Style and Appearance * * * * 2. have a metal finish at the trigger-guard, A stock upgrade is also an option, Stockys is producing several different carbon fiber drop-in stocks for the Vanguard/Howa rifle line. If so, what are you impressions of it. Thanks for all of your vids and you helped me get my last two rifles with all the choices. To this day when I pull that out for fun it still shoots tight groups. Affordable? I wanted to get into deer/large game hunting while trying to stick with one gun for all animals (deer to elk) and I live in northeast South Dakota. Instead of light gun oil, I wouldwipe gun with a rig rag. Gear up as your favorite Delsin Rowe Vest. I mean, this is one heck of a tight group! I would love those see a review of the Benelli Lupo.Ive been shooting mine for little while now and I have to say it is a very accurate hunting rifle with a great ability to conform to just about anybody.Hope to see a review in the near future.Da Butcher. There are quality inexpensive rifles being made, but if you step up into the $500-$1,000 price range, almost every option will shoot accurately and have more consistent quality control. Also, it works great if you quickly manhandle the action. Im familiar with it, but havent done an official review. Their ammo is INSANELY expensive, so I wouldnt invest in a Weatherby chambering. DK. There is one drawback to the Tikka T3x Lite. i have a momentum in .308. stock looks a bit odd, but handles my frame very well. The stock feels like it is created of a very tough polymer. Hey Jim I recently found your stuff and have been doing a deep dive. I want to buy a new rifle in 30-06. Seems like a lot of bang for the buck. Overall Length: 42.3 inches Holy Moses, what an incredible rifle. I just dont shoot the Weatherby as well as I used to, and even reloading is expensive enough I dont do much plinking with it. Nor do my groups appear to be outliers for the Momentum. Would like to buy a Tikka Super Varmint barrel and action with MDT chassis but am also considering Bergara UpR. I\ve been perusing the site trying to find it as my rifle should be here today or tomorrow. I wanted to get a Bolt Action rifle for hunting and also had always wanted an AR style rifle too. It is their lowest entry point to their rifles but looks interesting. I was all ready to order the Fierce but I see your post above and now I am on the fence. Good read. With the Sako 85 you get better wood and more metal, but I would rather buy a Tikka T3. And contrary to most German rifles today, the barrel is threaded into the reciever (not heat shrunk). I recall in a vid you talked about hunting with Mosin Nagans, the Russian 30.06! This rifle broke two scopes I highly recommend the Leupold which I have on it now .team this up with the Barnes TTPX BT. . Forearm checkering extends nearly all the way forward, ending just short of another molded-in and recessed sling swivel mount. Capacity: 4+1 I have been looking at the Browning BAR for years, its a great gun, but I would really like to have an AR format. I\m also looking at the Seekins Havak PH2? Not many have been around since they are new this year. Same for Austria and Glock. Im going to let it cure for a day or so before testing it, if I still have an issue with slippage or it effects accuracy, I will switch out for new rings. Myself being a lefty, I have been on the hunt for a good rifle for midwest deer and western hunting in 6.5 PRC. Im a big fan of Sig pistols and never had an issue with QC. It tames the recoil of this 6.6-pound rifle extremely well. If you had a choice between XBolt Pro & Dako finnlight 85 in 300wm what one would you choose. If I were buying a new hunting rifle today and I could drop $2,300, Id pick the Fierce Rogue with a steel action. People harp on me for recommending the Weatherby Vanguard because its essentially the same thing as a Howa 1500, but costs more money. Great Content. I might add I have never found any real advantage with a short action rifle either. I own a 6.5-.300 Wby and reload my own ammo. Franchi lists the Momentum's weight at 6.6 pounds, unloaded and unscoped. Your input has influenced some decision Im making for future hunting rifles and calibers. JavaScript is disabled. Ive got a lot of autoloader pistol and AR experience, but my only bolt action is an old Mosin Nagant. The Bergara B14 Wilderness with adjustable cheek piece would be a great choice, as well as anything in the Bergara Premier Series. Hi, I really enjoy your reviews on YouTube. I