Best bang for your buck deer hunting riffle under 1k

[Orangehd1]

As the tittle says best bang for your buck hunting riffle for deer. Used or new but would like to keep it under a 1k
thanks joe

 

[nobody]

Need more info...

Do you reload/have the ability to reload, or will you only be shooting factory ammo?
What part of the country are you hunting in?
What kind of deer? Big difference between a south Texas whitetail and an Idaho mule deer.
What's your shooting experience like? Do you have lots of time behind a rifle already, or is this all new for you?
What's your tolerance for recoil?
Will you only hunt these "deer," or do you want the option to be able to use it to hunt other things as well, like elk and moose and bear?
Is the 1k budget for just the rifle, or does that include optics, mounts, sling, case, and a few boxes of ammo?

The more info you can share, the better we will know how to help you.

 

[Bubblehide]

You are going to see Tikka mentioned a whole lot.

 

[twall13]

Need more info...

Do you reload/have the ability to reload, or will you only be shooting factory ammo?
What part of the country are you hunting in?
What kind of deer? Big difference between a south Texas whitetail and an Idaho mule deer.
What's your shooting experience like? Do you have lots of time behind a rifle already, or is this all new for you?
What's your tolerance for recoil?
Will you only hunt these "deer," or do you want the option to be able to use it to hunt other things as well, like elk and moose and bear?
Is the 1k budget for just the rifle, or does that include optics, mounts, sling, case, and a few boxes of ammo?

The more info you can share, the better we will know how to help you.

I agree, answer some of these questions and you'll get a better answer.

Without additional information I'd lean towards a Bergara Wilderness Ridge or a Stainless Tikka. I personally like the feel of the Bergara better but both will shoot well. Caliber, etc. will vary based on what your needs.

The truth is, most factory rifle's shoot really well these days. Some kick more than others, some fit better, some have additional features, some weigh less, etc. but most any rifle will be accurate if you can find the right ammo and do your part.

 

[ramsdude47]

You can’t really go wrong with any of the budget rifles frequently mentioned on this forum.

I personally don’t think it’s worth spending much more than Ruger American/Mauser M18/Savage 110. Save the extra dough for a good scope and ammo to shoot it a lot before hunting with it.

If you don’t reload (or plan to learn) probably best to pick a 30-06, .308, .270, 7mm-08, or 6.5 Creedmoor.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

You are going to see Tikka mentioned a whole lot.

Tikka

 

[Orangehd1]

Need more info...

Do you reload/have the ability to reload, or will you only be shooting factory ammo?
What part of the country are you hunting in?
What kind of deer? Big difference between a south Texas whitetail and an Idaho mule deer.
What's your shooting experience like? Do you have lots of time behind a rifle already, or is this all new for you?
What's your tolerance for recoil?
Will you only hunt these "deer," or do you want the option to be able to use it to hunt other things as well, like elk and moose and bear?
Is the 1k budget for just the rifle, or does that include optics, mounts, sling, case, and a few boxes of ammo?

The more info you can share, the better we will know how to help you.

Factory ammo
N.C., ga,IL
Whitetail maybe some hogs
Not a ton of time with a riffle. Lots of time with pistols..
Not recoil sensitive but don’t want anything that’s not fun to shoot either
1k budget is for the riffle only. If i save on that it will just met me a better scope.
Will be hunting from a stands. from fairly wooded to a 300yard field.
thanks for all the help!

 

[nobody]

Factory ammo
N.C., ga,IL
Whitetail maybe some hogs
Not a ton of time with a riffle. Lots of time with pistols..
Not recoil sensitive but don’t want anything that’s not fun to shoot either
1k budget is for the riffle only. If i save on that it will just met me a better scope.

thanks for all the help!

Super helpful, thank you!

For the "cheap" realm, I would recommend a Ruger American. The Rugers really do function and shoot well with exceptional accuracy. It'll run you right around $400, and you'll most likely be hard pressed to beat the accuracy once you find the load it likes.

For the "Middle of the road," I would recommend a Howa 1500 with a Hogue stock. You can get one for right around $500, so not much more than the Ruger. But the action has the recoil lug cast into it as one solid piece and has a killer trigger. Howa uses the same action, trigger, and barrels to produce the Vanguard for Weatherby, and they run between $700 and $800 typically. So, essentially, you're getting a Weatherby for $300 less. Lots of gun for the money!

For something that's gonna be lots closer to your price range, look at the Tikka T3x CTR or the Bergara B-14 Ridge. Both are unreal as far as their functionality and accuracy are concerned, but they're pretty different. My buddy shoots a Tikka and it's awesome, but the stock feels pretty cheap for what you pay. The Bergara is everything a modern Remington 700 wishes it could be. Factory 2.5 lb trigger, blueprinted and trued action, well built barrels, and bedded stocks for right around $850.

