Question for the Hunters among us

MarkD · July 15, 2002

I am going to be buying my first rifle in the next week or two. What would you suggest? Pros/Cons?

kaspar139 · July 15, 2002

Mark, I shoot a Remington .270. I love that gun for several reasons...versatility (power) in size game you can take with it and, it has a very good range. The Remingtons are also very affordable and durable. But, everyone has their own opinion on brands. Regardless, I like the .270 for its power and versatility.

I also bought a really nice Leupold scope, but that is another topic in itself.

carguru · July 15, 2002

I voted 30-06. This is one of my faves for bigger game. I guess it depends on what you are planning to take down with it. I agree with kaspar that the 270 Remington is a good all purpose gun. I do mostly deer and some elk (longer distance shots) so I needed a bit more power. I have a Remington 270, Weatherby 30-06 and a Weatherby 7mm in my arsenel. 7mm or 30-06 for elk or bigger game, 270 or 30-06 for deer.

MarkD · July 15, 2002

Mostly deer. I do not consider myself a deer hunter, because I don't really get into the hunt. We have been "adjusting" the deer population at our farm for about a month now. The game warden came by last night and counted over 170 (172-173 can't remember) in our fields. We have been killing 2-10 deer 5 nights a week for about a month now.

I have been shooting a 30-30,30-06, .270, and a .243 once. These guns all belong to others, and I don't like borrowing other peoples things, especially expensive ones. Also, I don't like depending on others to "provide" me with a gun.

Most of the shots are 200-600 yards. Anything less than 75 yards gets buckshot.

I have been invited to go Elk hunting with some friends in Colorado, but I have been busy. A loaner 7mm MAG was offered.

kennedycpa · July 15, 2002

Get a Winchester Model 70 in 7mm Mag. I love mine, you can pick one up at Wal-Mart for a reasonable price. Thanks to the lawyers, the triggers come from the factory set pretty stiff, so take it by a local gun smith and have them take it down to about 3 pounds. I have shot one-hole, three-round groups @100 yards with mine. I have yet to lose a deer, even one that was poorly shot(was in a hurry, it was running at about 150 yards), makes a blood trail a blind man could follow.

MarkD · July 15, 2002

Oh! comments...

The .270 has the lightest recoil.

The 30-06 and 30-30 kick pretty good, both pretty similar.

The .243 had the best scope, and kicked slightly worse than the .270.

I haven't shot the 7mm yet.

I love my shotgun.

I have actually shot one with my .357 Magnum (2" barrel).

I have a chance to get a good deal by building a PC for a local gun shop for cost.

What do you think of a Stainless Ruger 7mm Mag for $400? I don't know how good of a deal that is. It is more than I wanted to spend, but I am told that is a good price.

carguru · July 15, 2002

If you thought that the 30-06 kicked, 7mm kicks worse. I have seen that Ruger 7mm. It feels nice and solid. Sounds like a pretty good deal, but can't say for sure....

carguru · July 15, 2002

I checked with a gun dealer friend of mine about the Ruger. He mentioned that if it is the stainless M77 then $400 is a very good price. He also said that it is a very good gun.

Roofer · July 16, 2002

I have a 30-30 and it is a real good brush gun. The barrel is nice and short and has plenty of power for any deer. The gun I use now though is a Weatherby 25-06. It shoots superior to any 30-06. It shoots very flat and far. I would say under 200 yards a 30-06 is ok, but any farther you need a 7MM, 25-06, 270, 300 Win., or even a 338. My dad shoots a 338 Win. Magnum and that thing has some kick, but you can kill a deer at 300+ yards by shooting it in the tail.

It all depends on how far you shoot. A 30-06 is a very popular gun, but not a favorite of mine. I have seen plenty of them shoot and my 25-06 is much better at farther range.

