Your Best Budget Gun ever?

mtwarden

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Oct 18, 2016
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Montana
I think the Kimber Hunter was/is my best budget rifle purchase. Rifle from the factory was under 5.5 lbs, without too much fuss was able to get the rifle under 5 lbs and under 6 lbs w/ scope/mounts. Shoots MOA with 165 grain Accubonds (.308).

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49ereric

WKR
Joined
Jun 21, 2022
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902
Not to get everyone laughing, but a bolt action JC Higgins in .270 win.. I believe it is a model 55 (going from memory).. I love the old FN Mauser actions and bought this one as a doner.. I thought what the heck, I'd better shoot it before tearing it down... I was amazed at how it shot.. I shot about 3/4" groups with everything I tried in it.. It's still sitting in my safe.. I can't bring myself to tearing it down.. I've loaned it out and it has accounted for a number of elk and deer... I think I gave $175 for it in the early 2000's.. Has one of the smoothest FN actions I've seen... Trigger is not bad, but have thought about putting a Timney on it.
quality rifle good find!
 

kkp005

WKR
Joined
Jan 4, 2021
Messages
390
Location
Texas
Tc compass 6.5’s.. bought 2 as loaner / truck guns. Put mcarbo trigger springs in them. They shoot groups just as tiny as any sako, tikka, browning that I have
 

Taudisio

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Joined
Jan 20, 2023
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1,048
Location
Oregon
Ruger American 6.5cm.
Bought the predator first. After sight in I shot a 3/8” group at 100 yards. Bought the standard version and cerekoted it for dragging through brush/weather. Not as tight but also under 1 moa. Bought the compact for my wife. Well under 1 moa and had an average velocity spread of 7.8 es of 19. All with factory ammo.
 

cjdewese

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Joined
Sep 8, 2020
Messages
586
I bought a couple F12’s in .308 win put luepold 6x on them. Paid a little more than you but had a few 20% discount cards.
just a little harder to clean once you put a borescope down the barrel and see the button rifling chatter marks.
bought a well used sporterized M1917 for a $100. Added Timney trigger and on sale Bushnell scope and have just over $200 into it. Playing with it these days trying find the best bullet for the old worn barrel. It might do 2” @100 yards as is.
fun searching for a better bullet and time will tell.
This is exactly what my dad gave me and I am using now. Going to be putting in the Timney trigger soon and looking forward to shooting it more. More nostalgic than anything else but I really enjoy shooting it.
 

Carlin59

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Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Messages
435
Location
Colorado
Wal-Mart Savage Axis and Axis II close outs from a few years back. Between my buddies I think we snagged 6 or 7 of them. Savage had a $100 rebate at the time as well. Several of the guns were technically free after rebate. One guy brought one to his family’s Xmas white elephant exchange that had a $10 limit; nobody believed him 😂.
 
Joined
Apr 3, 2018
Messages
328
Location
NC Montana
Savage axis 2 walnut stock kit gun in 243. Won in a raffle and tried talking the store into giving me credit instead but they wouldnt go for it. Took the included bushnel banner off that the crosshairs looked like a 5yr old painted on replaced with a $100 sig 3-9. Sadly best shooting rifle I own. Rides shotgun in my pickup and every year I double check zero when shooting my hunting rifle for shits and giggles. Cheap blue box federal 80gr or 100gr and can easily cover 3 shots with a nickel. I smile and toss it back in the passenger seat to wait for the next coyote.
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2022
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749
Wby Vanguard S2 in .22-250. I have yet to find a recipe that gun doesn't like, just wish it was a little tighter than a 1/14 twist.
 
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Messages
2,771
Location
hawai'i
savage axis. had some issues with the firing pin and the trigger sucks but its been a shooter, shot some nice animals with it.
 

Cheaha

FNG
Joined
Oct 20, 2020
Messages
67
Smith & Wesson 910 9mm semi-auto. Built as a budget CA compliant gun but it was lightweight for its size, would take any Series 59 magazine, and shot great. I think I paid $150 for it Not sure why I sold it.
 

Shraggs

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2014
Messages
1,599
Location
Zeeland, MI
Remington 870 express combo. With the rifled barrel it shoots remarkably.

Oddly, when straight wall cartridges were allowed here, the Winchester xpr in 350 legend shoots really good too.
 
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
2,596
Paid $150 for it and tossed a scope on there. No telling how much stuff i have killed with this gun. 760 gamemaster 30-066B821156-1967-43BA-9DFD-0B6028C59B39.jpeg
 
Joined
Jul 8, 2018
Messages
457
Location
Great Smoky Mountains
Stainless T3 in 270 I paid $425 for. Turned me into a Tikka guy for good.

Bought my daughter a Ruger American in
7-08 for $285 and that thing is under an inch all day with a $150 scope on it (3-9x40 Nikon Prostaff) and she has killed a pile of game with it.
 

triglet40

FNG
Joined
Jan 23, 2021
Messages
17
beretta 390 shotgun walmart special. it had fell behind a rack and been laying there for years. it had one small nick at end of barrel. They had moved the rack and found it marked it as clearance for 350.
 
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