planning a purchase
 

I' ve spent quite a bit of time at the range just target shooting and have been pretty happy with that. Recently, a friend who hunts gave me some venison to try (it was really good), so now I' m thinking of getting into hunting. I' ll be finishing college soon, and therefore settling down (in connecticut), so I' m planning most of my future firearm purchases. Here' s the plan so far:

.22 rifle: I' m not sure what brand, though I hear a lot of good things about the Ruger 10-22. It' ll be for target shooting and small game (rabbit).

Ruger Mini 14 Ranch Rifle: I wanted something good for plinking that used a .223 round (really cheap and common). The Mini 14 is more affordable than a G3, FN-FAL, AR-15, etc. (besides, a friend of mine has an AR-15 if I ever want to shoot one). It' s also very customizable which should make it a fun weapon. Someone suggested I use this (with hollow-point ammo) for deer hunting, but I' m not so sure it' s legal or that I want to pick tin out of my venison.

Deer Rifle: Not sure at all on this one. I' ve read a lot of posts on the forums and have done my own research. The most popular calibers I' ve seen have been the .243, .270, 30.06, and .308 Win. I' m looking for something that isn' t all that expensive to shoot and versatile (effective range, penetration, etc.). I' m not sure if I should go with a larger caliber because I' ll already have the .223, or what. Also, any other suggestions past caliber would be appreciated.

Thanks. :)

RE: planning a purchase
 

Welcome to the board Starboy.

You' ve got a lot of options on the deer rifle. Looking through these forums is a good first step. By now you' ve seen some of the endless debates on which caliber is best. Those threads border on religous arguements. The responses can mostly be translated to " I shoot XXX and I like it" . Nothing wrong with that, just doesn' t give the type of guidance you' re looking for.

My suggestion would be to ask yourself where you' re going to hunt. Will it be in the woods, open fields, power line clearings, etc. What distance are you likely to be shooting? I' ve read that most deer kills are taken under 200 years, while the average shot taken is around half again as much.

You really do have a lot of choices for deer hunting. Any of the calibers you mentioned would be sufficient. Some are a bit more flat-shooting, others can reach out and touch the deer a bit better than others. For instance, I' ve read that a .243 is sufficient out to around 200 yards, then other rounds are a better pick. I read that, its not from experience - not trying to offend .243 owners. The .270 has taken many deer, as has the 30-06, and the others you' ve mentioned. One that you didn' t mention is the 7mm-08. I don' t have one myself, but am tempted.

My advice would be that if you' ll be shooting at moderate ranges, don' t punish yourself with a big magnum. Entering the sport with something like a 7mm-08 or .243 lets you develop good habits without the fear of getting a recoil flinch. The standard .270 or the 30-06 have great ammo availability which leads to decent prices.

Stop by a few gun stores and shoulder a few rifles. Find a model that you' re comfortable with. If you have friends that hunt, maybe you can make a range trip with them. Give their rifle and caliber a try.

RE: planning a purchase
 

Welcome Starboy, All the calibers you mentioned are good deer cartridges.I prefer a little bigger then the 243 Win for deer.For all around use and a large selection in bullets the 30-06 might be a good choice for you.I hunt with a Remington M-700 in 270 or a Ruger M-77 in 7 mm Rem Mag.Both have laid several deer low.This year I' m switching to a Browning BAR ' Stalker" in 270.The Ruger Mini 14 is a well made and reliable rifle. It leaves allot to desired for accuracy. For general plinkling it' s fine. If you want a tack driver look else where.The Ruger 10-22 is one of the finest 22' s available. For the price you can' t beat it..
Ruger Redhawk

RE: planning a purchase
 

Does anyone have better recommendations for something that shoots a .223 other than the Mini 14? A friend of mine has an AR-15, and while it' s fun to shoot, it' s a little bulky. What got me with the Mini 14 range rifle was it' s smaller size (even smaller if you convert it to a pistol grip and collapsable stock), and I like the look (though looks aren' t a deal maker/breaker with me). However, if accuracy is that big of an issue, then I' m open to other ideas, as I' d like to use the .223 to it' s fullest potential.

I' m surprised to suddenly hear so much about the Mini 14' s accuracy problem. I' ve known about it (and know people who own them) for quite a while, and only the past couple days have I been hearing this.

RE: planning a purchase
 

Welcome to the forum Starboy . The one thing I wouldn' t do is reccomend a mini-14 , I have owned a couple and didn' t find them to be all that accurate .
Your choice on deer rifles were all fine in my opinion and there are a few more that you could consider like the 25-06 and 7mm-08 just to name a couple . I would look at all of them and if possible try as many of them as you can before making a decision .

RE: planning a purchase
 

The .243 Win is not a deer round. It was developed for varmints. Some people may be pissed off when they hear this, but it is true. For a deer round, I would choose the .257 Roberts, the .260 Rem or the 7mm-08 Rem.

They are all great deer rounds. This is the only area I have a lot of experience in, and I stand by my statement.

RE: planning a purchase
 

Seattlesetters,
Doesn' t matter what it was intended for but rather actually what is does. The 243 is an excellent deer round I don' t care if they originally thought it was going to be used to shoot flies.

Starboy,
If you know you are just going to hunt deer I' d go with the 243, but if you may ever get into hunting some other larger game get a 308 or 30-06.
Steer clear of the mini-14, rarely do you get one that is accurate. If accuracy is not a dire concern then go for it. You can take a deer up to 250 yds easy with any of the calibers you' ve mentioned(except the 223, I wouldn' t used that for deer as a beginner). One more thing, for the 22 you mentioned the ruger, excellent gun, but take a look at the Marlin 22' s as well, they have some nice guns.
Welcome and good luck.

RE: planning a purchase
 

I personally get the most satisfaction from shooting my hunting rifle. It usually pays off during the hunt.

The 30.06 probably has the greatest variety of factory loads available. It' s not too hard to shoot and will also take any North American game animal.

That being said - for just having fun you can' t beat a .22. Its cheap to shoot.

Take a Hunting Safety course that has both written and practical testing. It will make your shooting more safe and enjoyable.

RE: planning a purchase
 

I beg to differ with those who would say that a .243/6MM is not a deer caliber.
With good 100 grain bullets the .243/6MM will take ANY Whitetail from Mexico to Canada!
If I were out for a deer rifle I would opt for the 7MM/08! My deer guns are the 6MM Remington, .308 Win. and the 7MM Rem. magnum. (I have not seen either of these two calibers do anything to Whitetails that the .243/6MM could not have done!)
After shooting the 7MM/08 though, I' d say it is as close to a " perfect" deer caliber as you could get! It has more than enough power, flat, long range shooting and easy on the shoulder too!

RE: planning a purchase
 

Welcome Starboy! I' d have to say the Ruger 10-22 is a real buy. You can accurize it very affordably and do the work yourself, very user friendly. Vohlquartson, I,m sure I didn' t spell that right, makes a great trigger assembly for the 10-22. If you like bolt-actions you can get a .223 and the .308, both great calibers, in a Savage model 10fp. Very accurate out of the box plus this model now comes withe the new Accu-trigger. I' ve owned both calibers in this model and can honestly say they are fantastic! Click on the Savage site and check these out.;) You can adjust the trigger yourself down to 1.5lbs. and up to 6lbs. without the danger of accidental discharge. I think you' ll like the prices too. I love mine and both were bought before the trigger change. I' ve got both of them adusted down to a good hunting weight of 3.25lbs. and the safety is still usable.:)