loved the way it shot and felt. First let me say your videos are absolutely fantastic. How us that helping? TOP DEALS View All Deals. If a close friend asked me what hunting rifle to buy at each price point, these would be my recommendations: If you dont want to read this entire post, jump to the section for rifles in your budget. Nearly every touch-point Ive had with the company shows obvious signs of errors. What do you think about the CZ 557 line and the new 600s? First of all, LOVE all of your video reviews !! The Sig Cross is the rifle that I have consistently used more than any other hunting rifle in my gun vault. Jim, Great content on both the website and on Youtube. I use Swaro and Zeiss optics and i use moderators on all of mine. If you want to hunt larger game like elk, then Id recommend getting the same rifle in .30-06 Springfield. Keep the good work buddy on your show. The trigger however appears to be decent and I like the one piece bolt but I think the internal magazine is a deal breaker for me. Franchi Momentum .308 Win Threaded 22" Bbl Htr Gry BA Rifle 41533. I have been considering the Winchester xpr spotter (walnut stock) in 308 Win. Again not a spot of rust. Just my two cents, but would love to hear an honest review of these rifles. I think I will try to pick one up next week, in either a .308 or .300. What? Things happen and every animal is different, but I feel like its my duty to show that respect. Any opinion on it? A shiny one. enough shoulder for secure mounting. Jim, I think you misspoke about the Ultralite. Just easier to carry in hand, never a sling. I am looking into ordering a 20 Super Sniper chambered in .308 and was curious to know if you have had any experience with it? Jeremy is TTAG's Deputy Editor, working mostly behind the scenes but, when he attempts to write, he focuses on comprehensive gun & gear reviews. I used to hunt as a kid. Fancy for an affordable rifle, the Franchi Momentum sports a one-piece, fluted bolt. Hey Jim, I would love to hear your imput on which rifle you prefer between the Ruger American, CVA Cascade, and the Winchester XPR. I havent tried the Rage yet, but I have used that same action and stock in different configurations. Im not sure why Bergarra and other premium manufacturers dont do this but Im sure theres a reason. The reason I put the CVA Cascade above the Ruger American is: (1) It has a better action with more reliable feeding, (2) Its stock is more rigid, (3) It doesnt have a super loud safety like the Ruger American, which I found to be tricky to hunt with. Really, the only thing that keeps me from owning more of them is that I can rarely find them in the chamberings I want. I looked at the Waypoint locally and thought is was a really nice gun. Weighs under 6 lbs. It may not display this or other websites correctly. For the record the cheapest gun Ive ever owned is a TC compass in 6.5 Creedmoor and it has shot sub MOA with most factory offerings from day one and consistently shoots sub 1/2 moa with handloads. The internal box magazine holds four rounds. Thanks. Have you reviewed the werkman? High comb, rigid, modern stock lines. Yes, it shipped with a knurled thread protector but I immediately lost it when I slapped my Dead Air Sandman Ti on. I do like the Weatherby rifles as well as Tikkas. Backfire LLC owns and operates this website. Its short, compact, lightweight, sinfully accurate with my handloads, feeds 100%, and adjustable so it fits me perfectly. . 1 Image (s) Franchi Momentum Elite 6.5 Creed Realtree Excape 24" TB Burnt Bronze 41606. Maybe not, but I have been caught in down pores and all the morons that were with me came back to the car with rust on their guns but not me. Stock: AG Composites Alpine Hunter. (1) The Springfield 2020 Waypoint with a steel barrel, (2) You could wait a few months for the new Bergara B14 Squared Crest to come out, or (3) Get a Sig Cross. Hey Jim, big fan of your Youtube channel and I always enjoy watching/reading your content. I recently purchased a Franchi Momentum 300 win mag w/24 in. TIKKA is proven, Franchi has some good reports. The CVA Cascade is an exceptional rifle for the price. Its a great suppressor. Is the Sako worth the that premium price though? The Sig Cross: Amazing design after some early quality control issues. Hey jim i was wondering if you have done a review on the savage impulse i found some videos on it but not many that really go indepth on the build quality or how well or not well the action works. I purchased a