Go handle them all and pick one in something simple like 30-06, 308, 270, 7mm-08. If you're thinking a Magnum, go with a 7mm Rem Mag or a 300 Win Mag. Every single factory rifle today will easily outshoot any of us without much effort, tolerances and manufacturing have come a long way. Just pick one, get it, find an ammo it likes, and enjoy!

 

[Orangehd1]

Thanks again. In general do the newer rifles outshoot the older ones. For instance there if a 2012 unfired Remington 700vs in the classifieds. Curious how something like that would match up to the newer rifles?

 

[Drenalin]

I have been very happy with my Bergara B14 Hunter in .30-06 for pretty much what you described. Caliber selection completely aside, it's a heck of a nice rifle for the money. I checked out some Remingtons and Brownings when I was rifle shopping and liked the Bergara quite a bit better.

 

[nobody]

Thanks again. In general do the newer rifles outshoot the older ones. For instance there if a 2012 unfired Remington 700vs in the classifieds. Curious how something like that would match up to the newer rifles?

Honestly, personally, I would NEVER buy ANY Remington newer than about 1990. Remington has declared bankruptcy 3 times, most recently they liquidated all their subsidiaries and ended up in a GIANT lawsuit with their creditors in the process. A 2012 Remington is more useful as a fencepost than as a rifle.

In my opinion, just avoid Remington completely. If you do have issues with a Remington, they can't warranty right now anyways because they're too busy with legal litigation and issues there. I work part time a couple nights a week at our local Sportsman's Warehouse (gotta support my habit somehow), and there are 4 top tier ($1000 or more) model 700's with faulty action/trigger/safety assemblies on the shelf that need to go back to Remington, but they can't. We aren't allowed to ship anything to their facilities, they're all sitting dormant with nobody working. I'm guessing that in 6 months, all Remingtons will end up clearanced as donor actions, Remington as a company will become a figment of our imagination, and I'll end up selling those faulty ones for next to nothing. This is coming from a guy who grew up shooting dad's 700, but I wouldn't touch one now.

Generally though, with the other brands, new rifles aren't necessarily better, but the manufacturing processes and tolerances are significantly improved, just with the technology advancements. For example, people used to pay thousands of dollars to get their rifles to shoot 1 inch groups at 100 yards. Now, you can go buy pretty much any factory rifle of any price and it'll shoot 1 inch groups or better at 100 yards. I wouldn't have any qualms buying new, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy used either.

If you like the Remington design and their actions for ease of gunsmithing, pick up a Bergara.

 

[fraz01]

Howa or Weatherby vanguard would be a good option. Lots of choices.

 

[nobody]

Honestly, personally, I would NEVER buy ANY Remington newer than about 1990. Remington has declared bankruptcy 3 times, most recently they liquidated all their subsidiaries and ended up in a GIANT lawsuit with their creditors in the process. A 2012 Remington is more useful as a fencepost than as a rifle.

In my opinion, just avoid Remington completely. If you do have issues with a Remington, they can't warranty right now anyways because they're too busy with legal litigation and issues there. I work part time a couple nights a week at our local Sportsman's Warehouse (gotta support my habit somehow), and there are 4 top tier ($1000 or more) model 700's with faulty action/trigger/safety assemblies on the shelf that need to go back to Remington, but they can't. We aren't allowed to ship anything to their facilities, they're all sitting dormant with nobody working. I'm guessing that in 6 months, all Remingtons will end up clearanced as donor actions, Remington as a company will become a figment of our imagination, and I'll end up selling those faulty ones for next to nothing. This is coming from a guy who grew up shooting dad's 700, but I wouldn't touch one now.

Generally though, with the other brands, new rifles aren't necessarily better, but the manufacturing processes and tolerances are significantly improved, just with the technology advancements. For example, people used to pay thousands of dollars to get their rifles to shoot 1 inch groups at 100 yards. Now, you can go buy pretty much any factory rifle of any price and it'll shoot 1 inch groups or better at 100 yards. I wouldn't have any qualms buying new, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy used either.

If you like the Remington design and their actions for ease of gunsmithing, pick up a Bergara.

I do want to add, if it is a custom 700, that's a different story. Once a gunsmith has touched them, they're no longer a Remington in my opinion. So if it's a custom or semi-custom on a 700 action, it's worth will be determined by the work that has been done. Just wanted to add that caveat!

 

[EmperorMA]

I like advice to buy a $500 rifle and spend the rest on glass.

