Best out-of-the-box rifle?

[puffnstuff]

Hi all,

For a new shooter, what do you think is the best out-of-the-box rifle?

Looking for sub-inch groups with no work required, and not spending a fortune for a match rifle or anything like that.

Hopefully that's not asking too much

[Westy]

Here's what I'll be doing if someone can answer this with one rifle

http://youtu.be/-UA6Y4AiSKc

After 40 plus years and tens of thousands of $$$$$$$$$$ you said what now!!!!!!!!!

[Baldrick314]

This will open a can of worms

I'm a big fan of Remington rifles. My Varmint SF in 308 held under MOA with factory straight out of the box. With handloads it shoots half MOA or better.

[headspace]

To be honest mate it's a lottery, although Weatherby guarantee 3 shot MOA groups out of the box. You have to do your bit of course.

But blokes on here have been spending a lot of time trying to get little ragged holes in targets for ages and not every one succeeds, even with good hand loads.

[bigfellascott]

I found this interesting reading and refreshingly honest.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/critical_look.htm

[Walt68]

Savage, never let me down yet, latest is 116 Bear Hunter in .338 WM, sub MOA straight of box at 200 metres.

[bobnob]

For the Money, the Vanguard, Howa 1500 or Zastava are hard to toss.

I've seen and shot the newer versions of the Weatherby Vanguard and the Howa, as well as the old one. I currently have a blued and a stainless Zastava.

The Weatherby is the most nicely finished. The action is as slick as goose-shit. The Howa's not far behind.

The Zastava is probably the roughest finished, especially the stainless. The blued ones have great deep blueing. You just can't buy rifles with that sort of blueing for under a grand, yet the Zasty is about 600 dollars. The action slicks up nice with a bit of use.

They're all accurate.

None of them are light, but none are very heavy either. Scoped up about 8 to 8.5 lbs for the Zasty and similar for the long action Wby/Howa.

The Zasty only comes in a long action. For me this is a big drawback if you are shooting a 223/308 class cartridge.

I think these three are the best deals going outta the box in Australia. Though mebbe 100 bucks or so more expensive, I'd probably give the nod to the Vanguard, especially if you're going for a short action cartridge. I doubt any of them would disappoint.

Honourable mention goes to the Tikka T3 Lite.

[Patrol66]

I'm a big fan of the Remington 700 5R mill spec . My 223 is bloody heavy though and I won't be taking it on a full days hike again unless I can sort out a double shoulder harness. Available in 223, 308 & 300

[1290]

.....man crying, thats a crack up

Is is a lottery as headspace said, as rifles are mass produced and most barrels are hammer forged, the bends are then straightened out with a hydraulic or other mechanical press or sorts, streeses here, stresses there... Hence some shoot better than others, some cant put 2 holes within cooey of eachother.

Most rifles will give you hunting accuracy you couldnt complain about, if you want laser stuff you'll probably need to spend a bit more $$$ and go after market barrel etc.

I might be wrong but, I believe savage is the only mainstream manufacturer that offers a dedicated target rifle line....in centrefire

[wrenchman]

I own a few different manufactured guns but for the money savage does a lot.

[greyghost]

By the time a few people have chimed in every brand of rifle is going to be listed here

[RDobber]

By the time a few people have chimed in every brand of rifle is going to be listed here

There's some truth to that.

I'll just add that the 6-7 Tikka's I've used have all shot sub MOA out of the box, so they remain the one for me.

[tripletwo]

although Weatherby guarantee 3 shot MOA groups out of the box

Guarantee doesn't mean it will shoot well though, just means you get another rifle if it doesn't.

Same for a lot of things, not just shooting. What the warranty claims isn't necessarily a reflection of what the product will normally do.

[puffnstuff]

By the time a few people have chimed in every brand of rifle is going to be listed here

Beginning to see I set my sights too high hoping for this