Your First Rifle – Praise for the Bolt Action

Sako Model A7 Roughtech (top)
Winchester M70 Featherweight (bottom)

Confusion

The modern rifle comes in a number of functional actions. Single-shots derive from the oldest rifle traditions. They hearken to bygone eras and demanding careful shot placement as follow-up shots were slow and difficult. Lever action is a repeating rifle that allows for quick follow-up shots. These rifles have generally been short-range tools, perhaps out to 100 or 150 yards. Similarly pump-action rifles allow for a fast follow-up shot. They aren’t known for fast cartridges or accurate rifles overall. Semi-automatic rifles give  you one shot per pull of the trigger, without any other actions being required. Today’s modern versions are increasingly accurate.

All of those action types have their place in the woods and in the field. In my opinion, nothing beats the modern bolt action rifle for big game hunting, at least in North America. They are the most accurate rifle class out there, as a whole. They allow a follow-up shot to be taken, if needed. I understand there are situations wherein you might wish for a very fast follow up shot. I simply don’t advocate that a new hunter or anyone buying their first rifle anyway, should have this concern foremost in their minds.

Bolt Actions

The modern bolt action rifles being produced by (in no particular order) Remington, Winchester, Savage, Ruger, Sako, Tikka, Weatherby, Howa, Browning, and Kimber will all provide you with pretty exceptional accuracy. They can give relatively fast follow-up shots from a magazine that packs anywhere from two to five extra rounds, depending on the cartridge and rifle. It is perfectly normal now to be able to purchase a scoped and ready to hunt rifle for $400 to $700. You can be sure that it will work very well for most big game applications, especially for newer hunters.

The standard of accuracy in modern rifles is a single minute of angle (MOA). This essentially is the tiny little angle that is 1/60^th of a degree. At 100 yards it is 1.08 inches. At 1,000 yards it is 10.8 inches. Out to about 500 yards, it is pretty much equal to one inch for every 100 yards. So at 100 yards, the a one-MOA rifle/load combination will create groups about one inch in diameter. At 300 yards, the same group will be about three inches in diameter, in a perfect world. Since a deer’s vital zone is generally about 10 inches, a one-MOA rifle could theoretically be ok out to 900 yards. Because we are human, and there is wind and other imperfections in the world, I would never trust a one-MOA rifle to shoot a deer at anything over half that distance, or about 450 yards.

To shoot any big game animal at anything over 300 yards with a modern flat-shooting cartridge requires significant knowledge of external ballistics, how to apply them correctly, and a LOT of practice. So if I’m going to limit my deer, antelope, pig, and sheep shots to about 250 or perhaps 300 yards, most rifles today will fit the bill. For elk, the vital zone gets bigger and 300 yards is a decent standard. By those standards any 1.5 MOA rifle will do, and most 2-MOA rifles will work. That said, I can’t find satisfaction in a 2-MOA rifle, so I do pay attention to rifle brand and reputation when I buy.

My Own Thoughts

I can easily recommend Savage, Sako, and Remington bolt action rifles. I have considerable experience with each and they are all reliably accurate right out of the box. Winchester also has that reputation, but I’ve had less success with them than others have. Weatherby Vangaurds and Howas have good reputations and are made in the same factory generally. Ruger American rifles are gaining a good reputation for accuracy, and there are increasing devotees of Tikka rifles, which are made by the same company as Sakos. Browning bolt action rifles also have a solid reputation. If I had to make a recommendation based on my own experience, on the low-cost end, I would stick with Savage. On the upper end, I would probably lean toward a Sako.

The Savage bolt action rifle is provided in a number of short-, long-action, and magnum action sizes. You can get synthetic, laminate, or solid wood stock. They come in blued, matte blued, and stainless options. It is hard to beat a stainless Savage with a synthetic aluminum-bedded AccuStock for out-of-the-box-per-dollar satisfaction. You will get a reliable and durable gun that allows you to get into the field immediately. The rifle runs about $650 on the street. If you skip the Accustock, and go with a lighter “package” version with a serviceable entry-level scope, you are looking at less than $600.

