well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

well im turning 16 and my dad has said that i can get a gun for my 16th birthday. i have been hunting with friends and have taken safety courses but i dont have a gun. i have shot many rifles, shot guns with friends and at boy scout camp. but now i am planning on doing soem deer hunting and i cant decide which rifle to go with, i have been looking at winchesters and remingtons but i dont know all that much about the rifles. so my question is what do you think that i should look into as my first deerrifle?

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

I would go with a .243 or maybe a 7mm-08. They are both deer worthy and easy to shoot.....

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

Marlin 30 30. Enjoy.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

Give us more info about the cover you hunt and how big you are. Without knowing any of that I would recommend a Remington Model 7 in 7mm-08, it should handle any type of cover nicely and will grow with you.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

A very good recommendation.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

Another vote for the 7mm-08. Very good choice...

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

A Savage, CZ, Remington, or Winchester in 30-06. You can shoot Remington managed recoil loads to start with and you'll never outgrow the gun and your needs will probably never outgrow the rifle either.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

First, let me welcome you to the forums. It's a good place to learn "stuff" about guns, reloading, hunting, and all that goes with it. Being kind of stuck on the 7mm guns, having hunted with and loaded for most all of them for deer-sized game and smaller basically, I also have to give a heavy recommendation to the 7mm-08. They are usually very accurate, recoil is modest, and they are fun to shoot. Just a good choice, in my opinion.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

without question Remington 700 in a .270. ive shot this gun since i was 12 years old. very accurate. great gun to start out with also.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

Well, you are likely to get almostas many answers to the "perfect" rifle and cartridge as there are members on this site.

Some will swear that NOTHING beats a 30-06, others will swear by a .270 or maybe a 7mm-08, etc. Yes, use that to guide you but you don't have to settle for just those choices.

Before settling on one, my own advice is to get with some of those friends and such and go out and shoot a few different types and calibers. Take that along with what and where you will be hunting and talk it over here or with someone at a gun shop you can trust. Then make your decision.

The real thing you have to worry about is picking what is right for you.

Then practice, practice, practice. Shoot it often enough to know your weapon inside and out. And don't just shoot it at a bench. Shoot prone, kneeling, sitting on the ground, standing, braced and unbraced, so you can pull off the shot in the feild.
The saying, "beware a man who only owns 1 (gun), he probably knows how to use it" can have as much meaning for hunting as anything else.

I have quite a few of my own to chose from.
30-06, 25-06, 30-30, 35 Rem, 7mm-08, 7mm TCU, .270 Weatherby, .300 WSM, .375 H&H, 45-70, .243 ........ (you get the idea. :D)
And have them in lever, bolt, single shot and even a pump.
But what I pick up time and again is my Ruger #1 in 7x57. There are others that may be better in some cases, maybe technically better in most all cases, but I know that gun inside and out. It might not be the best choice for you, or anyone else here, but that is MY rifle and I am at my best with it more often than with any other.

So good luck, and Good Hunting.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

With the many Rifles you shot, what were the calibers and how well did you handle the recoil? Which Rifle did you feel most comfortable with?

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

alright you guys dont confuse him with some of these calibers, okay your 16 so im pretty sure you can handle a rifle. Well my three recommendations caliber wise would be the .270, .308 , and the 30-06. These are the most common rifles and ammunition is pretty easy to come by.My personal preference out of the 3 would be the 270 it in my opinion is the best deer load there is.As far as models i would look at really all the remmington models, the weatherby vanguard, and the winchester model 70 super shadow i believe. Also if your hard up for cash check out the Mossberg 100atr they are great for the money and have gotten some good reviews,also look at savage if the money is hard to come by

thats just my 2 cents

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

For deer sized game only,the 25-06 is hard to beat.Plenty of power for deer sized game,and flatter shootingthan a 270win with less recoil.However if you intend to hunt larger game the 7mm-08would be a better all around choice.The tikka t-3 is a great gun for the money as tikka offers the best accuracy standard in this price range.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

Welcome to the forums!

I have to agree with Wayomic, you are going to get a bunch of different recommendations, all of which are probably good.
Any of the calibers mentioned so farwill be great medicine for deer of any kind.

Like they said, find a rifle brand/model that you like and fits you good and then pick one of the calibers mentioned. My pick for deer only would be 270 or 25-06. And if you want a little bigger, 7MM-08, 308 or 30-06 would all be fine choices as well.

