What to buy???

[dgreeves]

Ok I'm new here and need some help with picking out a rifle.

For the longest I've had my heart set on getting me a Browning BAR Safari 300 Win Mag . I May very well do it but have also changed a bit to want an all weather gun in bolt action. Would probably be getting the Bar at a later date.

So that being said... I'm considering the following guns. All are 300 win mag composite with stainless barrels.

Savage 116 Weather Warrior $800+/-
Tikka T3 Lite $800 +/-
Browning XBolt Stainless Stalker $1150+/-
Weatherby Vanguard-- 3 different models
Accuguard $1100
Stainless Synthetic $800
Weatherguard $750
Sako A7 --2 models
Synthetic Stainless $1150+/-
Roughtech Pro $1150+/-
Remington 700 XCR (is it discontinued?) ???
Remington 700 Sendero $1200+/- Was just told by Remington that it is being discontinued.

I like all of the above and am in a total quandry as to what to buy.

Smoothest actions?
Barrels? Free Floated? Bedded?
Best bang for the buck?
Most accurate?

I will be shooting factory ammunition in these so keep that in mind also. I don't get the opportunity to buy often so I really want to get this one right before I buy the 2nd 300 win mag which will be the Browning Bar Safari.

[David C.]

Lot of options out there but what are you using this rifle for? Theres a bunch of classifications in the list you gave that could go many directions of use. My friend got the Tika T3 lite, it's a light gun for a heavy barrel so I think it's very light for how accurate it is. Theres a few pieces you might wanna change out on it later on though, but what rifle is perfect to your expectations right out of the box. Good luck.

[WinnieTheBoom]

You do realize this is a Savage website correct? Clearly there is going to be some bias. All of the rifles that you've listed are viable alternatives, and ultimately it's going to come down to your personal preference. Go try some out for size, shoot them if possible, feel the actions for yourself, and then make a decision. Don't go solely off of what the internet tells you, because inevitably, there's going to be personal opinions involved. I could find an extremely happy owner with each and every one of the rifles that you listed, one that would swear up and down that it's the best rifle they've ever shot, owned, etc. And I could also show you people that would swear up and down never to own another one. It really boils down to what you want and what you like the best.

That being said Savage is by far the best option out of any of them that you listed :behindsofa:

[dgreeves]

Oh and I handled the Savage 116 Weather Warrior and left there saying "**** that rifle is sweet". But not having fired any of these nor handled all of them I'm just left wondering.... And yes I figured that I'd get a lot of positive on the Savage here LOL. I really like that gun too and may very well buy it. I will be using it for deer hunting and some target. I want the weather resistant one because most times I'm hunting in the rain or at least muddy conditions.

[LongRange]

might want to at least go see if you can handle the others you mention...you have some very nice choices posted up here.

[dgreeves]

Well mark the Browning x-bolt off the list. I didn't like the look of it at all. Went to Gander Mountain and handled the Browning, the Savage 116 Weather, Tikka, and Rem 700. I liked the actions on the T3, Savage, and Rem. Savage was about $150.00 more than the other two but thats nothing. I liked the safety better on the Savage too. Just a little more homework to do before I purchase. Savage is in the lead though.

[Newtosavage]

A few months ago, I went into my local Bass Pro intent on buying a bolt action .308 hunting rifle. I was not dead-set on any particular brand, and just figured I'd walk out with whatever "felt" best. Price was not really an obstacle either. I had saved my $ for a year and could afford any rifle they had in their lineup. I looked at the Rugers, the Brownings, the Tikka, the Mossberg, the TC and Remingtons, the Savage and the Winchester offerings. I thought I'd like the Tikka and the Brownings better than I did (although of the two - the Tikka was my 2nd overall choice). Like most, I was very familiar with the Remington and Winchester models. I've always been a fan of Winchesters - because of heritage and ergonomics. But the salesman told me I really needed to consider the Savage. After putting it to my shoulder, it immediately "fit" me. I kept coming back to that rifle. And he assured me it was as accurate - if not moreso - than any of the others.

So that's what I walked out with. A Savage model 11. And I've not regretted that decision one bit.

Since then, I've handled a lot of rifles, including the much more expensive Browning and Weatherby models. But none of them "fit" me like the Savage did.

I think that's a big consideration since when a person shoulders a rifle, it really needs to point well for them. I wish you luck.

[ivob]

Weatherby series two

[big honkin jeep]

I was in almost the exact same quandry back in 1996. I went in my local gun shop fully intending to buy a left handed Browning A bolt 2 stainless stalker with the boss system in 30-06.
I put a down payment of about $400 and left the shop thinking my rifle would be there in a couple of weeks. A couple of weeks later they called and said there was an issue with the rifle I wanted so I went on down to the shop. They told me that after trying every distributor they could find that the rifle I wanted was currently unavailable and that after checking with Browning I would have to get in line for the next production run. When I inquired how long they told me 6 months to 1 year.
At this point I looked around and decided that I liked the Savage 116FLCSAK in 30-06. This was a maxed out left handed stainless and synthetic rifle with ALL the bells and whistles including a fluted barrel with a brake and detachable box magazine in the caliber I wanted. It didn't take long to get there and in addition to being about half the cost of the Browning it looks great and shot the tightest groups of any rifle I had ever owned. I still love it and have hunted with it every season since and often take it to the range just to shoot little groups and show off a little. (best group was 10 shots into .446 with 165Gr SGKs and IMR4350)
The rifle I bought with all the bells and whistles from the factory was discontinued years ago and my local friends and I have been patiently waiting for Savage to put out another "maxed out" hunting rifle in standard long action " Deer "calibers because magnum calibers are just a little too much down here in the south.

