Hello! I'm new to all this, and, in fact, have never owned a centerfire rifle. I did, of course, "borrow" an M-14 from the US Army for a tad, but that was ages ago. Anyway, as I approach my retirement, I'm seriously considering the purchase of a centerfire rifle to play with at the range, and to go varmint hunting with my grandson. To that end, I need some advice.

I'm looking at the 204 Ruger and the 223 Remington calibers. I've chosen those because they have a lighter recoil, and, most important, I have found them in left-handed rifles. I guess I should have mentioned that! I've always had a right-handed bolt (the latest being a Ruger K77/22 VBZ), but I feel I deserve a southpaw rifle.

So here's what I found: RUGER M77 HAWKEYE in 204 RUGER, and a SAVAGE 10 PREDATOR HUNTER 223 REALTREE MAX 1 in 223 REMINGTON. I've had a lot of very good experiences with Rugers (I still own 5 at this writing), and have no experience with Savage (though I've heard good things about them, and Savage is very lefty-friendly). I will use it mostly for targets and I haven't tried reloading. The Ruger is $500, and the Savage is $550 after a rebate. I keep looking at that Savage....

What are your thoughts? Also, what glass would you add to this? Thanks!