Hunting rifle suggestions
 

I am looking to get a rifle to hunt Buck with, what would you Hunters recommend?

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

You gonna hunt the woods or the fields? I'd pick a .35 Remington in the woods/brush with a 200 grain slug.
A .243 or .257 Roberts kicks ass in the open, useless in the woods as far as I'm concerned. Depends how far you wanna shoot, really.
For an everything gun, most guys shot a 30-06 or a 30-30. Maybe even a 7mm.
Unfortunately it's a big pain in the ass, D.
I just carry a .35 Remington, and I keep 200 grain and 150 grain shells. The 150's are nice and flat with a long range for the corn fields, the 200's will go through three trees and still take down some speedbeef. Awesome for the brush, too. :tu

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

I hunt deer with my grandfathers old lever action .243. Good gun but might be a little small for your first deer gun. My dad likes his 7mm Mauser, he also hunts elk with that...

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

Mulie?

I wound't mind picking up a Weatherby Mark V .270.... But I don't enjoy the hunt, I love to go hang out with my friends who do....:tu

You may want to be a little more specific.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

I like a 300 Winchester for hunting, Another good one is the .270.

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Im a .308 kinda guy.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

Exactly what I would have suggested :tu

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

Who's Buck and what did he do to piss you off? :D

I hunt with a 30-06 myself. Seems to be the caliber most people use in Michigan. Does well in thick brush or can still be used for longer (200-250yd) shots.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

are you looking for caliber recommendations or make/model recommendations?

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

I usually favour the Mac 10.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

if you are looking for make/model recommendations do you have a budget in mind?

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

Accuracy International AW (Arctic Warfare) .50BMG
You can reach out and touch the tick ridden rats from a half mile or more away, by the time you get to your kill, the deerburgers are already partially cooled.

Glad I could help, buddy.
Ah venison, delicious venison.
How do we know we are supposed to eat the lil' bastards?

They are made of delicious meat, of course!!!

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

:tpd: That's what I thought when I read the first post!:tu

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

My long range (anything over 150yds) gun is a 7mm rem mag. I use it hunting in the open areas where id have long shots or cut overs to shoot across. I shoot the 150grain remington core lokt bullets.

my brush/woods gun is a old Savage model 99 chambered in .300 savage. Its a lever action gun, light and well balanced. Shoot 150grain rem core lokts from it as well.

If I had to have one gun to do it all, it would be a .308.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

What you need D- http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/finder/ Click on the left side to fill out the info to utilize the finder. Axis Camo looks like a nice one for $399 + whatever scope you decide on.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

Both, please. :D

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I am a .30-06 kind of guy. Tired and true!!!

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

I use a 30-06, my dad uses a .35 Remington and my brother uses either a 30-30 or a 30-06 (depending on his mood). All for weapons have taken multiple deer in the same relative location. I will have to say that my 30-06 tends to have a bit too much power for close range shots. I think I would almost prefer to use my dad's .35.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

lower end rifles

mossberg 100 atr
savage edge
I would stay away from the remington 770

higher end
remington 700 -this is what I hunt with (30-06) and love-
weatherby vanguard

for hunting there is not a lot of difference between 30-06 and .270, except 270 cost more and is made in fewer combos of powder/weight
others prefer 300, 308, 243 etc
just my $.02

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

you might also consider a used rifle. if you know what you what a weekend spent in three or four pawn shops you might be able to gun in good shape for a good price. If you arent sure how much hunting you will actually be doing a high end rifle is a big investment, esp with a scope, ammo, and range time add in.
a used rifle, $250-300 all in, until you decide you are into it might save you a about a grand

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

And if you have a local shop that will let you do transfers through them, gunbroker.com is a good spot to shop online for the best price and may carry what your local shops may not.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

www.galleryofguns.com find the rifle you like, click the instant quote... and you could save a healthy chunk of change.

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I been shooting a 30-06 Mauser, and a 257 Weatherbey Mark V.

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I like what I have read about the Winchester Model 70. It looks like a solid hunting rifle and hopefully I can pick one up used.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

For a great hunting rifle, try a .270. It shoots fast and flat and will work great. Any good rifle will work well. I use Nikon optics and they excellent. I am a FFL so if you have any questions let me know.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

yes.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

Another question. The place you're planning to hunt, do they allow the use of rifles or is it a shotgun only zone? That's something to keep in mind. Or you can pick up one of each and get set for where ever you want to hunt.

I 2nd the used gun route. Plenty of good ones out there at decent prices. That'll leave you more money for cigars. :tu

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

Remington 700 in whatever grade suits your budget and style. Great rifles at moderate price almost always accurate right out of the box. Second choice would probably be a Ruger 77 but it is truly hard to beat a Remington 700 rifle for out of the box performance. They are also both made in the U.S.A. and note that Winchester has not made a rifle in the U.S. since 1964.

Not sure where/what size "bucks" you have in mind but the 270 or 300 short magnums out perform most hunting calibers on the market these days but allow you to use a short action rifle. But jeez the sky is the limit on calibers anymore.

Put your money in a quality scope! Many old names have been sent to China so don't think in terms of what my granpa used or such as that. Leupold is still good quality at a somewhat reasonable price. No matter what scope you buy unless it is a super high end brand do not buy the low end models that you find heavily discounted.

I have found that most generally you don't find that many great deals on the web sites after you pay the transfer fee and shipping. Not particularly convenient either as you have to go to the transfer dealer anyway. They do give you a good idea of what you should be paying though for comparison when shopping locally. Cabela,s usually has somewhat competitive prices on guns and often runs some very good specials on nice rifles. Sometimes you can find good prices on New guns at local gun shows. But I certainly do not recommend purchasing a used rifle unless it is somewhere you can shoot it first. Some rifles are just not accurate out of the box or even after some work and experienced hunters/shooters dump them quickly.

