Hunting Forum

Thank you jhunt, I know very little about shotguns and birding

youre welcome gehee i will hopefully have some more time tonight at work to do a do-up on my 11-87 specifically

not really sure how much more i could put on there about it though until i get a chance to get to the range and do some slug patterning

Had a customer show up with a N.E.F. .308 that he wanted cut back to 17" and to have a shrewd muzzle break installed. The rifle he paid $200 at a local gun show, his scope was a 3x9x40 Barska he got from Sportsman Guide for under $25.00 new . So rifle, break, cut thread and install of break and scope total was $340.00. We added a trigger job to clean it up for another $40.00 Under $400 and this short rifle had less recoil than a .243 and on our 200 yard range in the vise was under 1 1/4 inch group with factory box ammo.

So it does not require $700 rifles, $300 scopes and so forth to make a great hunting rifle.

As others have stated it is hard to beat a Savage out of the box in price and accuracy although I would elect for no scope from them and buy one of several other low cost options. If we could bump that price to under $500 I would say the savage Edge now is renamed the Axis and top it with a new Redfield scope that is now made in the USA by Leupold.

Just spent the afternoon practicing from field positions (sitting against a tree, using tree for support, knelling, off hand, weak hand), under field conditions (walked in 40 minutes no food, no water, rain, windy, soggy ground) put 80 rounds down range. Cost? 3.50. Why? Users 22 with a rifle scope on it. Great practice. Good way to long term save money.

A couple items of note... I finally figured out my vortex scope, it's brighter than my monarch ucc which cost double. Field of view is amazing and next week I'll learn if it takes a licking. I dropped it and need to check zero. On 4x it was brighter and crisper at dusk than my 10x bushnell glasses...

Outdoor life has an article about a budget deer rifle, $538. Let's beat it. Savage axis, 287; Cabelas alpha series scope, 3-9, on sale right now $90. Rings, $20... We are under $400 for the sAme parts, they listed a marlin xl7, red field 3-9 and rings...after siting in my edge with ammo it liked it'll shoot with my other savage... Use the extra $140 for ammo, scents and such.

the current Field and Stream has a comparison of 4 3x9 scopes for under $100. he actually rated the simmons 44 mag as equal optics to many more expensive scopes and significantly better than all the others in it's class. he said that the simmons and the bushnell dusk to dawn held zero very well, even after a shotgun blast and being dropped repeatedly from a tree stand. as well or better than a 30 y/o premium brand. field and stream, dec 2011/jan 2012. check it out.

rossi trifecta, 243/22/20 gauge in stainless for 349... good place to start, combine it with a $100 scope and you have a deer/small game/bird hunting combo for under $500.

Here in MS, we are able to use certain older bigger bore centerfire's during ML season. Went to a local sporting goods store and I bought a CVA Elite Stalker in .35 Whelen for $350 (nib) and put my old Simmons Pro50 scope on it. Filled the stock with dry sand. I like it so much, I've been hunting with it primarily and have killed 2 deer with it so far.

I really like this forum about buget hunters but i dont hear much about gun shows. You can find all kinds of buys at some of them depending on how big they are.I had gone to a gone show and saw a remington 700 30 06 with leupoled vx1 asking 475.00. So i stopped talk to the guy I himed and hawed and walked away . I did this a couple of times and finally said all I can come up with is 400.00 he said I cant go under 450 I pulled out the cash and and said 400 is all I have its been hear for two days and nobody has really looked at if you want to sell it this is it so I got it for 400 and yes its in good condtion and shoots dead on. So look at gun show also for reloading discount prices and no haz. charge.

Just a couple notes. Firs, I've let this dormant a little while so...
Just saw a write up on the new ruger American rifle in Guns and Ammo this month. Seems to be smooth, comfortable and accurate (sub moa average withe a few different factory loads) and in our prestablished price range (sub $500) and will be cheaper on the market. It sadly only comes in 4 calibers at the moment, but all are common and will have ammo available anywhere at reasonable prices. 243, 308, 270 and 30-06. I'd like to see the 7-08 and perhaps 257 added to the short actions. However three of those 4 calibers are a good place to start a one gun collection and all of them are quality white tail calibers.
Also noted that the red field line of scopes (most of which are under our $200 limit) is now available with a range finding recticle.

Check them out

Also noted that a magazine did a write up of the savage axis this month. Didn't get a chance to review the whole article, but it is a good rifle with s poor scope. However, my cheap Simmons that came on the rifle is just as clear (or more so) than the 35 y/o leupold I have. Remember, optic technology has come so far that it is clear, doesnt fog and holds zero. If you need to get started, $350 will put you afield. One last note, they have a narrow pistol grip and fit small hands so well that my wife prefers this cheap rifle to the winchester model 70 she had... And claimed his rifle in it's stead.

Sooooo....deciding to forego a new truck and continue to drive my 2002 with 203 on it for a life long dream of an
Ele hunt would not be considered budget hunting....I guess putting a Swarovski 1.5-6 on my .416Rigby for this hunt wud also be considered extravagant even tho I did no hunts for three years just for this one.....or maybe it depends on your "budget" and how much you are willing to cut back and sacrifice on for your "dream" hunt....I don't owe my kids an inheritance...I raised and educated them....they can sell the taxidermy and house!

Well Tom, it wasn't started as a 1 per center topic to bash those who can (can I be your gun bearer?) but because most hunting articles, firearm and scope reviews were at levels most can only dream of as they were at a budget level far out of reach.  We started reviewing hunting strategies for those farther down... Ivenoticed, it seems to be catching. There've been reviews of more budget rifles and scopes in outdoor life and the like and some hunting shows have done public land strategies in recent months... One after I talked to the host about the topic.

Based on my AGI on 1040, I am not a 1 per center....but I save money to do what I want to do....pretty novel , huh? SKI---Spending Kids Inheritance ...I am retired on a fixed income, about 150K from Obama's definition of "rich"...but I learned early in life not to expect "instant gratification"
BTW, you can hunt RSA and/or Namibia and kill five animals for half of what a guided hunt "out west" would cost.....

Yeah, I can't afford a half guided hunt either... I've gotten to hunt the west by having friends and family to take me. I don't think at all you're a 1 percenter... But was aware that a 5 animal plains hunt is cheaper than an elk hunt

Sportsmanguide on the internet has some decent bargins if you look around. I spent 45 bucks on a scope ( yes I know that should be a reallllllly bad scope at the price ) but I can land 20 shots out of 20 shots in a 3 inch circle at 250 yards. Not too bad IMHO for a $200 used Rem 700 and $45 scope. That is more than accurate enough for my needs. Also found Mossberg choke tubes less than half what the local gun stores wanted.

Nice tip