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Best beginner rifle (Vanity)
Vanity ^ | 10-18-03 | Me

Posted on 10/18/2003 11:37:40 AM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: bang; banglist; rifle; shooting
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To: vortigern
Going to be moving early spring, so this is for next season. Again, it is more a hunting question, than a shooting question. I feel secure at home with my firearm of choice. Just never shot tasty critters. That is what I plan on doing fall 2004. Thought it was never too early to ask for advice.
201 posted on 10/18/2003 6:09:45 PM PDT by dogbyte12
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To: Squantos
Did someone say Brooke Burke...MILF extraordinaire!!!

My dear wife is glad she is on E! less these days..lol

Brook as "huntress"

202 posted on 10/18/2003 6:09:52 PM PDT by wardaddy
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To: Squantos
Some kids have all the luck.

As a kid I had to satisfy myself with a makshift pistol range in the basement with modified rounds and a Colt .38sp snubbie. Believe it or not, I wasn't allowed to have a BB gun.

(I'd be gone, but I'm still waiting on my issue of level III armor.)

203 posted on 10/18/2003 6:13:03 PM PDT by Eagle Eye (I'm a RINO. I'm far too conservative to be a real Republican.)
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To: wardaddy
Kahles 6X on my 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser I customized a few years ago. Real tack driver. Just enough of every thing to get er done in the lower 48.

I think I paid 80 bucks for the old M96 mauser. 200 on gunsmithing the action, bolt handle , shroud, M70 style safety, Canjar trigger ect ect , rebarreling it with a Shilen barrel. 250 on an H&S Phenolic/Carbon fiber stock, 450 on the used 6X Khales glass. Topped it off with Neoprene/Web Nylon Sling and a Uncle Mikes stock sock for 9 spare rounds of 148 gr Alaskan Ammo.

Gun itself was less than one tenth of the actual money spent ............but it was fun gettin there......:o)

Stay Safe !

204 posted on 10/18/2003 6:14:30 PM PDT by Squantos ("Ubi non accusator, ibi non judex.")
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To: wardaddy
Is it just me, or does she resemble Michael Jackson?
205 posted on 10/18/2003 6:16:45 PM PDT by Eagle Eye (I'm a RINO. I'm far too conservative to be a real Republican.)
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To: dogbyte12
I'd recommend a muzzleloader for two reasons. It's cheap and not many people hunt the muzzleloader season. In Iowa where I just got back from deer hunting w/my muzzleloader, few people hunt the MZ season. Once shotgun comes around, you won't get within a mile of a deer.
206 posted on 10/18/2003 6:19:04 PM PDT by Mean Daddy
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Comment #207 Removed by Moderator

To: Eagle Eye
Don't scrimp on the front and back plates either EE.....heavy and hot is better than a long cold dirt nap. Spectra IIIA with the ceramic/titanium is best. One of my guys took two to the A zone in Kuwait city wearing that level . Scared us to death but enabled him to put the bad guy in the hurt locker forever.

Wow....you had yer own indoor range !?!?!?? Too Kewl !

Stay Safe !!

208 posted on 10/18/2003 6:20:07 PM PDT by Squantos ("Ubi non accusator, ibi non judex.")
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To: AnAmericanMother
I think realistically the survival bag is not necessary.

I guess I still have a little bit of boy in me. When I was a kid I would day dream that I somehow got lost in the deep woods. In my dream they would find me a month later comfortably ensconced in my "Swiss Family Robinson" type world. Somehow one of my beautiful classmates would have made it to my little paradise.

Anyway here is some of what I have although I am far from being an expert.

The Beretta and ammmo plus 2 spare mags. Several different types of firestarters including magnesium, matches, and a bunch of cheap disposable cigarette lighters. A boy scout survival manual. An Army survival manual, several different types of string, cord, wire and nylon fishing line and a box of nails. a box of candles and a collapsable candle lantern.

Two swiss army knives. A puma "white hunter" knife, a small sharpening stone. A space blanket. two B&L magnifying glasses. Several garbage bags, a whistle, A little bottle of water purifyer (which I need to replace with a fresh one), a first aid kit which I put together myself which includes 100 500mg of tetracycline.

there are probably a few more things but I would have to get it out and pull everything out to be sure. It all fits in a small gym bag.

209 posted on 10/18/2003 6:22:04 PM PDT by yarddog
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To: FreedomMan_CA
Might as well past Christopher Walken's face on Beyonce's body. But you'll probably never look at MJ quite the same ever again.

Hey, let's go back to talking guns!

210 posted on 10/18/2003 6:22:30 PM PDT by Eagle Eye (I'm a RINO. I'm far too conservative to be a real Republican.)
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To: Eagle Eye
Thaks, I know right where it is now.
211 posted on 10/18/2003 6:22:46 PM PDT by yarddog
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To: wardaddy; Eaker; in the Arena; glock rocks; sit-rep; SLB
Oh Oh Oh Oh Ohhhhh !!!! Brooke Burke and Guns night ! Whoooo Hooo !!

Hey I thought you were married to Brooke Burke ?:o)

Stay Safe !

