So who makes a good Bolt Action these days?

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guyfromohio

guyfromohio

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I've been out of the bolt game for a long time. I now live in an urban setting, in a state that doesn't allow deer to be taken with rifle calibers and I own no land other than the postage stamp on which my house sits. That being said, I want a nice rifle. Twenty years ago, I'd not hesitate to buy a Remington or Winchester. In fact, I had a great BDL in .243. Today though, I have no idea who is making quality production guns. Here is my criteria.....I want nice wood stocks, nice blue steel, common calibers (not sure what yet, but thinking .308 or .30-06). I want the best accuracy and the ability to readily mount optics). Price range is flexible.....I'm not looking for a bargain, but not looking for a $10k custom build either. Maybe <$1500 or so. So who makes the best right now? Browning? Sako? CZ? Remington? Weatherby? Winchester? Tikka? Am I missing the one? Thanks THR!

Please don't offer to sell me one. I'm a few months out from purchase. Just getting my head pointed in the right direction.
 
primalmu said:
If I were in the market for a centerfire rifle I'd be looking at Savage, CZ, or Tikka.
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I never even think of savage. I always think of them as the youth gun/ guns of the 1950s people, but I understand they are making some pretty good stuff right now. Thank you!
 
Not sure how much you are wanting to spend but my go to recommendations would be

Ruger 77
Howa 1500 / weatherby vanguard
Savage - except the axis
 
If you want a traditional rifle with nice decent walnut and blue metal Winchester would be my top pick followed by Ruger Hawkeye. The Remington CDL would be in the running too. I'll also throw Kimber in the mix. I prefer their SS/Synthetic versions, but they do put some nice wood on their wood stocked rifles. They are going to be more expensive, but within your budget. You are paying a premium for a rifle that is about 1 full pound or more lighter than the competition. They are well made beautiful rifles, but I consider them specialty guns for the guy wanting a true featherweight rifle. I don't consider them an all around rifle.

Savage, Tikka, and many others make very serviceable, accurate rifles, but they are going to have a lot of plastic parts, have some corner cut, and many are downright butt ugly. Prices are right and they shoot well. But I don't think that is what you want.
 
I bought a couple Remington 700's a decade or so ago and have not been impressed. They required aftermarket triggers and stock work to get them to shoot well.

I have a Savage Model 12 that shot great out of the box. I'd look at the Model 10/110 and 12/112 series rifles.

The other rifles mentioned so far have good reputations but I do not have first hand experience with them.
 
jmr40 said:
If you want a traditional rifle with nice decent walnut and blue metal Winchester would be my top pick followed by Ruger Hawkeye. The Remington CDL would be in the running too. I'll also throw Kimber in the mix. I prefer their SS/Synthetic versions, but they do put some nice wood on their wood stocked rifles. They are going to be more expensive, but within your budget. You are paying a premium for a rifle that is about 1 full pound or more lighter than the competition. They are well made beautiful rifles, but I consider them specialty guns for the guy wanting a true featherweight rifle. I don't consider them an all around rifle.

Savage, Tikka, and many others make very serviceable, accurate rifles, but they are going to have a lot of plastic parts, have some corner cut, and many are downright butt ugly. Prices are right and they shoot well. But I don't think that is what you want.
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Exactly why I started this thread. I'm looking for the gun that is using solid, forged parts. Best of the best (production). The Dan Wesson of centerire rifles, so-to-speak.
 
This may help you.

Legal deer hunting rifles are chambered for the following calibers: .357 Magnum, .357 Maximum, .38 Special, .375 Super Magnum, .375 Winchester, .38-55, .41 Long Colt, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .444 Marlin, .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .45 Long Colt, .45 Winchester Magnum, .45 Smith & Wesson, .454 Casull, .460 Smith & Wesson, .45-70, .45-90, .45-110, .475 Linebaugh, .50-70, .50-90, .50-100, .50-110 and .500 Smith & Wesson.

http://ohiodnr.gov/news/post/ohio-wildlife-council-approves-2014-2015-hunting-regulations
 
Sako, cz, higher end Savage, high end Ruger. That is also about how they stack up cost wise too. The kimber previously mentioned is amazing too, but almost too light for all around use. And I really like light rifles...

