Asking for a friend who has 4 boys starting come of age. I had Ruger American 6.5 accurate but butt ugly--settled on a Tikka T-3. What else is there out there in that price range that shoots factory ammo?

Savage Axis.

TC COMPASS

Hip

Sauer 100

Or

Mauser 18

https://www.eurooptic.com/Maus...n-Rifle-M18065C.aspx

Mike

Weatherby Vanguard Series 2. Highly recommend.

Series 2 Weatherby Vanguard or a T3x Tikka. Savage makes their 11/111 Trophy Hunter XP in 6.5 Creedmoor as well and that would be a good accurate pick.

The Ruger Americans are ugly to look at. And working the bolt they sound like a zipper on a jacket. But they are really good in the accuracy department. I guess each brand has their quirk. Some people think the Savages are ugly. Some people don't like the one size action of the Tikkas.

quote:

Originally posted by dougfinn:
Weatherby Vanguard Series 2. Highly recommend.

Agreed. I got mine lightly used, very lightly for $325 including rings and it shoots lights out!

Not a lightweight and yet, not heavy either. Enough weight that with the 24" barrel, it makes field shots at longer distances easier.

Sauer 100 XT. Sportsman's Warehouse has them on sale at $599. They are one Hell of a rifle for the money. The Ruger American Rifleman is not even in the same class.

Mark

Yes - the Mauser M18s are going for $429 at EuroOptic right now.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Yes - the Mauser M18s are going for $429 at EuroOptic right now.

I've never used or seen one but hear good things! That's a nice price.

The CZ is lightweight and excellent for youth. Only problem is they learn on the backwards safety.

Both the Sauer 100 and Mauser 18 barrels come of the same machinery steel ect that $1200-$3000 blaser barrels do.

They may not get the nitrite finish the blaser barrels do.

But the steel is the same, the cold hammer forge is the same.

These are very good value for the money. Also shows one the profit margin for the blaser line

Mike

Mike, I didn’t realize the barrels were all the same make. That explains a lot. The Mausers are advertised as having black nitrided barrels.

quote:

Originally posted by dougfinn:
Weatherby Vanguard Series 2. Highly recommend.

Is the Vanguard still the same as a Howa?

Same metal work but the Vanguard comes with a 24" barrel vs the 22 on the Howa. And, for some, the Vanguard has a better stock.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Mike, I didn’t realize the barrels were all the same make. That explains a lot. The Mausers are advertised as having black nitrided barrels.

Yup

They come of the same cold hammer forged blank. Blaser runs a batch of blaser barrels, then Sauer barrels, then Mauser barrels, then Rigby barrels. It’s all off the same production line.

Blaser barrels will get cnc to cut the chamber ect.

The Sauer barrels are threaded and screwed into the receiver.

Mauser are heat pressed.

These are exceptional value guns.

Given the quality of these barrels - if one is threading them they need gunsmiths experienced with them. Sauer has factory threaded models.

Mike

I have a Sauer 100 in 6.5 CM. It likes Norma ammo (5/8" groups @ 100yds), Hornady ammo not so much. Having said that, I have some issues with the rifle. It did not eject properly when new. One of the ejectors was bent and the springs were weak. I could have sent it back, but didn't want to ship it with the scope on and didn't want to pull the scope, so I took it to a local gunsmith who fixed it for $70. The trigger is excellent, the stock is good, except it has a 1/2" hard rubber butt pad rather than a recoil pad and a 14 1/2" LOP. If you are buying it for kids, you will need to get the stock cut and a recoil pad installed. As I said, it is accurate (at least at 100 yds) but velocities are quite low (approximately 2600 fps with the Norma ammo, 100-200 fps lower than most handloading data is showing. Also, it apparently does not have a 1 in 8" twist because at 200 yds I am getting groups of 4-5" with the same ammo. With 120 grain North Fork handloads I get good accuracy at both 100 and 200 yds (as far as I can shoot at my local range).

