Best production bolt action on the market today?

[coyotewsm]

What do you consider to be the best mass production bolt action on the market today in 7mm-08? I very much like the xbolt but I'm curious to see what everyone else likes. One of the biggest issues I've had in picking out a rifle and caliber is when looking at available ammo for that caliber the ballistics shown may have been achieved with a different barrel length than what the rifle manufacturer builds the rifle in.

[BBarn]

There is seldom a universal best of anything. The best is more a matter of what most closely matches what is important to the individual.

The mass production rifles I prefer tend to be closer to the K98 in design. I would put the controlled feed Winchester Model 70 and Kimber Hunter at the top of my list, with the Ruger Hawkeye a little lower. But I'm willing to accept less than MOA accuracy on my big game rifles. Someone seeking better accuracy would likely prefer something else.

[roashooter]

I have a Ruger 77RSI in 308....a Winchester M70...in 308....both have served me well....but without doubt...the best production bolt actions that I have experienced....are the ones made by CZ......I have a CZ 527FS....CZ527 Carbine....both in 5.56/223....three CZ bolt action 22s....which I have sold other 22s rifles to buy....I have shot another CZ owned by other ...a CZ550FS...in 30.06....and it followed mine as a HIGH quality rifle....compared to many other brands I have had opportunity to try.....

I was at a special event at my local gun range...which premiered the new Ruger
Precision Rifle....which I did shoot....and all of my CZs shot a tighter group than it did...with a smoother bolt action...

[jmr40]

One of the biggest issues I've had in picking out a rifle and caliber is when looking at available ammo for that caliber the ballistics shown may have been achieved with a different barrel length than what the rifle manufacturer builds the rifle in.

Stop worrying about such things. The actual MV you get in your gun will vary 25-100 fps (or more) with ammo from the same box fired in 2 different guns with barrels of the same length. A difference of 25-50 fps is very common; over 100 fps while rare does happen at times. It wouldn't be at all unusual to see a 22" barrel match or even beat a 24" barrel. There is much more difference between individual guns than 2" of barrel makes.

If you're seeking pure accuracy my money is on Tikka.

Best all around IMHO is the Winchester 70 EW.

If you want light weight with MOA accuracy the Kimber 84M SS/Synthetic.

If you want pretty, Winchester Featherweight or Kimber 84 blue/walnut.

Best budget rifle, Ruger American Predator.

7-08 is a good round, especially if you hand load, but it won't do anything a 308 or 6.5 Creedmoor doesn't do as well or better. Quality premium hunting or match ammo for both of the latter is much more accessible and less expensive than 7-08. If you don't hand load that is something to consider.

[Capt Rick Hiott]

Savage......

[dgludwig]

I've had many different bolt-action rifles over the years (still have some made by Browning, Savage, Weatherby and Remington) but the brand I've had the best luck with at an affordable price in terms of finish and workmanship, quality of material, accuracy, reliability and durability, is Ruger. I've hung on to four of them and plan on keeping them.

[Pathfinder45]

I don't much care if it is a new rifle in current production, or if it's second-hand, or even if it was made before 1964, heck, even pre-war: As long as it is a decent model 70 Winchester with a Walnut stock it would be OK with me. 7mm08? I'd rather have 270 or 30-'06.

[Dufus]

I vote for Browning, Winchester, and Weatherby....not necessarily in that order, but those are my favorite production guns.

[coyotewsm]

For those of you suggesting other calibers there's a reason my choice is 7mm-08. One of my main considerations is a caliber with light recoil. I want something that can get the job done but also that my kids can handle when they get old enough. My first thought was 25-06 but I want to stay away from a long action. I already own a Marlin model 336 and a winchester model 70 coyote which is relatively heavy at 8.75 pounds chambered in 300WSM. For my use the new rifle should be ideal for carrying and hunting out of a climber.

