RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

Being new to hunting and getting your 1st rifle I wouldnt buy a magnum caliber. It does have alot more recoil than a non-magnum. I have sighted in guns for a hunting club I was in and hated doing the magnums.
If as a beginner to rifles you develope a flinch from the recoil, it will hurt you ability to pull good shots in the woods because you will be expecting the recoil more than anticipating where the bullet will hit.
Some here have said you will hear the 7mm is too much rifle. I wont call it too much but you dont need anything that large for whitetails. Many 243's to 308's have killed plenty of deer and are a joy to shoot. You'll notice the more experienced hunters will start leaning towards smaller calibers than uneeded magnums.(for whitetail) They feel that bullet placement is most important not the carnage a magnum creates.
IF you only choice is 30-06 or 7mm mag and its just for whitetail and your new to hunting, then I think its an obvisous choice not going with a magnum. If you can get a short action caliber for you 1st gun you'll prob be better off. Dont be discuraged to look ata single shot rifle either as a newby its one of the best ways to go. Itll make you make that 1st shot count more than relying on how fast you can bolt in the 2nd shot.
Dont go to cheap on the scope either, I know you have a budget but shop around for a deal or try to find a half-decent used 9 or 10 power scope it makes a difference also.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

Just because a cartridge is a magnum does not mean it provides a great deal more recoil.When comparing the same model rifle the 30-06 and 7mmremmag providesimilarrecoil.If you can tolerate one,you can tolerate the other.I am amazed at how many people here keep referring to the 7mmremmag as too much cartrdge for deer yet consider the 30-06 a good choice.The 7mm bullet is actually smaller than the .308" bullet used in the 30-06,the 7mmremmag is just travelling at higher velocity.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

Yes it has more recoil. If you read my post I said he'd be better off with a short action caliber then either but if they were the only choices to go with -06. Ive seen newby hunters get their new cannons and not like the recoil or get busted by a scope andaccuire a bad flinchor shy away from hunting all together.
This isnt a debate over which gun is better for hunting. Its a discussion on what best for a new hunter on whitetail. Ive sighted in many different 06's and 7mm mag and theres no doubt this is a difference in recoil.
Bullet diameter is meaningless in this dicussion. If you shoot a 257wby it has more recoil then a .7mm-08. Recoil is Recoil bullet wieght not diameter is what matters more.
I understand theuse for the beloved 7mm mag. Just realize someone who's never shot a rifle will be more intimadated with the higher recoil. The -06 is easier on the shoulder no doubt.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

Exactly.And the smaller diameter 7mm bullets are lighter for the same sectional density.When you add in the fact that the 7mmmag rifles usually have barrels 2" longer which increases the guns weight slightly,and that they usually have recoil pads,the felt recoils are very similar.If you can handle one,you can handle the other.For the record,I do not even currently own a 7mmremmag although I have owned several.I do also know ofseveral people that bought a 7mmremmag for their first big gamerifle and none of them had any problems with recoil.I should also mention that these are not huge people,in fact two are smaller than average.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

I would go with a Ruger M77 MK II in 30-06. Less recoil than the 7mag and will kill anything you are going to shoot at. My Ruger MK IIs (.223 and 300 WSM) will shoot .5" groups at 100 yards. I shot my .223 at 200 yards this week and shot a 1.3" group. I was very happy. I would recomend a Bushnell Elite 3200 in 3-9x40 for about $200 or a Bushnell Elite 4200 in 2.5-10x40 for $350-$400. The 4200 is worth the extra money IMO.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

"I do also know ofseveral people that bought a 7mmremmag for their first big gamerifle and none of them had any problems with recoil."



See thats the thing. 2 of the guys rifles Ive sighted in started with magnum rounds. One a 7mm mag and 1 a 300win mag. One doesnt hunt anymore because of getting popped with the scope and the other flinches bad when we shoots. He missed a few deer in the last few years also with his newly acquired 30-30.
If you dont think shooting a 7mm mag is more intimidating and has more recoil thats your opinion. I think you are forgetting what its like to be a new hunter. Im no pro, but the new guys in the club I was in were alot better with the smaller calibers. I have a buddy now who has been hunting for years and hates sighting in his 7mm mag so much he doesnt even use it any more.
Ive never heard anyone ever answer the age old ? of what should be my first deer rifle with "get a 7mm mag"

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

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RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

Below is the original post in this thread

Would you be so kind as to point out where the term "deer rifle" appears in this post.
The term actuallyused was "a good all around cartridge" which the 7mmremmag surely is.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

If your just hunting deer a 243 or a 25-06 will do fine. If you are going to hunt bigger animals a 30-06 will do just fine.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

To the original poster: This is an interesting debate, but you need to remember that all the differences that everyone has mentioned - whether it be the actual performance of the cartridge, the factory ammon available, the felt recoil, the cost of the ammo - they are all VERY, VERY slight differences, almost to be non existent. To me the only significant difference is that I truely believe the cost of 7mm mag ammo is more expensive and there are more cut-rate, cheap options for 30-06 ammo. This is a significant factor only during the shoot a lot for practice phase.

Otherwise, they are really both excellent all around cartridges and excellent choices for all hunting from white tail to elk and moose and black bear.

My advice - handle both guns, maybe even with a fellow hunter, and just decide which "feels and looks" better to you. Buy that gun, whichever caliber it is.