Budget rifle?

[mauser182]

Are there any budget rifles available? I'm looking for something for under $200. Would I be better off looking for something used or is there anyone that makes a decent starter rifle?

 

[willypete]

In that range you might find a nice used T/C Hawken or Renegade.

 

[robtattoo]

Hit up your local pawnshops. You'd be amazed at what you can pick up.
CVA Hawkens seem fairly common. They were a fairly cheap gun new & it would appear that a lot of folks bought them & either never used them, or shot them a few times & gave up. They're not a brilliant gun, compared to some, but they're as accurate as anything else & you're in with a really good chance of finding a nearly new rifle for well under $200
I've personally bought 4 of 'em this year (To sell on) & never paid $150 yet!
Gunbroker is usually pretty handy too. Keep your eye out for Traditions, CVA, Gamester, Jukar & Thompson Centre rifles. The TCs tend to fetch a bit more than the others, but are much better quality (genrally speaking) If you are buying used, invest in a borelight, or one of those little bobber lights Walmart sells for fishing. As long as the bore is good, everything else can be repaired, replaced, or lived with. You can buy the most expensive, beuatifully handcrafted rifle ever made, but if the barrel's junk, it's nothing but a fancy ornament. You want to be looking for good, strong rifling with few or no pits. It pays to take a range rod with you when you go to look at a gun too. Run a dry patch down the bore, on the correct size jag & it'll let you know if there's any snags, swells, tight or rough spots or rust down there (It'll also let you know if it's been left loaded too. 2 out of those 4 I mentioned, still had maxi bullets & powder in the breech!)

 

[Eterry]

Robtattoo has it right, pawnshops, flea markets, online sites are good places to look. You might try online stores also, I bought a cheapie 54 cal online for under $100 cause I needed a big bore quick. Its ugly as sin, but beauty is as beauty does, and it shoots good groups.

You might also ask around like my best friend did; he put the word out at his work he was looking for a muzzleloader and a few days later a guy sold him a T/C 54 hawken for $50.00 that had been sitting in his closet unused for years!!! Did I mention I hate him!!!! :grin:

Good luck,
Eterry

 

[gifford]

Yep, following along with the other posts. CVA Hawken is generally an accepatable entry rifle, the caplock version is generally available for around $100. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes less.

The 1:48 twist barrel will shoot patched round balls, sometimes surprising well.

I picked up a used one, with an offset scope mount on it for $100 and sighted it in with the iron sights.

It had very acceptable accuracy with 40 grains of FFFG, a .490 ball and .015 patching. It's going to a good home although I must admit I was surprised how well it shot.

Those CVAs and the T/Cs are popular with new shooters at our blackpowder club shoots. G

 

[Little Wattsy]

try gun broker dot com... always a deal on there.
AND there is a for sale forum on here.

 

[SmokeEater2]

Lots of good advice already. :hatsoff: One thing that makes a real difference around my area is the time of year. In the middle of summer used muzzle loaders can be had very reasonably in the pawn and gun shops but, right now with ML deer season opening the 16th every single ML rifle starts at $350 and goes up from there.

Just recently I made a run through the shops and found a well used T/C .50 with a rusty bore that I thought would be a great candidate for a GM .54 barrel but The "pawn star" wanted $380.00 and wouldn't come down a cent. :shocked2:

 

[54mountain]

Gun broker has a cva hawken listed for $92.00 There are deals out there.

 

[Dphar]

Most used bolt actions are over 400.
People need to think about $200 MLs and think about what a barrel and lock costs for a good gun.

Check the bore of any pawn shop jewel you might find. It likely rotted to a greater or lesser extent.

Dan

 

[cowpoke1955]

Also check out Auction Arms. The CVA Hawkens or a CVA/Jukar Kentucky in .45 or .50. May not be pretty, but they normally are straight shooters. On the auction sites, always be sure to ask about the bore condition. Good luck :thumbsup:

 

[bucktales]

IMHO,
Since you went this long without one, save another 200 bucks and get a Lyman GPR from Mid South.
You won't regret it. :v

 

[contenderfan]

I wouldnt run a dry patch down the bore of a used gun as suggested above...it may be corroded enough to get your rod stuck and then you just bought it even if you dont want it. Run a well oiled patch down the bore about 6 inches at a time, if you hit a spot that sticks hard then pass on the gun. I do this anytime I buy a used one and it has saved my butt a few times.

 

[William O.]

As per previous advice, bore condition is going to be the key factor in determining cost. You can find plenty of $200 muzzleloaders out there but how many of those have a good bore? You'll just have to check for yourself, so buy a good bore light that you can drop down the barrel and see it's condition. Light rust and a little pitting can be polished out, but lots of rust a deep pitting cannot. Don't give up hope though, keep looking and saving your money. The Lyman Trade rifle is a solid gun, and even new they can be found (if you look around) for right at $350. A used one in good condition would run between $250 & $300, maybe less. The Thompson/Center (T/C) run a little more, but you can find them in the $300 range with a few scratches or dings in the stock but with excellent bores.
So if you do find one for $200, be sure and check it out thorougly. What are you planning on doing with it? Target shooting, hunting, or both? If for hunting, what kind of game? I ask these things so you can get a better idea of what caliber would be your best option and thus we can narrow down the possibilities.

 

[w_dexter]

Theres a CVA Hawken on one of the popular online stores for 129 bucks...not bad looking either says it has a slow twist to..maybe worth a look

 

[drboompa]

I too, am looking for my first ML. I really want a long barreled one such as the Penn or Kentucky rifles have. Just love the long ones. Never fired any of them so am not speaking from experience. I assume the longer ones would be more expensive in the used market?

I just want to get into MLing andthink it would be a lot of fun. Mostly for target shooting, not hunting.

 

[freekforge]

just ask around. i just got a traditions deer hunter for $50

 

[mjones1579]

As has been stated, the bores on sight unseen guns is a gamble. I've bought two from gunbroker that were advertised as "Like New" that had junker barrels. I sent one of them to one of the forum members to play with and the other I returned the rifle to the seller. Two years and I have yet to recieve a refund. Make them state that the bore is good and get a return agreement. Usually you can talk them into a three day inspection period. If they won't go for it then you know all is not well. Unfortunately, people will lie to you, even gun dealers :cursing: Better to buy one you can hold or buy one from this forum. These guys won't lie to you.

 

[drboompa]

Our gun shows here in SW Missouri have very few traditional MLs. The rage is the new inline ones. One would think with that being the case the traditional MLs would really be cheap. I don't see very many at our gun shows. Either they are snatched up by the very first peple who get in the door or they are not turning up.

 

[longrifle346]

Bought a Renegade with a bad 50 cal.from a friend for $40, found a nice browned 54 from a forum member here for $60 delivered and all the brass from another here for $20. Refinished her and purty'ed her up a little bit and now "Sally" puts holes touching at 100yds when I do my part, I think it'll kill a deer....
We won't talk about the $175 I spent for that GM 62 smoothie barrel I bought for the thunder chikens this spring...ahem... :youcrazy: