I've got a $650 budget. Which rifle/scope combo?

[chuckb7718]

After over 20 years (closer to 30!), I'm retiring the Ruger M77/Leupold.
I've been looking at the Savage rifle/scope combos, BUT which one?
I'm looking for out-of-the-box accuracy, reliability and simplicity.
Opinions?

 

[280 Man]

After over 20 years (closer to 30!), I'm retiring the Ruger M77/Leupold.
I've been looking at the Savage rifle/scope combos, BUT which one?
I'm looking for out-of-the-box accuracy, reliability and simplicity.
Opinions?

My question would be, why are you retiring the M77? I would keep "building" memories with it!!

I've got a 22 yr old 280 that I have killed scads of animals with but would never think of retiring it.

 

[John Cooper]

Just me ....... I would never retire a Ruger M77 to look at a Savage ...... I am and never have been a fan of Savage rifles.

Now this is just me personally, but if I were retiring a Ruger and all I had was $650.00. And was wanting out of the box accuracy I would look at a Weatherby vanguard and use the scope off the Ruger.

 

[Boondocks]

Save your money.You already have better than what you can buy for that price.

 

[TomC]

Buy a Tikka, stick it in the closet and start saving for a scope!

 

[Buford_Dawg]

I bought this last year, just to have as I did not have a .308 caliber. I bought a T/C Compass in .308 and put a Leupold Freedom 3x9x40 scope on it. With the T/C rebate and a sale on the Leupold, I had less than 500.00 is the gun/scope. It is a tack driver, it was used to take 6 hogs and 2 deer last season. I love my Remington 700s and Model 7's but I must say for 500.00 bucks you will not find a better deal.

 

[jbogg]

I recently purchased the Savage Lightweight Hunter in .308 and topped it with a Leupold 2x7x33. Rifle with scope is just a tad over 6 lbs and total cost of both was right at $650. It will be a nice little mountain rifle.

 

[4togo]

Ruger America and a Vortex scope.

 

[Horns]

I bought this last year, just to have as I did not have a .308 caliber. I bought a T/C Compass in .308 and put a Leupold Freedom 3x9x40 scope on it. With the T/C rebate and a sale on the Leupold, I had less than 500.00 is the gun/scope. It is a tack driver, it was used to take 6 hogs and 2 deer last season. I love my Remington 700s and Model 7's but I must say for 500.00 bucks you will not find a better deal.

I bought my son a Compass in 308 and put a Vortex Crossfire on it. Got around $525 in it and no problems. Son killed 3 with it last year

 

[01Foreman400]

I’d customize your Ruger a little and maybe upgrade the scope and be done with it.

 

[lonewolf247]

It's always exciting to buy a new gun! If you were just wanting to add to your collection, and you had $650 to spend, on just a rifle, I’d say you could get something decent, in that range.

That being said, it doesn’t sound like that’s what you are doing. It’s sounds as though you are wanting to replace your Ruger, and the optic for $650. I’m not trying to come off negative, but I’m just trying to be realistic. It would be hard to get an equivalent rifle to the Ruger M77, and a solid scope for that price.

I bought a Savage 111, with the Nikon Prostaff, for a deal I couldn’t pass on a few years back, on clearance. In hindsight, I was really disappointed in the Nikon scope, to say the least. As far as the Savage 111, it’s much better than the Axis, but IMO, nowhere near the Ruger M77.

IMO, I would put the $650 towards a Weatherby Vanguard, and put any change aside for a better optic in the future. I agree with John Cooper, you could use an existing scope for now:

Just me ....... I would never retire a Ruger M77 to look at a Savage ...... I am and never have been a fan of Savage rifles.

Now this is just me personally, but if I were retiring a Ruger and all I had was $650.00. And was wanting out of the box accuracy I would look at a Weatherby vanguard and use the scope off the Ruger.

 

[01Foreman400]

I just transformed my Ruger Mark 2 M77 300 Win Mag recently.

McMillan $325
Cerakote barreled action and bottom metal $100
Leupold Rings $25
Lighter Trigger spring $10 ended up at 32 oz.
Leupold VX2 3-9x50 scope $175

I sold the old stock for $50 and the Ruger rings and Leupold Vari-X 2 3-9x40 for $180.

 

[nmurph]

After over 20 years (closer to 30!), I'm retiring the Ruger M77/Leupold.
I've been looking at the Savage rifle/scope combos, BUT which one?
I'm looking for out-of-the-box accuracy, reliability and simplicity.
Opinions?

I see you saying what you want to do, but I don't see why you want to do so.

 

[chuckb7718]

My question would be, why are you retiring the M77? I would keep "building" memories with it!!

I've got a 22 yr old 280 that I have killed scads of animals with but would never think of retiring it.

Maybe "retiring" was the wrong word.
The M77 is in .270 and I've long ago lost count of the critters I've taken with it.
Maybe a better word would be "supplementing".

 

[nmurph]

Do you want to keep the Ruger ready to hunt, or would you consider moving the scope to a new gun?

 

[chuckb7718]

I really want to keep the M77 as is and ready to hunt.
I've got some sweet Hornady SST handloads that are pure poison on deer and hogs.

 

[chuckb7718]

I just transformed my Ruger Mark 2 M77 300 Win Mag recently.

McMillan $325
Cerakote barreled action and bottom metal $100
Leupold Rings $25
Lighter Trigger spring $10 ended up at 32 oz.
Leupold VX2 3-9x50 scope $175

I sold the old stock for $50 and the Ruger rings and Leupold Vari-X 2 3-9x40 for $180.

That's pretty awesome!
Only thing is, my son has wanted this rifle for a very long time and I'd like for him to have it just as it is when I head for the happy hunting grounds....hopefully a long time from now.

 

[Big7]

My question would be, why are you retiring the M77? I would keep "building" memories with it!!

I've got a 22 yr old 280 that I have killed scads of animals with but would never think of retiring it.

Can't hardly go wrong with a Ruger.
Just sayin'

 

[nmurph]

I know it's your money, but if you could squeeze out another $250 you could get a Bergara or a Sauer and top it with a pretty decent piece of glass for $900.

 

[nmurph]

Lots of choices for good deals on glass here-

https://www.dvor.com/riflescopes.html