WonderMonkey

Thanks for the post. MOST of my shots will be 100 yds or less with most of THOSE being within 50 yards. Only here and there will I be in a spot to go to 300yds or longer.

I will study the method of sighting that you posted, thanks for the point.

Also I'll be purchasing my rounds. I'll figure one out and stick with it, probably buy in lots.

WonderMonkey

I just watched that video, how simple! I would have never thought of that.

Sheridan

Start by considering a 50 / 50 split in terms of the money you are going to spend on the rifle vs the scope.

IMO you need to spend more to get "quality" in a scope than you need to spend to get "quality" in a rifle.


So take a look at these (they all work well for your use);

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=117270

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=117249

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http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=99595

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=90826

http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=86358

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Quicksilver34

I have owned alot of rifles in my 50 yrs. and out of everything I have owned I just bought a CVA Apex in 270 and this is the most accurrate comph. rifle I have ever owned and I can buy differant Barrles for it from 222 to 12ga, shotgun I can shoot a 1/2" group @ 100yds and this is with a 5 shot group not just 3 shots. And the thing about a single shot rifle is you will make that first shot count and not think about throwing lead every where with a multi shot rifle because the first one is the most important shot.
Also check out the Savage rifles they are very well built and that ACCU trigger in Awesome. For WhiteTail I like 243 / 270 / 7mm-08 / for longer shots and for med. range shots I like the 30-30 / 444 / 45-70 I bought the Apex in 270 because I want to go ELK hunting also if it was going to be just for WT I would have gone with a 243 BUT THIS IS JMHO.
Good Luck and Shoot straight

homers brother

Your adventures begin. Purchasing a rifle is just a start.

I somewhat regretted that my first deer rifle, a stubby Remington 600 in .243, wasn't a slick Winchester M70 or Remington M700 (the most popular bolt guns of the day), but that little rifle taught a teenager an awful lot about shooting centerfire rifles and hunting. And it still goes to the field. So, I'd suggest that whatever you buy might ultimately be with you for a very long time.

Though I tend to be most loyal to Remington, CZ, and Weatherby/Howa, I don't think there's really a bolt-gun (aside from the Remington 710/770) that wouldn't serve you well over the long haul. The only rifle I've really ever been disappointed in was the Ruger M77. Beautiful rifle, but none that I borrowed to "try out" ever shot as well as my Remingtons, so I never bought one. Don't know how they are today. Value-wise, the Weatherby Vanguard is still what I believe to be one of the best rifles on the market for the money. Simple. Accurate. Dependable. And often less than $400. I don't own a Savage, and I'm not a fan of the idea of adding more moving parts than absolutely necessary (i.e. the accutrigger). A good trigger shouldn't need to be complex. However, the 110 family has such a large and loyal following that you'd almost have to give them a look as well. Shop around.

In terms of caliber, the .308 is probably one of the better "all-around" calibers. It'll take everything from deer to moose with the correct bullet and provided you fulfill your end of the task. You could reasonably hunt everything in the lower 48 with a .308. It's a bit heavy in my experience for varmint hunting, but nothing wrong with it otherwise. Ammunition's widely available, and it's easy to reload if you elect to delve into that someday. You could certainly go with another short-action caliber like the 7mm-08 and probably do the same things, and although my preference for deer and pronghorn is the .243, it's not ideal for larger game like elk and moose. Larger standard-length calibers like the .30-06, .280, .270, or .25-06 are also very effective on deer, but you're really burning more powder now than your short ranges really need. Don't want to say much, but "magnums" are wholly overkill on deer-sized game unless you're shooting at them from the next county over.

I know lots of people get themselves focused on the rifle and the scope, but I hope I can save you some frustration here - make sure your scope mounting system (bases, rings) is up to the task. This is where you absolutely need to buy quality, or you'll never get the most out of your rifle and scope.

Otherwise in terms of optics, I'm also a fan of lower-powered scopes. Though my preference out here on the plains and mountain vistas is the 3-9 variable, I think I'd lean more toward 2-7 for your terrain. I've done the "cheap and then upgrade" option myself, but not since that first M600. A cheap scope doesn't mean your rifle won't shoot well, it generally means that YOU won't see the target well. And if you're like I was (humidity, cold, raining), you may not see the target at all through your fogged optic. Cheap scopes aren't accuracy killers, they're hunt killers. Anymore, I plan to spend as much or MORE on the optic as I do on the rifle. The "cheapest" scopes I own now are Leupold VX-2s and Burris Fullfield IIs. If it comes in a plastic bubble-pack and not a box, it belongs on a BB gun.

Good luck, whatever you decide. And once you get the whole rifle thing figured out, recognize that the best equipment you have when you're hunting is permanently mounted between your ears. Be smarter than your quarry, master your environment, be safe.

country1

From what you describe, don't ignore the 30-30 in lever action or a .308 Win in a Browning BLR (Browning Lever Action). The 30-30 is not a 300 yard gun (it may be if you use the Hornady LeveRelution ammo), but it can do 200 to a max of 250 if you know the rifle well and the drop of the bullet. I am not saying the 30-30 is what you should buy, but rather not to ignore it as an option.

Unfortunately, the quality of the new Marlin lever actions has gone done since they were bought out by the holding company of Remington.

Have you determined if you are right or left eye dominant? I would do this before purchasing a rifle.

Get your rifle first, and then look at optics, rings and bases. You need to have a scope tube with a mounting area that is long enough to fit the action of your particular rifle.

