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New to Hunting...

Old 12-06-2007, 12:09 PM
  #1  
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Default New to Hunting...

Hi guys any advice you could give me would be great. I am going to go hunting (Deer) for the first time next year. I need some advice on what kind of rifle to buy. I am looking at a lower cost but still a good gun. I would also needa scope, so any advice on that would be great also. The reason I am asking now is so I can get it and get use to the gun at the range before I go hunting. I have never owned a rifle only shot guns. Thanks in advance for your help.
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Old 12-06-2007, 12:28 PM
  #2  
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My advice would be to buy the best equipment you can afford and practice practice practice.

What is your maximum budget for a rifle / scope?
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Old 12-06-2007, 12:56 PM
  #3  
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I am looking to spend around 500-600 for both the gun and scope. But that is not a "set" amount.
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Old 12-06-2007, 01:05 PM
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Default RE: New to Hunting...

in that budget, keep a close eye on the used market, you'll get more "bang" for your "buck"... and ya, practice is more important than the gun you buy... .260 and .270 would be my first choices depending on how familiar you are with guns and shooting... ruger, remington, winchester, etc. all make top notch guns, find the model you are most comfy with and then find a way to afford it... you can get a pretty decent new scope for 200 bucks... but for 600ish you should be able to find a used rifle/scope combo that'll work great for ya... welcome aboard, its a great adventure...
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Old 12-06-2007, 01:27 PM
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Default RE: New to Hunting...

I am looking at a 30-06. I like Remmington cause I owe a couple shotgun by them. Is Savage a good Brand? Also any magazine with gun reviews you can suggest?
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Old 12-06-2007, 01:37 PM
  #6  
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Default RE: New to Hunting...

You can probably pick up a used Remington 700 (stay away from the 710) or Ruger 77 in that price range. Both are fine rifles.

I'm always a little leary about buying used guns because you never know what they have been through in prior ownership so you would be well served to take the gun (if you buy used) to a gunsmith to have them check it out completely with a bore scope and check the crown and everything.

I would recommend you stay with a common caliber like 270 win. Great caliber for deer and has moderate recoil. Lots of ammo choices and you can find the ammo anywhere.

I do recommend you purchase a new scope. You can get a Nikon Buckmasters 3x9 for around $200 and use good mounts. I always use Leopold scope mounts. Have it bore sighted and you are ready to take it to the range to sight it in. Many other choices out there for less money but in scopes you get what you pay for and in the case of Nikon, you get much more than you pay for. Just my opinion of course.

Like it has been said, practice is the key. Practice practice and more practice. Shooting a rifle is much different than shooting a shotgun. Making a good shot on a deer is very important as you cannot rely on your bird dog to chase down and bring in the cripple. You want to eliminate all flinching with your rifle. Shoot a 8-10 times to get used to the recoil, then have a friend or something load your rifle for you without you looking. Here's the key. Sometimes your friend puts a live round in the chamber, sometimes they don't. This will help you practice shooting w/o flinching. You will know if you flinched when you jerk the trigger and nothing happens and your eyes are closed.

Where most new hunters run into problems, in my experience and opinion, is with "buck fever". This is the shot of adrenenlyn that you get when you are about to take a shot on a deer. Most of us veteran hunters still get buck fever, hell it's why we hunt in the first place. I've always said, the moment I fail to become excited about shooting a deer is the moment I quit deer hunting and move on to something else.

If you have a way to do this, it might serve you well. You want to practice shooting with an elevated heart rate after you become comfortable with your new rifle, as this is the state that you will be shooting a deer from. Heart rate is elevated (feels like it's going to pound through your chest)..you get the shakes, hard to control your breathing, etc etc. If you can become proficient at shooting from this state then you will be well prepared when you line up that shot on your first deer.

I hope this helps. Welcome to the board. Stay curious and read everything you can about this great sport. Good luck!
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Old 12-06-2007, 03:55 PM
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Default RE: New to Hunting...

ORIGINAL: rgmuckli

I am looking at a 30-06. I like Remmington cause I owe a couple shotgun by them. Is Savage a good Brand? Also any magazine with gun reviews you can suggest?
By far the best all choice round in my opeinion is the 06 and 308. In those calibers I do recommend the Savage Model 116FSS or the Model 110GXP3 because of the accutrigger and the price.
I personaly gave up on Remington after have 2 that just refused to group very well no matter what I fed them.
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Old 12-06-2007, 08:24 PM
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Default RE: New to Hunting...

I sight in rifles as a business and have to disagree with the statement that implied the Rem 700 might not be accurate. I would go with the 700, leupold mounts, and a Buckmaster 3x9x40.

The 30-06 will not recoil any worse than heavy loads in your shotgun. The 30-06 is inexpensive and versitile, I would hunt anything but big bear(griz, brown, polar)in North America with a 30-06.

Savage and Remington 700 are your best values. If you are not going to buy a $200 scope shoot open sights, and do not buy a savage scope/gun package the scope is not quality. Stay away from Rem models other than 700.

Just an Idea, Walmart seems to be selling out of the 700adl model. It was replaced by 700sps. I saw several 700 ADLs on sale for $300 locally, my friends have bought them now.
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Old 12-06-2007, 10:29 PM
  #9  
EKM
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Default RE: New to Hunting...

Excellent choice in the 30-06.
New mass produced rifles in your price range are a trade off.
Remington700 would be okay, never had a Savage, no opinion there.

First three long guns should be 22LR, 12 gauge, and a 30-06.
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Old 12-07-2007, 06:36 AM
  #10  
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Default RE: New to Hunting...

ORIGINAL: speyrjb

My advice would be to buy the best equipment you can afford and practice practice practice.

What is your maximum budget for a rifle / scope?
Welcome!

I agree with this gentleman's advice. I think a real good buy for the money is the Weatherby Vanguard. Weatherby guarantees the accuracy, and they are not priced outrageously. Next, I would recommend buying the best scope you can afford. Some of the older, high-quality scopes that you can get from EBay are a better deal than some of the lower-priced new ones. I am speaking specifically of the older Bausch & Lombs, Bushnell Scopechiefs, Lyman All-Americans with Perma-Centered reticles, the steel-tube Weaver K models in the "B" series, older Redfields, or even old Leupolds. I use a lot of such scopes, and theyoften function BETTER than stuff like Tasco, Simmons, etc. If you can afford it, get a Leupold.Variables are "nice to have" items, but are NOT NECESSARY! For example, I have an old Leupold 7.5X fixed power on my 6mm/.284, and a Kahles Helia 6X on my 7mm Rem. Mag. These rigs work at all ranges from 50 yards to 500.........
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