longer to load each time and there's more time for conflict with another reply

Anyway, I'd think hard about a good used rifle. I've never seen a modern rifle that was even close to being shot out and you can get some screaming deals if you're patient, especially this time of year (taxes and Christmas credit cards)
 
Weatherby

have you checked out the Weather Vanguard? I dont own one but I have heard good things about them from my brother who does. They come in many calibers, styles and start at around $475. Plus, there is a 1.5 moa guarantee.

Just a thought. Happy hunting.
Fred
 
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