212 posted on 10/18/2003 6:22:54 PM PDT by Squantos ("Ubi non accusator, ibi non judex.")
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To: vortigern
These threads are funny. Ask a simple question and everyone...comes out of the woodwork.

Yeah, but I learn something from them every time. And I am amused with some of them.

If we just had pretty pictures, we'd be able to throw all the Out Door Life and Field and Streams away, huh?

Do you want to hunt deer or do you want to learn how to shoot a rifle?

I am always amazed at those that want to do the former, but cannot figure out the latter.

The good news is: You don't need a rifle to hunt deer. Many states limit deer hunting to shotgun slugs only. A shotgun slug is a powerful and deadly deer hunting weapon.

Absolutely! I recommend it to anyone that has a better than average shooting skill.

Contrary to some beliefs, one does not have to be a Carlos Hathcock to use a slug gun effectively.

I do recommend a quality discarding sabot slug with a rifled barrel and scope, though.

I am able to put three slugs in a 5 inch circle at 60 yards with my 1100 with a rifled barrel and a red-dot scope, with discarding sabot slugs.

With regular punkin balls thru the rifled barrel, I can still do 5 inch groupings, but only at 50 yards.

50 yards is a long ways in some of the areas that I learned to hunt in.

Of course, for the muleys and the wider, open areas such as the western areas of east Texas, I'd recomment a .308 or .30-06.

But hey, what do I know, except for experience. Said experience based on my being able to kill 52 deer in one year, using a shotgun.

Alabama has a buck-a-day season in some parts and some years had a 89 day season.

And oh, being a Game Warden at the time helped.

And every one of them was eaten.

Nothing went to waste. Sure do miss them days.

And now, I'll go back in to the woodwork.

213 posted on 10/18/2003 6:24:30 PM PDT by OldSmaj
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To: FreedomMan_CA
Welcome to FreeRepublic.
214 posted on 10/18/2003 6:24:41 PM PDT by I got the rope
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To: Squantos
Just got back from the range ( still have weapons to clean so will make it short) probably the best buy today is either the M-48 Yugo mauser or a M-38 moisin/Nagant, both
can be had for under 150 dollars in very good to excellent condition. M-44s are also good but that bayonette just adds weight.

Today I just sighted in my .54 Cal.black powder rifle and
a beater gunsmith special .308 Israeli Mauser from SOG. that refinished very nice.
Put a leatherwood scout scope on a FAC scout mount and it
does good out to 100yds which is about as far as I can see.
Also shot a M-38 with a scout scope in a composite stock which will be my main deer gun and my M-39 "B" it is a heck of a gun too for under
$200.
Best of all was my 1927 tikka M91 dead on and the most accurate of all the rifles I own.
Bambi won't do that again.
215 posted on 10/18/2003 6:26:27 PM PDT by tet68 (multiculturalism is an ideological academic fantasy maintained in obvious bad faith. M. Thompson)
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To: ItisaReligionofPeace
Gives you the option of a slug gun for deer or hogs or, a regular shotgun for ducks and upland game.
216 posted on 10/18/2003 6:27:04 PM PDT by lazysob
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To: yarddog
Hey, thanks.

The Venturers are really playing Swiss Family Robinson - and they have a ball doing it. My daughter's Crew went to Philmont last summer and enjoyed themselves immensely.

We used to camp out a lot in the treehouse that my dad built for us down at the foot of the hill behind our house, overlooking a rock quarry with a waterfall. He suspended it on cables between four trees, and when the wind blew it swayed. It was totally awesome - even if we did have to give each other pep talks so as not to sneak back up to the house at 2 a.m. . . . . :-D

217 posted on 10/18/2003 6:27:49 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother (. . . sed, ut scis, quis homines huiusmodi intellegere potest?. . .)
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To: Eagle Eye; Admin Moderator
ARRRGGGHHH! Why are you trying to ruin a beautiful thread Eagle....Admin...please remove posts with references to MJ...PLEASE.
218 posted on 10/18/2003 6:30:55 PM PDT by I got the rope
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To: yarddog; Eagle Eye
Get Tom Browns Survival Manual......and a good knife. I carry a LM wave tool with a ferconium sparky bar and a small altoids can full of special survival tools and aids. Great training read is "98.6 degress book" on the link below.

For a really great lesson on what if and maybe regarding survival go to .......

http://www.equipped.org

Stay Safe !
219 posted on 10/18/2003 6:31:25 PM PDT by Squantos ("Ubi non accusator, ibi non judex.")
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To: Squantos
Back then I didn't think it all that unusual. I just had to call the neighbors so that they weren't surpirsed with the noise. That was a while back, but I'm still ok with a pistol.

On the level III, we're dealing with the low-tech steel plate, 10x12, not pretty, not light. I think I'll opt out of convoys as much as possible, they look dangerous. I'd prefer to put my own money into something more comfortable (more likely to be worn!), but that's not an option right now.

Anyway...maybe next season I'll take my 7.62x54R out for some whitetail and see how the antiques do. (not ME, the RIFLES!)

220 posted on 10/18/2003 6:32:18 PM PDT by Eagle Eye (I'm a RINO. I'm far too conservative to be a real Republican.)
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