Newbie Question

[Underdark]

First, Hi new to the forums. Also new to the scene. Only own a 10/22.
Been looking at getting into the hunting scene and i have a chance this season to go with a friend to his lease. Only thing is now i'm looking to find a decent gun to get the job done : )

I was looking around at local stores (Cabelas, bass pro, etc) and stumbled upon a recent add for Bass Pro Shops.
Ad
If you look at the add (takes a min to load) you can see on the top left hand side theres an ad for a sale on a Remington Whitetail Pro in different calibers. Was interested to see if anyone could offer a newbie some information as to whether or not it would be a good gun. Range-wise, durability, life, etc.

Thank you to all whom reply. Been reading forums for information for a little while now and decided i should join and partake in the fun.

 

[MadMo44Mag]

Howdy!

Hmmm maybe a M107?
http://www.olive-drab.com/od_other_firearms_rifle_m107.phphttp://www.olive-drab.com/od_other_firearms_rifle_m107.php
or a
http://www.olive-drab.com/od_other_firearms_rifle_m24.phphttp://www.olive-drab.com/od_other_firearms_rifle_m24.php
and if that not what you are looking for then
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/abrams/

Are we talking about hunting the same thing???
These Texas whitetails are fearsome critters!!!!!

 

[Okierifleman]

I will give you my opinion. I do not know how much you are willing to spend. If I were you, I would shop for a good, used Model 700. You can find them for around $4-500 and they are miles above the quality of that rifle you are looking at.

 

[juwaba98]

Another option, one I have taken advantage of twice, is a Weatherby Vanguard. While not a true Weatherby, the rifle is made by Howa and is an excellent shooter. They were run on special for $399 last year and are still available from Academy for that price. They are available in several caliber choices. I personally have a 25-06 and a 30-06 and was hoping to get one in .270 as well before circumstances changed. These are very nice rifles for the money and are way above the budget models from other makers as far as quality goes. Okierifleman's suggestion is a good one to consider as well.

 

[Underdark]

Thank you for the quick replies. I was looking at a Rem 700 cause i've heard TONS of good things about them. Just thought i'd ask about this gun since i saw it on sale. Guess i'll start looking for a 700.

 

[juwaba98]

Yeah, I'd avoid the whitetail pro. I just took a closer look at the circular and that appears to be the Rem 770 platform that I really dislike. Just doesn't feel as good as a nice 700 does.

Bud's is showing $404 for The Vanguards with synthetic stocks and $529 for wood. Both prices shipped. They also have a syn stock scoped package in hard case for $521. Good prices IMO.

The Remy 700s start at $535 for synthetic and around $750 for wood.

Worth the money as well I just like the cheaper Vanguard because it is, well, cheaper with comparable quality it would seem. The Remy is certainly the more proven of the two though. Just remember not to go cheap on glass. IMHO glass should cost at least half what the rifle did to be of decent quality, usually more if you really like clear optics.

ETA: Bud's = www.budsgunshop.com

 

[Hondo]

You will get lots of different opinions and they will ALL be good opinions......even Mad Mo's ultra whammer bammer suggestions

It all really depends on you, how much is your budget (how much will your wife LET you spend heh heh), where are you hunting, what are you hunting and what do you expect from your rifle as far as performance.

Can't really endorse the Remington Whitetail, if it is a remake of the old 710 then I will say pass and look for something else. My all time favorite suggestion for someone looking for a good all around reasonably priced rifle is a Savage.

 

[Underdark]

While a m107 would be fun, it's a bit more out of price range. Plus i just dont think that .50cals enough for them deer

Price range is flex able from 0-$700 i would say. I know cheaper obviously isn't the best route. I just don't pertain all the knowledge of which gun would be right. Something like this is something i would consider, but then i run into the question of, yes the remy700's are well spoken for, but is the sps buckmaster a decent choice? I know i could search this form and find all the nessecary information which is why i feel bad posting a comment like that. But hell, the thread is already started.

 

[juwaba98]

I would be ok with that choice. It is a 700 after all. I'm not up on the SPS designation, but the Buckmaster is just a name added to it. As long as you stay away from the cheapest Remys you will not be disappointed with one.

 

[dee]

You also might want to look into Ruger bolt guns as well.

 

[Okierifleman]

You also might want to look into Ruger bolt guns as well.

Also a good suggestion, but if you are going to look at the M77, find a used series 1 rifle, miles about the MK!! IMO.

 

[Underdark]

I actually found a Remy 700 at Academy for a price that isn't too hard on the pocket. Probably gonna take a closer look at it throughout this week before i make a final decision. Either that or they have the Weatherby Vanguard VG1 for $399 which isn't too bad

 

[wrtanker]

No one has mentioned this so I will. If all you're hunting is Texas deer then you might want to consider a nice .30-30 with a 4x scope. Am I old-fashioned? Am I telling my age here? I really like the compact little lever action rifle, Marlin makes (made?) a dandy in the 336. Unless you're hunting in Big Bend the .30-30 with 4x scope will do just fine for the ranges you're likely to be shooting at and the size of the target.

But that's just me...

 

[M. Sage]

I would be ok with that choice. It is a 700 after all. I'm not up on the SPS designation, but the Buckmaster is just a name added to it. As long as you stay away from the cheapest Remys you will not be disappointed with one.

I'm pretty sure it is a 740, which is an update of the 710. Decent rifles, unless you ever decide you want to upgrade it.

 

[juwaba98]

I'm pretty sure it is a 740, which is an update of the 710. Decent rifles, unless you ever decide you want to upgrade it.

I guess I stand corrected, I thought it looked right and Bud's showed it as a 700, but I'm not up on the Remy's that well and I know Bud's is regularly inaccurate in their descriptions. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[M. Sage]

Oops, not the 740, but the 770. 740 is a completely different rifle.

For your comparison, look at the image on the brochure already posted in the OP, then compare with the images at these sites:

Remington Model 710™ Camo Special Run
Remington Model 770™ Online Brochure
Remington Model 700™ BDL™

The receiver on the Whitetail Pro at Cabelas looks nothing like that of the 700, but is exactly like the 710 and 770. In fact... here you go: Remington Model 770™

 

[dee]

No one has mentioned this so I will. If all you're hunting is Texas deer then you might want to consider a nice .30-30 with a 4x scope. Am I old-fashioned? Am I telling my age here? I really like the compact little lever action rifle, Marlin makes (made?) a dandy in the 336. Unless you're hunting in Big Bend the .30-30 with 4x scope will do just fine for the ranges you're likely to be shooting at and the size of the target.

But that's just me...

Thats a very good idea I personally wouldn't shoot over 150 with a .30-30. Another option is to buy a serplus rifle and throw a sporter stock on it and go hunting.

 

[Red Cloud]

IMO since you are new to high power rifles, I would suggest you go with a caliber with less recoil. You will be hard pressed to beat the .25-06 in the Rem. 700. Marlin also makes an excellent bolt action rifle which is much less expensive, around $400 out the door, the XL7.
For $169, Natchez has Burris 3-9X40 scopes on sale (very good quality optics) at Natchez.com. That would give you an excellent set up.

Good luck. I am also new to this forum but not to firearms.