ColdDeadHands - great idea for a thread, a lot of us are thinking about this now that deer season is over.

Mark5pt56, what are your thoughts comparing a used Winchester Ranger Model 70 with the Featherweight model you mentioned? I believe the Rangers are not in production any longer, but I found a used one in VG condition. The crown is intact, and appears unmarked under a 10x loupe. The bore looks good, although I have not had it scoped. The trigger feels decent from a professional adjustment, and breaks right at 3.2 pounds.

I appreciate the advice about the Talley rings. I'm also looking at some used Leupold scopes on the various forums.

If this should be treated as a separate question rather than a post in this thread, I will be happy to move it or take it to PM's.

Thanks again for your assistance.