Needs a dependable guide gun, looked at a rem 770 with scope for 395. Is this a good deal? Open to suggestions

Keep looking. There are better quality guns for less money. What do you mean by guide gun? There are actual guns called guide guns but a Remmy 770 isn't 1 of them.

Well just meant something to take when i am guiding here in the Hill Country, mostly for exotics and whitetail. Something durable light weight and relatively in expensive.

I agree with you obama acronym. (sp)

Thanks

I'm not as much of a "gun guy" as many here so take my post for what it's worth. I use a Ruger M77 (7-mm Mauser) with a simple 3x9 scope. It's worked well for me for several years. I've downed everything from Whitetail to Bison. It also produces a good blood trail.

My only advice would be to find something simple and reliable. Long shots (250+ yards) are fairly rare in this area so you should be good with the basics. JMHO.

Stay away from the 770.

Best "cheap" gun in my opinion is the Weatherby Vangaurd.

I would look at a Stevens/savage before putting money down on a 770.

The Remington 710/770 line has zero after market parts and when it wears out the barrel cannot be swapped. I have a 710 (older uglier version of the 770) and if it were not a gift it would have never seen my safe. It shoots well, but it could shoot much better if someone made a decent trigger for it.

A Stevens package would be at least as good, if not a world better, out of the box, and can be upgraded as far as your imagination and wallet are willing to go.

-ww

when i hear the term "guide gun," I always think of something that's easy to carry, generally for shorter distances (within about 70 yards), but can still shoot med range (about 100 to 175yds) given some time, has a decent cycle time and round count, and can do all the above with decent knockdown power. To me, nothing embodies that more than a lever gun, preferably in a 30-30.

I don't guide anything, but my tromping through the woods gun in a Marlin 336 in 30-30 with a 2-7x32 Bushnell.

Why do you need a gun to guide? Most Hill Country hunters don't need an armed backup. You might do better spending your money on quality binos and a comfortable pair of boots...

If you're a guide and $400 is all you got to spend on a rifle/scope combo then I'd suggest a Savage Model 11 or 111 synthetic. Won't win a beauty contest, but they shoot great for the $$ invested. BPS/Cabela's and most sporting goods stores sell these combo's for around $450 out the door.

Low end guns to avoid. Remington 710 or 770. Savage Edge. Mossberg.

If you can scrape up another $50-75 or so get a Remington 700 in ADL or the Weatherby Vanguard.

Best bet would be to advertise for a good condition used rifle in the classfieds on this site.

Just my .02 cents.

And BMD.. don't throw up on my Savage suggestion...

Check the classifieds. Alot beter to buy a used $350 gun(that was %00-700 new) then buy a new $350 gun that's not even worth the $350. Get a used 700 ADL & put a Vortex or a used lower end Nikon or Leupold. Might push $400 but will be more than twice as good of a set-up. Like someone else said, a Marlin .30-30 is a fine gun for a decent price & you can get the ammo anywhere!

i guide quite a bit and 9 outta 10 times don't carry a gun....just a good pair of optics and a knife.

on the rare occasion i do carry a gun, its a remmy model 700 in .22-250

Guide gun I think of short action, carbine length rifles..7-08, 308, 30-30..

Something that is small and light.

If I was guiding I would invest I'm optics,.binos, and spotting scope.

x2 and invest in some good shooting range equipment to put the guy on to see how he can handle and shoot his rifle. That way you put him where he needs to be on yardages to shoot is game for higher success. If he can shoot 100 yrds then you know how to guide him. Range time is your best friend when guiding.

X2!

I can' tell you how many hunters I have miss. I had 2 hunters miss 3 good bucks each last season. very frustrating.

I actually had one hunter tell me after shooting all over the target, "thats enough shooting, i'm alot better when I'm shooting at a deer".

Marlin XL7

I think I hunted with that guy... once. Nothing ticks me off more. If someone can't shoot anything resembling a group off a rest at a hundred yards, why the hell do they think shooting offhand at a guesstimated range when they are all excited is gonna make them Daniel Crockett Hathcock. And then there is the guy that showed up in the woods with me and asked the best way to mount his scope as he pulled his brand new rifle out of the box. Doh!

-ww

My advise is based on over 20 years guiding and managing hunting operations and is based on what will make you money. First, every guide needs reliable rifle capable of putting down any animal your guiding for. There have been many times tracking a wounded animal the client, after numerous misses or non-lethal shots, has asked me to "just finish it" either with my rifle or theirs. I once guided a female soap opera star from Mexico and her husband, they didn't hunt or even have a gun. They just pointed at things they thought would look nice on their wall. I got to shoot about $40K worth of exotics for them.

Find a good used bolt gun in a caliber most anyone can shoot, 243, 7-08, 308 or 270. You'll be amazed how many times clients will show up with junk and their gun/scope will take a dump. You need a gun they can use to finish their hunt with. Used Remington 700's can be found relatively cheap and are typically very accurate factory guns. Have a good gunsmith set the trigger at about 3 1/2 pounds. Put a decent scope on it for now.

When the tips start rolling in invest in good optics, they are the best investment a guide can make. My personal preference is Swarovski. Binoculars, rangefinder, spoting scope and rifle scopes, tough and reliable with customer service that is second to none. Zeiss and Leica are also great gear. Let the clients use your gear when you can, if they need it. It'll pay off usually at tip time.