I have a buddy in Omaha that bought a new Savage bolt in 6.5 CM a few months ago + paid $250.00 as I recall.

quote:

They come of the same cold hammer forged blank. Blaser runs a batch of blaser barrels, then Sauer barrels, then Mauser barrels, then Rigby barrels. It’s all off the same production line.

The profit margin on Blaser barrels must be huge

quote:

Originally posted by Uncle Grinch:

quote:

Originally posted by dougfinn:
Weatherby Vanguard Series 2. Highly recommend.

Is the Vanguard still the same as a Howa?

YES!

Howa/Vanguards get a lot of shade thrown their way but they are very good.

I would offer that they are better rifles than any similarly priced rifle.

The HS-Precision stocked Howa rifles are really good.

They have a two-stage trigger, two sizes of actions, shoot very well, and can be had for good prices.

You can sex them up with a high dollar aftermarket stock, and they just get better.

My father who is 80 and hates anything not made in America said that for most of his life, he wouldn't own one because they are made in Japan. Now he has a Toyota Sequoia and a Toyota Tundra and 5 Howa 1500s.

You can't beat their quality.

CV Scout Compact. When the boys get older you can add a longer stock. Street price in the low $300 range

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

They come of the same cold hammer forged blank. Blaser runs a batch of blaser barrels, then Sauer barrels, then Mauser barrels, then Rigby barrels. It’s all off the same production line.

The profit margin on Blaser barrels must be huge

Yes but less than in branded underwear.

Blaser seems more focused on branding consumer products - shirts, jackets, luggage and even underwear. Those have awesome margins without any real work. Take yeti off example - they brand a $4 t shirt and sell it for $12-$14 which retail $25. Much better than making a tumbler or cooler.

Blaser also learned that the real money makers in the modular rifle world are scope makers. Every blaser barrel and mount which they closely monitor has a high end scope from Swarovski or ziess or Leica

Mike

I think when you look at the differences between Blaser/Sauer/Mauser and any other similiarly successful gun company is just like Mike said.

They have built a business catering to everything a hunter wants.

If you look at Browning and Beretta they have also built a business around $400 jackets and all the other stuff that goes with it. Something Merkel is trying to do.

Ruger, Remington, Winchester, Weatherby, Krieghoff, Heym, and many others are not known for making jackets.

The roto molded cooler market is totally bullshit. We were buying them in Australia 10 years ago for $150 Australian for a 80 liter, the things were made in China and of very good quality.

The market came to America and they tripled the money, and it is the same Chinese made BS.

Inexpensive will almost always wind up very expensive. It can cost a lot of money to get an inexpensive rifle to become accurate and reliable.

For the money, I'd look at Sauer 100.

Guys,

I just bought the Sauer 100XT in 270. I cannot find one thing wrong with it. Fit and finish are excellent. The stock has none of the tupperware feel of some other synthetic stocks. It cycles and ejects flawlessly and the trigger breaks very crisply at 3# out of box. I adjusted it easily to 2.5 # with the provided wrench and it is still super crisp. Best of all it cost me $431 through Sportsman's Warehouse. Why the heck would you buy a Remchester and then have to spend money getting it tweaked.

You can purchase the 100 in all the common calibers up to 300WM including 6.5x55 and 9.3x62.

This is the first off the rack new rifle I have bought in probably 35 years. I don't need a custom rifle or semi custom as long as I can get this rifle's features straight from the store.

Mark

Ruger American Predator is still the best bang for the buck.

Tikka is dominating the aftermarket support and is the most versatile customizable gun out there for DIY.

Fit and finish on the Tikka are way beyond the Ruger but that doesn't make them shoot any better.

I've got both and have no plans to part with either.

The Ruger American is an excellent value with a good reputation for consistent accuracy from rifle to rifle. I sold a bunch of them and all the feedback I received was positive. I have one in 25-06 and bought my daughter a 6.5CM, both are excellent shooters. One can replace the plastic stock with a laminated Boyds if desired. When done, they are very nice looking.

