Beginner Deer Guns
 

what would be the best beginners deer gun?

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

I think the best beginner deer gun would be a 243 or a 25.06 or a 270 or maybe a 280, but you might like a 30.06 but maybe just a 30.30. No now thatI think about it you should get a 308! But you might want to grow with the gun so you should get a magnum, probably a 300 RUM?:)

Seriously, there are a lot of great choices out there, but we need more info to help you out. Just from what you asked, my answer would be a 270. Good Luck!

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

well im in mississippi and ive only been hunting once but i killed the deer for the first time hunting and even shooting a rifle besides a .22 but the .270 dropped the deer in its tracks i would like one but i didnt know if it would be a good beginner gun im 14 though ha ha but any help would be greatly appriceated if i spelled that right ha ha i dont care

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

I agree with colorado above. There are lots of great cartridges for a beginner rifle. Personally, I am a fan of the .308. It is a very versitle round, thatgives you lots of options. But then so do many others. To be honest, I really don't think there is a truly RIGHT answer.

you mentioned the .270 and had good luck with that. If you liked that then buy one.

Good luck to you .

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

thanks kdvollmer

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

If you are gonna get a magnum, might as well get a real magnum, like a .458 Lott.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

My Wife is rifle hunting this year for the first time...here's the rifle Combo that she has:
Rossi S2022243RS

http://www.rossiusa.com/products/product-details.cfm?model=S2022243RS&category=MATCHEDS ET

IMHO...The .243 is more than enough gun for Whitetail but nothing larger.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

that seems like a pretty small gun im a big 14 year old 6'0 tall 236 so i dont think i would want that but .243 is a good gun i think and beartooth isnt 458 lott used for african game?

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

i was lookin at those rossis and i saw the 270 in full size and its pretty cheap i might get that are those quality guns my question mark button aint working ha ha sorry


http://www.rossiusa.com/products/product-details.cfm?model=R270MB&category=RIFLE

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

Not only has it to do with your size but it also has to do with your shooting experience. Just because you may be a big guy, you should consider your own experience with guns.(this you have not stated) I would hate to have you or anyonepurchase a gun with too much of a kick and develop a bad flinch. Whether it be a 22.250, 30-30, .243,.270, or a 300 mag, they all kill deer. Different models fit different people differently. This may seem like common sense but you would be surprised at how many choose a gun that isn't right for them. Also consider the type of terrain you will be hunting, that too should be a consideration when you are choosing the cal. you wish to hunt with. I feel as at home using my 30-30 in deep thick buch as I am using my 7mm mag looking down a long tree line.If you have the opportunity to try a few different cal. and models at a range that may give you some great feedback. Good luck with your purchase.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

.30-30 lever gun. Quite capable of taking a deer and has been doing so for a looooong time.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

IMO I would stay away from anything based on the '06 case, the additional power and recoil aren't what a beginner needs. Recoil and muzzle blast are the 2 biggest things that a beginner worries about. It doesn't matter if how much power a round has if the shooter is more worried about what will happen to his shoulder than keeping the crosshairs on the target.

The 260, 7mm-08, 257 Roberts or 6.5x55 Swede would be my picks for a beginners first deer rifle. All have low recoil combined for good range and more than enough power for deer hunting.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

I like all the ones popeye said but would have to throw in the 308 also. If recoil is a problem, get a 7400 as the recoil of mine in 308 feels like a 22-250. Very easy on the shoulder! If you want a 270 though, just go with that as it's great on deer also.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

I trained my kids on a H+R 158 single shot 30-30 to make them place their first shot correctly.It has a 4x Bushnell Banner and consistantly shoots MOA with both 150-170gr handloads.My 14 year old shot several deer and his first moose with it last year. My older son used his mother's Win 70 FWT in 6.5x55 and dropped several deer until I bought him a 25-06 when he filled out physically.I also like to get kids shooting my scoped Sav99 in .250 Sav ,no recoil and dead deer at the receiving end................set them up on deer travel routes between feeding and bedding area's so 50 yards is the average range over shooting sticks........Harold

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

What canyou shoot? At age 14, my son started out deer huinting with a 7X57mm Ruger Model 77 with a 140-grain bullet at over 2900 FPS. The next year, he had no trouble at all coping with an 11-pound .375 H&H Magnum. Everyone is different--some beginners are quite capable of handling recoil, yet I know men over 250 pounds who are beat to death with a.30/'06!

I suggest you see if you can find someone who will let you try out his/her .30/'06. If you can shoot it, get yourself one. Then you won't need to buy anything else for any hunting in North America. If you cannot shoot it, try a 7mm/'08 (or better yet, a 7X57mm if you can find one); or a .260 Rem or6.5X55. ANY of these last four will kill the biggest deer (and black bear too) that ever lived in North America with one shot. But you might want to move up in caliber a little for elk,grizzly, and Alaskan brownbear. Like a .338 Win. Mag. later on.....

