going to be in the market for a cheaper rifle this summer. Nothing to fancy just accurate. Ive looked at several and have yet to find one that I like everything about. Im open to new or used. Not set on a caliber and open to ideas there. All my shots are going to vary. I hunt east texas and west texas and want just one gun to do it both with.

rifles that have crossed my mind
ruger American
Remington 700
savage
howa
weatherby
tikka but little more than I want to spend

trying to keep rifle budget around 400

need it to be a short range under 100 yard but still reach out and touch something to 3-400 yards

let the debate begin

also it isn't out of the question to possible build a custom rifle off of it in the distant future

Ruger American with a Vortex scope should be doable for under $450. Tikka if you want to do a build down the road.

Easy. Tikka.

When you want to build a custom use that action, it's over for good after that...unless you're like some of us that cook a barrel out in a year to two.

rem 700

Tikka! Easy answer.

Howa / Weatherby Gen2 Vanguard. Or Tikka, lol.

Where can I find a deal on a tikka? Figure I'm as good off buying new don't see many come up used and when you do same price as new.

I had great experiences with the Marlin X7.

Have had 2 marlin bolt rifles. One was great other was terrible.

Ok, so I guess I am the only one to say SAVAGE!!!
Easiest to build your self with a lot of different calibers available.

Out of the box savage is a top choice right now

Forgot about the Thompson center venture as an option too

X2

Really like and recomend the Tikka but for the $ a TC Venture is hard to beat

Buds has TC Ventures blue/syn's for around $400 with free shipping and some of them have a "Bid" option ...where you can Bid a lower price and see if they'll accept it.

Tikka T3 blue/syns are mid/high $5's, but I did see a Blue/syn 243 get a Bid accpted at $515 the other day, with free shipping.


CDDNsport.com has some cloesouts on disc'd Ruger's & Winchester's ..with most of the Rugers running 'tween $550 & $600 with some veeery interesting calibers ...alllllmost got me to thinking about a SS/lam 26" VT barrel uhhhggg 243 at under $600 - at least it could be bored out to a 260 easy enough & some 22" 280's in both colors and stocks. The Winnies are running about $750 in mostly Fwt's and a few Sporters & up for the specialty stuff.
Ron

Does anyone in the tyler area do cheap transfers? Place I did a lot business with in the past is charging 50 now so that's not gonna happen.

GunBroker, GunAuction and GunsAmerica have lists of transfer dealers by location. I'm sure you can find someone for no more than $25, less maybe if you have a CHL.

Savage makes a fine rifle. I love Tikkas but you said that's more than you want to spend, so I would say get a model 700 for $379. To me the only gun I would buy Bernard new for under $400 is the model 700.

Ruger American Predator

The dealer I use in Sherman charges $20 for a FFL transfer, and is on file with a several on line distributors already...in a surprising number of places to my amazement.

At $50 for a Transfer Fee, IMO THAT guy is saying "I Do Not Want your business", and should be rewarded for his attitude. It's his store, his right to turn away business, and not have to do something he obviously does not want to do or be bothered with...aka the "Free Market Economy" at work...so go find some other venue more receptive to what you the paying customer wants and needs.

FYI...the dealer in Sherman I use does not lack for customers and has continually expanded his business in the 9 years I've been up here, and is possibly one of the Best places to trade guns in North Texas I know of....and apparently profitable enough doing it he has "gained" a competitor across the street...further emphasizing the location as a DESTINATION for that market...think McD's & BKIng across the street or within sight of each other....Shell & Exxon yadda yadda...and also in Sherman ...a CVS & Walgreens directly across the street from each other with the largest Kroger store in the market out the back door in the next block, that is not only smaller in size but from a parking lot count traffic stand point, may have significantly more $$ volume than the much larger "glossier" Albertsons 6 blocks across the Freeway. It's called "Retailing 101".

These days of increasing use of the internet for retail purchases - ask Amazon about that...is ANYONE paying attention?

IMO the On Line Gun Distributors & Auction sites have captured enough of the $$$ volume these days that the only way a local retailer has a shot at getting that Active Buyer into his store for all the other things a shooter will use on a repeat basis besides the initial Big Ticket Purchase, is to offer FFL Transfer's at a reasonable & painless cost as possible...but what do I know...I turned down a sweat equity $0 offer as a Partner in Ownership of a Pawn Shop from an investor in downtown Arlington at one time too ...duoh!

Years ago when I first first got in the Sporting Goods bidnizz in the mid '70's, and walked into Tony's H&T in Longview...I was dumb enough to ask ol "Banana Nose" how he competed with a BIG for the market Gibson's store across the parking lot adjacent to Tony's parking lot? I have always remembered his answer and it should be part of every retailer's daily thought process...Tony's answer was..."He ain't got EVERYTHING EVERBODY wants ALL the time...an I NEED to be as close as possible to him to provide what they DON'T have when a paying customer wants something...heck, I'd pay for a tunnel and a walk escaltor like DFW airport has, and run it under their parking lot to my Front Door so MY customers would not have to get wet when it rains to walk over HERE and see what MY store has that them guys Don't have".

Some folks in Retail really LIKE to cut off their nose just to spite themselves, and I've never understood it.
Ron

I've mostly shot 270 but thinking about something different this time. Any better rounds?

Yup
My local FFL charges $25, sometimes they seem disappointed that I bought a gun from another place, but they did get my $25 and my business.

Tikka, spend the money and you will not regret it.

That's a very long list. You want long action or short action?

Was thinking about short action. I prefer easy to find calibers. This is a hunting gun not a precision gun. So a good factory ammo is all I need.

7mm08