Your Best Budget Gun ever?

[LookinforDirt]

Walmart close out Savage Axis. $188 out the door. Shot MOA with a two of three factory loads I bought. The HSM ammo it did not shoot MOA with was garbage ammo. I don’t blame the gun for it. Have since put a Boyd’s adjustable stock and Timney trigger on it. $520 invested for a very nice shooting, well rounded .243.

 

[thebobcat]

A-bolt 3 in 6.5 CM was easy button for me. I sold it to get into a stainless Tikka, but I sold it to a friend so he could enjoy it. He made his first hits at 600 yards with it and couldn't believe he could do it so easily.

This was my first "long range" shooter. I had always been a 300ish yard hunter at the most and had zero experience with adjusting scopes for the come up. My first time ever trying I dialed it up for a 500 yard yard and shot a 7 shot group about the size of an orange and took it down to 700 yards easily. Kind of too easy honestly. That was the furthest stretch I have been able to find where I can shoot.

 

[Mike Islander]

My first bolt gun, 700 BDL DM in 30.06. SUB-MOA and pretty as a French maid. $550, which wasn't a huge bargain at the time, but for the money today I consider it a great deal.

 

[Macro]

AR-15....pretty much the cheapest most useful gun you can get.

 

[allstajacket]

Winchester XPR 30-06.

Bought 9 or 10 boxes of factory ammo to test and what it liked best… some crazy premium stuff included. Found out it liked the cheap 165gr CorLokt the best. 3/4” groups at 100 yards right away. Couldn’t be happier for a backup whitetail gun.

I was managing a gun store at the time, so was able to get the rifle with the vortex crossfire II combo for $380 and then got a $100 rebate on top of that. Don’t think I’ll ever be able to sell that rifle.


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[hiker270]

Remington 700 270 win in 1965 for $115.00 new. Been all over North America and still my favorite deer/antelope rifle. Still a tack driver 58 years later.

 

[Loper]

Mine would be the Savage 12FV in 6.5 Creedmoor. At the time Cabelas sold them for 399.00 retail. On black Friday weekend they reduced the price to 299.00 and savage offered an additional 100 dollar rebate. Got the gun for 220 with taxes. Unbelievable for 220 dollars for a brand new gun.

I really wanted to take advantage of these Cabelas 12FV deals years back but they didn’t offer them in left hand.

Bought a LH Ruger American predator in 6.5 CM for $329 4 or 5 years ago. Had a 20% off coupon at Academy and used it. It is the best shooting rifle I have.

 

[Dos XX]

870 Express. Paid $189.00 for it at Wal Mart in the late 80's when I was 25 or so years old. Can't even count how many rounds have been through it. It still shoots. You can't kill one of those. It doesn't see much action these days as I have 0/U's that I shoot. I need to take it out and kill some birds with it.

Some years ago you could buy Tikkas for $400 or $500 and they would have rebates for $100 or even more on them. I may have bought 3 of them over the few years they did this.

This one goes in the opposite of budget gun category. This was in the same time frame when they were doing rebates on Tikkas. I bought a CTR in .260 with a 20" barrel. I worked up a load for it with H4350 and Berger 130 gr Hybrids in Lapua brass. I spent some time doing load work on it. It was a legitimate 3/4 moa gun.

I had a reamer made, sent the gun and reamer to a gunsmith and had a Kreiger barrel put on it and then put the barreled action in an MPA chassis. After doing load work on it, it was a legitimate 1/2 moa gun. That was an expensive 1/4 minute.

 

[Carl Ross]

My standout (haven't done much with budget guns in years) is a Ruger American Predator in 22LR.

It would shoot mid-priced ammo into MOA for 10 rds, and the function was perfect. Sold it to a good friend for an eventual T1x upgrade.

 

[MThuntr]

Savage 12LRP 6.5CM...they used to offer prodeals on Experticity (now Expertvoice) I think it was $550. It shoots around 1/3" groups.

54 cal Hawken from Cabelas Bargain Cave $90 in 1994. To date my deadliest rifle.

 

[NDGuy]

Ruger American shouldn’t be as accurate as it feels

 

[NDGuy]

Blaser R8, I am down to 2 complete systems.

Budget gun? Lol

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Stevens 200 7mm-08. I think it was $300? Bedded it with jb weld and topped it with an old Bushnell I had laying around. Shoots lights out.

 

[texastea23]

870 Express. Paid $189.00 for it at Wal Mart in the late 80's when I was 25 or so years old. Can't even count how many rounds have been through it. It still shoots. You can't kill one of those. It doesn't see much action these days as I have 0/U's that I shoot. I need to take it out and kill some birds with it.

Some years ago you could buy Tikkas for $400 or $500 and they would have rebates for $100 or even more on them. I may have bought 3 of them over the few years they did this.

This one goes in the opposite of budget gun category. This was in the same time frame when they were doing rebates on Tikkas. I bought a CTR in .260 with a 20" barrel. I worked up a load for it with H4350 and Berger 130 gr Hybrids in Lapua brass. I spent some time doing load work on it. It was a legitimate 3/4 moa gun.

I had a reamer made, sent the gun and reamer to a gunsmith and had a Kreiger barrel put on it and then put the barreled action in an MPA chassis. After doing load work on it, it was a legitimate 1/2 moa gun. That was an expensive 1/4 minute.

I grew up with my dad letting me use his 870 that I’m pretty sure he traded for with physical labor. It’s not a question of will I hit it but more of how soon until it gets in range! when we go pheasant hunting I use my own Winchester sxp 12 or my browning silver edition so my younger brothers get to shoot the old breadwinner.

 

[Dos XX]

Savage 12LRP 6.5CM...they used to offer prodeals on Experticity (now Expertvoice) I think it was $550. It shoots around 1/3" groups.

I had one of those about 9 or 10 years ago. It would shoot the old 140 Amax's into little bitty groups.

 

[Fatcamp]

I wanted a 12FV for years and finally got one. Not only the worst purchasing experience I've had but hands down the crappiest rifle ever. And that's coming from a Savage fan. Rough action, horrible rough and didn't shoot well at all. Last Savage I purchased and the only gun I ever have or will purchase from those tools.

My wife bought a used Savage 111 .300WM from Scheels with the Bushnell package scope. She was relentless with the store clerk and ended up getting it for $265. It wouldn't hit a paper plate at 50 yards, LOL. Whoever had it before us must have been afraid to shoot it.

Sold the Bushnell for $75 and mounted a new VX3 we had $175 into. That $365 rifle shoots Browning ammo under MOA and between us we have killed a truckload of game. Recently cleaned it up and put a SWFA on it. Been a great rifle.

 

[ktm450]

Mauser M18 when they first came out Euro Optic priced them at 399.99. Amazing accuracy/ergonomics.

 

[svivian]

Winchester XPR and a savage Weather warrior. The savage is 16 years old and still one of my best rifles

 

[Spark352]

Remington 710 in 270 with factory scope for less than $200. Stock and bolt were horrible but it would shoot cheap federal PowerPoints sub MOA all day. Should have never let it go.

 

[FLATHEAD]

'82 Marlin 1894 in .44 mag.
80$ @ a pawn shop.
This was back in the late 80's.