Help me pick a new deer rifle
05-01-2007, 06:50 AM
#21
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Carrollton, GA
Posts: 747
RE: Help me pick a new deer rifle
Feel the force young jedi. Choose the right gun like a bad arse you will feel!
I just finished my year longtraining with yoda and graduated with a Ruger M77 MkII in 30-06. Is it the gun for you probably not. Is it the gun for me. YES! I say that because I spent a full year looking at rifles, calibers, and all sorts of other crap so when I went to get my gun all I had to say was "I'll take it." Your gonna find that your mind is will change every day about all aspects of a new rifel from what caliber to brand to type (wood vs. stainless). Take a lot of time to let it all sink in. Once you find a gun that you JUST KEEP GOING BACK TO! and a caliber that's irrisistable (even though you want it to be different) you have found the choice for you. We can all give advice all day but you're the one who is going to be hunting with it. Not us.
I just finished my year longtraining with yoda and graduated with a Ruger M77 MkII in 30-06. Is it the gun for you probably not. Is it the gun for me. YES! I say that because I spent a full year looking at rifles, calibers, and all sorts of other crap so when I went to get my gun all I had to say was "I'll take it." Your gonna find that your mind is will change every day about all aspects of a new rifel from what caliber to brand to type (wood vs. stainless). Take a lot of time to let it all sink in. Once you find a gun that you JUST KEEP GOING BACK TO! and a caliber that's irrisistable (even though you want it to be different) you have found the choice for you. We can all give advice all day but you're the one who is going to be hunting with it. Not us.
05-01-2007, 08:36 AM
#22
RE: Help me pick a new deer rifle
Thanks again for the replies....
I am leaning more and more towards a .308 (probably a Savage 11G).
http://www.savagearms.com/11g.htm
I could handle a .30-06 and/or a .270, (or heck, even a .460 Weatherby!
) But I am looking to match the rifle to the conditions and terrain where I hunt.
* George Washington Nat'l Forest in Virginia *. Heavy, heavy, thick, dense forest with mountain ridges and low lying thickets and brush. The .30-30 is a perfect match. But then, you also have a few clear spots and overlooks, where a bigger rifle with a scope would be a better match.You're also hiking uphill 90% of the time along a huge mountain ridge and after about 2 miles, you can get a bit winded if you don't go slow.
Duffy, that is a great photo of you and the two wolves you got with your Savage model 99. Very nice!!! [8D] I don't own a bolt action rifle - only the old Marlin 30-30. So I want to get a nice bolt action rifle with scope that will be in the same traditional spirit as the 30-30 and reach out farther than the 30-30 but have the same weight and feel. The Savage 99 is no longer made and is a collectors item nowadays.
Soooooo.... The decision so far is a .308 bolt action rifle with a nice good quality scope. 100 - 200 yards(250 maximum yards). The 30-30 will stillbe used from 10 - 100 yards in heavy brush while slow stalking, where I can quickly bring it up on target with the open sights. .308 ammo is everywhere just like 30-30 and 30-06 ammo. Besides, I read that the .308 is a military sniper round and is a serious "tack driver".
Savage 11G
Ruger 77 MKII
Browning A-bolt Hunter
Remington 700
decisions....decisions....
Butch A.
P.S... The best part is that my lovely wife has not put her foot down and said, "NO!"
I am leaning more and more towards a .308 (probably a Savage 11G).
http://www.savagearms.com/11g.htm
I could handle a .30-06 and/or a .270, (or heck, even a .460 Weatherby!
) But I am looking to match the rifle to the conditions and terrain where I hunt.* George Washington Nat'l Forest in Virginia *. Heavy, heavy, thick, dense forest with mountain ridges and low lying thickets and brush. The .30-30 is a perfect match. But then, you also have a few clear spots and overlooks, where a bigger rifle with a scope would be a better match.You're also hiking uphill 90% of the time along a huge mountain ridge and after about 2 miles, you can get a bit winded if you don't go slow.
Duffy, that is a great photo of you and the two wolves you got with your Savage model 99. Very nice!!! [8D] I don't own a bolt action rifle - only the old Marlin 30-30. So I want to get a nice bolt action rifle with scope that will be in the same traditional spirit as the 30-30 and reach out farther than the 30-30 but have the same weight and feel. The Savage 99 is no longer made and is a collectors item nowadays.
Soooooo.... The decision so far is a .308 bolt action rifle with a nice good quality scope. 100 - 200 yards(250 maximum yards). The 30-30 will stillbe used from 10 - 100 yards in heavy brush while slow stalking, where I can quickly bring it up on target with the open sights. .308 ammo is everywhere just like 30-30 and 30-06 ammo. Besides, I read that the .308 is a military sniper round and is a serious "tack driver".
Savage 11G
Ruger 77 MKII
Browning A-bolt Hunter
Remington 700
decisions....decisions....
Butch A.
P.S... The best part is that my lovely wife has not put her foot down and said, "NO!"