Another worth considering is the Winchester XPR. I bought a compact version in 6.5CM for my grandson and have been very impressed with it so far.

Good luck!

All modern rifles use hammer forged barrels except Savage, which still used the button rifle method. Hammer forging is super cheap once you buy the machine.Most of the new, cheap crop of rifles will shoot better than old ones; I see them all the time on the range of all makes; I take out a $5000 custom to test and many of them shoot as well as it does. less than .5 moa.

Most any of the under $500 rifles out there will be surprizingly accurate. Some can shoot toless than MOA out to 1000 yards.
Not that anyone should shoot at game at that range, but the rifles can do it.
I think the big thing is the tight chamber and cartridge specs on the 6.5 CM account for this.
For young hunters the light recoil even in these light rifles is easy to mahage.
Keep the ragnes inline withthe caertridges abilities and you will eat very well.
Leo

If you reload the 260 rem is even better !
I make my brass from 243 ,308 and 7mm08 .All the 260s I have shoot under a 1/2 inch at 100 yards with good bullets .Make sure it had 1 in 9 twist or faster .My savage model 10 rifles shoot clover leaf groups at 100 yards and 1 inch at 300 yards with lapua bullets .I am fixing to make a custom 260 in a old ruger 77 tang safety 243 win that never shot good . You need to get a rifle that will last some are just plain junk .I hate how bad some of these guns bolt !

If I ever decide to get one, and Im seriously considering such, Im going full bore and get a SS wood stocked Kimber at $999.00, not inexpensive but a sho nuff pretty little rascal...Resale would probably be real good also..

Don't know what your idea of expensive is or not, but I can recommend the Kimber Hunter version to your list.

Stocks have been hydro dipped, bolt handle changed to a Ti Tac version. 3X9 SWFA HDMQ on deck.

The Kuiu Verde stock will house my 7-08 and the Open Country is the 6.5CM.

Howa

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

They come of the same cold hammer forged blank. Blaser runs a batch of blaser barrels, then Sauer barrels, then Mauser barrels, then Rigby barrels. It’s all off the same production line.

The profit margin on Blaser barrels must be huge

Yes but less than in branded underwear.

Blaser seems more focused on branding consumer products - shirts, jackets, luggage and even underwear. Those have awesome margins without any real work. Take yeti off example - they brand a $4 t shirt and sell it for $12-$14 which retail $25. Much better than making a tumbler or cooler.

Blaser also learned that the real money makers in the modular rifle world are scope makers. Every blaser barrel and mount which they closely monitor has a high end scope from Swarovski or ziess or Leica

Mike

Branding cheap stuff to sell higher caters for the stupid!

The Howa/Vanguards are excellent rifles indeed, if a bit on the heavy side.
The bigger issue right now is the cost of Creedmoor ammunition if you can find it at all.
This round was designed to be easily handloaded to factory accuracy standards and beyond, so be sure you have dies, brass, bullets, powder and primers.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Beretta682E:

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

They come of the same cold hammer forged blank. Blaser runs a batch of blaser barrels, then Sauer barrels, then Mauser barrels, then Rigby barrels. It’s all off the same production line.

The profit margin on Blaser barrels must be huge

Yes but less than in branded underwear.

Blaser seems more focused on branding consumer products - shirts, jackets, luggage and even underwear. Those have awesome margins without any real work. Take yeti off example - they brand a $4 t shirt and sell it for $12-$14 which retail $25. Much better than making a tumbler or cooler.

Blaser also learned that the real money makers in the modular rifle world are scope makers. Every blaser barrel and mount which they closely monitor has a high end scope from Swarovski or ziess or Leica

Mike

Branding cheap stuff to sell higher caters for the stupid!

True every time I walk thru Dubai duty free I am reminded of it. But the modern consumer economy is based on branding.

Works for most consumers but curmudgeons

Mike