Good luck
.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

a 270 shoots faster and has more ft lbs of energy than a .308

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

7mm-08 IMHO. can be used for bigger then deer as well. great caliber

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

this is what i would have to say. i got my 30-06 when i was 16. i'm seventeen now. i started out shooting the 125 gr bullets. in the time since i bought the gun i've grown literally about a foot and can easilly shoot the 180's. at your age you are going to grow but a remington 700 is hard to beat. plus you can add a recoil pad to it and make a huge difference.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

i would like to help you here but in order to properly answer your question the terrain, animal youd be hunting, and minimal and maximum distance youd be shooting. I would proably recomend a remington 700 sps in .308 or possibly a 25-06 both are good cartridges and can shoot long distances. The 25-06 can be extremely effective out to 300yds without adjustment so can the .308. But topped with a good scope like a bushnell or buris you just cant go wrong.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

i Would recomend the 25-06 264mag 270 280 7mag 30-30300 mag

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

T/C Encore .308 Win. would be a good choice. Good luck.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

ditto, of the $1000s of dollars in guns i own the 30-30 still sees 80% of my deer hunting. couple it with Hornady ammo and you have a 200yard quick/light powerhouse. will kill anything in the woods.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

Here's what I would suggest:

Go around to the local pawn shops, Attend a couple of gun shows... Find the best deal on a good used Remington 700,Browning A-bolt or Savage bolt action. Caliber isn't all that important so long as its a 243, 308, 7mm-08, 25-06, 30-06, 270, or 280....The 280 remwould be my first choice.

I would avoid any of the belted magnums Ie. 300 win mag, 7mm Mag, 338 win, 264 win mag...as wells as the small bolt face short actions ie. 223, 22-250, 220 swift... These are all excellent cartridges but may be a little more recoil than you can handle starting out, or not well suited for the intended purpose.

Next you will need a good low power scope. Somethinglike a good 2 - 7 power range. Avoid the high magnifications. Buy a good scope. Find a Nikon, Burris, Leupold,Weaver Grandslam,or Bushnell Elite. Be prepared, you will spend as much on the scope as you will the rifle. Avoid Tasco, BSA, & Simmons scopes.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

just have a quikie, not jumpin on NEone just wondering. Why sggest odd off the wall caliber rounds? 280, 7mm-08 things of this nature. I can go in any gun store or hardware store local, as well as a few gas stations and pick up the popular 30-30, 30-06, 7mm, 243, 270, and shotgun shells but i have yet to see 7mm-08, 280, 41mag or any of those outside of a special order catalog or maybe 1 box on a gunshop shelf...maybe.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

Well,The availability of ammo is a very valid point.
But, I never considered the 280or especially the 7mm-08 "off the wall". In the past 280 ammo was a little more difficult to find but its popularity has rebounded in recent years. I even seen 280 ammo in wal-mart. I thought that 7mm-08 ammo was as common as it comes. Maybe thats just in my area. I reload so its not an issue for me. If its a concern I would stick with 270, 30-06, 243, 308, 25-06. Ammo for these can be found almost anywhere.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

Remington 700 mountain rifle in .280.---just a suggestion

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

One's first long guns:

22LR
12 Gauge
30-06

Add on smaller or biggeror more specialized after that.

All of these are within the abilities of a 16 year old.
You are young, but you will grow and so too (hopefuly)will your ambitions.
Apologize to no one, cheap quality ammo everywhere, many fine rifles available.

Universal.
Versatile.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

You will probably be a one gun hunter for a while, and this is your first gun, so choose wisely. Try them all for size, and fit, go to a large gun shop and make some poor salesman hate his/her job. Once you find the one you like, don't buy it. Try to find someone that has a similar gun that will let you shoot it. Also see just how many differentchamberings of guns you can try, friends and family can help you, local gun range patrons too.

Don't rush, the most fun of buying a new gun is all the planning, reading, studying, and dreaming.

May I suggest your first gun say MADE IN USA on the side, remember why you have the right to own a gun.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

I would go with a Winchester Model 70 or a Browning a-bolt.Bolt auction guns are the most accrate and they are fail safe in most cases.They are also a bit cheeper than a semi-auto.If I where you I would get a 30-06.You can use a 30-06 from Deer to Moose.You can shoot so may diffrent animals with one gun when you have a 30-06.If you just want a deer gun than get a .270 or .270WSM.

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

well, t. mobley; I would first like to welcome you to the forum and commend you on your interest inthe great sport of hunting.

I, like many of the others on this forum, will tell you that you do not need a cannon or magnum size rounds to take down and kill whitetail deer.

Alot of factors must be looked at first before you choose which kind of gun you will want to invest in.