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

If you like the .270 and you must already have some confidence in it, I would recommend it. It is probably one of the most popular whitetail guns around. So if whitetail isgoing to be your mainquarry in the near future, the 270 is perfect and can reach out a ways for longer shots if needed, and is also versatile for other game, withinlimits. I think you just need to find a model that you like and one that is known for reliability.

Another thing that can be overlooked by "new guys" is the quality of the trigger. This can have a substantial impact on developing your skill at the range and in the field, etc. Get one with a trigger that is crisp and fairly light with little "creep". Might look at a savage as great first gun.

Not that you wouldn't, but, always, ALWAYS wear hearing protection at the range. This will helpkeep you from flinching but is even more important if you want to retain your sense of hearing over the long haul (very important:D). Good luck.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

A lot of my friends shoot 270's and they have killed lots of big deer with that rifle. If you are shooting past 200 yards or an area that is wide open then I would get a 270 and scope it.

However, if you are shooting in an area that has lots of thick woods then I would go with a 30-30. The main thing is to shoot a lot before you go and become accurate with your rifle. I think too many guys are caught up in getting huge calibers and fail to practice with them. They believe because they have a large caliber that shot placement isn't as important and I disagree. Good luck, bud.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

thanks for all info im glad i came here you all have given me good information and i hope i will use it wisely thanks again if anymore comes to mind i will take it thanks:)

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

does anyone shoot 12 gauge slugs if so i shot one of those about two weeks ago and it felt like a day after skeet shooting at 4H with a 12 gauge benelli whatisthe recoil difference between a .270 and a 12 gauge slug or a 30'06 and a 12 gauge slug if you know im here

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

260, 6.5x55, 7mm-08 or 270. Ant one of those and they are set for life.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

For the South, 30-30, .308, and 7mm-08.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

You would have to further define specifically which 12 gauge slugs you were refering to, but in general, the recoil is much greater with the 12 gauge than with any .270 or .30-06. I have both an H & R Ultra Slug Hunter in 12 gauge, and a .30-06. I shoot 400 grain Winchester Platinum Tip sabots in the 12 and CT 180 Partition Golds in the 06. Even though these would be considered reasonably stout rounds in an 06, the recoil is insignificant compared to how much the 400 grainers out of the 12 put into your shoulder. Really only mainly matters when your sighting in the rifles though. Never really noticed the recoil from either when your actually aiming at a game animal. The amount of broken blood vessels in your shoulder also helps further show you the difference after you shoot each. That is why I generally recommend shooting a 20 gauge rifled barrel shotgun over the 12 gauge. The 20 still kicks a healthy amount, but your pushing mid 200 grain bullets, instead of upper 300 grain to 400 grain bullets, and I really doubt the deer will notice the difference.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

The .270 is a superb caliber, for a novice or an expert, IF he/she can SHOOT IT ACCURATELY! The same applies to most of the cartridges in that class, including the 6.5X55, .260 Rem., 7/08, 7X57mm, .280, .308, .30/'06, etc.

I think you've proved that you can shoot the .270. If that is true, why not get one for yourself? As the old Indian guide once told Jack O'Connor when the argument about which gun is best came up: "any gun good, shoot'um good!"That's still true.......

However, thinking about it some more, for you it might be more of a question of GUN DESIGN than which cartridge to use. IF you'd prefer a shorter, lighter, and handier rifle, take a look at the Remington Model 7, Ruger M77 Ultra Light,and other short-action lightweights. These rifles are chambered for the shorter cartridges like the .260 Rem., 7mm/'08, and .308. All of these rounds are excellent for your needs, and the guns are much easier to handle than some of those with longer actions made for the .270-.30/'06 size cases.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

Remington SPS 7MM-08. Great starter rifle that will last you a lifetime. No need to update. 270 or 6.5x55 would also fill the bill. The 7mm-08 delivers good big game performance without a bunch of recoil and muzzle blast.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

Where in Mississippi are you? Just curious since I live in North MS.

Anyway I just bought my son a Ruger Hawkeye All Weather 7mm-08 for hunting deer in MS. And when he's old enough to shoota larger rifle, like my.30-06 or .300 Win. mag, I plan on confiscating the 7-08 for my own use.;)

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

i would suggest a 30-30 lever action.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

I live in Columbus Solitary Man Thanks for all the help everyone

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

As mentioned earlier the Rossi 3 barrel combination gun is great for Younger Hunters and Women but it is also a gun you will grow out of after a few years depending on your size.At your size Jeremy you could probably handle the 30-30 really well and it is a great gun in thick cover/woods and my other suggestion would be a Browning A-bolt .243 Rifle that can be used for Deer Hunting and used for Coyotes/Varmits also.

