Best budget .308?

[SFW]

I'm looking for a good .308 rifle on a budget. I'd like to keep in under $500. I already have some nice glass for the rifle, but would like to add a good bolt action .308 to my toolbox. I'm looking for something with a synthetic stoc and a 20" barrel. Thanks for the suggestions!

[jmr40]

If you can live with an 18" barrel this.

http://ruger.com/products/americanRi...ct/models.html

If you can live with 22", or are willing to spend $25 to have it cut to 20" this

http://ruger.com/products/americanRifle/models.html

These are making a lot of waves as the best of the budget guns. I have 2. A compact in 223 and standard rifle in 308. Both are .75 MOA shooters.

[WV_gunner]

Get a single shot instead, an NEF is around $300.

[Bamashooter]

Last year I bought a T/C Venture 30-06 for $399 which wasn't much more than the Ruger American. I looked hard at the ruger because like you I was looking for a quality inexpensive bolt action but in my opinion the venture is a better rifle. Mine easily shot under moa with Hornady American Whitetail 150gr ammunition. If I hadn't bought the venture I would have bought the American.

[reynolds357]

Venture is a better rifle as far as the stock is concerned. Metal parts are about equal. I Paid $275 for my Venture .308.

[Jay24bal]

While it has a 22" barrel, IMO the best budget rifle available is the Savage Axis.

Both of mine (one in 223 and one in 308) are great shooters, and well under your $500 limit.

Then there is also the used route if you were interested in that. Any number of rifles could be had for under $500 there.

[bamaranger]

Here's a vote for the Savage Hog Rifle. Not sure what a new one costs, but I picked up a used one w/ a Nikon budget scope last year for $400.00 & tax.

Dang thing is a shooter, sure enough. The two I've been around, (mine and a pals) are easily sub MOA rifles with good ammo.

Savage made the original bladed rifle accuracy trigger, and the Hog Rifle has it. The rifle has the 20" tube you mention, though it is of a medium taper, not sporter. Off color green synthetic stock, which I like but others do not. Oversize bolt knob & threaded muzzle. Blind magazine, which I like on a rough use/field rifle, nothing to loose. Some complain the Hog Rifle is too heavy....but I do not see it as a carbine "carry much/shoot little" rifle. Rather it is a shorter rifle that has the heft of a full size one. Its heft, and the premo pad on it, make long strings of .308 tolerable.

I like it, and so does bamaboy, who I had to arm wrestle about every day last year he deer hunted, to get it back from him.

[jersurf101]

I would look at the savage 11 trophy hunter XP. I bought one 2 years ago and in .308 and this is a great rifle for the money. The scope is decent and I got mine OTD for under 450.00 NIB.

[Jms920]

My vote goes to the Marlin X7. Hands down, best dollar for dollar bargain out there. Mine cost $300 delivered plus $20 transfer fee.

[oldscot3]

Howa 1500.

(People are going to start thinking I work for them)

[TMD]

Another vote for the Savage Hog Hunter. They can be had for around $500 and for the money can't be beat. Sub-moa, accutrigger, 1-10 twist and best of all a threaded barrel. I got to playing around with my AAC SDN-6 suppressor and some subsonic loads. 208gr. A-Max @1000fps. and still holds about 1" @100 yrds. With normal loads it will shoot sub moa with ease.

[Huffmanite]

Been some good suggestions made, but agree with jms920's suggestion of getting a Marlin X rifle. Own 3 of the Marlin X rifles...all shoot well. I like its adjustable trigger. Only problem is the standard length of the hunting barrels on the 308 is probably 22". My Marlin X heavy varmit barrel 308 is 26".

[INMY01TA]

For what purpose?

[kajvid]

Picked up a Savage Axis in .308 for the wife. Under $400. Stock sucks but it does what it is suppose to do and she likes it. It'll kill deer!

[Mosin-Marauder]

I saw a savage Axis at Walmart a while back. Would have got it if I had brought my money . It was like, $237 I think. Black stock with a recoil pad on the butt. I think it had their accu-trigger too, but I'm not sure. Looked like a pretty good rifle.

[Huffmanite]

Unless, your Walmart had it on sale or something, price around here for a Walmart Axis should be $257. Also, while I think Savage may have introduced a newer version of the Axis with an Accru trigger recently, doubt it has it and believe me, I own an Axis, the standard trigger on an Axis leaves a lot to be desired.

[Mosin-Marauder]

Like I said I don't know. I think it might have even been chambered in .270. It was being glass so I don't know all the details. Looked like a fine rifle.

[Willie Lowman]

If I was in the market for a new .308, I'd go with a Savage. That said, I love my Remington 700.

[FiveInADime]

Originally Posted by Huffmanite

Been some good suggestions made, but agree with jms920's suggestion of getting a Marlin X rifle. Own 3 of the Marlin X rifles...all shoot well. I like its adjustable trigger. Only problem is the standard length of the hunting barrels on the 308 is probably 22". My Marlin X heavy varmit barrel 308 is 26".

I like a lot about the X7 rifles. I bought a SS model in 7mm-08 for $350 and it was a sub-MOA shooter. The trigger is just under 2lbs. on my rifle with the screw backed out all the way (it isn't supposed to be that light). I have since turned it into a heavy-barrel, walnut-stocked .260Rem.

I think the X7 is the best budget rifle, but it really IS a budget rifle and there were still corners cut. The bore looked awful through a borescope and it has a lot of MIM parts. The trigger is excellent, the bolt is smooth as glass, and in general it feels like a quality rifle compared to an Axis, RAR, Etc. That is especially true in the classically styled synthetic stock that is stiffer than the other sub-$400 guns' stocks.

[Jim243]

Savage Axis in 308.

Just my opinion.
Jim

[kajvid]

Yeah. It was $339 with a crappy 3x-9x scope for the Savage Axis. I would have gone the glassless route for $269 but they were out. Again, for a cheap package my wife loves it. I ended up putting a Leupold that was sitting here on the gun. A little better than what came on it.

[savagecornmuffin]

Not saying that one thing is better than another,.. just relaying my recent budget rifle experiences of the ones I've liked.

I really like my x7 in 308. And mine is a Remlin. Its was very accurate out of the box. If I can find a 30-06 in stainless, I'm buying it. As far as cheap plastic stocks go, I think its better cheap plastic than the Savage cheap plastic.

I like the budget Savage and Stevens rifles. Despite the lack of adjustable trigger and flimsy stock. They're definitely rifles you can build on.

Howa's seem to get no respect from my local pawn shops. That's been good news for me as I've picked up a few under $300. A 270 and a 30-06. I really like those, but I gave those to family members.

Even cheaper,.. I love the CVA centerfire rifles for the money. They aren't doing 308s or 30-06s anymore in the budget line, but I've got a 7mm-08 compact that's just bees pajamas for a $179 rifle. For the uber lightweight budget build I want to drop a Primary arms 1-4x on the 7mm-08. Last hunting season I ran the CVA with a Trijicon 3-9 and had no issues shooting deer out to 250 yds. I'd have preferred one in .243, but the 7mm-08 is just fine.

[Jms920]

I have the Axis in 243 and the Marlin X7 in 308. Shot both enough to have concluded I wouldn't trade my Marlin for two Savages.

[Okcafe86]

I've got a ruger american in 30-06 that's good for what it is. The hog hunter...ooo...I want one because it's got iron sights. Idky but I have a soft spot for good ol irons.

[Huffmanite]

jms920, Agree with your post. I own one Axis and three Marlin X rifles. Not hard to figure out which of the two I prefer.