First, I would like to take a look at my "application". What I mean by application is, what is the terrain and surroundings that I will be hunting in. And also I would want toconcentrate on whatdistancesI would be making "safe" and "ethical" shotsfrom. That is,Knowing your gun's capabilities of trajectory, velocity, and energy thatthe bullet will have left at the distance you will be shooting atand being able to apply all your knowledge and experience you gained at the range and bringing it to the field.

Second, I would want to look at how "seasoned" of a shooter you are before you purchase. Alot of people think that they are seasoned shooters, but if you spend any time at your local rod and gun club you will see how many people are not very seasoned. This actually causes alot of people topurchase the wrong guns...."for themselves".For some reason, so many people " now a days" are under the impression that they need magnum sized loads for deer.
Here is a prime example. JoeBlow's friend owns a 300 win mag. so 3 months later Joe Blow is out buying one. The two of the friends decide to go to the range on a nice saturday morning andfire offa couple boxes of ammo each. After 5 or 6 shots Joe Smoe..."this is Joe Blows friend by the way" starts to complain that his shoulder is hurting and that he can't seem to get a good group on the target. The two friends decide to adjust the scope and fire off 3 more rounds to see ifJoe Smoecan get a better group this time around. To no avail, Joe smoe's group did not get any better, but now hes holding on to his shoulder in pain...and refuses to fire anymore rounds that day. Now its Joe Blow's turn. He fires his first 5 rounds and they are not even hitting paper. They dont know where the bullets are hitting so they dont know where to make adjustments on Joe Blow's scope. At that moment an elderly man from the club walks out to the range. He asks if everything is alright. The two men tell the man that something must be wrong with thier guns becauseJoe Smoecant get good groups and Joe blow cant even hit paper. The older man checks the scopes to see if they are tight and checks for any other mechanicalmalfunction that he feels could be the cause of an accuracy problem. He then asks if he could see one of them shoot, Joe blow volunteers. He tells Joe to shoot 3 rounds and reminds him not to flinch. The old man watches Joe Blow shoot and claims that Joe blow is flinching even before he pulls the trigger. This causes Joe Blow to become very upset because his reputationas a very seasoned shooter is being questioned by some old timer at the range. It is at that moment that the old timer picks up Joe Blow's gun and asks if he could test it out a couple times. Joe Blow agrees. It is at that moment that the old timer squeezes off 5 rounds out of the 300 win mag. Much to Joe blow and Joe Smoe's suprise, the old man has a very tight 5 shot group in the upper left side of the target. Not a bullseye, but a group none the less. The old man gets up and say's there is nothing wrong with this gun at all. he compensates the man for the cost of the bullets and tells them dinner is waiting at home for him.

As funny as this story sounds....I will garauntee that it occurs at ranges around the country alot more than people would like to think. Every time I go to the range"ATLEAST", "ATLEAST" one person always leaves without a group to go on or sometimes, theyleave without hitting paper at all. And the thing that scares me the most is that...these people hunt with these guns . They decide to hunt with a gun that cannot group or hit paper at all.

Iremember waiting for 2 guys at the range one day two years ago. They were shooting a 7mm mag. I can remember what the one guy said to the other before he shot. He said " have you ever shot this gun before?" And the other guy said " NO, BUT I BET THIS SUCKER CAN KICK" ........ anyways, halfway through thier shooting session, the idiots took off thier shirts and folded them in a ball and put it between the gun and thier shoulder because they said it was "kickin too hard" I didnt get to shoot that day because these idiots used up so much time wondering why they cant get a group thats acceptable.

This is my point, If you have to roll up a shirt and put it between your shoulder and the gun, you have no bussiness shooting it.

A whitetail is very resiliant, but it can be killed with a 243.

The whitetail has been killed with all of the following, plus more.......
243, 250 savage, 257 roberts, 264, 25-06, 270, 7mm, 7mm-08, 300 savage, 30-06, 308, 280, 38-40,38-55, 45lc, 44 mag, 32 sp., 30-30, 244 rem, 35 rem, 32-20, and 25-35

Today, some of these are seen as obsolete. But many of these calibers stood the test of time.

I would stick with 30-06 or less for most applications. I like the recommendations of the 243, 7mm -08, 270,and the .308

If you even get lucky enough to pick up an old relic, a 257 roberts was also a nice deer cartridge too.

There are also alot of people out there that can shoot the magnums and shoot them well. If you feel that you are one of those people, then you could also opt for the magnums too.

But as for me, anything from the 243- 30-06 is fine...for whitetails.:)

RE: well its about time for my first deer rifle
 

I started hunting with an old remington .308 7600 and it was a great old rifle aside from the heavy trigger. I would also recomend the 7mm-08 its a great round.