Budget Bolt Guns

[m24]

By Craig Boddington

Source: http://www.gunsandammo.com/content/budget-bolt-guns

Townshend Whelen once said, “Only accurate rifles are interesting.” Gunwriters love accurate rifles because they’re interesting. We also love exotic calibers because they’re fun to write about. And finely made rifles stocked in beautiful wood. Of course, we have access to lots of cool rifles. So guys in my business are often accused of twisting Whelen’s immortal quote into something approximating “Only expensive rifles are interesting.”

But over the last few months, I have had the opportunity to wring out eight different production bolt guns that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Here they are, in alphabetical order. Somewhere in here you’ll find something to please almost any taste.

CZ 550 American
Just a quarter-century ago, when synthetic stocks were still uncommon and wood was more plentiful, factory rifles stocked in plain walnut were often less expensive than synthetic-stocked rifles. This has now reversed. Of the eight rifles I messed with, only two wore wooden stocks (though a couple others are available in both). One is the CZ 550 American. This is a version of the excellent Czech-made “Brno” action styled for the American market and chambered in non-magnum cartridges. It is also the only rifle on this short list based around a traditional, controlled-round-feed Mauser action.

At eight pounds, the 550 American is a fairly beefy rifle, but its heft makes it handle extremely well, and recoil is considerably less than it would be with a synthetic-stocked rifle weighing a pound or two less. The butt has a thin “rifle” rubber recoil pad. The metal is nicely blued, including the steel triggerguard and floorplate assembly, and it has a hammer-forged barrel. Although a very simple platform, it does have a couple of excellent extras. The double-square-bridge action has a 19mm dovetail for scope rings, so separate bases are not required. The trigger is single-set, and it has the CZ two-position safety at the rear of the bolt handle. Unlike some previous Brno models, this safety is now in the arrangement Americans are most accustomed to: Forward is Fire, to the rear is On Safe, with a red indicator showing when the safety is not engaged.

To keep the playing field level, my initial intent was to group all of these rifles in .30-06. This is because it is the most popular of all American chamberings (and one of my personal favorites) and it has the greatest range of available loadings. But a couple of the rifles were not available in .30-06. This one was. Initial accuracy was not exceptional. Honestly, I also had no initial intention of diddling with any of these rifles, and I certainly didn’t have time or ammo to go through a complete barrel break-in procedure. However, on the CZ I took a little shortcut, using David Tubbs’ “Final Finish” barrel break-in ammo, which uses bullets coated in descending roughness of grit to polish a barrel—not much different than lapping (or breaking in with 50 or 60 rounds) but a whole lot faster.

The end result: In less than an hour I cut down this CZ 550’s groups to a tidy 1 1⁄2 inches. Fit, finish and feel of this rifle is just plain excellent. True, it’s on the upper end of the price scale for this article. But if you like traditional, this rifle is definitely a sound bargain. Chamberings include .22-250, .243, 6.5x55, .270, .308, .30-06 and, uniquely on the American market, the great old 9.3x62. MSRP: $712

Marlin XL7
The brand-new Marlin XL7 (in black synthetic; the XL7C wears a camouflage synthetic stock) is an excellent rifle. It’s a push-feed action somewhat reminiscent of the Remington 700, with a blind magazine box and two-position safety at the rear of the bolt handle. The “soft-tech” synthetic stock has a thick recoil pad and molded checkering. Metal finish is non-spectacular blue, but make no judgment until you see the price. Barrel length is 22 inches, weight is 6 1⁄2 pounds, and chamberings are limited to .25-06, .270 and .30-06. This particular example was in .270 Winchester, received when this rifle was hot off the assembly line and extremely scarce.

Obviously, the limited number of chamberings and options help reduce costs, but there are some sound features on this rifle. The barrel is pillar-bedded, with a well-cut recessed target crown. A one-piece base for Weaver mounts is included. The Pro-Fire trigger is sort of a two-stage trigger very similar to Savage’s Accu-Trigger. You take up the slack with what is essentially an extension within the trigger, ensuring a positive feel before contact is made with the trigger itself. Then you have a crisp, clean, fairly light break.