05-01-2007, 09:15 AM
#23
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Carrollton, GA
Posts: 747
RE: Help me pick a new deer rifle
.308 is a great caliber. Many deer have fallen to that one my friend. You can't really go wrong with your list of rifles either. No one makes a bad rifle these day's ummmmm except the Remington 710. After days of restless nights I finally realized thereare twobig dif's between the major brands 1) the type of action and 2) the name brand. Other than that you can't go wrong. I like the mauser style action it seems strong to me. However, Remington has been very reliable with the 700 action. And Brownings A-bolt II with it's enclosed bolt sleve is very nice. Your right though. Choices choices choices. My wife told me yeasterday after I got home from the range she was scared I would pay $500 and hate it. But really you can't go wrong.
05-01-2007, 09:22 AM
#24
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: PA
Posts: 2,313
RE: Help me pick a new deer rifle
You seem to like th fact that a 308 is a military sniper rifle. The military use a Remington 700 action on there rifles but the rest is fully customized by the armory. But i would expect anyone who takes the time to fully customize any rifle should have a tack driver. Ive had the cance to shoot a few of them and they are tack drivers. I personally like the way Brownings feel to me but it dosnt mean they will fit you that way they do me. Go and look and feel amny different rifle branst and stock makes. A wood stock in one type of rifle can feel different from a synthetic stock from the same company.
05-01-2007, 11:33 AM
#25
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Texas - BUT NOW in Madison County, NY
Posts: 6,270
RE: Help me pick a new deer rifle
ORIGINAL: ButchA
Hey there... I need some opinions on a new deer rifle.
I mean there's like, 9000 different varieties of deer rifles in all flavors for deer hunting. I want a light, quick, bolt action with a 3x9 scope.
I hunt in the thick heavy woods of the Nat'l Forest of Virginia with a trusty old Marlin 30-30 which I love using. It's got plain open sights and is real quick to bring up on target. I won't part with it... I am just looking for something to accompany the 30-30.
Recoil sometimes is not an issue, but a heavy loaded 30-06 would be probably the same (or more) as a 12GA with a slug. I'm not a wuss, but my shoulder doesn't appreciate the bash and smash of a high recoil rifle or shotgun after a few rounds of practice/sighting in.
Facts:
- I still plan on hunting the thick woods with the 30-30 but will also hunt a farm field from time to time and need something with a 3x9 scope that will be double the range of a 30-30, and still be light and quick to aquire the target.
- I'm not planning on going to Colorado and knockinga Bighorn Ram off a rocky ledge at 600 yards, nor flying to Alaska to take down a Grizzly. (no offense to big game hunters...)
- I'm somewhat of an old-school traditionalist with firearms (hence my love for an open sighted old 30-30).
- Primary use for the lightweight bolt action rifle is whitetail deer overlooking a farm field. Maximum shot could be 150-200 yards at best.
My personal thoughts: I am looking at short action bolts, like a .308 or maybe a .243. All my rifle cleaning supplies, rods, patches, bore snakes, etc... is for .30 cal rifles. What is the general opinion of the .308 rifle?
Thanks.
Butch A.
Hey there... I need some opinions on a new deer rifle.
I mean there's like, 9000 different varieties of deer rifles in all flavors for deer hunting. I want a light, quick, bolt action with a 3x9 scope.
I hunt in the thick heavy woods of the Nat'l Forest of Virginia with a trusty old Marlin 30-30 which I love using. It's got plain open sights and is real quick to bring up on target. I won't part with it... I am just looking for something to accompany the 30-30.
Recoil sometimes is not an issue, but a heavy loaded 30-06 would be probably the same (or more) as a 12GA with a slug. I'm not a wuss, but my shoulder doesn't appreciate the bash and smash of a high recoil rifle or shotgun after a few rounds of practice/sighting in.
Facts:
- I still plan on hunting the thick woods with the 30-30 but will also hunt a farm field from time to time and need something with a 3x9 scope that will be double the range of a 30-30, and still be light and quick to aquire the target.
- I'm not planning on going to Colorado and knockinga Bighorn Ram off a rocky ledge at 600 yards, nor flying to Alaska to take down a Grizzly. (no offense to big game hunters...)
- I'm somewhat of an old-school traditionalist with firearms (hence my love for an open sighted old 30-30).
- Primary use for the lightweight bolt action rifle is whitetail deer overlooking a farm field. Maximum shot could be 150-200 yards at best.
My personal thoughts: I am looking at short action bolts, like a .308 or maybe a .243. All my rifle cleaning supplies, rods, patches, bore snakes, etc... is for .30 cal rifles. What is the general opinion of the .308 rifle?
Thanks.
Butch A.
The .308 fires the same bullets as the .30/'06 uses, at almost the same velocities. Therefore, a light .308 has NOTICEABLE recoil! The .260 uses the same cartridge case as the .308, but with smaller diameter, lighter bullets so its' recoil is less. But it kills deer just fine (a lot more effectively than a .30/30!)
