Top 5 hunting rifles at/under $1K

[Rexby4]

Hi All.
My budget for a setup is $2K for rifle and optic. I expect to spend at least half of that on glass. So now I'm trying to figure out the best rifle I can fit into. I have looked at X-bolt and Kimber Mountain. I don't need to shoot 3moa at 1000 yards or anything and don't expect to. Just looking for something accurate enough to to get a good kill shot on an elk at 500 yards maximum. Appreciate everyone's input!

Hi All.
My budget for a setup is $2K for rifle and optic. I expect to spend at least half of that on glass. So now I'm trying to figure out the best rifle I can fit into. I have looked at X-bolt and Kimber Mountain. I don't need to shoot 3moa at 1000 yards or anything and don't expect to. Just looking for something accurate enough to to get a good kill shot on an elk at 500 yards maximum. Appreciate everyone's input!
Thanks!!

Take a look at the Howa Randy Newberg rifle, comes with a leupold scope

 

[ButterBean]

I once had a Savage with a Swarovski z5 5-25X52. The Savage had a Midway .25-06 barrel rechambered to .257 Weatherby. Cheap! Cheap!

I'm not talking about an Axis which there is nothing wrong with I'm talking about 110, 112 and 116's, I have had a few of those that I regret ever parting with

 

[Velvet]

Tikka all day long!!!

 

[N2TRKYS]

I'd pick a Remington Model Seven SS(cartridge of your choosing) and a Leupold VX3i in your favorite magnification, without hesitation.

 

[Velvet]

For optics, take a look at Vector Optics Continental series. I am using the 3-18×50 model. Great great German Schott optics, and very good construction for $750. Great riflescope for the money.
Solid turrets, iluminated reticle, mrad mrad

 

[emp1953]

Check the custom rifle makers websites. Once in a while a gem will become available for a reasonable price in their SPECIALS page. Sometimes a customer will have a rifle built and something happens and they cannot take the rifle for whatever reason. That's how I got my Cooper for $1400.

 

[Blackhawk]

For what you get for the money I would buy a Savage, All Weather or Bear Hunter or Somewhere in that vicinity

Savage Rifles have come a long way and are an excellent value for the money!
I recently purchased a Savage High Country In .300 Winchester Magnum.
I will tell you that it is no slouch in the accuracy dept.
Additionally, I have the Savage Bear Hunter in .338 Winchester Magnum and a Savage All-Weather in .300 Winchester Magnum. Anyone of these three rifles is above satisfactory in regard to performance, reliability, and accuracy.
Not to mention the Accu trigger, Accu stock, which is pillar bedded and aluminum rail lined fabricated into the stock for added rigidity and a tighter stock to action fit.
This adds up to a lot of features for short money!
However, among the rifles, that dwell in my safe each has its place with regard to the type of game that I wish to harvest.
Butterbean's choices will not disappoint you!

 

[foul bore]

I do like the Xbolt the best so far. But then I have people telling me to stay away from non- 700 action rifles.....

I like th Xbolt hunter, I have in 6mm cm, and 308, topped with Leupold scopes. light and very accurate especially with hand loads

 

[Lwarner03]

Tikka

Yup!

 

[Trooper1]

Thanks for the honest feedback. Especially about going with what I like best. It's so easy to get wrapped up in what everyone else thinks! I have access to great deals on NF, so that is definitely it for me as far as glass. For the rifle, it's either going to be a Tikka T3X in 308 to keep costs down, or Christensen Mesa in 300WM. Of course, with all of this excellent info, that may change ten times haha.

You can never go wrong with the best in optics. Nightforce is a great optic. And if you are lucky to have a deal, so much the better. Most of us pay straight across the board for them. The most accurate rifle in the world isn't up to the task if your optics aren't. (great choice )
And both those caliber choices will work just fine!

 

[Pizzaman1]

Hi All.
My budget for a setup is $2K for rifle and optic. I expect to spend at least half of that on glass. So now I'm trying to figure out the best rifle I can fit into. I have looked at X-bolt and Kimber Mountain. I don't need to shoot 3moa at 1000 yards or anything and don't expect to. Just looking for something accurate enough to to get a good kill shot on an elk at 500 yards maximum. Appreciate everyone's input!
Thanks!!

Tikka-T3x, and for optics- do you want FFP or SFP? FFP-Toric by Tract optics is amazing glass-about $1250.00 A little less-Euro-optics has a sale button on their page-I just picked up a PST Gen2 for around $800.00-lots of scopes for sale on there, or- Burris Veracity-I own 2 of them- great glass for the money! Good luck!

 

[freddiej]

BlueShirt2; I have to agree with the Bergara, the X-bolt, the Tikka/Sako, Savage 110-116, and the Kimber brands. I have Tikka 695 in 270 Win and would not give it up ever. I have the Kimber 8400 Montana in 270 WSM and equally would not give it up for the world. the bergara's have been filtering into my shop and I have tested them out.. most agreeable rifles for hunting. sub-1MOA every last one. Savage's have great stocks and barreled actions these days and their triggers being their only real short coming. although their triggers are really good these days. If you can find a reasonable Win 70 they are worth owning and they work well. the old Rems are good. If you can get a custom barreled Win 70 or Rem 700 they are definitely going to fill your need. I do not have anything against Sako but they might be out of your price range even used. but IF you can find one within your price range definitely and in a caliber you are looking for; pick it up! very fine rifles come from Sako. I own a few.

 

[257Tony]

One caution with Browning is that you will not be able to replace barrel on it. That said, I do have a Browning AB3 in 308 in a pillar bedded Boyds Stock and it is an excellent shooter - but I wouldn't get anything that causes more barrel wear. I run a Tract Toric 2-10x42 scope and it is awesome.

for Elk I'd recommend something with longer range like a Tikka 300WM and the Tract 3-15x50 with good quality medium rings and a pic rail.

They have fine threads and they are bonded with red loctite. So if you need new barrel for a Browning you can only get it from them with an action attached. Bottom line is you trash a Browning rifle when the barrel wears out.

But Browning does make a good rifle - I have one myself.

Yes, they have fine threads and probably thread locker, that does not mean you can't rebarrel them. Plenty of competent smiths out there can do it. Stop spreading blatant misinformation.

 

[Its204fast]

Hi All.
My budget for a setup is $2K for rifle and optic. I expect to spend at least half of that on glass. So now I'm trying to figure out the best rifle I can fit into. I have looked at X-bolt and Kimber Mountain. I don't need to shoot 3moa at 1000 yards or anything and don't expect to. Just looking for something accurate enough to to get a good kill shot on an elk at 500 yards maximum. Appreciate everyone's input!
Thanks!!

I would look for a Remington Sendero. I don't know anything about elk hunting but I would look for 7mm Rem Mag or 300Mag. The benefit of the Remington is the plethora of aftermarket parts available. If you shoot the barrel out and want to go with a 1.5in dia barrel, someone makes a stock to fit. Jewel makes a trigger that adjust' down to about an ounce.
Tikka is a glassy slick action and i would love to have a T3 to hunt with, but I hunt scrubby little NC deer and maybe a bear one day.

500 yards on an elk is not a shot for an amateur shooter. A RESPONSIBLE hunter would seriously hone shot placement for an animal that large at that distance.