Of course, accuracy varied from load to load, but right out of the box with a Cabela’s scope this rifle was ready to hunt. With loads it didn’t like, groups expanded to two inches. Not impressive. But with loads it liked, especially Federal Premium with Barnes new XTS-tipped Triple-Shock bullets, groups came to just under an inch. Functioning was smooth, and the feel of the American Classic stock style was wonderful. It’s the most economical of all the rifles covered here. MSRP: $300 to $350

Mossberg 100 ATR
The Mossberg 100 ATR (All Terrain Rifle) is available in both short and long actions, chambered to .243 and .308 (short) and .270 and .30-06 (long). Barrel length is 20 or 22 inches, and this one has a choice of walnut or synthetic, black or camo in the synthetic version and metal finish in either matte blue or weatherproof Marine Cote.

The rifle I tested was in black synthetic, an American Classic style with molded checkering chambered to .30-06. All models include a rubber recoil pad. The integral triggerguard group is synthetic. The ATR features a two-lug push-feed action with two-position safety at the rear of the bolt handle. The button-rifled barrel is freefloated, and factory-installed Weaver bases are included.

On this rifle I used the same Cabela’s 4-12X variable scope, and on the Mossberg ATR I didn’t even have to mess with the loads. After bore sighting and initial zero, the plain-Jane 180-grain Hornady factory loads grouped right at 3/4 inch. I don’t know how things could have been better. MSRP: $372 to $454

Remington 770
Remington’s entry-level bolt action is essentially a redesign of the former Model 710. It is based on Remington’s Model 700, with common features such as a two-lug bolt and two-position safety at the rear of the bolt handle. The action is more enclosed with a solid top and an ejection port, and the integral triggerguard is molded synthetic. The detachable magazine is also molded synthetic, with finish options in either matte black or Realtree AP HD. There is also a shortened youth model available. A rubber recoil pad is integral, and the cheekpiece is slightly raised for scope use.

Chamberings include .243, .270, 7mm-08, .308 Winchester and .30-06, pus 7mm Remington Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum. Standard chamberings have a 22-inch barrel, while the magnums are 24 inches, with a 20-inch barrel on the .243 Youth Model. This rifle is offered as a package, complete with Bushnell 3-9x40 scope in sturdy Weaver-type bases and rings. Weight with scope is 81⁄2 pounds.

The rifle I tested featured a black synthetic stock with matte black metal finish, chambered to .30-06. Initial groups were OK at about 11⁄2 inches, but with a Remington barrel and that incredibly rigid enclosed action, I suspected it could do better, so I diddled with it a bit. We took a look at the crown, and it appeared that it might not have been cut exactly concentric. So we hauled out Brownells’ little crowning kit and recut the crown. This is not always a magic solution, but sometimes it appears to be so. On one particular target, using Remington Core-Lokt Ultra ammo, I fired a control group that was about 1 3⁄4 inches—not horrible, but surely this rifle could do better. After recrowning (a three-minute job), I fired a half-inch group on the same target.

With the barrel recrowned, this rifle held the same level of accuracy with other loads, producing groups as small as .30 but never again even approaching more than one MOA. MSRP: $452 to $532

Ruger 77 MKII
The Ruger M77 Mark II is the most expensive rifle covered herein. It is not offered as a budget rifle but rather is a standard factory rifle offered in 20 different chamberings, with the most basic version featuring well-styled and well-checkered American Classic walnut, with good blue finish, controlled-round feed and a three-position safety. The M77 action has integral scope bases on the receiver bridges, and every M77 includes Ruger scope rings, which you can certainly consider as at least a $50 savings if you had to purchase them à la carte.

Together with the Savage 110, at this writing the M77 is also the only rifle in this group available in left-hand action, although LH offerings are considerably more limited than those for the oppressive right-handed majority. For the past couple of seasons my wife, Donna, (also a lefty) and I have been sharing a straight-out-of-the-box M77 .30-06 with walnut stock and blue finish. Generally, though not consistently, it has been topped with a Leupold 2.5-8X. We’ve used it on numerous hunts, and it has performed well and held zero.

This rifle has produced a couple of half-inch groups with factory ammo. It won’t do that all the time, but it consistently does everything we need it to do. Although admittedly at the top of the price range for this article, I still consider the Ruger M77 a sound buy. MSRP: $837

Savage 110
The often underrated Savage 110 series is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Back in 1958 it was one of the early push-feed actions. Today this action type dominates the more economical bolt actions, and the Savage 110 is still a bargain. Factory nomenclature tends to be a bit confusing, ranging through the digits from Model 10 to 110 through 16 to 116, and then on up to upgraded Models 25 and 40. All are the basic, 50-year-proven Model 110 two-lug action. The traditional safety is a two-position safety in front of the bolt handle, but some models offer a two-position tang safety.