Sent from my LGLS740 using Tapatalk
 
Fancy wood around $1500 , Winchester 70 . Sako and Weatherby Mark V would blow your budget I think .
 
Modern M70 Winchesters are pretty awesome provided you like a cheek swell. I don't and that breaks the deal for me. I did very well competing with one though. I was impressed with the accuracy, but even more impressed by how POI didn't change during 20 round strings of slow fire (up to 1 minute per round), or during 10 round strings of rapid fire (up to 7 seconds per round).

My go to bolts now are Browning X-Bolts.

I would say the M70s and X-bolts are pretty much in the same class as far as accuracy, nice trigger pull, and so on. But the I really prefer the stock shape on the X-bolt rifles.

If the bolt rifle manufactures would put a QD sling swivel mount on the upper part of the butt stock, ala modern AR15 butt stocks so the guns could be carried hands free, muzzle down, across the shooter's front torso they would really be on to something.
 
If you can spend $1500 try a Kimber , Sako/Tikka, Winchester 70 Supergrade. Remington 700 are very good rifles; I have 3 Rem 700s (.223, .243, .270) and all of them are great shooters I have a Kimber 84M .204, which is wicked accurate ($1000). Lots of good options available in that price range.
 
GAF said:
This may help you.

Legal deer hunting rifles are chambered for the following calibers: .357 Magnum, .357 Maximum, .38 Special, .375 Super Magnum, .375 Winchester, .38-55, .41 Long Colt, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .444 Marlin, .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .45 Long Colt, .45 Winchester Magnum, .45 Smith & Wesson, .454 Casull, .460 Smith & Wesson, .45-70, .45-90, .45-110, .475 Linebaugh, .50-70, .50-90, .50-100, .50-110 and .500 Smith & Wesson.

http://ohiodnr.gov/news/post/ohio-wildlife-council-approves-2014-2015-hunting-regulations
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Thank you. I actually purchased a nice Winchester lever in .44mag a few weeks ago for Ohio deer. Just looking for a nice bolt gun.

The fit and finish of that Japanese Winchester is really quite good. Maybe the Winchester is in order as suggested.


https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog...roducts_id/93749/WGUN+535203220+M70+SUPER+308
 
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If it were me, I'd get the CZ. They have many excellent models with beautiful wood, and slick as snot mauser type controlled feed action. I have a 455 lux in 22lr with iron sights, and it is my go to, back to basics fun gun. The only reason that I don't have one of their center fires (yet) is that I found a superb deal on a Mauser 98 in the used rack.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk
 
Since it's on your list, the Sako is a fantastic rifle. Take a look at Nosler, Kimber and Weatherby too. Winchester still makes a great rifle as does Browning. If you want pretty wood, Browning probably leads the list by the slimmest of margins. The top end of the brands I mentioned is probably Sako, the Nosler the smallest company and the Winchester the most workman like.

My personal choice would be either the Sako 85 or a Browning X-Bolt White Gold Medallion. Either is heirloom quality.
 
jakk280rem said:
Since it's on your list, the Sako is a fantastic rifle. Take a look at Nosler, Kimber and Weatherby too. Winchester still makes a great rifle as does Browning. If you want pretty wood, Browning probably leads the list by the slimmest of margins. The top end of the brands I mentioned is probably Sako, the Nosler the smallest company and the Winchester the most workman like.

My personal choice would be either the Sako 85 or a Browning X-Bolt White Gold Medallion. Either is heirloom quality.
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Thanks! Does Nosler have any in wood?
 
My list of "wants" seems to have few limits, but I've been really been wanting a Winchester Model 70 super grade. I have the FN SPR and love the action. Having that in a beautiful piece of wood sounds like a perfect combo
 
I'll be buying a Winchester model 70 in 270 as soon as I find one with the wood grain I like. Probably a Super Grade.
 
Last week, CDNN had the Browning A-Bolt III synthetic stalker on sale for $450. You can't go wrong with that either.

Its not a wood stock, but a really good deal no less.
 
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