I haven't dropped $ on a precision bolt gun yet and have no experience, but I would instinctively gravitate towards steel vs. aluminum. For mounts I like Larue alot. The rest of the forum is kinda elitist, but the Snipers Hide buy and sell has some crazy good deals on accessories/mounts like that.
It's a $500 rifle in .30-06 that will be wearing a $200 PA scope for now. Ended up getting an EGW aluminum base rail which is the brand that the tactical model comes with from the factory plus that's what I could find in the silver matte color in stock. They do make a version in Stainless steel that I'll keep an eye out for plus I have aluminum scope rings on hand in 30mm. They're Burris tactical rings...not the fanciest, but even if I do "long range" shooting competitions around here the farthest range is only 600 yards and its on steel IPSC targets.
Although $485 for the gun, $40 for the scope rail, $50 for the rings, $200 for the Scope and $105 for the Harris bipod I'm in for less than $900. Hope to have a rifle that I can finish in the top 1/3rd of the local "long range" competition with a set up that was under $1000. I know some of those guys have spent 10 - 15x that on their guns.
Biggest problem right now is ammo. Usually I like to bring 6 - 8 different brands/types and figure out what works best in that rifle. Nothing like showing up the local "pros" shooting something like Federal 180 grain soft point hunting rounds.
I haven't dropped $ on a precision bolt gun yet and have no experience, but I would instinctively gravitate towards steel vs. aluminum. For mounts I like Larue alot. The rest of the forum is kinda elitist, but the Snipers Hide buy and sell has some crazy good deals on accessories/mounts like that.
It's a $500 rifle in .30-06 that will be wearing a $200 PA scope for now. Ended up getting an EGW aluminum base rail which is the brand that the tactical model comes with from the factory plus that's what I could find in the silver matte color in stock. They do make a version in Stainless steel that I'll keep an eye out for plus I have aluminum scope rings on hand in 30mm. They're Burris tactical rings...not the fanciest, but even if I do "long range" shooting competitions around here the farthest range is only 600 yards and its on steel IPSC targets.
Although $485 for the gun, $40 for the scope rail, $50 for the rings, $200 for the Scope and $105 for the Harris bipod I'm in for less than $900. Hope to have a rifle that I can finish in the top 1/3rd of the local "long range" competition with a set up that was under $1000. I know some of those guys have spent 10 - 15x that on their guns.
Biggest problem right now is ammo. Usually I like to bring 6 - 8 different brands/types and figure out what works best in that rifle. Nothing like showing up the local "pros" shooting something like Federal 180 grain soft point hunting rounds.