Best beginner rifle (Vanity)

Vanity ^ | 10-18-03 | Me

[dogbyte12]

I am about to finally leave the urban jungle of Los Angeles and move down to both Louisiana and South Carolina. While I do fish out here, I have only gone hunting a few times with borrowed equipment.

I am interested in starting to hunt, and would love for any freepers to give me recommendations on a good beginner rifle, something that isn't so pricey, but reliable, as well as any other gear that I will need as a beginner.

I am not a stranger to handguns, or to military rifles, I qualified expert on both a .45 and an M16, so I am not starting from scratch, but I am looking for a rifle for deer hunting basically that will not set me back too much money, yet still be a decent value. I plan to not spend that much money so it can be economical. I do know how to fabricate a carcass, and would love to hunt for meat, without the cost of hunting making it more expensive than going to the supermarket.

Any help in this regard, web sites, consumer reports, etc, would be much appreciated. Thanks all.

[lodwick]

Death to Al-Clayda!

We need a fall shoot somewhere, Cobby.

Cheers down there.

[lodwick]

I've had a Winchester 97 16guage since I was fourteen, and recently acquired one in 12guage from the local daily classifieds.

If you're looking for a defensive weapon, there's nothing quite like the sound of a 97 chambering a round to get the bad guy's attention.

With the local economy imploding, lots of folks are selling their toys so they can hang on to their homes and buy food.

[dogbyte12]

Went to the rossi site. Thanks. That is exactly what I am looking for to start with here. Might go for this, and get a matched pair. If I order by the end of the year, I get a free carrying case. Woohoo!

Not looking for anything fancy. Just something that will take down deer, and be cheaper than hunting for meat at the Kroegers.

[patton]

What kind of shot groups do you get out of it?

[FlyVet]

I agree with others on this thread who recommend the Savage bolt rifle. Don't own one, but have always read it's a good shooter at a bargain price. .308 is a "boring" round, but hard to beat for N. America. You could take on anything but brown bear at reasonable ranges. If you're a recoil wimp like me, that new .260 Remington round looks like the ultimate. Tremendous penetration, especially with 140-grain bullets. I own a .243, and while it's ok for deer, it's really a bit smallish for that purpose, and no-go for bigger stuff like moose, elk, and black bear. A lot of people like these new lightweight rifles with the short barrels, but keep in mind you lose a lot of velocity as compared to a 24" barrel. For instance, my .243 has an 18 1/2" barrel, and I've chronographed it around 2600 fps with a 100-grain bullet. A 24" barrel would do much better, around 2950 fps, significantly more range and power.

[Squantos]

Huh ??? My old stainless 1911 Commander has a gazillion rounds thru it. Revolvers ...stainless or not have lasted me a loooooong time. Whatcha talkin bout Patton ???

Stay Safe !

[Hugin]

Wow! All three for $350? What a deal!

[Double Tap]

You have already stated that you were familiar with guns, so starting with a 22lr. handgun or rifle to learn to shoot is not really needed, although they are fun.

I would recommend a Marlin 336 in 30/30 or 35 Remington with a good 4x fixed or 3x-9x variable scope of good quality. Don't buy low end scopes as they are not worth the trouble. This rifle/scope combo will cost approx. $550 and will last as long as you do. It also will deliver more than enough accuracy for making shots out to 150 yards.

I once worked at a shooting range sighting in customers rifles that they had bought. I've never seen the combo above produce groups bigger than 2" at 100 yards if you can do your part.

If you decide to hunt in areas where the ranges exceed 150 yards, I would recommend just about any of the currently produced bolt guns by Remington, Ruger, Winchester, Browning... They are all of good quality and very accurate as a whole. I would stick to 308 Win., .270 Win. or 30-06 in a bolt gun for all around hunting in the Southern US.

[patton]

Stainless X wrong powder = slop.

Big time.

Your milage may vary... And I covet your .45's.

\ But you knew that.

[Rebelbase]

I bought my son the youth model 22/410 matched pair. It breaks down into the small carrying case which IMO is more convenient to carry around than a full size gun case.

[Double Tap]

What???? Please clarify what you mean.

[LizardQueen]

Although you can probably only get decent accuracy out to 40-60 yards, at least with a shotgun slug, you won't have a missed shot kill somebody/thing in the next county.

Good thought - I'm glad you brought it up. DH uses slugs when he hunts around our area. It's rural, but populated enough that he doesn't want to risk a bullet going too far.

He uses a 308 for deer hunting in the really isolated area up near where his parents live.

LQ

[Rebelbase]

I've never shot a .17 HMR before. I found this site. Seems like a good varmit gun

[patton]

Stainless corrodes at an accelerated rate, when exposed to high temp/pressure and the right accelerants - this is a secret?

[Double Tap]

You have it reversed. Why do you think Winchester went to a stainless barrel on their .264 Win. Mag round? It was to improve barrel life.

[Gringo1]

I second the Savage 110.

I have the tactical version(sniper rifle) and have killed more than a few deer with it here in Georgia.

.243 is also a good choice.
7mm-08 also

Or the redneck favorite the 30-06

[patton]

Oh, Ok then - my mistake. Look for the shiny artillery barrels, next time you are in the field.

Honestly, they are all over the place - the reflection is blinding.

[TexasCowboy]

Don't you love it when someone mentions guns! and it turns into a gen-u-ine shoot-em-up thread??!

[supercat]

If you are truly a beginner - go with a Ruger 10/22 - get a cheapy scope and about a gazillion rounds of cheap ammmo - then learn learn learn. Great for squirrel and rabbit.

I have a Marlin model 60 and rather like it. Semi-auto 13+2 capacity tube-fed. The tube feed is less convenient than having ready-loaded magazines, but is probably more convenient than hand-loading magazines at the range (maybe I'm simply not dextrous, but I found the 10/22 magazine a pain to load). Seems to group decently at 100yds with a 4x scope; my eyes aren't good enough to group anything at that distance with the sights.

[TexasCowboy]

Yep!
In thick undergrowth like South Louisiana, a shotgun slug is definitely a possiblity.
The reason I prefer double "0"s is that if the brush turns some of them, some of them will find the target.