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Texas Hunting Rifle
Let me first off say hello as I am a new user to the forum.
I moved to Texas from Indiana (where we don't get to use rifles for deer or anything else). I am looking into a rifle for deer and boar here in Texas. I have shot many rifles and owned quite a few also since my military days. They have included,Marlin 30-30, Browning A-Bolt 270 , Savage .223, Rem 700 .308, SKS.AR-15. Now the question, since I have sold all of those when my kids were born many moons ago- I am looking for a nice easy shooting rifle to take any game here in Texas boar/deer/coyote..etc.. Quite frankly the old A-Bolt .270 Hunter was light and pretty much punished my arthritic shoulder. It was good for about 3 shots at the range and I had to set it down- same goes for the 308. I do not have any experience with the 7mm-08 (factory loads since I do not reload). Is this a viable all around easy shooting rifle? I want comfort but I don't want to be riding the edge of being undergunned. I have been looking at the Tikka T3 Lite (since it's the only model they make in 7mm-08 I believe), and I have been looking at the Remington SPSDM, and Ruger M77 Mark II All Weather. Any suggestions or input on this subject would be greatly appreciated. |
RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
The .308 in a Ruger MK 77 All Weather rifle would be a great gun for Texas.
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RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
And welcome to the forum.
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RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
1. A good recoil pad would be a very wise investment
2. A heavy gun is your best friend when recoil's an issue 3. A heavy bullet is not your friend (in a given caliber) when recoil is an issue. If you used to use the 180gr bullets in the 308 you may try 150gr bullets. They are all you'll ever need for deer. Secondly, Look at "varmint" rifles in appropriate calibers, they weigh quit a bit more. (I believe Savage may make a "varmint" in 308...but there site is down right now) With 150s and that heavy of a gun I would guess it can't be any worse than a light 30-30 Notice the weight of the rifles http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm Don't know that I've heard any valid reason to not like the 7mm-08. |
RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
For the conditions you have stated, I would suggest a 7mm-08 with a sims limb saver pad. The weight of the rifle will help reduce the felt recoil as well. The lighter the gun, the more recoil you will feel.
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RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
I have a pertinent question before making any suggestions as to calibers. I live in Texas as well and all of Texas is not created equal, so what part of Texas are you planning to hunt in? I have a thread going now because I am trying to choose between a 308 and a 7mm-08 for a barrel for my Blaser. You might get some info on 7mm-08 from the thread. I hunt in the pineywood area in east Texas and have gone back to my OLD Marlin 336T 30-30. It is a mild recoiling gun that has worked well for me, but most of my shots at deer or hogs will be under 75 yards. Welcome to Texas!!!
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RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
ORIGINAL: hotled Let me first off say hello as I am a new user to the forum. I moved to Texas from Indiana (where we don't get to use rifles for deer or anything else). I am looking into a rifle for deer and boar here in Texas. I have shot many rifles and owned quite a few also since my military days. They have included,Marlin 30-30, Browning A-Bolt 270 , Savage .223, Rem 700 .308, SKS.AR-15. Now the question, since I have sold all of those when my kids were born many moons ago- I am looking for a nice easy shooting rifle to take any game here in Texas boar/deer/coyote..etc.. Quite frankly the old A-Bolt .270 Hunter was light and pretty much punished my arthritic shoulder. It was good for about 3 shots at the range and I had to set it down- same goes for the 308. I do not have any experience with the 7mm-08 (factory loads since I do not reload). Is this a viable all around easy shooting rifle? I want comfort but I don't want to be riding the edge of being undergunned. I have been looking at the Tikka T3 Lite (since it's the only model they make in 7mm-08 I believe), and I have been looking at the Remington SPSDM, and Ruger M77 Mark II All Weather. Any suggestions or input on this subject would be greatly appreciated. |
RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
I live in Texas also. I hunt deer in the Hill Country, north of San Antonio/west of Austin, and I use a .243. Nice light recoil, and plenty of pop for the game in our area. Our shots are normally less than 100 yards. Big bucks in our area average about 150 lbs and does run about 100 lbs.
If you plan to hunt South Texas or the Panhandle, the deer tend to be bigger, and the shots longer. The .243would still work, but, you might want a step up. 7mm-08 would probably be ideal there, although I would expect recoil to be pretty similar to the .270. As for what most of the guys shoot in Texas... I was at the rifle range a couple weeks ago, and probably 2/3 of the guys there were shooting .270's. |
RE: Texas Hunting Rifle
For hunting in Texas, a .25-06 will handle anything you come across. Recoil is lighter than a .270, though not by a lot, so you might consider a heavier rifle.
If you are planning on handloading, a .257 Roberts would be even better. That said, I use a .223 with 55 gr. Sierra gamekings more than anything, and I've had no problems dropping hogs. |
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