Stockys carbon stock for my Vanguard 6.5 PRC Meateater rifle and was able to shoot a suppressed 5 shot group at 100 yards that measured under 1/2 moa. Its just tough to get excited about because it has no single stand-out feature. The also Cerakote the barrel which lowers the need for oiling the metals on your gun, and protects it in rainy or otherwise wet conditions. James I probably wouldnt recommend Fierce Firearms right now. He missed the entire point of the product to rant about what great deals can be had on old guns. Keep the vids coming, I look forward to seeing them. Paid $230 bucks for it out the door . I dont say that lightly. This gun is for actually hunting in adverse conditions and not worrying about scratching it or damage. How is it Franchis fault again? Your reviews and articles are very helpful for us folks that dont have a big gun shop within 150 miles! Chambered in .308 Winchester, the author's Franchi Momentum has a 22-inch barrel with a threaded muzzle and a black synthetic stock with a recoil pad and integral sling-swivel studs. It can be tough to watch all the individual reviews of rifles that I do on Youtube and get a sense for where each rifle stacks up on the Jim Scale, so in this post, Ill give it to you straight. I dont want it to feel pain or the anxiety of dying slowly. The Weatherby Vanguard Meateater edition comes with Cerakote, threaded barrel, stiff stock and a pretty decent 2 stage trigger. Iv shot most all Hello from Bozeman, MT! The action is butter smooth and the stock has a palm swell the sold me when I first picked the gun up. I was considering the Sig Cross, but the safe selector issue concerns me. I have the weather extreme in 25-05 that I purchased for a Pronghorn hunt topped with a Leupold VX6 HD. Watch my full review of the Springfield 2020 Waypoint. As i get older i am now back to 6,555 and 8x57IS and 308win when it come to calibers but that is more related to the hunting i do than the rifles .Love your tube videos and the fact that you have your own opinions an are not afraid to tell everyone about them. The Tikka T3x has a single-column detachable clip magazine made from a strong fiberglass-reinforced composition. If you were to build a rifle what action would you use. I also own a Savage 110 Ultralite in 6.5 PRC- fantastic accuracy, but I just could not warm up to the plasticy stock. Theres something cool coming. Ive tried a lot of others, including Hornady PH (178gr I think) and Hornady Match 168 gr, and they are lucky to shoot 4 inch group with huge point of impact change. superbly accurate with federal non-typical 150s (second load i tried). The plasticky stock is Pure junk. Vlad is an asshole in general who needs to go away. Hi Jim, Thanks for the videos, they have been great! Jim great reviews. Its a crisp, clean, single-stage trigger with no slack or take-up and a nice break. I bought the MarkV Weathermark LT in the .257 WBY. I think in theory controlled feed is better, but they also generally dont feed well (or at all) if you try to feed by dropping one in, rather than mag feeding. I have shot the Impulse and wasnt impressed. Pls recommend as I need a rifle under 1500 $ including Scope for shooting upto 600 Yards with cheaper ammo to practice more. The Momentum loved Armscors 168 grain FMJs, though. stock not sticky yet? But after that, its likely going to be a custom. With attitude like that, you will only buy domestic products and if leftists have their way, none. After reviewing and owning over 40 bolt-action hunting rifles, here are are the best of the best. I\ve hunted since high school age but always small game/birds. I still think the 2020 Waypoint is just a better gun overall. As I completely dislike sporter pencil barrels. Those are cool, but very heavy guns. Launched on the March 2018 cover of Guns & Ammo, the Momentum was actually Franchi's first rifle. Fierce Rival I really like my Fierce Rival chambered in 6.5 PRC. Adjustable from 2 pounds to 4 pounds, my sample fell right in the middle of that range. I wouldnt hesitate to recommend a Weatherby if you find one in a cartridge you like, or if you dont mind shooting Weatherbys overbore cartridges. Base Price: $816.99: Tax: - In Stock: Back in stock . Granted, I got the better tools for measuring how off what they sold is but theres some applications where cheap is better. The stock and barrel is nothing special unless someone could chime in as to why it is different than all the others plastic stocks? I owned one and sold it. The