Top 5 hunting rifles at/under $1K

[Betarider]

X-bolt Hells Canyon Speed gets my vote. Light, accurate, shoulders nice, factory cerakote and factory brake. Should be right at 1k street price.

In my opinion a hunting rifle should be made of stainless steel rather than blued steel as it's much better at weather related things and cleans up better in the bore too my stainless A bolt is 30 years old and still shoots as if new. Can't say that about my blued savage 22 hornet. But it's 45 years old!

 

[Murph1951]

Murph - Can you point me in the direction of a smith who does ABolt work? I can't seem to find anyone who will touch them. I love the rifle, love the 60 degree bolt lift, but I want to install a new barrel and perhaps a stock change. Thanks

I was worried when I bought my A-Bolt Stainless Stalker in 223 WSSM with all the reports of barrel burn out. This was happening with < 500 rounds. Also all the rumors about changing barrels on an A-Bolt. Would I be stuck with a boat anchor? I called Browning and spoke with a tech guy, he seemed to have his s**t together. Again this was several years ago when the WSSM was the new kid on the block. I have well over 500 rounds sent down my barrel and it is still perfect, it does not get range time but hunting time so I am sure it will last me my life time. Browning states it will be good for 2000+ rounds, same as a 22-250. Also I shoot 64 grain Winchester Power Points at around 3500 fps, not 45 grains at 4000 fps.


Browning Service Department
3005 Arnold-Tenbrook Road
Arnold, Missouri 63010-4728
1-800-322-4626

 

[Gcan]

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!!

At $2000 you are looking at a factory rifle. Try this group.

https://www.fieldandstream.com/10-most-accurate-factory-hunting-rifles-weve-ever-tested/

 

[JayCee49]

Hello All,

Late to the tread so I read the eleven pages rather quickly.

Apparently no one mentioned the Mauser M 18. For $429.- I don't think you can find a better rifle.
I can attest to its quality and accuracy. Barrels made at the same factory that manufactures Sauers and Blasers.
Adjustable very good trigger, 60 degree bolt, etc.

Blueshirt, you should look into it and consider bettering optics or lowering your total budget ;-)
(Lots of info on it out there).

YMTC,

Best,

JC
P.S.: https://bit.ly/318SxoN

 

[Raudy707]

Another vote for Tikka T3. Most accurate out of the box rifle I've seen lately. I bought one 9 years ago for $599.99 in 270 wsm. I shoot a lot so burned the barrel out on year 7. It was a tack driver and killed a ton of deer and elk with oem setup. After 9 years I rebarreled it in 270 wsm again but with an 1:8 twist barrel. I added a Manners Elite stock, switched out the trigger springs to a smooth 2.5 lb trigger pull and fluted the bolt and added a new handle. This cost me $1600. So I have $2200 bucks into an eleven year old rifle. It's the best all around big game rifle I own. It will shoot 170 grain Berger under .5 moa out to 1300 yds. Flat shooter! At 3000 fps it hits hard and flies straight. That bullet has a BC of .665 and she doesn't blow off course with wind. Really happy with the original Tikka, but absolutely love my semi custom rebuilt Tikka even more. Good luck! Shot this goat facing me at 464 yds right in the throat chest area. Right where I aimed, never a doubt in my mind.

 

[dciron]

I was worried when I bought my A-Bolt Stainless Stalker in 223 WSSM with all the reports of barrel burn out. This was happening with < 500 rounds. Also all the rumors about changing barrels on an A-Bolt. Would I be stuck with a boat anchor? I called Browning and spoke with a tech guy, he seemed to have his s**t together. Again this was several years ago when the WSSM was the new kid on the block. I have well over 500 rounds sent down my barrel and it is still perfect, it does not get range time but hunting time so I am sure it will last me my life time. Browning states it will be good for 2000+ rounds, same as a 22-250. Also I shoot 64 grain Winchester Power Points at around 3500 fps, not 45 grains at 4000 fps.


Browning Service Department
3005 Arnold-Tenbrook Road
Arnold, Missouri 63010-4728
1-800-322-4626

Good to know, thank you.

 

[davidu]

From the web site of a respected custom rifle company in Texas Hill Country rifles, "
For many years, Hill Country Rifles offered our Harvester rifle, built on a Remington 700 barreled action. Each factory rifle would be rigorously inspected before going to our custom shop to be built into a Harvester.This was a tremendously successful product line, until we stopped production due to our dissatisfaction with factory barrel and chamber quality.
We Are Relaunching Our Harvester Rifle Series Using A Well-Known Sako Product; The Tikka T3 Light
The Tikka T3 Light gives us a lightweight platform with a detachable box magazine and a short, quick 60-degree bolt throw, Sako extractor and adjustable trigger. We have been very pleased with the machining quality of the barrels and chambers and are confident we can guarantee a sub-inch grouping rifle at 100 yards with factory ammunition."

It's a bit of an affirmation of the Tikka rifle. More and more companies are bringing Tikka aftermarket parts I the market. . After talking to tech at Trigger tech I was told they are working on an aftermarket Tikka trigger. I hope it's the Diamond Series as the oem Tikka trigger with a light spring is hard to beat. Removed a Timney 2stage I purchased and put the Tikka back in. Timney Is a great company, but the trigger feel just didn't suit me. I know other factory rifles can manufacture excellent shooters, but IMHO, Tikka does it very consistently.

 

[CTK]

There are still closeout Sako A7 Roughtech models available online. These are good rifles. Better stock than the Tikka. Otherwise fairly similar.

 

[slas]

I say the Tikka route also. I did a new Tikka 260 Forrester for around $600 on EuroOptic closeout. Bedded it and put in pillars, changed some plastic to metal and added Yodave trigger spring. Stuck a nice used NightForce 2.5-10 x 32 NXS I picked up for $1100. So now I have maybe $1800 in it and it shoots as well as any of the "several thousand" dollar rifles I own. I often have a hard time leaving her home when I go hunting with them "prettier" ones.

 

[gbett308]

Tikka is made in Finland and Browning in Japan, can't we make a good rifle in the US anymore?

 

[Highlander44]

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 100 %. IMO best bang for the buck

 

[CTK]

I say the Tikka route also. I did a new Tikka 260 Forrester for around $600 on EuroOptic closeout. Bedded it and put in pillars, changed some plastic to metal and added Yodave trigger spring. Stuck a nice used NightForce 2.5-10 x 32 NXS I picked up for $1100. So now I have maybe $1800 in it and it shoots as well as any of the "several thousand" dollar rifles I own. I often have a hard time leaving her home when I go hunting with them "prettier" ones.
[/QU
Great idea to go with the Forrester and bed the stock.

 

[dciron]

DavidU thank you for posting that, that is some affirmation for the Tikka. I grew up in a family that revered the Sako going back to the 70's (quite a few Savages and Rugers as well) and since buying an ABolt myself roughly 20 years ago I have been a big fan of 60 bolts. All that said, hard to beat the Tikka. I just wish an American Company could compete.

 

[dciron]

Tikka is made in Finland and Browning in Japan, can't we make a good rifle in the US anymore?

TOTALLY agree. 1/2 of the Weatherby line is Japanese as well.