Maine Shooter

Yup, nothing better than having a nice firearm but not being able to hit the target. I'd take a rusty ol' Stevens that'll shoot over a classy Remington that won't. The name of the game is being able to hit your taregt not simply be showy. [&:]

Anyways..I also suggest going with a .22lr. get all the basics down firmly and then move on. Rushing into this isn't going to make it better. Learn what works and what doesn't is easy with a easy shooting rifle than with a kicker. It's hard to undo bad habits. That said, I'd say a decent .30-30 will suffice. More than capable of whitetails and more, easy on the shooter and easy on the wallet.

eldeguello

There is no doubt that you should begin your marksmanship training with a good, accurate .22 rimfire. You will, of course, need something a bit more powerful for deer hunting. And I would recommend a good pump-action 20-ga shotgun for small game like rabbit, squirrel, and of course, bird hunting. In addition, with slugs, a shotgun CAN be used out to 50-75 yards or perhaps a bit more for deer as well.

For deer hunting, I recommend starting with a caliber like the .260 Remington or the 7mm/'08. Both of these are great deer slayers, and don't kick too much, or break your ear drums when you shoot them!

tempehunter

First---join the NRA protect your right to bear arms. Then like everyone else said work on shooting accuratly with a 22lr. squeeeeeze the trigger, learn the concept of balistics, BE SAFE, and most of all have fun!!!!

ncrebel8

Please take the time to learn safe gun handling to begin with. Rifle shooting is an art that takes practice, and yes a .22 is the best platform to learn this. As for a deer rifle, there is no best "starter rifle". Your purchase should be made as if this will be your hunting rifle for the rest of your life. The .223 is definatly not a deer gun! Neither is the .243, yes many deer have been killed with a .243, but there have been many many deer wounded and lost to these small bullets. That is absolutely the worst thing that a hunter can do! The .260 Remington is absolutly the smallest caliber i would even consider. You should use a bullet with enough WEIGHT AND VELOCITY TO MAKE ENOUGH TERMINAL ENERGY TO HUMANLEY KILL YOUR GAME. Notice that I said WEIGHT AND VELOCITY, bullets of 100 grains or less are not acceptable! These are just my experienced opinions, others will tell you differently. You have to make the decision as to what you belive is right. Anyway, welcome to the world of hunting, good luck and happy safe hunting

Big Guy01

X2 Exactly the advice I would have given.