Firetiger(MN) · July 16, 2002

I'll put a write-in vote for 25-06. Great caliber rifle.

colosilverado · July 16, 2002

I voted for the 30-06, just for the sake of the availability of so many different loads for it. You can walk into pretty much any town and get a box of shells for a 30-06 to suit whatever your needs are. The difference between it and a 7mag is nothing, really. I favor the heavier factory loads available for the 30-06 vs. the 7mag. For larger game, that is. If you are just wanting a deer gun, a 270 would be just fine. You can take elk with a 270, too.

It is all in the placement of the shot. It sounds like you have been getting plenty of target practice, so that is the key right there!

More game has been taken with the good old 30-30 than anything else, though. I just am not too hip on tube magazines and round noses. To each his own, though.

If you want great accuracy out of the box, a great bolt and a great trigger out of the box, a Tikka is awesome. They are great shooters and are now claimed by many to be better than their Sako big brothers in that department.

That said, a Ruger 77 is good, a Winchester Model 70 is good and the 700 Remington is the choice of most tactical rifleman and bench shooters. Most factory triggers are lawyer-ized now, so they arent' great out of the box. Actually, Savage makes a highly accurate gun from the factory. They are just more limited in the trigger department.

The 243 and 25-06 are great, flat shooters and lower in recoil. My buddy's 243 is a sweeeet little shooter, about the same as his 22-250.

Hey, get one of the Ultra Mags and really crank them out there. If you want longer range, the Ultras are beating the WinMag, Weatherby and the H&H. Not by much, and with alot more recoil, though.

Make sure you get good optics, though, whatever you do. Leupolds are great, I love my Nikon, and of course there is your European makes. I have heard great things about the Bushnell Elite series, too. If you really have money, go with a NightForce!

As you can see, there are alot of choices out there and it comes down to what feels good to you.

Jen · July 16, 2002

My personal favorite of the bunch is the 30-06, like many others have suggested. IMO, it is a great gun for shooting big game.

Gig'em Ags!!

Dihappy · July 16, 2002

Get a bow

I dont rifle hunt anymore, too easy, but when i did i used a 30-30.

Youll need a rifle to suit the terrain youll be hunting. I usually hunted thick brushy areas and not many of my shots were very far so a 30-30 w/o scope was my favorite.

Now i dont shoot over 30 yards

MarkD · July 16, 2002

I have him bringing me the 7mm mag to look at. It is really more money than I want to spend though. I guess I am looking to see if it "really fits" me. If I don't just fall in love with it, I will probably get a .270. I have my eye on a Leupold scope at the local wal-mart (4x10x40 I think) for $200. That would put me at $600 for a gun that I won't really use a whole lot. I will have to really fall for the 7mm to get it.

What is a good price for a .270?

Again, I do not consider myself a hunter. I just like guns and I am an above average shot with most types of guns.

A big concern for me is if I ever decide to sell it, will it bring a good price?

The 30-06 I have been shooting is a Savage, and I see what you mean about the trigger. The .243 is a sweet gun, but I haven't heard much about it.

Frank S · July 16, 2002

Price is hard to determine depending on what brand and midel you intend to buy.Some come with nicer stacks and other features for a steeper price than others but for what you're wanting a basic Ruger or Remington will go perfectly.

The .270 is a great all around caliber.It has similar balistics to a .30-06 and isn't quite as punishing on your shoulder.

For typical deer hunting I use a Remingtom model 700 composite in .30-06 and I have the same gun in .22-250 for long range varmint hunting which I am about to get somewhat serious with since my parents have land that needs to be regulated from predators/varmints.

For heavier long range hunting I have a Browning A Bolt II Stalker composite in 300 win.mag.This particular model comes with their Boss CR (muzzle break) system that greatly reduces recoil when shooting.I was thoroughly surprised how the gun handled when I first took it to the range and am overjoyed with it.It is fitted with a 4.5-14 power Nkion scope and it is definitely capable of reaching out and knocking the he!! out of a target that may not even be close enough to hear you speak in a normal voice.