best caliber for your first gun
10-05-2005, 05:45 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: ICT, Kansas
Posts: 76
best caliber for your first gun
I have a friend at work that is just starting to get into hunting, and he is looking for his first rifle. We live in southern Kansas and he knows that he wants to hunt deer. At this time he is unsure if he wants to hunt elk or antelope. Mimimum caliber for deer is .24 and .26 for elk. He is not sure how long it will be before he buys a second gun, if at all. Knowing these facts, I have been trying to steer him toward a 7mm rem mag. I have also mentioned that a 270 and 30-06 are also acceptable for Kansas game. I do not want him to get gun that shootshard to find ammunition. Is my suggestion correct or should i try to steer him a different way?
10-05-2005, 06:01 PM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: freeport fl
Posts: 179
RE: best caliber for your first gun
Welcome!
I think you are on the right track with suggesting either a .30-06 or a .270, but if he wants to go after big gamehe ought to get the 06 for the better bullet suggestions.
Borty
I think you are on the right track with suggesting either a .30-06 or a .270, but if he wants to go after big gamehe ought to get the 06 for the better bullet suggestions.
Borty
10-05-2005, 06:31 PM
#4
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location:
Posts: 480
RE: best caliber for your first gun
You can't go wrong with any of these:
.270 Winchester
.280 Remington
7mm-08 Remington
.308 Winchester
.30-06 Springfield
I think that the .30-06 is the best all around cartridge, but its easier to find CHEAP ammo with the .308 to practice with. You could really throw a dart at these rifles and be fine with whichever one you came up with.
.270 Winchester
.280 Remington
7mm-08 Remington
.308 Winchester
.30-06 Springfield
I think that the .30-06 is the best all around cartridge, but its easier to find CHEAP ammo with the .308 to practice with. You could really throw a dart at these rifles and be fine with whichever one you came up with.
10-05-2005, 07:46 PM
#5
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 604
RE: best caliber for your first gun
For a "one gun does everything" scenariothe 06 is probably the ticket. If he is going to get more than one gun I would start with a 270 WSM for a super flat shooting deer antelope gun, and pick a big game rifle later in 30 or 338 caliber.
10-05-2005, 08:33 PM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: fort mcmurray alberta canada
Posts: 5,667
RE: best caliber for your first gun
For a first gun the 7mm-08 is a great choice for deer and elk at shorter ranges.If he handles recoil well the 7mmremmag is a fine choice and is better for elk and moose at longer ranges.
10-05-2005, 08:44 PM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky Mountains, Colorado
Posts: 1,964
RE: best caliber for your first gun
30-06!
With all the open ended variable and uncertainties, definitely the 30-06 and he'll be set for life to go most places and do most things from prairie dogs to moose and elk.
Ammo is cheap and plentiful, plus the variety of bullet weights and power loadings is outstanding:
** "Managed recoil" for plinking
** "Regular" for deer
** Federal "High Energy" for more serious game.
Very versatile and very much NON-specialized, that is its strength!
With all the open ended variable and uncertainties, definitely the 30-06 and he'll be set for life to go most places and do most things from prairie dogs to moose and elk.
Ammo is cheap and plentiful, plus the variety of bullet weights and power loadings is outstanding:
** "Managed recoil" for plinking
** "Regular" for deer
** Federal "High Energy" for more serious game.
Very versatile and very much NON-specialized, that is its strength!
10-05-2005, 08:54 PM
#9
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,052
RE: best caliber for your first gun
I can't believe we are STILL arguing this one after decades of the same thing: 270 or 30/06???
If you don't want both then why not just split the difference? How about a .280???
Course if you have a .280 you need neither of the other two!
RA
If you don't want both then why not just split the difference? How about a .280???
Course if you have a .280 you need neither of the other two!
RA