Fortunately for you they do offer the exact features on a rifle with all the bells and whistles which even include the accutrigger and accustock which weren't available in 1996, in a magnum offering called the "Bear Hunter".
It's a 116 with all the bells and whistles but only comes in magnum calibers.
Why the heck they didn't go ahead and do these rifles in standard calibers (and leftys) is beyond me and hurts my feelings every year when shot show rolls around and it's not on the menu.
This is the perfect rifle and the one you want. You wont be disappointed unless after 20 years and thousands of rounds you wear it out and want to replace it with the latest model and it's discontinued. I have on a couple of occasions looked into having one assembled by Savage through the "Special Order Shop" but cant see spending about a $400 premium over the cost of a Bear Hunter to have the same rifle put together in a standard caliber configuration.

Here's a link to the "116 Bear Hunter" The retail on them in .300 Win Mag and .300WSM seems to be right around $800.
http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/16BH
Good luck and if I needed a Win Mag the "116 Bear Hunter" with all it's features including detachable box magazine, stainless medium contour fluted barrel, and adjustable brake would be a no brainer.

[GeoBoy]

That Bear Hunter sure looks to fill the bill. Nice rifle.

[Jamie]

Of the list you put up, the SAKO would be my first choice.

The Tikka on the other hand would not be an option for me. They are probably the lightest rifles on that list and they kick like a mule. I have had too many customers wanting to return their T3 because they don't realize light weight and "Mag" means more felt recoil.

I own a Remington in 300 WSM and it shoots very well but can't bring myself to ever tell someone to buy one.

I think the Vanguard/ Howa rifles have the best barreled action combo at the moment, their synthetic stocks are about the worse you can get though. Like it or not, seems like a lot of issues popping up lately from Savage.

[pdog06]

I agree, the "116 Bear Hunter" is a great option and would probably be my decision. Just wish you could get it with a DBM instead of a hinged floor plate.

[barrel-nut]

I own a bunch of Savages, including a 16 Weather Warrior in .308, and they are the rifles I always want to shoot. Very few of mine, however, have been left in stock configurations. Most have had barrels and/or stocks replaced, and some are hardly even recognizable as Savages anymore. They're very adaptable to different purposes with just a minimal amount of skills and tools, and as such they are my favorites to play with.

However, if you intend to buy a rifle and use it in stock configuration, for hunting purposes, I hate to say it but the Savage would be near the bottom for me in the list you put up. I own the 16 Weather Warrior, two X-bolts, a Vanguard, and a couple of older Remington 700's. I can't speak for the Sako or the Tikka, but both have very good reputations, especially the Sako. Of the rifles I do own, I would rank the Brownings as highest in out-of-the box quality and craftsmanship. Mine are both wood-stocked versions, but both were bedded at the factory, with no stock to barrel contact, and even spacing along the barrel channel. The ergonomics of these rifles are very well thought out. The scope bases use four screws per base instead of two, and make for a very stable platform for the scope. The detachable magazines are rotary in design and function very smoothly and easily. The triggers are awesome, about the same pull weight as the standard Accu-trigger, but much smoother and crisper. The quality of the barreled action is far superior to Savage, I hate to say it but it's true. The inside of the barrels are very smooth, unlike the Savages, which often look like they were reamed by a guy with a hand drill and a dull bit. The final and most compelling proof of their superior quality is in shooting them. Both of mine are .308's, and both are more accurate than any stock Savage I've owned, and they are as accurate as my Savage-based target guns. Also their recoil pad and stock design is superb, making the .308 feel like a much lighter round.
Although it may sound like it, I'm no Browning fan-boy, and I too struggled to like the looks of these rifles at first. But once you handle them, and realize that a lot of their appearance is a form-follows-function kind of thing, their beauty shines through. The walnut on the Medallion model I have is stunning by modern production rifle standards, too.
The real clincher for me is that the price difference is not all that huge, compared to the difference in quality. The left-handed Savage Weather Warrior I bought for my oldest son cost me $775. I'm sure better deals are available for this gun, but the LGS had this one in stock, so I got it. The nicest Browning X-bolt, that I bought last year, was a left-handed White Gold Medallion model (which is Browning snobbery for stainless with gold engraving and nice glossy walnut stock), was $1050. For a $275 difference in price, the difference in quality is amazing.
For what it's worth, the Brownings and the Vanguards are made in Japan. Sako and Tikka are Finnish, I believe.
Y'all go ahead and flog away on me now lol, but as I said I love my Savages as much as anyone here. But for a hunting rifle that you don't have to do anything to it to tweak it or make it better, you can't beat the X-bolt in my experience.

[swamphonkey]

I have a 7mag BAR saf 2 with boss And a little BAR 30/06 belg. Great rifles very accurate for simi autos. But they seem to scratch and rust pretty easy to me. But Im hard on guns. Call me biased but you are going to be hard pressed to beat ANY Savage for plain old Tuffness and I think they are the best shooters out of the box you can find. The BAR is a fine rifle but get a Savage take the money you save and put good glass on top and go on a nice hunt. Thats what Id do.