The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Evening,

Tried a search couldn't find anything which was surprising.
What would you recommend as the best .308 stalking rifle for around £1000 new or second hand.

2nd hand Sako or Sako
2nd hand Remington 700 LTR

saddler wrote:2nd hand Sako or Sako
2nd hand Remington 700 LTR

Cheers I'll keep a look out for them.

Spend 2/3rds of your budget on a European scope.

A less costly rifle will still shoot deer, but if you can't see it in twilight - you can't shoot it.

DL. wrote:Spend 2/3rds of your budget on a European scope.

A less costly rifle will still shoot deer, but if you can't see it in twilight - you can't shoot it.

Lots of used 26mm tubed S&B & Swarovski & similar 6x42 scopes around for the sub £300 mark

Scopes don't have to be variable power & 34mm tube to be any good

Something light to carry that shoots straight. Plenty of good choices including old Parker Hale or BSA rofles as well as the almost obligatory Tikka T3.
As per the above post - buy a good scope - 6 power or 3 to 9 variable.

I'd say Sako, Sako or Sako, in that order.

Undoubtedly a Sako 75 would be a superb choice however there are others, the Heym and Mauser spring to mind plus the venerable Parker Hale variants. Add a Pecar 'scope to the latter and you can comfortably keep within the budget and end up with a superb rifle.

Schmidt & Bender 6x42 can be had new for ~£450 (struggled to find any used ones with a substantial saving)
http://www.optics-trade.eu/uk/riflescop ... -6x42.html

Tikka M595, Used @ £595
http://www.guntrader.co.uk/Guns-For-Sal ... 6185756004

Tikka T3 Lite Stainless, Used @ £550
http://www.gunstar.co.uk/ikka-t3-stainl ... les/727536

Tikka T3 Lite, New @ £735
http://www.guntrader.co.uk/Guns-For-Sal ... 2160940001

CZ 557 Screw cut, New @ £671
http://www.sportsmanguncentre.co.uk/pro ... 8-f-35'22/

All good rifles , but with either of the used Tikka's above the budget comes to around £1,100 (once you factor in cost of rings) and you can't go wrong with that setup.

Sporting vs target barrell.......... Al depends....if you can afford a rifle purely for stalking then get a sako as a blazer and Holland and Holland is overated.....

If you want a rifle for both stalking and target then your options are a little more open,personally I don't mind the tactical or heavy barrelled rifle being logged around my ground,there are plenty of good harnesses slings etc now to negate that problem.

Scopes are also a dilemma,most stalkers use quite a lower power for stalking hence smaller scope,if one were shooting deer and occasional target stuff then the scope would invariably become bigger,something in between is what's needed,I use a meopta 4-12x56 (I think) that gives me what I want mounted on my tika 30-06,I can then use it on range days with not bad results! But past 4-500 yards I need a bigger scope really....

I did used to worry that if the public see someone stalking with a f class rifle they would run a mile,I realise these days they will run a mile at the sight if a 10/22 and their mind tells them there both capably of killing up to 5 miles away!

So it's your choice.....sporting light gun for stalking only or a heavy varying barrell for other roles....just remember you have to carry it and the deer!