[NHSHOOTER]

coyotewsm, I am a big fan of the 7-08, I do reload so I can get whatever ammo I want. At present I own 3 rifles in 7-08,Remington model 7, nice light weight short rifle, great for carrying and for shorter stature bodies. A Browning x bolt which is a real nice rifle, very accurate and light weight. Vanguard S2 with wood stock, very accurate, just a tad bit heavier but I like it for stand hunting down south.
I have also owned a Ruger 77 Hawkeye in 7-08 but I traded it off for the Browning xbolt. Got questions? Ask.

[RIDE-RED 350r]

I'm a Winchester fan. But my experience in owning bolt rifles is pretty limited compared to most. The other 2 rifles in my cabinet are an old tang safety Ruger m77 in 30-06 and a basic Remmy 700adl synthetic in 270. The Ruger is a solid rifle and shoots fine. Not exactly a lightweight. My Remmy is freakishly accurate, particularly with my handloads. It's light, carries easy and always puts the bullet where it needs to be. And it does not have the problem trigger.

Having said that, my Winchester 70 Super Grade is all of those things (except lightweight) plus the most beautiful piece of workmanship I own. Every Winchester I have fired has been terrific. I'll always make a Winchester my first choice.

[BBarn]

Regarding the 7mm-08. I've had the opportunity (and others here I'm sure as well) to work with the 308, 7mm-08, and 243. The 308 and 7-08 were the same except for caliber. The 243 was a different brand but the weight was similar.

I did not perceive any difference in recoil between the 308 with 150gr. bullets and the 7-08 with 140gr. bullets. Those two loads will give essentially the same performance in the field on game, and they feel essentially identical to the shooter.

When moving to the 243, there was a noticeable reduction in recoil. I suspect it was mainly due to the lighter bullets (100gr. and less). Of course, the 243 isn't as forgiving in the field and may require passing up shots on deer sized game at less ideal angles.

So, while the 7mm-08 is a fine caliber and one I enjoy working with, I wouldn't choose it as a mild recoil caliber. That would be better served one of the smaller 6mm or 25 caliber chamberings. And just so you don't think I'm a stranger to higher levels of recoil, I've also worked with 7mm Mag. and 338 Mag. rifles.

[SA1911]

Sako

The rest are just rifles.

[hooligan1]

Ive been reading how cool the Bergarra rifles are but havent seen one up close yet.
Cant go wrong with a Winchester or Savage rifle, except that my son bought a Savage Scout rifle last spring, and the damn holes for rear sight and scope base are so out of line its hillarious....

[Wyosmith]

Of the rifles available in the USA, (not counting rifles over $1600) I rank the Winchester M70 and the Ruger M77 MKll, as the 2 best. They both incorporate the best features of the M98 Mauser, and today's barrels are super accurate, so there is little to criticize in either one.

[T. O'Heir]

There is no 'best 'anything. Commercial hunting rifles are all pretty much the same. However, some are more expensive due to the brand name.
"...a different barrel length..." Will give slightly different velocities. Not enough difference to make any difference. Accuracy is what matters not velocity.
Kimber 84's are M70 copies. M70's are Mauser copies. So are Ruger 77's.
"...mainly due to the lighter bullets..." Yep. Pure physics.

[precision_shooter]

I would agree that Sako makes the best mass produced non-customized rifles.
Non-customized meaning they make their own actions, bolts, barrels, etc. they don't start with brand x action then buy brand y barrel and put them together with their name stamped on it.
I know there are many many mfgs that make their own actions, bolts, barrels etc., but imo none do it better Sako. CZ would be a close second.

[SA1911]

Hi precision_shooter,

I'll cop to having no knowledge of the Sako 85 other than Sako guaranteeing 5-shot MOA right outta the box.

I do have a couple Sako AV's. They'll shoot .25" at a hundred, maybe better, with hunting ammo, not tricked out target stuff. I've never seen or heard of another factory (not customized) rifle shooting that good. I've shot older (manufacturd in the 60's & 70's) Remington Model 700's shooting darn close to Sako accuracy.