Here is one website that has decent prices on optics.
www.opticsplanet.com

emtrescue6

Several options have been posted...and several good comments. As many have said, first and foremost buy a rifle that fits you best, so go to a store and fondle lots of options before making a selection. I personally love the 308 Win., it is a very accurate caliber and very flexible in bullet options and easy to find ammo for. Plus, if you someday choose to go elk or bear hunting, it too can do that well. Many other calibers to also consider would be the 243 WIN, 270 WIN, 270 WSM, 7mm-08, 25-06...to name a few, but none of them will really outperform the 308 as a good all around round.

I have a couple Rem 700's...love them! But they are older models and I believe they are better then what Remington has been making...but that seems to be changing. Don't think you can go wrong with a Remington, but think you do as well or better for the same money. Many rifles now come with factory adjustable triggers and most have factory free-float barrels that will more than satisfy the average hunter. Consider these options as well...

Tikka - I have a T-3 Lite (in stainless) 270 WSM...fell in love with it the first time I handled it and it shoots like a dream! I paid just over $600. It has a free-floated barrel and a very nice adjustable trigger (trigger really is NICE!...breaks like glass) and is accurate with just about everything I have fed it.

Savage (112, 110) - Also comes with a factory free-floated barrel...buy one with the accu-trigger (really easy to adjust and very nice)...I have 2 and they both shoot very nicely and paid right at $600 each (one also has the accu-stock!).

Browning A-Bolt - another great option...again free-floated barrel, adjustable trigger, very accurte rifle. Hard to beat Browning quality for the $$.

Rugar American Rifle - getting GREAT reviews, I don't own one but have fondled one and heard great things for the $$

Optics...buy good optics...contrary to popular belief one does not need to spend an arm and a leg to get quality hunting optics that are good quality. There are literally dozens of brands people will recommend for various reasons. I personally own probably one of each of those dozens...from Loupy's to Nikon, to BSA (yes, I will admit I own one...it came on a rifle I bought and quickly went into a box on the floor) and Zeiss. I have had good experience with several brands but three stick rise to the top for me based on price, quality, clarity, durability and customer service reputation...

Bushnell's elite (made by B & L)...I have a 4200 and love it! I probably wouldn't have bought it on it's own, it came on a rifle...and I really do like it. I think it is about a $4-500 scope.

Nikon (pro-staff or Monarch) are very good scopes for the money...one can find a 3-9x50 Pro-staff online (SWFA or OpticsPlanet) for less than $200. I own 2 pro-staff's in 3-9x50 and they are both on primary deer guns and love them. Great clarity, high quality, clear to the edge of the glass, and neither have ever failed me. Hard to beat for the $$.

Swift (premier) - My personal favorite optic. Many say you only need to buy one to establish your lifetime relationship with Swift. I currently have 4 of their scopes...including 3 3-9x40's and a 6-24x50AO...absolutely love them! Their clarity is equal to my Zeiss (and was 1/4 the cost), very durable, and great customer service! I had a bad one many years ago on my 7mm...they replaced it no questions asked! Haven't had a problem since. You can find the 3-9x40 or 50 online for between $2-300 (depending on model).

At the end of the day, buy what YOU want and enjoy it! Happy hunting!

stalkingbear

You can get a Browning A-bolt composite stalker for 503$ at buds gun shop. I recently bought 2 of them, 1 to build a 35 whelen from. The A-bolts feature glass bedded,free floating barrel from factory, 3 locking lugs for a 60 degree bolt throw, tang safety, adjustable trigger,etc. That leaves you the money to get a good scope and you won't feel the need to update or upgrade later. 400$ left for a scope after buying rings/bases will buy you a Zeiss Conquest 3x-9x-40mm or a Leupold or a Weaver, or Nikon.

Nomercy448

That 2 shot method LOOKS great, but it can have you chasing your tail, especially for an inexperienced (someone that doesn't shoot over a bench on a monthly basis).

All that video shows you to do is shoot one shot, adjust your scope (don't have to have a friend adjust it while you're holding still), then shoot another to verify. Personally, that's an F'ing joke, especially the way they showed how to do it by "holding the rifle perfectly still".

What happens if you move the rifle ever so slightly? Now you'd be moving your crosshairs to some arbitrary point on the target. You shoot your next shot, and it won't be on target, so now you try to adjust again, but you move a tiny bit again? All you'll end up doing is running circles around the target.

Or what if you and your rifle are a 2" group pairing? You shoot, your bullet strikes 1" to the left. So you move your crosshairs to the left to meet the strike. But unfortunately for you, that was a left flier, and your crosshairs WERE perfectly centered before you moved. Now when you fire your next shot, the left flier will actually be 2" to the left.

There's no excuse for cutting corners at the range. Take 3 shots, measure the center of the group, measure the distance from center to the center of the target, adjust your scope accordingly, take 3 more to make sure you're centered over the bullseye. If you're not, repeat.

That video method is a joke, and will only work for someone using a gunvise that cannot move AND that knows his rifle's precision AND can fire a reliably precise shot every time. In general, someone that has all of those attributes knows better than to waste their time using that method.

Sheridan

"There's no excuse for cutting corners at the range. Take 3 shots, measure the center of the group, measure the distance from center to the center of the target, adjust your scope accordingly, take 3 more to make sure you're centered over the bullseye. If you're not, repeat." Nomercy



+1
Nuff said