Vanity: Looking for a good all purpose hunting rifle for Christmas

Me | 11/6/13 | Me

[bigtoona]

I know this will get a lot of replies but go for it. I just want to get some opinions on the different rifles out there to help me decide.

I grew up in PA until I was 11 so I never got to actually hunt with my brother and dad so I'm not super educated about all of the rifles out there.

I have pistols, shotguns and a couple of .22 rifles but now I would like to get a decent rifle for deer in case I get an opportunity to go hunting with a friend. Nothing too fancy or massively powerful, just good quality and dependable. Thanks all!

[SJackson]

Yes, only handgun cartridges chamberings I believe.

[2nd Amendment]

sorry for the mistype. I meant “good” bolt action. I do, however, have 2 gold-plated winchester 94’s for sale.

[Resolute Conservative]

I have one in .300 WinMag with a Leupold 3x9 on it. It is the cat’s meow. Hit a yote at over 500 yards with a 125 grain bullet and hunted elk with 180’s. It is very versatile, a tad bit heavy and does deliver a kick.

[Resolute Conservative]

I have had mine since 1972 and my dad has one from the 50’s. I have actually killed more deer and pigs with it than my bolt action rifles.

[scripter]

That’s it... I remember he talked about choke. Thanks.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Feel free to ask any questions you may have. One thing to remember with belgian Brownings is that they should not be shot with steel shot, it can bulge the barrels.

[scripter]

Thanks. I don’t plan on shooting the 12 gauges, just want to sell both when I can find the time.

[Dusty Road]

You know what Remington did in response to the so called trigger malfunction, they put a special white lacquer on the adjustment screws and miraculously the problem ended. Turn a screw and you broke the seal proving you had adjusted or messed with the trigger. End of problem!

[Mat_Helm]

"Helm I once shot a single round through a 7mm rifle. Nice gun but I was just a kid and it seemed quite powerful. Considering everything, how does a 7mm compare to the .30-06?

Assuming you mean a 7x57mm Mauser which is the most common 7mm rifle cartridge as apposed to a 7mm Mag. The 7x57mm with a 173gr round was lighter than the .30-06 with less powder space and was the original bolt action cartridge at the turn of the century. In the Spanish American wars in Cuba the Spaniards out ranged our boys using .30-40 Krags, which was the precursor to the .30 caliber rimless case redesign in 1906 as the standard U.S. Military round hence the .30-06 designation. The Springfield 03A3 rifles were designed as bolt action rifles patterned after the Mauser action rifle.

So a if you shot a 7x57mm than the recoil is similar but less than the .30-06 with a 150gr bullet load. The 180gr loads in the .30-06 would be a higher but not bad compared to a belted magnum such as the 7mm Mag.

[Pollster1]

2 Rifles and 1 Shot Gun that you should obtain:
1. A Good Quality 30-06(Savage, Winchester, Remington etc)
2. A Good Quality .22 Long Rifle(Ruger® 10/22)
3. A Good Quality Pump Shot Gun 12 Guage(Mossburg 500, Remington Wingmaster)

Not a bad list. I'd add two more items though:
A. A good quality 1911 in 45ACP, or a Glock in 9mm
B. A good quality .22LR pistol (too many nice ones to name) to build handgun skills at a lower cost, when ammo is available.

[Mat_Helm]

That last line may not read right, but the point is the .30-06 is just a little bit higher in recoil than the 7x57mm until you get to the heavier bullets, than it is a lot higher. The 7mm Mag recoil is larger than the .30-06 with any size bullet load as most belted magnums will be. The 7mm Mag has 40% more recoil than the 7x57mm, depending upon the weight of the gun in relation to felt recoil. The .30-06 with lighter 150gr deer loads is not bad and comparable to the 7x57mm.

[scripter]

Thanks - and it all makes sense. It was a 7mm Magnum that I shot. At the time I thought the bullet was huge.

[ExpatGator]

Exactly. The problem is idiots who go into mechanisms that they know NOTHING about.
I cannot count the amount of maladjusted triggers I have seen. Just last week I had a Winchester Model 70 that would drop the firing pin just as the bolt handle snugged down. Have seen Rugers and Savages messed with that do the same thing. And Sakos and Brownings, Mausers etc. ad nauseam.

[mouser]

I know one person with a older tube fed ruger he uses the hornady leverevolution and say they work fine

I have a lever ruger carbine in 44 that I have used on 4 deer using them did the job I got two of them friend got one and friends daughter got one great gun for 13 year old kid

[Dusty Road]

You bring up Rugers and I have to say thats one trigger I don’t like. I’m a big fan of the old tang safety Model 77’s but I’ve yet to be able to adjust the trigger to my liking, theres always too much travel. The ones that are not safe queens all have Timney Triggers installed. Bed them, float them and put in a good trigger and they’ll shoot with any factory rifle. My old 22-250 has been riding the ranch for many years. All my #1’s and #3’s still have factory triggers.

[DanielRedfoot]

I would go with a Barrett 50mm

Those Reindeer are pretty high and move at a steady clip.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Many troops in the Cuban campaign still carried .45-70 Springfield Trapdoors. In between the .30-40 and the .30-06 was the very short lived .30-03.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I hear you. But by having that 9 pound lawyer hanging off the trigger of the 700 it invited tinkering. They can be adjusted fairly easily, but you need to use a snap cap to check for possible malfunctions. Then, as I did, seal the screws with a clear nail polish.

[Dusty Road]

Every time I see 30-30 mentioned I cringe, I would never recommend that round no matter the situation. There's far to many better and more capable 30 cals available. Why would anybody recommend the weakest of the line?

[Dusty Road]

Problem is Slim many were looking for that 2 lb trigger from a 700 action, if thats what your looking for theres several after markets that can fill the bill andf are far safer. A rifle is only as good as it’s trigger.