Winchester Model 70 should be the rifle you compare all the others too. Would this interest you? The ammo is inexpensive and widely available, the recoil in manageable for most shooters, and the cartridge is unquestionably capable of taking elk cleanly. Im looking for a 7mm-08 in a left handed model. XBolt Pro is a good gun but needs a new trigger. Never worried much about how my rifle looked either before or after the hunt. I know there will be a lot of hate because Ive been very frank about my opinions, but I test so many rifles that I just wanted one single post that I keep up to date where I can just say it how I see it without any politically correct crap. I saw you also mentioned something coming at Shotshow but did not see if you talked about this yet. Wish I discovered your content sooner and thankful for all your hard work. In this price range, this rifle appears to be a very good value. Not a Sako to be seen ? Mine is in 223 for chucks. Ive killed elk, mule deer and whitetails, with it. And outside chance of a Bergara HMR or sauer 100 Pantera. Ive narrowed it to 3, but just cant quite choose. With plain Jane 55 grain hornady soft points and max listed load of H4895, it shoots 1/4 to 3/8 at 100 yards if I lay off the coffee. Im extremely satisfied with this rifle, for a hunting rifle. I rarely hear manufacturing quality concerns about Weatherby rifles. First available in 1936 for Petes sake. It appears that Fierce is stretching the truth a bit on weight because mine weighs 6 pounds, 4 1/8 oz and its a short action with 24 6.5mm barrel so it should be about the lightest one they have. Or even at a much higher price range. Threaded barrel for a brake. Removing the bolt, however, is easier thanks to a release lever located on the side of the action. Will the new/faster twist rates make a difference to users? $699.00. Floorplate, spring, and follower tilt out. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Ive owned a Lupo chambered in 30-06 for several months now. Hey Jim, your videos are great not only on rifles, but optics too. Honestly, you need to review one. Any opinions/guidance would be much appreciated! i would like to buy new as its going to be my first rifle so thought with mod . I am about ready to purchase the Springfield Waypoint 2020 in 6.5 prc then, i see the Proof Elevation MTR is offered in a 7prc, as is the Rival in a 7prc Leave the modern made junk guns to the young and inexperienced people which results in the good stuff out there being more plentiful for us old foxes that know what a quality gun is and what a reliable one is. Yes, thats five rounds as always. As a side note, I have a Sako 85 from Cabelas. Kimber Mountain Ascent Subalpine I just dont like the Kimber Mountain Ascent. The action is a Mauser type like Sako. Using Burris Zee rings, I just applied a thin layer of silicone sealant inside the rings and remounted the scope. TIKKA is proven, Franchi has some good reports. All good options, but Id go with the Cross if youll be using it for any backcountry hunting. The Tikka action is by far the best in this price point because it cycles ammo perfectly, has a silky smooth bolt slide and is manufactured to a high tolerance so every last one I pick up feels just as good as the one next to it. To wit: 1. I cant say I love the idea of a polymer sling mount with a relatively thin wall to it, but its definitely more out-of-the-way than a protruding stud. Great deal. The narrow width put my eye behind the scope nicely but also leaves enough fudge factor for owners who will add an aftermarket cheek piece or wrap. And dollar for dollar you could never purchase a rifle that guarantees you 1 moa back several years ago for the same relative cost. have since restocked it with a B&C M40, and will use it for long range targets and steel. Its a Howa 1500 action in their own pretty cool stock. I came over the years to loath short action rifles. They are built in the same factory where they produce Mauser and Blaser rifles (all owned by the same company), so I guess quality shouldnt be an issue but unlike Mausers and Blasers, these rifles are far less expensive. Overall, if you forced me to pick a winner in this category, Id probably give it to the Springfield 2020 Waypoint. It also really liked this 147 grain MEN stuff that I bought in bulk cheap some years ago basically just for semi-auto plinking use. Hi Jim What ammo are you shooting in your cross? It is so fun to shoot and is extremely accurate! hey jim i have a 2022 