RE: best caliber for your first gun
 

This one is Awesome. Inexpensive. Great accuracy. Can be found at Walmart. Groups of 1 1/2 inches or better. Cheaper ammo at 10.00 a box. Kills deer instantly when hit at the right spot.;)Never had one run over 5 feet. 30-30 Marlin Model 336 Cost now 296.They are getting real popular so get one now before they rise in price. Last year they were 267.
With see through scope rings and a 9power scope it is my best gun.

RE: best caliber for your first gun
 

If that is your best gun,you need to go gun shopping.:D

RE: best caliber for your first gun
 

I'm sure many feel that way. I actually did go to a store the other day to buy a 270. I talked to some of my friends on here and they said Chuck...don't waste your money the 30-30 is all you need where you will be hunting.Instead...invest in some hunting land in a home. I said.AMEN;)
Chuck

RE: best caliber for your first gun
 

What we need is a good, effective, North American deer hunting cartridge and rifle combination. We need a rifle that is reliable, accurate, easy to operate, and easy to carry. And we need a cartridge that can be chambered in short, light rifles and still not kick the shooter out from under his or her hat; a cartridge with a maximum point blank range (+/- 3" from the line of sight) of at least 200 yards.

Three older, established cartridges come to mind. These are the .30-30 Winchester, .300 Savage, and .32 Winchester Special. All three shoot a 150-180 grain bullet fast enough so that it won't rise or fall more than about 3 inches until it is out past 200 yards when properly zeroed. A 200 yard trajectory of plus or minus 3" will take about 90% of all the deer killed in North America.

This is a copy and paste from a Gun Magazine Article


Ideal Deer Cartridges

By Chuck Hawks

RE: best caliber for your first gun
 

Chuck, I'm glad you are happy with what you've got. Good luck with your hunting where ever that may be....

Bear one thing in mind, .... gun writers for the most part are a weak source of evidence/guidance.

RE: best caliber for your first gun
 

6.5mmSwede or 7mm-08.

RE: best caliber for your first gun
 

Truer words were never spoken.

RE: best caliber for your first gun
 

reb didn't you mean 260rem or the 7mm-08, 2 of my favorites, they seem to be perfect for the size deer we have, plus thats about all i hunt, either that or a 458 win magor 416 rigby[:-]

RE: best caliber for your first gun
 

No, I have156gr Norma for the6.5mmx55 Ruger.

RE: best caliber for your first gun
 

just pickin at you reb, that is one sweet shootin caliber, IMO perfect deer caliber, i loved the little 260 i bought for the wife so much i bought a barrel for my encore, even though 98% of the time i take her little model seven with me, the other 2% she's either with me (doe days) or i'm hunting a long stretch[:-]