Enjoy and be safe with it!

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

Darrell, out here you're going to be shooting some distance. I have a .270 and a .308. I don't hunt much but I love my Kimber in .308. They are a tad on the pricey side, but they are light and easy to carry in the field. My .270 is a Ruger, awesome round, my dad took a ton of deer with his, but it is about 2lbs heavier than my Kimber, which means a lot when you're hiking around. But yeah, buy used, I'm a big fan of used guns. Check calguns.net, lots of guns for sale there. Just be patient and exactly what you want will pop up. Just send me the link if you find something you like and I'll let you know if it's a good deal.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

Ain't it great to have a bunch of knowledgeable dudes (not me) at your beck and call?

I love this place.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

:tpd: You can really find a lot of good knowledge on just about any topic!

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

I like the .308 good all around hunting cartridge big enough to take on almost anything in North America.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

In agreement:

Rem .270

Rem 7mm Mag. Flat trajectory for long distance.


I recently sold my Rem 700 Sendero in .300 Win Mag w/a Leopold 36x scope. Very accurate rifle with my handloads using the Sierra 190gr BTHP. A good piece for target practice...:D

ps: you don't want to be lugging this puppy around all day though! You may want to check out the following for further research:

http://www.remington.com/

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

For the deer in CA 7mm should be about tops in caliber. A 300 does to much damage to the small deer we have. Since you will most likely be using NON-lead bullets having to much power will just punch a hole through the animal and not expand like the lead bullets do. Got to save those 3 Mexican Condors you know. Most any rifle you buy will do the job. The newer inexpensive rifles are great deals for new shooters that are not planning on hunting every season or even year. It really depends on what you want to spend from about $1000 and up or for a Remington or Savage or other package gun that some with rings and scope and bore sighted. For example, a Remington 770 with a Bushnell 3X9 will run you about $340 + tax and DROS fee. All will do the job so it really depends on what you wnat to spend. Rugers come with rings so that is one expense you won't have and also the Tikka usually come with rings and bases built into the receivers. If you want to talk PM me your phone #, best time to call and I will call you.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

All depends on location and if you want to and how you want to hunt.

Stand hunting, staliking, running dogs etc

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

:tpd: yep. Also, one doesn't just grab a gun and go hunting. If you have never been hunting, take a hunter's safety course - the life you save may be your own.

You need to figure out where you will be hunting so that you know about probably range and other issues such as brush, etc.

My fave deer and coyote rifle was a 30-30 Winchester lever action, but that was mainly because we were usually on horseback. For stalking, I liked my Thompson Contender with the 30-30 herret barrel.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

I have to place another vote for the .300 Win-Nag.

I have a Model 70 Super Grade in .300 Winchester Magnum, and let me tell you....that is a "reach out and touch something" rifle. Firing a 190 grain BTHP, it's almost cheating how easy it is.

Ammo's kinda pricey though. Last I looked, it was almost $2 a round here.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

Try about $70 for 20 rounds now. YOu have to shot the non-lead crap now. .300 Win is way to much for deer hunting. you destroy to much meat on Cali deer. If you were hunting moose or elk then yes, but not for CA deer.

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

Naturally. Safety first where all firearms are concerned.

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People run dogs on deer? I nevah hoid of such a thing.

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We do it in VA. Makes it more interesting that's for sure.

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Trust Cali to ruin something good :(


I did hunt elk once in upstate NY. Boooring!

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

You'll shoot your eye out!

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I own a .270 Win and its a beast for anything in Florida. I also have a 30-30 thats been great to me. I would go with a .308 or .30-06 for killing everything in North America. The .30-06 is a beast, readily available, and MANY different loads!

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

I mainly use a Rem 30-06 if I'm shooting moderate distances. Most places I hunt do not have shots over 150 yards, sometimes 200 yards, so I'm not really worried about trajectory. If I know I'm hunting in close, I have a Marlin lever action 30-30 that I paid $75 for 20 years ago, including the Redfield 4x9 scope. It has all the knock-down power I've ever needed on short shots. Never had a deer that I shot with it move from the spot. And, considering my investment, it's hard to argue with a $75 rifle that has dropped every deer I've shot with it! Only places I've ever considered a chotgun and buckshot was so dense that I'd never get a deer out if I shot it, so I've avoided those spots. Ninja prefers his Rem .270 for the deer, but also likes the old Marlin 30-30.

HOWEVER, please keep in mind my hunting preferences. I like to eat deer meat. Thus, I prefer does over bucks for the better meat quality. So, I'm usually shooting smaller deer than those after trophy buck. For larger deer, at longer distances, the 30-30 will require a much more precise shot placement to drop the bigger deer. In addition to liking the doe meat better, Alabama has a severe overpopulation of female deer, because not enough hunters are willing to shoot the does. They only want the trophy buck. To combat this, and try and re-balance the deer population, the state wildlife regulations have changed dramatically over the last five years to limit the bucks taken to only 3 per season, but you can take 2 doe per day all season long. Still not working because most hunters here are looking for a wall mount, not a freezer of meat (what the heck, gives me more chances to put meat in the freezer, jerky in the dehydrator, sausage through the smoker!!!)

Good luck. Don't rule out a good used gun. But, have it checked out before you buy it by a gunsmith you trust! Both my Marlin and the Rem 30-06 were used. I waited until after the season was out, and fishing was kicking in. That's the time to keep an eye out for last season's guns to be on the market!

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

I'd recommend that you get no where near a gun.:tu



But seriously.....no where near a gun!

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

I gots me a man-crush on ya now, Cliff!

Re: Hunting rifle suggestions
 

:banger

Back at ya, Pete!