I appreciate high-end rifles as much as the next guy, but my taste and my reality are on two different planes. I use budget hunting rifles I can afford. The deer I hunt don’t mind whether I use a $6,000 or a $600 rifle. In fact, they don’t seem to know the difference.
Is a $6,000 dollar rifle 10 times more accurate than a $600 dollar rifle? No. In many cases a budget rifle is just as accurate as a higher end rifle.
Best Budget Hunting Rifles on Today’s Market
Does a higher end rifle have 10 times the work put into it? It could. Shooters spend a lot of money chasing vapors trying to wring the utmost accuracy from their rifles; custom barrels, having the receiver machined for trueness and other accuracy producing procedures.
Does a more expensive stock fit 10 times better? That’s a personal question. Do you want a stock to fit you? Or is a stock that fits the masses just fine? A $6,000 rifle may have adjustability; length of pull, cheek weld, cast on or off and pitch. The list is endless. It comes down to options added to help individualize the rifle to the shooter.
To call budget rifles bare bones is not fair, they offer good accuracy and dependability at an affordable price.
Mossberg Patriot
The Mossberg Patriot has an offering to fit nearly every hunter whether for predators, big-game hunting out west, or in a state that requires the use of straight-walled cases like Iowa and Ohio. The Patriot is chambered in calibers from .22-250 Rem to .450 Bushmaster and up to the field-proven .338 Winchester Magnum. The Patriot is available in 21 cartridges both long and short action, in full size rifle and Bantam models.
The action features a streamlined bolt handle and spiraled fluted bolt. Components include a drop box magazine and the patented LBA user adjustable trigger, which is adjustable from 2 – 7 pounds. The barrel is fluted and sports a recessed match crown.
For the beginning hunter, the Bantam model is available in new shooter friendly cartridges to include the .350 Legend. The adjustable stock can be lengthened as the young shooter grows. The Bantam also offers a threaded barrel and is suppressor ready.
For more information, please visit www.mossberg.com.
Savage 334
For the budget conscious hunter, Savage has several models to choose from. No matter if you prefer a Turkish Walnut stock or a synthetic stock in black or camouflage, the Savage 334 has a model to suit you.
Available in an array of calibers, the 334 offers a three-position safety and a crisp trigger combined with a modern 60-degree bolt lift with three locking lugs. The action is drilled and tapped and comes equipped with a steel MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny Rail and a drop three round magazine. The button rifled, free floated barrel is finished off with an 11-degree target crown for accuracy in the field or on the range.
Savage Axis 2 & Axis 2 Pro
The tried-and-true Axis has received some updates with the introduction of the Axis 2 and the Axis 2 Pro, including features normally found on rifles costing hundreds more. Upgrades include a redesigned ergonomic stock, detachable box magazine, and an enhanced bolt design in conjunction with the famed Savage Accutrigger.
The Axis 2 is available in OD Green, Gray and Flat Dark Earth (FDE).
The Axis 2 Pro features a one piece 0 MOA rail, and the muzzle is threaded for a suppressor. It is available in Woodland, Western and Forest SP Camo with the metal being finished in Cerakote to withstand years in the elements.
The Axis 2 and the Axis 2 Pro are also available in left-handed versions for southpaws and compact models for new shooters or smaller stature shooters.
For more information, please visit www.savagearms.com.
Howa Hogue Rifle
The Hogue Rifle features a pillar bedded Hogue Overmolded stock. However, the backbone of the rifle is the Howa 1500 barreled action. The Howa features an M16-style extractor/ejector, a large one-piece bolt, a two-stage match trigger and three-position safety. All this adds up to a rifle that produces sub-MOA, three-shot group at 100 yards.
For more information, please visit www.howausa.com.
Remington 783
Remington’s 783 is built for the budget-minded hunter. It’s available in several proven classic cartridges including .223 Rem up to .300 Win Mag. The 783 features a pillar bedded stock available in black and camo, detachable steel magazine and the CrossFire trigger system. Scope mounts come standard with the 783. For shooters of smaller stature, the 783 offers a compact version of the 783 in .243 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, .350 Legend, 7mm- 08 and .308 Win. It offers a mild recoil but gets the job done downrange.
For more information, please visit www.remarms.com.
Ruger American
The Ruger American offers a budget-minded hunter a lot of rifle for the money; from its Ruger Marksman Adjustable trigger which is user adjustable between 3 and 5 pounds, the ergonomic, lightweight synthetic stock and its one-piece, three-lug bolt with 70-degree throw bolt. This rifle performs well above its price tag. The American is chambered in the classic cartridges like the .30-06, along with the .308 Win and .243. The American is also available in compact models in .243 Win, 7mm, 08, 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Win. It comes with a factory-installed Picatinny scope base.
For more information, please visit www.ruger.com.
Several manufacturers offer a factory-mounted scope package. Mossberg offers the Vortex Crossfire II while Savage and Howa also offer a package deal. These packages will tip the bill of sale over the budget of $600, but you are getting a great deal. Explore all of these budget hunting rifle before hunting season next fall!