All 110s feature barrel-to-action mating by means of a collar. This is perhaps not as sleek as the more common threading, but I have always suspected that this collar, coupled with the 110’s beefy, rigid action body, creates a very consistent and concentric barrel-to-action mating that is conducive to accuracy. When I first joined Guns & Ammo in 1979, the late Dave Hetzler whispered to me that, at that time, Savage bolt guns were probably the most accurate factory rifles right out of the box. In the last nearly 30 years this has probably gone up and down, but right now I’d have to say the same thing.

Performance is further aided by Savage’s Accu-Trigger. It is easily adjustable, very light and offers a wonderful feel. Barrels are now dual-pillar bedded. The basic Savage 110, in various model numbers, is available in synthetic or walnut, stainless or blue, in a wide variety of chamberings. The rifle I used is a package rifle in .30-06, left-hand action, including a 3-9X Simmons scope.

With some loads it grouped a very average at 1 1⁄2 inches—not the Savage norm. But with loads it likes, the story is quite different. This rifle loved Federal Premium with 180-grain Barnes X Bullets. It is one of very few factory bolt actions that has produced genuine quarter-inch groups right out of the box. There are few things you can’t do with a .30-06 and a Barnes X-Bullet, and this one flattened a nice Colorado bull elk right in his tracks. MSRP: $499 to $695

Smith & Wesson i-Bolt
The brand new S&W i-Bolt is also not Smith & Wesson’s first foray into bolt-action rifles, but the i-Bolt is quite different in several ways. The three-lug bolt has a large-diameter body, stepping down behind the lugs so the lugs themselves are the same diameter as the body. This makes for very smooth operation, with bolt removal accomplished by turning the lugs into a recess at the rear of the action. The trigger, called Tru-Set, is also different, with the trigger pull readily adjustable from three to six pounds with a small (supplied) Allen wrench inserted into the triggerguard.

The stock is very modern, synthetic only with integral sling swivels. Note: Not all common sling swivels have enough clearance to fit into these. Though non-traditional in its lines, the stock is very comfortable. Initially available in .25-06, .270 and .30-06, the i-Bolt weighs a tidy six pounds, 12 ounces without scope. It is available in black synthetic stock and matte black metal, camo stock and matte black metal, or camo stock and stainless.

A one-piece base for Weaver-style mounts is supplied. I mounted a 4-12X Nikon scope on the rifle, and this one required no further work to strut its stuff. The Tru-Set trigger is truly superb, and accuracy with a variety of factory loads was surprisingly consistent at about one MOA. MSRP: $553 to $775

Weatherby Vanguard
The Vanguard has been around since 1970 as sort of a simplified version of the firm’s flagship Mark V. It retains the distinctive Weatherby styling, with Monte Carlo comb and cutback fore-end tip. There are numerous versions, including synthetic, camouflage, walnut and a De Luxe version. The basic Vanguard starts at $399, synthetic and blue, with 24-inch barrel and adjustable trigger. Every Vanguard comes with a 11⁄2-inch-MOA guarantee, meaning three shots from a cold barrel with a factory load, and alone among these eight rifles, every Vanguard comes with a test target.

Note that pretty much across the board (and as we have seen), a rifle’s ability to shoot 1 1⁄2-inch groups with factory ammo means it will almost certainly do better with some loads and probably a bit worse with others—and better still if you take some time to fiddle with it. However, Weatherby’s quality-control folks realized that a whole bunch of Vanguards did a great deal better. They started pulling the rifles with spectacular test targets, now offering them as a “sub-MOA” version, with a .99-inch guarantee at a reasonable price upgrade.

The Vanguard has a large selection of chamberings in standard calibers, .223, .22-250, .243, .25-06, 7mm-08, .308 and .30-06; in “standard magnums,” 7mm Rem. Mag, .300 Win. Mag, .300 WSM and .338 Win. Mag. Plus there are selected Weatherby Magnum calibers, including .257, .270 and .300.