ridgeline in 308 it shoots 1/4 to 1/2 moa looked a long time and read many bad reviews butt talked to many people and am very happy with mine thanks. So Id recommend just paying for it online. Hey Jim! Sure, its the same action and barrel, but its dressed up completely differently, and I think it changes the gun significantly. Its great out to about 400. Can Italian go to a local gun store and buy one (or any firearm) without a government license or permission? In our testing, the Weatherby Vanguard shot the most accurately, although the difference between it, the Bergara and the Tikka was so small that I doubt we could call it statistically significant. Manual cover also says- Do not use without reading Manual. I just have to say thank you I really appreciate your unbiased and honest opinions. this are what i like long range in a good rifle, with hornady ammo. Shut up Vlad. This is Franchis first rifle and they want into the market place are keeping the price low. Actually, I like it a lot. Id probably go with the Bergara Wilderness Ridge. Was very happy with all of it. I am finally biting the bullet and having a custom gun made. Boy, so many good 7 mags. You have my general answer, but below Ill provide more detail and reasoning for those selections, as well as some rifles not to pick. What is your opinion on the Edge vs Rival? Just how it shot when the time came. Mine shoots 1/2 MOA with handloads, Available in: 6 Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, .308 Win, Available in: 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, .308 Win, 300 Win Mag. I cannot give a better example than that. Is the bergara name worth it? You sound like the new guy that is 25 and has 150 years experience. 2) the 6.5 prc vs the 7 prc ( i have 2 338 win mags i am planning on keeping for elk +), My thoughts? love the mauser style trigger guard/magazine. A 60 degree bolt lift that makes second fast shots from the shoulder a complete impossibility. Hi Jim love your content I was wondering if you had a chance to fire a Benelli lupo I own one and love it also have a Tikka tac t3x a Daniel Defense delta 5 pro a accuracy International at. They will be on sale at cabelas this next week, and I havent heard that much about them. Ive got a line on a used Seekins Havak Element in 6.5 PRC. I am not sure, or saying one is better than the other, but that was something that bothered me. Dont get me wrong. To be clear, youll load the rifle from the top, pushing one round at a time down and into the internal magazine, and this function allows you to safely and easily unload the Momentum. that blew my mind that an OOB rifle would have that much contact. Savage just came out with a Savage 110 carbon predator. I like the Sig Cross because its lightweight, easily adjustable to fit me or my kids, very accurate, and the short barrel and folding stock make it easily packable for hunts. Franchi Momentum 6.5 Creedmoor 24" Flat Dark Earth Bolt-Action Rifle 41512. The reason I am more interested in an AR instead of a bolt action is because: I would like to have an adjustable stock for hunting in multi layers of clothing and backpack straps, the need to adjust my length of pull is important. Though the tightest of those were from outlets that shoot 3-round groups, for what thats worth (well, its worth a tighter average group size). Vlad I have no idea who you are but you sure do make a lot of noise and a lot less sense. Really enjoy reading your reviews and opinions! Hard to go wrong with it for online prices often below $400. Thanks. Ok I concede your right to a degree but there are tons and tons of older made deer rifles on the market. Some day Ill give one a more fair look. Seekins is another I looked into but judging by the lack of representation in reviews I\m not confident in it either. You might also consider a more traditional 7 Rem Mag or .30-06. Best 5 shot group was .320 so I wouldnt knock the compass for a budget rifle. Its actually a piece of cake. I was unaware of the QC issues with the Cross. Why no ones talk about the sakos in the states?? Hi Jim Im trying to click your links to the guns but its not working. Ruger precision is really heavy for hunting, but a cool rifle. Ill be using it in the Southern Rockies for context. Though the forend wasnt perfectly centered coming closer to the left side of the barrel than the right side it was stiff enough that causing it to contact the free-floated barrel was difficult and wouldnt happen under most typical use.