I've owned many rifles over the years, many very nice (expensive) production rifles and even a few very costly custom rifles. For my last purchase, which was for a "backup" rifle that would double as a truck gun when I happened to have a tag of some sort in my pocket while bird hunting, I decided to go with a budget rifle. My price range was under $1K with a $500 glass budget.

I ended up, after handling and researching a bunch of budget rifles, with a Winchester XPR in 6.5 Creedmoor that I got delivered to my FFA for about $300 all in. I used the difference with my budget to get better glass, and I ended up with a $1K Zeiss scope in Talley Lightweight rings.

This rig shoots about eight different varieties of factory ammo into sub-MOA groups, and even puts a few into 1/2 MOA groups at 100 yards. It eats 120gr or 147 grains equally well, and is more accurate than I am. It is easy to carry, feels good in hand and the scope is wonderful, a Zeiss HD5 3-15x42. I did very well!

 

[TREE ‘EM]

Ruger American if you’re on a tight budget. I bought a RAP in 6.5 CM when they first came out. Best $340 I ever spent with my clothes on! Cheap DIY tune ($15) and it shoots 1/4” with 120 Grain A-Max factory ammo and 1/2” with 140 grain Nosler Accubond factory ammo. I doubt I could improve on that by hand loading, so I’ve never tried.

Bought a Tikka T3x lite which was almost twice the cost of the RAP but much more nicely finished. Not quite as accurate as the Ruger but not far off and there are a ton of upgrade options for the Tikka so its a better rifle to grow with IMO.

Don’t scrimp on glass but you can probably expect to spend $400-600 on something suitable that you won’t want to upgrade in a couple years. Look at Trijicon Accupoint and Leupold VX3 for good values.

Don’t be afraid to buy used rifles, optics and mounts. Lots of folks buy-try-sell instead of watching TV or playing golf, so watch the classifieds here.

Best of luck to you. Have fun!

 

[Orangehd1]

I like advice to buy a $500 rifle and spend the rest on glass.

I've owned many rifles over the years, many very nice (expensive) production rifles and even a few very costly custom rifles. For my last purchase, which was for a "backup" rifle that would double as a truck gun when I happened to have a tag of some sort in my pocket while bird hunting, I decided to go with a budget rifle. My price range was under $1K with a $500 glass budget.

I ended up, after handling and researching a bunch of budget rifles, with a Winchester XPR in 6.5 Creedmoor that I got delivered to my FFA for about $450 all in. I used the difference with my budget to get better glass, and I ended up with a $1K Zeiss scope in Talley Lightweight rings.

This rig shoots about eight different varieties of factory ammo into sub-MOA groups, and even puts a few into 1/2 MOA groups at 100 yards. It eats 120gr or 147 grains equally well, and is more accurate than I am. It is easy to carry, feels good in hand and the scope is wonderful, a Zeiss HD5 3-15x42. I did very well

Thanks again. Looks like I came to the right place for advice.. so what’s the best scope for the money. I wear glasses and do struggle in low light situations. With the money I’m going to save on the riffle I could do 1k on the scope if need be.

 

[nobody]

Thanks again. Looks like I came to the right place for advice.. so what’s the best scope for the money. I wear glasses and do struggle in low light situations. With the money I’m going to save on the riffle I could do 1k on the scope if need be.

Leupold VX5HD with the CDS Dial. Or a Swarovski Z5, or the Zeiss mentioned above. I would avoid Vortex without question, but I'm weird I guess...

 

[FlyingScot]

Thanks again. Looks like I came to the right place for advice.. so what’s the best scope for the money. I wear glasses and do struggle in low light situations. With the money I’m going to save on the riffle I could do 1k on the scope if need be.

In your shoes, I'd go Swarovski z3 or Zeiss V4 for a hair under the $1k mark, then spend the rest on the rifle. Tikka if you can, Ruger American otherwise, in your favorite caliber. Much as I love 6.5 Creedmoor and 7mm-08 for your stated purposes, it's really really hard to argue against the versatility of a .280 AI or .30-06 should you decide to go chasing bigger game down the road.

 

[EmperorMA]

In your shoes, I'd go Swarovski z3 or Zeiss V4 for a hair under the $1k mark, then spend the rest on the rifle. Tikka if you can, Ruger American otherwise, in your favorite caliber. Much as I love 6.5 Creedmoor and 7mm-08 for your stated purposes, it's really really hard to argue against the versatility of a .280 AI or .30-06 should you decide to go chasing bigger game down the road.

Yup. Swarovski Z3 or Zeiss V4 are great choices.

 

[WyoKid]

Low budget....go with Savage...Tikka if you want to spend a bit more.