new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

im going hunting for the first time and the person i am hunting with suggested a 30-06 as a good all around cartridge. was looking at the savage 111f. however, ran across a weatherby 7mm mag in walmart for $299 - is this too good of a buy?

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

I can't advise you on the price of the gun -whether its a good buy or not.

But the 7 mm mag will beexcellent for deer hunting at all ranges, and MIGHT be a TINY bit better than the '06 at very long ranges (that's debatable because at the ranges that most of us can shoot accurataly, the '06 will do just as well). I'll "bet" you get comments that say it's too much gun, but I know many, many people who hunt deer with 7mm mag. You will NEVER notice the difference between a 7 mag and an '06 in the size of hole it puts in a deer and the deer will not notice either. It's got a tiny bit more range than a 30-06. It shoots the bullet faster, but the bullet (generally) is lighter. They are very close to equivalent. The size of the bullet is about the same as the .270 cal which is also a very common deer rifle.

The main differences in my very limited experience (I've only shot a friend's 7mm mag a couple of times) is I thought the kick was a tiny bit harder and the ammo was more expensive. Neither you will notice unless you shoot a lot.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

The rifle that you see at wallmart is a weatherby vanguard which is made by howa in japan.It is actually a very good value for the price and I prefer it over savage.I actually prefer the 7mmremmag over the 30-06 as itoffers slightly more velocity with similar recoil.Ammunitionfor the 7mmremmag does cost a little morebut a good variety of factory loadsare available.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

I actually prefer the savage rifles and the 30 06 is my favourite unless you plan to hunt elk. For Elk the 7mm mag probably has an edge in down range energy andflatter trajectory. The savages are super tough, accurate and well made. the platform is a time tested action that has been areound for a long time. The weatherby is not a weatherby at all but is made by a company called Howa in japan. Still the howa is a good rifle. Either one in either calber would be a fine rifle and would serve you in hunting anything up to grizzly bears. I will tell you why I prefer the 30 06 over the 7mm mag for general (non Elk) hunting. The cartridge is accurate.The recoil is completely managableYou have a big slection of bullet weights. You have the biggest selection of factory loadings. If you reload, there is more equipment for reloading the '06 than any other cartridge. The '06 is fine up to 300 yards and decent at 400 yards (IF YOU CAN SHOOT YARDS which most can't).30 06 is cheap ammo and if you head to the wood for a whiteteailor Muley hunt and you forget your ammo at home, you can be sure of finding 30 06 at the local bait shop.
I think you are on the right track with both of your options and calibers. They are both good cheap guns and fine cartridges. The Current trend is toward bigger faster and more powerful cartridges like the 7mm mag. However I shoot the '06 better than all other rounds except the .22 because I am a little recoil sensitive. And I like the idea of shooting a caliber that is 100 years old and still holds it's own.
Just my 2 cents
okcmco

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

so is the 7mmremmag

the same for the 7mmremmag


So does the 7mmremmag.But in actuality a 140gr to 160gr bullet is all that you will require in a 7mmremmag for big game hunting.

As far as the .308" bullets are concerned the 150gr to 180gr bullets are all that is required for big game hunting.The 110gr bullets aren't suitable for big game hunting and the 200gr and 220gr bullets are simply not required and don't shoot well in some 30-06 rifles.



true,but they are more than enough factory loads for the 7mmremmag to fit any big game hunting situation.



If you are talking reloading components the statement is not true as any bullet that can be used in a 30-06 can also be used in any other cartridge that uses .308" bullets.These include the 308win,and many 300 mags.The same can be said for primers.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

i would go with the 06, better all around cartridge, lots of loads available and the savage is normally a very accurate rifle

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

.30-06: ammo's cheaper.

7mm Rem Mag: a little faster and flatter shooting.

Here's what you do - put .30-06 on one slip of paper, and 7mm on another, have somebody hide one in their left hand, the other in their right. Then pick a hand. Seriously, it's that close.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

Hard to beat a 270 Winchester....look at the Stevens 200,less than $260

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

That rifle for $299 is a good deal, I say "buy it."

Kev

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

I will assume by hunting you mean whitetail deer. If this is so I would opt for a 270 Winchester. It's available in the guns you have listed and has nearly as many loads available for it as the 30-06. The normal bullet weight is 130 gr. and this will be flatter shooting and have less recoil than the standard 150 gr. load for the 30-06. Being new to hunting it is better to buy a rifle that you can manage and become proficient with it. For years my Grandma used a Winchester model 70 in 270. If Granny can shoot a 270 well then anyone can.

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
 

delete

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.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

I agree with Gun Digest.I have a Ruger all weather in 30-06 and it is my favorite rifle.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

I have been hunting for 15 years now, and I live for rifle season. If you are hunting whitetail and shooting under 200 yards, look at the 30/30, 45 and the 30-06. I love the 7mm cartridge, though. One shot, one kill--the 7mm is your rifle...deer, bear, wild piggy, bigfoot, 7mm does it all...and at pretty impressive distances too!

But, if you are like me, hunting is for fun and you look to make the most of the experience and you don't want to spend a lotof money on several rifles for a variety of seasons, think about 30/30...great deer rifle, lever action, never jams, great accuracywith a scope at 100 and 150 yards, shooting with cheap 150 grains from your local wal-mart. It islightweight, minimal kick, and usually not too expensive, so you don't feel too bad about ascratch or two if you are hiking throughdense woods to your stand.

Yearbefore last I got off a beautiful 150+yard shot while walking back to my vehicle to head home. I really, really like my 30-30. The only down side that I can mention, is that since it doesn't pack the "punch" of the more powerful 7 mm, if your speeding bullet touches asmall treetwig, you might be a bit more likely to experience deflection, even with a closer range shot.

Happy hunting, and be safe.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

You know everybody is going to have their opinion on which is better and why. I have no experience with the 7mm. I do know that you can buy 30.06 ammo off the shelf in just about ANY size. You could shoot anything from rabbit to bear with an .06 and maybe a 7mm too but I have 2 30.06's and have had no reason to buy another rifle. Plus around here, you can always find an .06 at a pawn shop for a GREAT price. I got mine for $200.00 out the door and it holds less than 1/2 in groups at 100 yards with 180gr psp remington ammo.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

PS, that 30.06 i was talking about with the tight groups is a savage 111. Used.

RE: new to hunting, need rifle advice
 

o2batnp
The statment about the 3030 is not fact.

The faster / smaller the bulet the eazyer it is to deflect. The 7mm would deflect way befor you could knock a 3030 off. The 3030 is known for being a brush gun[close rang lots brush].


The bigest dif is the 7mm will shoot 500 yards and the 3030 safely out to 150.