most cost effective predator gun?
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varminter05
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I've got a savage in .22-250 and .222. Got a Stevens 200 in .223 have never shot it. Thinking seriously about removing the barrel and threading my .224 blank and chambering it in .222....
Savage is the way to go.
Savage is the way to go.
Guess I got lucky a few years ago. Picked up a 700ADL in 223 for $300 on close out at Wal-Mart that turned out to be one of the most accurate rifles I've ever shot. My Stevens 200 isn't in the same class, but then it's a 7-08 and for some reason is twisted 1-11 instead of the standard 1-9.
My M10 Savage heavy barrel was a great varmint rifle for the money till I went overboard in a hot prairie dog town. Now it wears a Lothar Walther barrel and is back to shooting tight clusters.
My M10 Savage heavy barrel was a great varmint rifle for the money till I went overboard in a hot prairie dog town. Now it wears a Lothar Walther barrel and is back to shooting tight clusters.
I'd say for a first rifle, a bolt gun would be the best choice and with all the choices more economical than an AR.
I own Rems, Savages, CZ's, a Browning A-bolt and a Marlin XL-7.
I'd start with a Savage or a Marlin because you can do barrel swaps for peanuts! The Marlin may have to have the breach face machined off about .010" for the extractor to have enough clearance if you install a Savage barrel on it. I am not fond of the Axis yet, there are only a trigger you can change and that's about it. The dollar difference is not enough to encourage me to get "boxed in" with less customization capability.
What I would look for in a Savage is one of the short actions with the detachable magazine. You can change the magazines on the blind models but with the detach. its a slip one out and snap the other one in!!! In the Marlin, your short actions are the XS series. You can't change the bolt head on a Marlin however.
You do have to be mindful of the "tuppeware" stocks that Savage/Stevens as well as that Marlin uses. You can toughen them up (like a carbon arrow shaft cut and mortised into the barrel channel with a tough epoxy) if you are creative but most folks just buy a Carlson Duramax and be done with it.
My .02 and best regards
Three 44s
I own Rems, Savages, CZ's, a Browning A-bolt and a Marlin XL-7.
I'd start with a Savage or a Marlin because you can do barrel swaps for peanuts! The Marlin may have to have the breach face machined off about .010" for the extractor to have enough clearance if you install a Savage barrel on it. I am not fond of the Axis yet, there are only a trigger you can change and that's about it. The dollar difference is not enough to encourage me to get "boxed in" with less customization capability.
What I would look for in a Savage is one of the short actions with the detachable magazine. You can change the magazines on the blind models but with the detach. its a slip one out and snap the other one in!!! In the Marlin, your short actions are the XS series. You can't change the bolt head on a Marlin however.
You do have to be mindful of the "tuppeware" stocks that Savage/Stevens as well as that Marlin uses. You can toughen them up (like a carbon arrow shaft cut and mortised into the barrel channel with a tough epoxy) if you are creative but most folks just buy a Carlson Duramax and be done with it.
My .02 and best regards
Three 44s
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The Stevens Rifle I looked was pretty well Identical to the Savage Edge/Axis in which I believe Savage bought out the Stevens Company?
Back on the 2 Rifles...the Stevens was a nice Rifle but was a top-loader which I wasn't crazy about because if Your wanting to un-load the gun after a session of Hunting You have to chamber and un-load any shells left in it...not thrilled about that because a Youth was going to be using that Rifle...the Savage had a lower clip which was a plus since un-loading and reloading would be easier and simpler.
I priced a Savage Axis .223 (was the Edge) in Camo with the Bushnell 3X9X40mm Scope package for $359.00 plus tax,the Black Synthetic Stock with same Scope for $319.00 plus tax.You can pretty well get just about any Caliber up from the .223 for that same price.
I also heard the Ruger is coming out with their own version of a more affordable Entry Rifle also and it has the Accu-trigger on it so that might be even more desireable to have...price is around the $425.00 Range and may be a little cheaper buying it from a Major Retail/Sporting Goods Store than Ruger themself's?
Back on the 2 Rifles...the Stevens was a nice Rifle but was a top-loader which I wasn't crazy about because if Your wanting to un-load the gun after a session of Hunting You have to chamber and un-load any shells left in it...not thrilled about that because a Youth was going to be using that Rifle...the Savage had a lower clip which was a plus since un-loading and reloading would be easier and simpler.
I priced a Savage Axis .223 (was the Edge) in Camo with the Bushnell 3X9X40mm Scope package for $359.00 plus tax,the Black Synthetic Stock with same Scope for $319.00 plus tax.You can pretty well get just about any Caliber up from the .223 for that same price.
I also heard the Ruger is coming out with their own version of a more affordable Entry Rifle also and it has the Accu-trigger on it so that might be even more desireable to have...price is around the $425.00 Range and may be a little cheaper buying it from a Major Retail/Sporting Goods Store than Ruger themself's?
