My Favorite Factory Rifles of 2025

[TheCZKid]

It only took a couple of weeks or so until my Savage A17 Sporter .17 WSM rifle arrived home. Everything works like a brand new rifle and the action is really smooth. They even polished the bolt. Along with the rifle is a worksheet listed with all work they did. It involved a lot more than fixing the shroud problem. I doubt the rifle had more than a couple of boxes of ammo ran through it when I had trouble. Savage folks and guns are great!

That's really good to know. Gun companies are not always know for their good service. Since I have the same rifle, I'm curious what all they did. Mine was the sporter model too, I didn't find out there was a heavier varmint version until a while after I got mine. I put mine in a Boyd's thumbhole stock.

 

[EMC_Custom]

I'm still waiting to hear from Henry about the Long Ranger in .223 I bought in Oct. Had it 5 days, took it to the range twice, and the best groups I could get out of it were 2-3 MOA. Then I discovered the muzzle had only been half crowned .

 

[EMC_Custom]

My Favorite factory rifle of 2025 is this Bergara I picked up a couple of months back. It is chambered in .243 Win. It is a manufacturers mix up rifle, being as it came with a Trigger Tech trigger (got to love a free upgrade). This thing has produced some very impressive groups with Remington Core-Loct 100 gr. as well as Norma Whitetail 100 gr. bullets. I haven't worked up a load for it yet, but with 3 shot groups of less than 1/2" with two readily available factory loadings, I'm not sure handloading is necessary.

 

[EMC_Custom]

Henry Long Ranger in .223/5.56 topped with a Vortex 4-16

 

[EMC_Custom]

This one is an Uberti Competition 1873 in 357 Magnum. My Wife bought it for me for my 50th Birthday. It has accounted for 6 Groundhogs ( all were dispatched at the range when I sighted it in raging from 17-63 yards )

 

[Bullseye69]

Picked this one up today.
My first A-bolt. Shot many of them but never owned one.
223wssm, should be fun to play with.

 

[EMC_Custom]

Picked this one up today.
My first A-bolt. Shot many of them but never owned one.
223wssm, should be fun to play with.

I almost bought a Browning x bolt in 7 PRC today .... It was on clearance for a ridiculously low price. It might be mine on Monday though

 

[Old Hickory]

My Savage A17 has to go back to Savage. I took the rifle for a test shoot after receiving it and it has more serious problems now than when I sent it the first time. I am fortunate I still have my Savage BMAG .17 WSM. Yesterday I removed two gray tree squirrel heads with it.

 

[EMC_Custom]

So I picked up the Browning X Bolt in 7prc yesterday.... $500 new in box, apparently it is a 2024 model that never sold, so the shop owner sold it to me for wholesale. Need to pick up a lower set of rings, but got the muzzle brake installed, tuned the trigger to 2.5#, and torqued the action properly.... This one might be a bit of a beast to shoot though. 7PRC is a stout cartridge for certain.

 

[Bullseye69]

I see the brake is a half twist mod adapter.
How's the stock feel? Check riser looks good.

 

[EMC_Custom]

I see the brake is a half twist mod adapter.
How's the stock feel? Check riser looks good.

It is a Dead Air muzzle brake with Xeno threads. But from experience they reduce recoil by about 40 or so percent. Once my Suppressor is cleared I'll decide if I want to go with a direct mount or use the Xeno mount. The stock is actually fairly decent, and it is bedded (looks like devcon bedding).

 

[Bullseye69]

Picked this one up today.
My first A-bolt. Shot many of them but never owned one.
223wssm, should be fun to play with.

Just got it threaded. Just waiting fur a EGW one piece scope base.
Got dies and 35 and 36 gr boolits.
Lead free tipped and hollow points.

 

[Old Hickory]

I bought a Ruger American Gen 2 Rancher 5.56 and a Vortex Crossfire 2 scope.

 

[dale06]

I picked up an Anschutz 1771 in 17 HH. It’s extremely accurate and fantastic on PDs if the wind isn’t strong. And I found a Kimber of Oregon Super America in 221 FB. I’ve only shot paper with it and it’s a sub 1” gun.

 

[Ingwe]

I picked up an Anschutz 1771 in 17 HH. It’s extremely accurate and fantastic on PDs if the wind isn’t strong. And I found a Kimber of Oregon Super America in 221 FB. I’ve only shot paper with it and it’s a sub 1” gun.

Please excuse my ignorance but what is a 17 HH? ( I hope its not something I need one of...)

 

[TheCZKid]

Please excuse my ignorance but what is a 17 HH? ( I hope its not something I need one of...)

17 Hornady Hornet, and yes, you need one!

 

[Ingwe]

17 Hornady Hornet, and yes, you need one!

Okay, I am familiar with that one, just never heard it referred to as HH. But my partner shoots one and you are right...I NEED one!

 

[dale06]

Yes, you need one. FWIW, my first 17HH was a ruger 77. Accuracy was terrible and after a trigger job, bolt shimming, and glass bedding, it was slightly better than terrible. I wasted a lot of money on that gun.

 

[TheCZKid]

The CZ 527 turned out to have amazing accuracy, stock barrel, with CFE BLK and 20 Vmax got a load averaging just below .2" groups. Couldn't hope for better, even with a Lilja barrel.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

Doug, I'll say that by the looks of those targets, that rifle is dialed, and ready for the rat patch! NICE!