05-01-2007, 05:22 PM
#26
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: North West Arkansas
Posts: 422
RE: Help me pick a new deer rifle
ButchA
Don't know how you feel about pumps, but my Woods / Field set up is a Rem 7600 in 7mm-08 w/3-9X40 Ballsitic Plex Reticle.
It shoots MOA or better with Hornady 154 Grn Rount Nose on top of a healthy dose of H414. Quick follow-up shot capability for when you need it in the woods... Ballsitic Plex bullet drop compensator for hunting the fields. Works for me!
firstshot
----------------------------------------
Make your first shot count!
Don't know how you feel about pumps, but my Woods / Field set up is a Rem 7600 in 7mm-08 w/3-9X40 Ballsitic Plex Reticle.
It shoots MOA or better with Hornady 154 Grn Rount Nose on top of a healthy dose of H414. Quick follow-up shot capability for when you need it in the woods... Ballsitic Plex bullet drop compensator for hunting the fields. Works for me!
firstshot
----------------------------------------
Make your first shot count!
05-01-2007, 06:09 PM
#27
RE: Help me pick a new deer rifle
Hey guys...
I was talking to my wife over dinner (we both went out to eat)... I was telling her about how much I want a new rifle to go along with my old 30-30. She asked the infamous "How much" question... [:-] Now, I can't lie to her - I never could... So I told her that a brand new (MSRP) Savage is roughly $500-something with a scope. A used rifle could be as little as $350, depending on condition.
SHE SAID, "OKAY YOU CAN GET A RIFLE THIS SUMMER"!!!!!!
God, ain't she the greatest?!?!
Woo-hoo... New rifle, here I come!!!!! [8D]
Butch A.
I was talking to my wife over dinner (we both went out to eat)... I was telling her about how much I want a new rifle to go along with my old 30-30. She asked the infamous "How much" question... [:-] Now, I can't lie to her - I never could... So I told her that a brand new (MSRP) Savage is roughly $500-something with a scope. A used rifle could be as little as $350, depending on condition.
SHE SAID, "OKAY YOU CAN GET A RIFLE THIS SUMMER"!!!!!!
God, ain't she the greatest?!?!
Woo-hoo... New rifle, here I come!!!!! [8D]
Butch A.
05-01-2007, 08:04 PM
#28
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hamiltucky, OH
Posts: 485
RE: Help me pick a new deer rifle
ORIGINAL: eldeguello
hey, Butch! Actually, a 12-ga shotgun with a heavy slug load has almost twice the recoil of a full-charge .30/'06 load! But if you are concerned about recoil, get a nice, light .260 Remington or 7mm-08 in a Remington Model 7. These are accurate, lightweight, handly rifles with littlerecoil, and very deadly on deer and even larger big game!
The .308 fires the same bullets as the .30/'06 uses, at almost the same velocities. Therefore, a light .308 has NOTICEABLE recoil! The .260 uses the same cartridge case as the .308, but with smaller diameter, lighter bullets so its' recoil is less. But it kills deer just fine (a lot more effectively than a .30/30!)
hey, Butch! Actually, a 12-ga shotgun with a heavy slug load has almost twice the recoil of a full-charge .30/'06 load! But if you are concerned about recoil, get a nice, light .260 Remington or 7mm-08 in a Remington Model 7. These are accurate, lightweight, handly rifles with littlerecoil, and very deadly on deer and even larger big game!
The .308 fires the same bullets as the .30/'06 uses, at almost the same velocities. Therefore, a light .308 has NOTICEABLE recoil! The .260 uses the same cartridge case as the .308, but with smaller diameter, lighter bullets so its' recoil is less. But it kills deer just fine (a lot more effectively than a .30/30!)
05-02-2007, 07:19 AM
#29
RE: Help me pick a new deer rifle
Thanks... I have shot my Remington 870 12GA with a slug andwas fine. I have also shot my brother-in-law's monsterous .50 cal BMG! (which surprised me, because of the lack of perceived recoil. The massive .50 BMG kicked like a 12GA with buckshot, but the percussion and blast of it goes right intoyour brain! [&:])
Anyway, thinking back to my top 4 choices... What are the opinions on these bolt actions?
Ruger M77 MKII
Browning A-Bolt
Remington 700
Savage 11, 111,
Tikka?? (never really handled a Tikka nor seen one though)
Butch A.
Anyway, thinking back to my top 4 choices... What are the opinions on these bolt actions?
Ruger M77 MKII
Browning A-Bolt
Remington 700
Savage 11, 111,
Tikka?? (never really handled a Tikka nor seen one though)
Butch A.
05-02-2007, 07:27 AM
#30
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: PA
Posts: 2,313
RE: Help me pick a new deer rifle
I would go with a Browning, Ruger or Tikka. Tikkas are very good rifles but so are all of your other choices. Go and see what fits you best. A 50 BMG kicks less then my 338 Laupua but the shockwave from the blast kills after 20 or 30 rounds.