I have two stainless stslkers, three fn model 70 and 2 savage. All are fine shooting rifles
New Rifles: The Good, the bad, the ugly
- Thread starter jbronner13
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jbronner13
Well-Known Member
Maybe I just got a lemon. Are yours old or newer? My 1961 Savage 99 traditional blued rifle doesn't have a spec of rust in n it but my 2017 stainless had rust in 6 months….go figure.
vedauvoo
Well-Known Member
Agree with the Japanese manufacturing sentiment. Have owned an SKB 100 20 ga double for decades now. Also own a Browning Gold 10 ga made by Miroku. Both guns are reliable and rugged. I have less use for either nowadays, but can't seem to part with either.
jbronner13
Well-Known Member
Some local yokel gun dealer around here had an SKB100 in MINT condition listed for 500 bucks at his shop, I left my debit card on my night stand 8 minutes down the road….by the time I got back it was gone….and so were my hopes and dreams 
vedauvoo
Well-Known Member
There are mental health experts to help with PTSD caused by such tragedies!Some local yokel gun dealer around here had an SKB100 in MINT condition listed for 500 bucks at his shop, I left my debit card on my night stand 8 minutes down the road….by the time I got back it was gone….and so were my hopes and dreams
jbronner13
Well-Known Member
Everyone can burn me at the stake as a heretic here but the Miroku Auto 5's (the long recoil not the inertia models) are IMO better than the FN…..and the Parker Reproductions are better than the originals….
Jon Bischof
Well-Known Member
I'll comment only on rifles I have personally shot.
Good: Used a Ruger 77 270 Winchester one season. Consistent shooter, easy handling and killed a couple of 8 Points with it.
My Winchester Featherweight 270 WSM has been shooting 1/3 MOA almost 2 decades now, but only after my gunsmith added a target crown, new trigger and Acraglass bedding. So customized a bit.
Wanting to improve on that, after much research I narrowed it down to Browning X-Bolt, Sako 85 and weatherby. My dad and I both had hunted with Brownings so I was leaning toward the Sako 85. High dollar guns were above my pay grade. I was about to buy the Sako when Sauer und Sohn came out wit the 100. First time in my life I had ever seen a Sauer I could afford! They described it as "an entry level rifle into the world of Sauer"; that claim turned out to be classic understatement. So I got curious and found this newly designed rifle had a bunch of unique engineering features. A sleeve between the barrel and reciever I had never seen before. Everest Bedding I have to this day never seen anything like it. Noticed the barrel was same as used on their $4,000 rifles and was perplexed as to why Sauer would even be interested in going into the lower priced rifle market. Seemed too good to be true. So read some reviews, all of which sounded like love letters. Then found some new owners who were posting targets which again appeared too good to be true. Then a guy from Australia posted targets from the cartridge I was considering. Couldn't stand it, so rather than getting a Browning, Weatherby or Sako, I ordered one. Best shooting rifle I have ever had. Seems "Entry into the world of Sauer" is the German way of saying "gateway drug". I now have 3 of the things. Groups under a dime at 200 yards on all of them.
The bad: Thankfully I have avoided wasting money on rifles that won't shoot or have quality control issues like Christensen. You either get a good one or as you have all seen by now you get a nightmare that may or may not be fixed before you demand your money back or have to sell at a tremendous loss.
But a few other factory rifles are problem prone as well. Some just are not designed or produced to shoot any better than 3/4 MOA but Joe Deer Hunter seems to be satisfied with that. So they sell a lot of them.
The ugly: Can't say ugly without thinking of Savage. Some shoot great but they are ugly. Life is too short to hunt with an ugly rifle.
I think today I would add Bergara to the good list. But my safe is full.
Good: Used a Ruger 77 270 Winchester one season. Consistent shooter, easy handling and killed a couple of 8 Points with it.
My Winchester Featherweight 270 WSM has been shooting 1/3 MOA almost 2 decades now, but only after my gunsmith added a target crown, new trigger and Acraglass bedding. So customized a bit.
Wanting to improve on that, after much research I narrowed it down to Browning X-Bolt, Sako 85 and weatherby. My dad and I both had hunted with Brownings so I was leaning toward the Sako 85. High dollar guns were above my pay grade. I was about to buy the Sako when Sauer und Sohn came out wit the 100. First time in my life I had ever seen a Sauer I could afford! They described it as "an entry level rifle into the world of Sauer"; that claim turned out to be classic understatement. So I got curious and found this newly designed rifle had a bunch of unique engineering features. A sleeve between the barrel and reciever I had never seen before. Everest Bedding I have to this day never seen anything like it. Noticed the barrel was same as used on their $4,000 rifles and was perplexed as to why Sauer would even be interested in going into the lower priced rifle market. Seemed too good to be true. So read some reviews, all of which sounded like love letters. Then found some new owners who were posting targets which again appeared too good to be true. Then a guy from Australia posted targets from the cartridge I was considering. Couldn't stand it, so rather than getting a Browning, Weatherby or Sako, I ordered one. Best shooting rifle I have ever had. Seems "Entry into the world of Sauer" is the German way of saying "gateway drug". I now have 3 of the things. Groups under a dime at 200 yards on all of them.
