5 Best Bolt Action Rifles Under $700

Benjamin David | February 12, 2021

Bolt action rifles are the classic, if not quintessential, firearm platform for hunting. They are simple, reliable, inherently accurate by design, and even elegant compared to recoil or gas-operated semi-automatic rifles.

For many years, manufacturers raced to produce accurate rifles as cheap as possible. They’ve made it possible to buy an accurate bolt action rifle for under $500, and even as cheap as $350 dollars.

However, many manufacturers still recognize there is a market for slightly more expensive rifles with greater performance, features, and quality. Those are the rifles we’ve focused on. We’ve selected 5 of the best, optics ready, bolt action rifle options under $700, in 2021.

Any of the bolt action rifles on this list will be a great hunting rifle for the 2021 season, and something anybody would be happy to own.

Tikka T3X Lite Black

The Tikka T3X Lite is a perfect, lightweight bolt action rifle for backcountry hunts.

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Tikka has built a reputation with the Tikka T3X Lite, for producing accurate, lightweight, hassle free rifles, ideal for backcountry hunts. The Finnish Tikkakoski factory, now a subsidiary of Sako, manufactured firearm parts, before it ever produced its own rifle. The result is their ability to consistently produce accurate rifles with noticeably smooth actions, and a high finish quality, at an affordable price.

Tikka may not have done anything truly revolutionary, but their experience as well as design and manufacturing differences between Tikka and other manufacturers, sets them apart.

A conical taper to the 180 degree bolt lugs, smooths the operation of their actions, and Tikka triggers are crisp, with little to no creep or overtravel.

While I may not understand the almost cultish following they’ve developed, they have certainly earned a very positive reputation for an affordable rifle, any hunter would be proud to own.
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Remington 700 SPS

The Remington 700, trusted by the US Military and US Marine Corps, is a time tested, reliable bolt action rifle.

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The Remington 700 is a reliable, time tested platform. Variants based on the Remington 700 have been used by the US military and US Marine Corps because of its strong action, good trigger, customizability, and inherent accuracy

Standard variants are offered in a wide range of calibers, all of which utilize an internal magazine. There are many modifications, and aftermarket parts available for the Remington 700. While it would at cost, a lot can be achieved with aftermarket model 700 parts, before having to do any real gunsmithing. Trigger parts and groups, gunstocks, as well as magazine well conversions, are all normal and readily available for the 700.

In its stock form, the Remington 700 is a well manufactured firearm, its reliable, has a good trigger, and is accurate. The stock does have a bit of a cheap feel to it, and she’s a little bit of a heifer, but the 700 is great rifle. If customizability is the goal, its an ideal platform that can be used for day one, but its also a more common receiver to buy and do a custom build on.
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Bergara B-14 Hunter

Highly-efficient manufacturing allowed the Spanish to produce the incredible Bergara B-14 Hunter for a very affordable price.

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The Bergara B-14 Hunter is manufactured by the Spanish with highly-efficient and innovative manufacturing processes that allow them to produce the high quality rifle at an affordable cost.

Unlike the super cheap plastics used on other budget rifles, Bergara molded a synthetic stock made of glass fiber reinforced polymer and steel pillars for a solid bedding and a better floated barrel. The stock is more rigid than others, and quality higher than other rifles in the price range.

The rifle is offered in both short action variants with a 22 inch barrel, and long action variants with a 24 inch barrel. The Bergara B-14 has already developed a reputation for out of the box accuracy with factory ammunition.
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Savage 110

The Savage 110 Hunter, is a great offering from Savage. Known for out of the box accuracy and the 1 MOA guarantee.

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The Savage 110 is the stable workhorse of the Savage firearms bolt action family. It predates the Savage Axis, and does not cut corners for savings. Savage is known for out of the box accuracy, and a 1 MOA guarantee, due in large part to the quality and performance of the Savage 110.

The Savage 110 features an AccuFit stock that has an adjustable length of pull, and comb height. The trigger is an adjustable AccuTrigger, that is user adjustable for a crisp release with no creep.

The AccuFit stock is a nice addition to the 110, but like many synthetic stocks, has a slightly flimsy feel, especially at the forend of the stock.

Fortunately, if you are a devout lover of wood furniture, Savage offers a wooden version of the AccuFit stock, but it will add about $300 to the price tag.

Savage also offers female hunters a female tailored variant of the 110, called the 11/111 lady hunter. The 11 and 111 designate a short vs long action. A shorter barrel, different length of pull and comb height, and some other minor weight savings, help make the Savage 110 an easier to use rifle for female shooters.
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Howa Hogue Rifle

The Howa Hogue is a Howa 1500 action combined with a Hogue OverMolded stock, offering many PRC chamberings.

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Howa has built a reputation for making affordable, smooth operating, and accurate firearms. Out of the box, the Howa is a sub MOA rifle with an obvious attention to quality, and durability.

Howa is a Japanese heavy manufacturing company with a history of manufacturing heavy equipment, as well as rifles for other brands. They manufactured Arisaka rifles during War War II, as well as firearms for both Sako and Weatherby. The Weatherby Vanguard, manufactured by Howa, is essentially a Howa 1500 with a different stock, and steeper price tag.

The Howa Hogue is a Howa 1500 action, whose design is based on a Sako action, combined with a Hogue OverMolded stock. The Hogue OverMolded stock is ergonomic and what you would expect from an aftermarket Hogue stock.

Howa rifles incorporate a proprietary HACT(Howa Actuator Controlled Trigger), which is an adjustable 2 stage trigger designed to eliminate both creep and overtravel. However, if there is anywhere that Howa has an opportunity to improve, it’s in the trigger.

With some caliber options weighing as much as 9 pounds, the Howa Hogue isn’t the lightest rifle, and probably not what I would choose to carry into the backcountry, but it is an incredible value for a very well manufactured rifle, with no quality control issues..

The Howa Hogue, with its many magnum and precision rifle cartridge offerings, is equally suited for the range as it is in the field hunting elk.

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Written By Benjamin David

Benjamin is an avid outdoorsman with a wide range of experience hunting, fishing, climbing, and backacking. He brings his knowledge and experience, to Sportsman's Magazine, and is a major content contributor. Leave Ben a comment or question.