The Sako A7 Roughtek is an exceptionally accurate and solid rifle. It boasts a carbon-fiber composite stock with an internal aluminum bedding block. You also get a #3 contour fluted barrel that adds weight and accuracy that is bought and paid for by the weight savings of the stock. My daughter’s 270 Winchester, scoped with a Nikon Monarch scope weighs almost exactly 8.5 pounds. This is fairly light and is certainly light for the heavy 24.4 inch barrel it sports. The trigger on this rifle is a tad heavy but it is adjustable and as crisp as any trigger out there. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this rifle. At about $1,100, it isn’t an entry-level rifle for everyone.

If you are extremely budget-conscious, the Ruger American and Savage Axis are very good bolt action options. They should bring you in well under $500, probably under $400 in the case of the Axis. Both rifles will give you very good accuracy. At the end of the day a rifle that fires every time and sends bullets into a group the size of a coffee cup at 300 yards will get the job done! Start small and work up from there.

Cartridges

A quick note on cartridges is in order. Ammunition availability, recoil, velocity, bullet size and availability, and down-range energy are primary considerations. To keep it overly-simple, here are my entry-point recommendations:

• 270 Winchester – Muzzle velocities between 2800 and 3300 feet per second. Ubiquitous ammunition, moderate recoil, and a wide selection of bullets make the 270 an exceptional 400-yard deer, antelope, sheep, and elk cartridge. A solid moose cartridge at somewhat shorter ranges.
• 30-06 Remington – parent to the 270, the 30-06 gives a little less velocity and a little more recoil to fling bigger bullets. A great competitor against the 270. I favor the 270 for nearly all chores but I suspect about 50 percent of all big game hunters out there will disagree with me. It is a very divided camp between the two. I prefer the flatter trajectory and better long-range energy of the 270 to the recoil and extra bullet mass.
• .308 Winchester – Reduced power and recoil to the 30-06 with the same range of bullets. Decent elk medicine to 300 yards and beyond, and just fine for deer out to 400; however, the lower recoil comes with a less-flat trajectory making elevation compensation a bit more of an issue than with the previous two.
• 7mm-08 Remington – a necked-down .308 to 7mm gives a flatter shooting, lighter recoiling, and better downrange energy option to the .308. Ammunition availability is good, although less than for the .308, 30-06, and 270.
• 6.5 Creedmoor/260 Remington – These nearly identical cartridges give enough power to kill elk with the best and biggest bullets offered. They still keep a flat deer and antelope trajectory with lighter bullets. An exceptional entry-level pair of cartridges, especially for those who want a very light rifle and don’t want heavy recoil. These are similar cartridges, with the 260, like the 7mm-08, being built on a necked-down .308 case.
• 25-06 Remington – If ever a perfect mule deer and antelope cartridge were developed, this .257 caliber round made from a necked-down 30-06 is a strong contender for the title. It is the flattest shooting of those I’ve mentioned here, and can be successfully used by expert hunters to ethically take bull elk. That said, it is really an antelope, sheep, and deer specialist. Light recoil similar to the 260/6.5 mentioned above, but ridiculously fast and flat shooting. Creates a major wound channel on impact.
• .243 Winchester – This 6mm caliber round is small, light, and very fast, and makes a capable deer and antelope rifle. Some experts use them to harvest elk, but I do not advise this. Generally considered a youth cartridge, it is exceptional for coyotes and varmints.

Why didn’t I mention any magnums? In your first big game rifle I would not recommend starting with a magnum cartridge. There are modern 6.5mm, 7mm, and .308 magnums that are crazy-good. Ammo is harder to come by, they hit you in the wallet and shoulder much harder. You are more likely to shoot a magnum poorly. You can get all of your sub-300 and sub-400 yard work done with the cartridges I’ve mentioned.

We will talk about other aspects of your new rifle in another article!