I feel it's a tikka or sako but could be persuaded otherwise.

Had a custom lined up to buy that fell through so now I'm thinking about just getting a new rifle and throwing some glass on it knowing it will outshoot me.

Figure since I didn't even buy a hunting license this year I've got a solid 6-8 months to put something together.

Cooper and Dakota are a couple more good ones

I'm trying to stay budget friendly. Only reason I was buying a custom was bailing a friend out after he lost his job. But the guy doing the work offered to buy the action from him for another customer so it worked out for everyone. Wasn't my ideal build but price was right. All I was paying was the remaining balance.

Don't know what your budget is, but the new M70 Featherweights are really nice, and mine have been accurate right out of the box.

There are so many options out there to choose from. What price range you looking at?

Cooper

Most manufacturers guarantee sub moa now so just pick one.

I have Browning,Nosler, Nesika, Cooper, Weatherby, Remington,Winchester. I'm happy with all of them. Browning, Remington, and Winchester took some trigger work before I was happy.

I've shot tikka, sako and savage and those are good too.

Marlin 336

What are your qualifications for the "best" label? Price, looks, accuracy??

Could care less about looks. Most look very similar these days anyways. To me best value is best over all money spent. I've shot tikka, sako, Winchester, Remington, savage, marlin and more. Most have needed trigger work so say $100 or more for a replacement there. Some needed a stock to feel right another $200 plus easy. I don't care for a wood stock. If I could find a sub $700 gun and not have to spend another couple hundred I'd be happy. Still have glass and rings to go from on top of that number.

The least accurate guns I've owned were both marlins. Most of the new stuff are all sub moa anymore. I've even considered the Thompson venture or whatever it is.

For sub 700, I'd get a tikka.

A tikka isn't even in the same league as a Sako 85

I'm partial to Weatherby mark V's for higher end factory guns

For regular hunting rifles I like ruger m77's and browning a bolts

Tikka is made by sako...but all I did was put a scope on my tikka t3 and damn that rifle is accurate and great to shoot. All deer >>dead

They're not the same. They have the same barrel and that's about it.

If you want a Tikka then you can get one used for a great price at Briley's Mfg in Houston. I live down the road from them and I almost bought a used Tikka T3 30-06 with synthetic stock from them for $525.00 that was in mint condition. They are a Tikka dealer and have gunsmiths on site so they know how to look something over before they take it as a trade in and sell it. I am actually friends with their pistol smith and he makes an awesome 1911 barrel. I have two of them in the 1911's that I built last summer. I ended up buying the Tikka T3X Hunter LH 30-06 with the wood stock for $150.00 less than what it goes for from other places that I found it for sale. I also have been shooting the Remington Managed-Recoil 30-06 125gr SP rounds and they are awesome!!!! Full expansion under 100 yards and half the recoil which is perfect for my back. I had to have a 2 1/2 hour back surgery because some idiot hit me going 75mph while I was waiting at a set of lights so the recoil from regular 30-06 loads destroy me after a day at the range. It makes the recoil less than my old Marlin 336 30/30 lever action. When I bought the 30-06 I was feeling fine but my back started acting up again so the managed-recoil rounds make it so I can actually shoot the darn rifle lol. I am going to pick up another Tikka T3X rifle before next fall to add to my collection. I am looking at the Tikka T3X Varmint LH in 22-250 for yotes.

My favorite is Savage Arms. Any caliber, any model. Over the years, I've bought/sold/traded and shot rifles from just about every manufacturer out there, and I've quit buying any other rifles unless Savage doesn't have the caliber I'm looking for.

Pass the salt please!

If you don't like wood stocks, you don't care about looks, and you don't want to spend money on a trigger, take a look at the Ruger American Rifle.

Speaking only for myself, Winchester M70 Sporter.

I can't believe some of the turds being pushed here

If I were looking at buying a new rifle in the $500-$600 price range, it would likely be a Remington Bicentennial Model 700. I have seen them available at several Walmarts in the area.

Link

Care to share your specifics?

Really no one is doing much to persuade another direction. I'll most likely go tikka just for the fact out of the box they seem to the best right now in what I want to pay. Sure they all shoot even the cheap guns do. I'd like to own a factory gun for once.

Sounds like you pretty much know what you want and are comfortable with it. Keep us posted on how it works out.

Me thinks I've written this before.

Tikka 7mm-08 or .308

Savages quit ejecting, and often have to be double fed. Rem 700 needs a $100 Timney trigger