The bad: Thankfully I have avoided wasting money on rifles that won't shoot or have quality control issues like Christensen. You either get a good one or as you have all seen by now you get a nightmare that may or may not be fixed before you demand your money back or have to sell at a tremendous loss.
But a few other factory rifles are problem prone as well. Some just are not designed or produced to shoot any better than 3/4 MOA but Joe Deer Hunter seems to be satisfied with that. So they sell a lot of them.
The ugly: Can't say ugly without thinking of Savage. Some shoot great but they are ugly. Life is too short to hunt with an ugly rifle.
I think today I would add Bergara to the good list. But my safe is full.
jbronner13
Well-Known Member
"Entry into the world of Sauer" is the German way of saying "gateway drug". 
The Germans can make a rifle…..there's a reason why a gun designed in 1898 is still the best designed rifle ever. Some of the newer Mausers I have heard are excellent, I guess the M18 is highly accurate and dirt cheap. I just don't think you can get a bad German/Austrian rifle. I want to say Sauer also built Colt's bolt actions for them for some time and the MK5's from Weatherby were made in West Germany for some years as well. Anschutz? We all know Lothar Walther barrels are some of the best out there (particularly their drop in's for CZ 455/457's. I just don't want to ever buy a Teutonic rifle because I picture myself itching my arms outside of Monadnock Firearms saying "Rob, I'm good for it man, just one more Mauser, I swear I'll get you the money next week."
The Germans can make a rifle…..there's a reason why a gun designed in 1898 is still the best designed rifle ever. Some of the newer Mausers I have heard are excellent, I guess the M18 is highly accurate and dirt cheap. I just don't think you can get a bad German/Austrian rifle. I want to say Sauer also built Colt's bolt actions for them for some time and the MK5's from Weatherby were made in West Germany for some years as well. Anschutz? We all know Lothar Walther barrels are some of the best out there (particularly their drop in's for CZ 455/457's. I just don't want to ever buy a Teutonic rifle because I picture myself itching my arms outside of Monadnock Firearms saying "Rob, I'm good for it man, just one more Mauser, I swear I'll get you the money next week."
jbronner13
Well-Known Member
Has anyone heard of or have any experience with Fierce? A local gun shop owner here sells them, swears by them. He told me he won't even stock Christensen because of the horror stories he's heard regarding their rifles but more specifically their customer service. I am curious about the Fierce models, anyone shot one?
jbronner13
Well-Known Member
Any experience with Fierce? a buddy who owns a gun shop speaks really highly of them.
I'm going to take a little different angle on the Impulse -- I have zero love or desire to own most any bolt-action rifle, but think that a straight-pull is worth a shot. But they won't make one in a cartridge legal for deer in my state of residence.
jbronner13
Well-Known Member
That's a huge bummer, nothing worse than actually wanting something and not being able to get/use that thing. I grew up in a state where most things were and still are illegal, I would sit at the border and peer over at the folks in NH, lighting off fireworks while shooting pistols in the air drunk on cheap liquor they bought state run stores and said "someday Jamie……someday." I moved from MA after grad school and have lived in NM, VT and we settled here in NH. My advice would be to move. When life hands you lemons, don't make lemonade….say "f- these lemons, I'm getting a Dr. Pepper."
Jon Bischof
Well-Known Member
What makes you think Mauser M18 is any good? Guess nobody told those German machinists that a cheap rifle isn't supposed to shoot like this at 300 yards."Entry into the world of Sauer" is the German way of saying "gateway drug".
The Germans can make a rifle…..there's a reason why a gun designed in 1898 is still the best designed rifle ever. Some of the newer Mausers I have heard are excellent, I guess the M18 is highly accurate and dirt cheap. I just don't think you can get a bad German/Austrian rifle. I want to say Sauer also built Colt's bolt actions for them for some time and the MK5's from Weatherby were made in West Germany for some years as well. Anschutz? We all know Lothar Walther barrels are some of the best out there (particularly their drop in's for CZ 455/457's. I just don't want to ever buy a Teutonic rifle because I picture myself itching my arms outside of Monadnock Firearms saying "Rob, I'm good for it man, just one more Mauser, I swear I'll get you the money next week."
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jbronner13
Well-Known Member
Just defies logic….not to mention its cool that you can pop off the recoil pad and just stuff things in the stock.