I have shot my Remington 30-06 for several years and have been tired of the recoil soI decided to buy myself a Browning A-bolt Hunter in the .243 caliber using the Hornady 100 Custom shells,Leupold 3-4 X 9mm scope w/millet ringsand I have shot several deer over the past 2 years.It has great accuracy with little recoil.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

IfI was begining hunting again, I would have chosen some of the milder cartridges. Not only are they easier to manage when it comes to recoil, it allows you to take a peak around your local gunshopsfor some true relics. (old timers guns) And the more I learned about guns and grew to love them, I learned that mild cartridges and relics can go hand and hand. They also have an abundance of history behind them. History that shows they were very effective on large game pursued in those days of old. The history lessons learned from these guns taught me many things but one of the most important lessionsI learned was the fact that " THE GUNS BACK THEN KILLED LARGE GAME....SO THOSE SAME GUNS CAN KILL THE SAME LARGE GAME TODAY." And you don't have to kill your shoulders either.

I started with a 12 gauge and a 30-06 (which is my favorite all AMERICAN cartidge by the way);). I could handle the recoil ....no problem..... but it wasn't untilI shot my first .243, 257 roberts, 250 savage, 300 savage.....ect ect ect thatI realized that I was missing something VERY special.

Instead of walking into deercamp on opening day witha remington 700 or a savage 110. I would have felt pretty darn good toowalking into camp with a savage model 99 chambered in 30-30, 250 savage or 300 savage. And have all the freinds MY AGE sit up in their seats and say.... "WHAT THE HECK GUN IS THAT? And the old timer in the corner stands stands up with his cane in his hand and says......I rember my first rifle was a savage 99.....and I killed over 100 deer with that thing.

To each his own....but there is alot more to hunting than trying to find the biggest gun possible to hunt a certain type of game. Heck, you could use a 505 gibbs for whitetail and nobody would say much about it.....But you shoulddo what you think is best for you and what you are comfortable to shoot with. But dont ever second guess some of those mild "OLDIE" cartridges either.

243, 6mm, 250 savage, 257 roberts, 7mm -08, 7-30 waters 300 savage, 30-30...ect ect.
other GREAT suggestions....if ya dont mind a BIT more recoil ( just a bit)are

25-06, 264, 270, 280, 308, 30-06. Some of these offer a bit more recoil but are excellent choices for most big game in america.

GOOD LUCK MY FREIND, BECAUSE YOU GOT ALOT OF CHOICES OUT THERE.:)

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

I started at your age with a 243 and shot it up till last year. I am now 36. I stopped shooting it because I wanted to save it for my Son who is 2.. You can't go wrong with a 243. Shoot the 85 Grain BTHP and don't look back.. Has dropped deer in thier tracks for me in both TX and now MS for over 20 years.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

If I were buying an economical single shot, and I will be soon. It would be a H&R Handi-Rifle. IMO they have a better feel and are better made than the Rossi. My personal choice is going to be 25-06. Easier on the shoulder than the .270 Win. Not that either are hard recoiling guns. I also wouldn't shy away from the .243. It's an awesome caliber that is usually reserved for the recoil sensitive, but just because you're a bit bigger than most women or children that doesn't make the bullet any less effective.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

Physical size has nothing to do with the size caliber a hunter uses...I'm
6' 5", 250....Have used a .243 since 1980, killed at least 150 deer with, it works just fine....My brothers use the 7mm-08 and .270, they also work...
We see no difference in how far a deer travels after the shot with either a center lung shot or high shoulder shot....Each year we kill 40-50 deer on our 3 farms, spread that out over 25 years or so, it should give you a pretty good basis for comparison....

One thing my brothers have noticed is that I make better shot placements than they do, thus my deer either drop on the spot or within 50 yards.....

There are 4 advantages that I have noticed that come with using a rifle that is a light kicker....1) I use it year round, crows, coyotes, groundhogs, whatever, it's what I use...2) I never lose sight of the deer after the shot, I keep the scope on them, so I see the result 3) I can shoot from either shoulder, if a deer appears on my off shoulder, I flip the rifle over and take the shot, no need to stand up, turn around and get on the deer, which can easily spook them before the shot...4) Since I enjoy shooting, I practice more, making me a better shot, my brothers actually get me to sight in their rifles, because they don't enjoy shooting as much as I do....

On the "age" thing...I'm 52, guess I'm still too young to move up to a "big boys" gun...:D

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

Browning 300 WSM. I hateto lose wounded deer. With a BOSS on the barrel, it has no more recoil than a 243.

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

I would opt for either a 270 or a 7mm-08. If you are concerned about recoil look at the reduced recoil loads now offered by Remington and others. Once the shooter is proficient AND needs the option for longer shots, step them up to normal, full-power loads. If they will be shooting under 200 yards for deer and smaller game, just keep with the reduced recoil loads and you're done. Also, make sure you have a really good recoil pad on the rifle from the start and try to avoid a youth model as they are generally lighter and will kick harder. Plenty of eye releif for the scope too, don't want them to get bit. And don't make them shoot paper to start, put a plastic gallon milk jug out at 35 yards full of water (food dye red or green or blue for fun) and let them shoot those for a while. Make it fun and keep their minds off the recoil. Only shoot a few shells and then switch over to a .22 semi-auto and just have fun with it.

Good luck!

RE: Beginner Deer Guns
 

30-30 marlin lever action. You will have it the rest of your life.

mello