BTW, a friend who's now hunting the pastures of Heaven had many custom rifles. He told me that not a one of his custom rifles would shoot as accurately as my Sakos. He also told me to never sell rifles that are incredibly accurate.

As we all know, accuracy is crucial to big game hunting success. The way I see it, I could buy a less expensive rifle and invest $$$ making it a dead on balls accurate (an industry term, according to Mona Lisa Vito of My Cousin Vinny) rifle, or I could buy a Sako and be good-to-go. I guess it'd be all about preference.

I do love accurate hunting rifles.

[CalmerThanYou]

My out of the box vote goes to the Ruger precision rifle. But this conversation has turned more in the direction of a hunting rifle. If weight is an issue the new Seekins Precision Havak looks very interesting. Only in 6.5 now but I suspect more calibers to follow soon.

[dahermit]

But I'm willing to accept less than MOA accuracy on my big game rifles.

In this day and age of precision machining and modern industrial methods, I would be sorely disappointed if I bought a modern sporting rifle and found it would not hold sub-MOA accuracy. Even back when I bought a 30-06 Ruger M77 in the late sixties (before they made their own barrels), when the rhetoric was that "...about three inches was good enough for deer", I was disappointed that it shot slightly more than one inch no matter what load I tried. I am glad to say that the Ruger 77's I had years later all shot under an inch... .270, .243, and .308.

[tobnpr]

Little imagination so far....

Production hunting rifle, I'd have to include the Sako 85 Carbonlight. 5 lbs.

[std7mag]

Chevy, Ford, Mopar, Toyota...
It's that kind of question.
Too open ended..

Myself would be a Dakota chambered in 7mm Dakota...
No i don't care which model...

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Sako. _>Simply the best over all the rest.

[BBarn]

I've shot prairie dogs a few times and can see the need for good accuracy for that use. And I can see the need for fairly good accuracy for hunting antelope at long distances. But I simply don't see a real need for great accuracy in a big game rifle used to hunt deer sized game.

It's rare indeed to encounter conditions in the field where a ½ MOA rifle has any significant advantage over a rifle that shoots 1.5 MOA when hunting deer. Even a rifle that only shoots 2 MOA will put a bullet within 3 inches of the desired spot at 300 yds. if the shot is perfect. I don't believe many hunters can shoot even a ¼ MOA rifle within 3” of the desired spot at 300yds. under field conditions. There are just too many things working against you.

In the field there are no bench rests. No deer with sighting blocks or lines etched into their fur. Once the deer is spotted and you get into position for a shot, often after a bit of running or jogging, your heartbeat will likely be at least 2 MOA, and perhaps 4 MOA if for some reason you are excited. And the deer may not even have the wherewithal to stand still while you are squeezing the trigger. If you are shooting over 300yds. and your range estimation is off by 50 yards you may miss completely. Hope you can get that rangefinder into action in time. You did make sure your ½ MOA rifle shoots to the POA when held tightly with a sling, didn't you.

Or maybe conditions will be different. The deer spots you first. You are only 75 yards away. He starts to jog and immediately finds some object like brush, trees, or tall grass to put between you and him. Or he bolts. Either way, you have 5 to 10 seconds if you are lucky to shoot at a moving target. Within 3 seconds the gun is to your shoulder. But you cant find him in your scope that is set on 12X so you can shoot ½ MOA. Now 6 seconds have passed and the rifle is back to your shoulder as you see the deer disappear out of sight in your scope.

Then you hear three shots over yonder. You walk over and see it's the guy you saw earlier with his battle scarred Savage 99 in 300 Savage. He's standing the over the deer lying on it's side with three shots in it's chest. The guy shot him on the run at 50 yards. I guess that old Savage must be pretty accurate.

[jetinteriorguy]

A rifle that is more accurate, will always be more accurate no matter what the conditions. Inaccuracy will just be more inaccurate under stressful conditions. If a .5. MOA rifle is 2 MOA under stress, then a 2 MOA rifle will be 8 MOA under the same conditions which is a huge difference in POI.