The Vanguard I tested was a .257 Weatherby Magnum. With 100-grain Barnes XTS bullets it has no problem beating its 11⁄2-MOA guarantee. I haven’t messed with this one, but I am certain it will get even better in time. MSRP: from $399

So there you have it. Eight bolt-action rifles that won’t break your budget.

[TwoRivers]

Only one thing worth mentioning: The Remington M710 has a three-lug bolt, and so would the M770. Gunwriters obviously can write (most of them), but can't always count.

[m24]

[Vikram]

Another thing is,if I want to buy a Howa,I will buy one with that name on .Not a weatherby Vanguard stamped on it.Slightly cheaper too.


Best-
Vikram

[MoA]

i actually like the savages. They are easy to accuraize and get into the sub-half MoA range. Plus the barrels are easy to swap out, and the actions are fairly bullet proof. The accutrigger does need a little work to lighten to the 1-1/2 oz pull but is easy enough to do.

Almost any weapon from Cz is a bargain and very well made.

-- Sun Jun 20, 2010 17:39 --

Only one thing worth mentioning: The Remington M710 has a three-lug bolt, and so would the M770. Gunwriters obviously can write (most of them), but can't always count.

Didnt Remington make some changes to their guns recently? The quality off late seems to be wanting somewhat. I do know a couple of people who have bought one recently in 7-08 and are having the dickens of a time trying to get them to shoot accurately.

[TwoRivers]

Well, "Remington" isn't Remington anymore, but has been part of an investment group for a couple of years. They now own Marlin as well, and it remains to be seen what will happen. Remington, Marlin, H&R, Bushmaster, are now all under one roof.
I'm not overly fond of their current rifles, though I own a few. My first sporter was a M721, but it would not feed from the magazine as it came from the factory, and had a tendency to leave cases stuck in the chamber, factory ammo. Accuracy of the Remingtons has always been good, and is not normally a complaint. Though when shortening barrels, which I haven't done lately, we have often found the bore not to be concentric in the model 721/722.
No, haven't heard yet of any recent quality problems with them, but then, I'm am not into (current) Remington rifles.
There are things to like about the Savage, but the fact that you can flick out the extractor with your finger nail, leaves them off my list of "serious" working rifles. Cheers.

[timmy]

All 110s feature barrel-to-action mating by means of a collar. This is perhaps not as sleek as the more common threading, but I have always suspected that this collar, coupled with the 110’s beefy, rigid action body, creates a very consistent and concentric barrel-to-action mating that is conducive to accuracy.

This is a very interesting statement. I also agree that the 110 and its derivatives are quite accurate. The stiffness of the action certainly wouldn't be a detriment to accuracy. But what I'm trying to understand is whether the method of securing the barrel to the action by means of a collar contributes to accuracy or not.

In other words, the 110 is accurate, and it secures the barrel to the action by means of a threaded collar, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's accurate because of the collar.

Some things that are conducive to accuracy would be:

1: The locking lugs on the bolt bear equally on the surfaces of the action, keeping the bolt and supported cartridge square in the chamber when the round is fired.

2: The barrel is joined to the action squarely, so that the chamber is centered with respect to the bolt face. This would be affected by both the machining of the barrel and the action.

3: The barrel and action are joined rigidly, so that the vibrations of the barrel when fired are always the same -- this supports accuracy.

I'm not saying that the writer's supposition is true or false. He may very well be right, in that the locking collar does contribute to the 110's accuracy. But I'm not understanding how the locking collar would be an inherently more accurate method of butting the barrel against the receiver ring or against an internal ring.

The writer doesn't explain this either, but I wish that he had. I would be interested in hearing his ideas on the matter.

[MoA]

Not sure about what the writer is refering to as the collar, though I suspect it may be what is more commonly refered to as the locking nut.
The mating of the bolt face to the chamber and truing thereof is decent, but does require a little work.
The use of the 'collar' is also what makes swapping barrels in a Savage a breeze. The quality of the barrel will invariably have a lot to play in the overall accuracy of the rifle, and a large number of aftermarket barrels are available to the Savage platform as pre-fits. The manner in which the barrel is mated to the action makes headspacing a breeze and does not require machining.
In my limited experience with the Savage, the mating to the action is very rigid and given a very rigid action to begin with makes for the beginings of an accurate platform.