Sniper Rifle for Beginners

[MrGrey]

hello guys,

i’m looking to purchase a sniper rifle. Since i’ve never fired a sniper rifle before, what would you guys recommend for a newbie like me that’s worth the money?

i’ve looked around and so far, there’s remington 700, tikka x3, and savage axis?
what do you guys think?

 

[DC-W]

What is a sniper rifle?

 

[Inigoes]

Look at any good deer rifle with a scope.

Go with what your wallet can afford.

 

[MrGrey]

Look at any good deer rifle with a scope.

Go with what your wallet can afford.

i was thinking about getting one with the scope already, like the savage axis.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

Tikka and Browning make very nice bolt action rifles.

Like the man said, buy the best you can afford.

Rule of thumb: Put more money into the scope. A crappy rifle with good glass will shoot better than a good rifle with crappy glass.

Example: Don't buy a $569.99 rifle and mount a $34.97 Simmons scope atop it.

 

[Name Taken]

Just get a Savage Mark II SV-FR and a cheaper Leuopold.

 

[Swaim13]

What are you trying to do with the rifle? Are you trying to hunt or just target shoot? Do you have any experience shooting rifles? What are you looking at budget wise? Are you trying to have a semi auto or bolt action rifle?

These are all things to consider before buying a rifle.

 

[BenL]

A sniper is a person, not a rifle.

If you are looking for a PRECISION RIFLE, Savage Law Enforcement line of rifles will give you the best bang for your buck.

 

[MrGrey]

What are you trying to do with the rifle? Are you trying to hunt or just target shoot? Do you have any experience shooting rifles? What are you looking at budget wise? Are you trying to have a semi auto or bolt action rifle?

These are all things to consider before buying a rifle.

i’m looking to practice first with target shooting, then eventually go on hunting with friends.

as far as budget, i’d like to keep it minimum $1000 but no more than $2000. i can always upgrade later, just wanted something to practice on with a good quality rifle in that price range.

id like to have both to be honest, one as bolt action and semi, but for my first, i’d like it to be bolt action.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

$2,000.00: Carlos Hathcock would be proud.

 

[engineerbrian]

Personally i dont look at a $1000-$2000 gun being a beginners rifle.

If your looking for a beginners bolt action, look at the Savage Axis as already mentioned. My 15 year old son can shoot 1” groups with his $250 Axis. Practice with it and and make an educated decision on your next, more exspensive rifle.

 

[MrGrey]

Personally i dont look at a $1000-$2000 gun being a beginners rifle.

If your looking for a beginners bolt action, look at the Savage Axis as already mentioned. My 15 year old son can shoot 1” groups with his $250 Axis. Practice with it and and make an educated decision on your next, more exspensive rifle.

that’s pretty impressive. i’ll try the savage

 

[BUFF7MM]

that’s pretty impressive. i’ll try the savage

You won’t go wrong with a Savage no matter what model you choose, I have 2 Axis, a model 11, and a model 111, they are all tack drivers.

 

[atblis]

Tikka.

 

[Swaim13]

If you are new to shooting rifles, I'd recommend getting a Ruger 10/22 or a .223. Both are inexpensive to shoot. The Ruger 10/22 is currently on sale at GymRatz for $195. It's a great little rifle for plinking and the occasional squirrel or bunny. It's a learner gun but has a ton of upgrades available if you want.

For a .223, I'd recommend a Savage or Remington 700 with a heavy barrel for target shooting. You can use this for hunting small game and varmints like foxes. You can easily shoot this out to 600 yard targets. Some people will shoot them farther.

If you want a basic rifle that will let you hunt bigger animals like deer, look at a Savage or Remington 700 in 308 or 30-06. You could also do a 270 or 6.5 Creedmoor. If you are going this route, a Savage Axis II is your best bet to get started cheaply.

Once you have been shooting, you'll figure out what you like and what you don't. Try to keep your first rifle under $700. You can get a good basic rifle to learn on for that amount. You can then get something nicer that you really want and fits what you are trying to do better.

i’m looking to practice first with target shooting, then eventually go on hunting with friends.

as far as budget, i’d like to keep it minimum $1000 but no more than $2000. i can always upgrade later, just wanted something to practice on with a good quality rifle in that price range.

id like to have both to be honest, one as bolt action and semi, but for my first, i’d like it to be bolt action.

 

[ROBAR35]

OP find yourself a older.308 Remington PSS with a 24 inch 5R barrel with no more than a 1000 round count and you will have a tack driver on a budget. And if the day comes to take it to the next level,you will already have the action that 75% of all precision rifles are built off of. I have held 3/4 MOA to 850 yards with a PSS.

 

[BossmanPJ]

I’ll second the Savage rifles. Most shoot very well. Keep in mind that unless you are hunting from a bipod or do not plan to walk much a typical precision rifle is heavy. A hunting style rifle is not as bad to carry all over the place.

 

[CodeWarrior1241]

A sniper is a person, not a rifle.

+1000.

IMHO get a 22LR precision trainer bolt action rifle that simulates the operation of a larger caliber rifle with more range and cost. Ruger' precision rimfire seems like a lot of fun in that direction, but there are many great cheaper models out there, Savage and CZ have great ones available. Can get a lot of the same effects of long range shooting at 200 yards. Then decide what direction you want to go into.

 

[Mr.Blue]

If you don’t mind the weight, the Remington 700 Sendero SF II (stainless fluted) in 300 Win Mag is the most accurate Rifle I’ve ever shot. Remington claims it’s the most accurat Rifle they make. You can get one for about $1,100 on GunBroker. Other than a custom rifle, it’s hard to beat. That said, Savage makes great rifles too.

https://www.remington.com/rifles/bolt-action/model-700/model-700-sendero-sf-ii

 

[CrazySanMan]

I'm still confused about why the OP referred to a "sniper rifle" instead of a "deer hunting rifle" or a "varmint hunting rifle".