Posted on 01/06/2006 1:15:15 PM PST by Junior_G
I am trying to save up money for my first hunting rifle and I'm hoping to tap into the vast reserves of Freeper knowledge for some advice on what to go for. I am going to get my hunter's certification this year and am looking forward to my first deer hunt, as well as hours upon hours of shooting at the range. I currently own a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun and a 9mm Glock, but am absolutely clueless about which rifles offer the best accuracy and value (or whatever qualities it is in a rifle that I should be looking for). Any suggestions?
an Remington 870 12 gauge with a 26" barrel. Throw in the improved cylinder choke load with 00 buck and you have the ultimate in home security
for home,any cheap semi-auto 12ga with the waterfowl plugs removed.
Thanks, Redleg. The amount of information on this thread is already more than I could have hoped for. My hunting experience is absolutely zero, with the exception of shooting birds with my bb gun 15 years ago. I do go shooting every time I visit the relatives out in Montana, and my girlfriend's Christmas present to me was an 18-month membership at a local shooting club. I don't think I'm sensitive to kick-----my main concern is that my ears are protected so I don't blast a hole in my eardrum. Last week I went out shooting with my relative's SKS rifle and it was a pure joy. I don't know how that compares on the spectrum of kick force, but it was just fine.
SAR180 with 275 round drum magazine.
http://www.american180.com/
Or better yet the full auto version. Lots of tiny bullets delivered precisely and very quickly. It'll take down your target and tenderize the meat at the same time. It's truly amazing to see what the full auto version does to concrete blocks.
My brother owns a 6.5x55 mm. It is a very nice gun, easily groups within 1" at 100 yards, and he didn't pay all that much for it - certainly less than $300. I have fired it and it's a nice weapon to handle.
I myself have two center fire rifles, an old Enfield Mk 4 No. 1 that I need to buy a new magazine for (.303 British), and a Marlin 1895SS lever action (45 - 70 Govt.). The Enfield is a good shooter and makes a fine deer gun, but it is big and heavy and you'll feel it toting it around in the woods all day. The Marlin is definitely overkill for deer when using the 40,000 C.U.P. rounds it's capable of shooting, but factory ammo is loaded for much lower pressures and velocities due to all the antiques out there, and frankly, I just enjoy the hell out of firing that big thumper.
FWIW, my next purchase will be a synthetic stock Remington 700 ADL in .270. Wal Mart sells them for about $350, and I figure on another $200 - $250 for a decent scope.
I'd recommend a Tikka T3 from Sako. Very accurate rifle. A Leupold Rifleman scope would be an affordable scope. Almost any caliber would work. I have a .270. 30-06 works, too. Comes with a 3 or 4-round detachable magazine depending on caliber. You can also purchase a 5-round detachable magazine. Barrel is free-floating. Single-set triggers are available. Trigger can be adjusted, between 2 and 4 pounds. Set at 3 pounds at factory. Scope mounts included. Drilled and tapped for Weaver-type bases.
check out www.gun-tests.com
A .270 is in that range - a .243 might be a bit light for elk, IMHO, but maybe not. 30/06 is sort of a wonder cartridge but you still have to choose the proper bullet. .308 is roughly the same. 7 mm Remington Magnum will certainly fit the bill if you don't mind a higher-recoil platform - I would NOT recommend a 6-lb rifle in 7mm Rem. Mag. I own one. It hurts, but I'm a bit of a wuss.
You might find something in an older cartridge such as a .257 Roberts (one of my favorite old guns) that could still reach up to elk. There are obviously many more. I wouldn't recommend a 30-30 for elk due to its trajectory but it's a handy little gun in lever action and has probably popped more deer than any other caliber.
Save some money for decent glass. You can do quite well with fixed-power scopes in the 4 to 7 power range but a variable isn't all that much more, and a 2-9 power is usually the limit for the game you're after at the range you're likely to find it.
Avoid the big boomers - they're going to cost a lot of money anyway. There's a lot to be said for popping a .338 Lapua off at a bad guy at 1000 yards, but you're not there yet. .300 Win Mag would be the same story. You'll own one someday...
Check out the Savage, maybe a 110 model. These guns are very cheap and come from the factory with tricks that many spend money after purchase.
The action is already bedded, the barrel is floated and if you get the Accutrigger model, you won't have to spend money on a trigger job.
Get a 30'06 or a .270.
That sounds like a beaut. After I get this rifle, I'm going to want either a revolver or a black powder rifle as gun #4.
Try hunting with one of these
My advice? If ya need one, go buy one!
Lando 
I hunted deer in Western WA during my teens. Killed many around Morton/Randle/Pasco. You'll be hunting blacktail, which can get up to about 230 lbs, but usually they're about 110-150lbs for a mature buck. If you're hunting in clearcuts, I recommend a .243 or a .270...good accuracy and range up to 300+ yards without a lot of recoil. I killed my first few deer with a Winchester .30-.30 w/iron sights, but I had problems over 200 yards. If you plan on hunting elk, go with a Remington 7600 pump .30-.06. I've killed both deer and elk with that rifle and it's a terrific all around gun.
Remington Model 700 .308, 3-9 scope. I have one, plus a Model 70 .243. Both outstanding deer rifles.
Beat me to it. Rem 700.
The Remington 700 seems to be getting a lot of kudos.
OK, I was just going to suggest this when you mentioned enjoying the SKS...
If I were you, I'd consider the Ruger Mini-30. The Mini-30 fires the 7.62x39 round (30 caliber), the same round as the SKS. Power is roughly equal to the 30-30. Recoil is mild, and 7.62x39 is about the cheapest center-fire ammo you can shoot (you said you wanted to spend hours on the range). I believe that you can find good quality hunting ammo in this caliber now.
The Mini-30 is an autoloader carbine, and comes standard with a 5-shot magazine. It's a handy size and weight for carrying long distance. I see slightly used (maybe new) Mini-30s in the local gun shops (Knoxville TN area) for approx $399. Scopes and rings, as well as a plethora of after-market parts, are readily available. Not the most accurate rifle out there, but plenty good for deer. Mostly, it's fun to shoot and absolutely reliable with the 5-shot factory mag.
Fletcher J
In their way, Gator, Blood and Red are right, as are the others who have spoken of the 30-06 available absolulely everywhere, lots of choices of bullets, great overall performance, range, brush cutting. There are better for particular applications, but this is pretty universal. Took a turkey in the lower neck and had bird left, but you can still take it against elk.
The 30-30 has many of the same attributes but is a much smaller cartridge, shorter range, less punch, steeper trajectory, but it is a carbine. Close country, very handy. Saddle gun. The marlin is the most respected. You could do with both, in time.
If you could get a new springfield 03-A3 every old marine and brownshoe army vet here would swear by it, mine is great. Do not buy used, unless you are with a real expert.
That is what I gave my Godson, in 270, but for the Texas hill country, and he was just a boy.
Someone mentioned the Swiss K-31. Good choice and excellent value. These can be found for around $100-$125. Another good value in military surplus would be a Turkish Mauser, Model 38. These are plentiful on the online auction sites and can be found in the $75-$125 range. There is a wide variety of very inexpensive surplus 8mm Mauser ammo available for these rifles. One more military surplus rifle to consider is the Mosin Nagant, Model 91/30 or the M-44 carbine. These Russian rifles are a good bargain and are chambered in 7.62x54.
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