Suggestions for a "Deer Only" rifle?
10-25-2002, 11:19 AM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 917
Suggestions for a "Deer Only" rifle?
Ok. A good buddy of mine went deer hunting for the first time last week and the lucky guy managed to drop a really nice buck in Idaho. He took his safety course this year and began practicing with my rifles and those of another buddy of ours. He took the buck with a borrowed Ruger M77 in .30-06.
Now, he is bitten by the bug and wants to buy a rifle of his own. However, he wants to make sure this is a "DEER ONLY" rifle. He is doing this because he is entirely set on taking up elk hunting next year and he wants to be able to justify the purchase of yet another rifle to his wife. He figures if he tells his wife that his new rifle just isn't adequate for elk, she'll let him by an "elk only" rifle, as well.
I've already suggested the .260 Rem. I'm not sure who else is making these right now, but the same Ruger M77R in .260 should serve him well. He can probably find something else in this caliber.
For the meantime, he will not handload. What are your thoughts?
Good Dogwork and Good Hunting
Edited by - seattlesetters on 10/25/2002 12:26:11
Edited by - seattlesetters on 10/25/2002 13:00:03
Now, he is bitten by the bug and wants to buy a rifle of his own. However, he wants to make sure this is a "DEER ONLY" rifle. He is doing this because he is entirely set on taking up elk hunting next year and he wants to be able to justify the purchase of yet another rifle to his wife. He figures if he tells his wife that his new rifle just isn't adequate for elk, she'll let him by an "elk only" rifle, as well.
I've already suggested the .260 Rem. I'm not sure who else is making these right now, but the same Ruger M77R in .260 should serve him well. He can probably find something else in this caliber.
For the meantime, he will not handload. What are your thoughts?
Good Dogwork and Good Hunting
Edited by - seattlesetters on 10/25/2002 12:26:11
Edited by - seattlesetters on 10/25/2002 13:00:03
10-25-2002, 12:21 PM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Port Neches, Texas
Posts: 5,514
RE: Suggestions for a "Deer Only" rifle?
Without a doubt, I'd recommend the 7MM-08!
I don't own one, YET! I have shot the 7MM-08 in rifles and Contender handguns and have seen what it will do on deer. You could not draw up a better cartridge than this. What a marriage, the case of a .308 Winchester and the ballistics of a 7MM bullet!
It has all the power you would need for ANY Whitetail, flat shooting for any range that you could shoot deer at, and all this without punishing recoil!
I don't own one, YET! I have shot the 7MM-08 in rifles and Contender handguns and have seen what it will do on deer. You could not draw up a better cartridge than this. What a marriage, the case of a .308 Winchester and the ballistics of a 7MM bullet!
It has all the power you would need for ANY Whitetail, flat shooting for any range that you could shoot deer at, and all this without punishing recoil!
10-25-2002, 01:27 PM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 230
RE: Suggestions for a "Deer Only" rifle?
as much as I agree with the last post I think he should get what ever gun he wants and just tell his wife that it is a deer only gun. Heck tell here one is a mule deer gun and get another for white tail.Heck if she is really gullible then make up whole new kinds of deer until the vault is full.If she wasnt raised around hunting then she wont know the difference and if she was then she wouldn't buy the deer only thing anyway.
10-25-2002, 01:58 PM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: WV USA
Posts: 214
RE: Suggestions for a "Deer Only" rifle?
30-06 for his deer only rifle (also elk if funds get tight at time of hunt or want to take a back-up rifle on hunt) then get one of the 300 mag's for his elk only rifle and could use it for backup rifle for deer hunting.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
also the ruger is fine rifle in any caliber
3DNWV
Edited by - 3DNWV on 10/25/2002 14:59:10
also the ruger is fine rifle in any caliber
3DNWV
Edited by - 3DNWV on 10/25/2002 14:59:10
10-25-2002, 02:17 PM
#7
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 6,471
RE: Suggestions for a "Deer Only" rifle?
If he were a handloader the 260, 7-08,6.5x55, 7x57,308,280,270,30- 06 anything in that class will make an excellent deer rifle . From a factory ammo perspective with the exception of the 06 308 270 you probably won't find a lot of varied ammo at your local sportshop or worst case scenario local Walmart. If I didn't reload I would go with the 270 because it is light recoiling and has a huge assortment of different bullets/loads and it was good enough for Jack O'Connor
10-25-2002, 04:26 PM
#8
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 917
RE: Suggestions for a "Deer Only" rifle?
Guess I should have mentioned that his wife is from Montana and her brother and father still live there and are excellent big game hunters. Neither one of 'em likes my buddy too much (you know, that whole liberal Seattle stuff), and both of them would narc on him in a heartbeat. That's why I would recommend something smaller than a .270, since that is what her father shoots on elk! <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>
Good Dogwork and Good Hunting
Good Dogwork and Good Hunting
10-25-2002, 05:25 PM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: LOUISVILLE KY. USA
Posts: 135
RE: Suggestions for a "Deer Only" rifle?
I just can't imagine myself fibbing to my bride about a gun. She loves me and would let me buy what we could afford. I got lucky and got one of the GOOD ones. With all that said I would pick a 270 for whitetail only and one of the 300 Mags for elk.
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