Roger that Skeeter, helpful again.[8D]

I think I have managed to narrow down my choices so far. I would be mainly hunting through bush, sometimes open and sometimes thick. Talking with some of the lads in my area, the rifle of choice seems to be the 30-06. Very rarely do they see a .270, but have seen the .308' s on occaision.

I' ve yet to go out on a rifle hunt, but have been with a bow both as an observer and participant. I liked the bow hunt so much I went and bought a crossbow. And if I add a rifle to my gear I can hunt from mid Sept. straight through to the end of Dec.

I agree with you about the feel of a rifle, and will most definitely have to try a few first. We get some real cold weather over here, sometimes over night, during the full deer season so I' ll need to find something to withstanding the cold as well.

To make an informed decision I' ve had to answer these questions;

What game do I wish to hunt? Deer, Moose, Bear
Where will I be hunting that game? Thick Bush, open wet areas
What caliber will do the job? 308 or 30-06
What are the typical weather conditions during that game' s hunting season? warm and wet to very cold with snow

Which rifle manufacturer best suits that " sweet feel" , costs and reliabilty? still searching

I don' t mind paying a bit more for quality, I can save up. For an decent rifle, up here, it costs anywhere from $1000.00 (Can.) and up.

I' m interested in the Savage Model 110GXP3 Long Action rifle at the moment with a 9x40mm scope, mounted and bored sighted. Locating one to hold, feel it out and try it is a chore I am looking forward to, but a chore just the same. Then I can eliminate Savage off my list if it doesn' t work out the way I am hoping.[X(]

And so on and so on... So many choices for sure....