Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

Hello everybody. I' m looking into purchasing my first deer rifle. I' ve always used a shotgun, so I' m looking for some opinions. Has anyone used or know anyone that' s used the Remington model 710? Is it any good? Also, I' m debating on what caliber to use, what is your opinion- .270 or 30-06?

Thanks,
Darrell

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

Buy any AMERICAN MADE bolt action except a 710. Either .270 or .30-06 are great deer cartridges. If you were looking at the 710 because of the price tag, look instead to the savage 110 or remington 700 adl. Good luck.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

I just picked up a new Ruger in 260 Rem. Nice little gun. I am going to find a compact light weight scope for it and that will be my carrry through the breaks rifle. I won' t have it ready for this year as its only a week until season. My 257 Roberts and 6.5x55 will carry the load this year.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

The 270 is probably the best caliber. The 30-06 is over kill im my opinion. I have a 25-06, which I like a lot. Very accurate and flat shooting. Anything from 25 to 30 caliber would be a good gun. Unless you handload, I would get a popular caliber.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

By the way, the Rem 710 is a cheaply built gun. My friend had one, and nobody liked it.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

The .270 is great...the Rem 710 is not.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

Assuming it is your first high power rifle, then 30-06. Together with a 12 gauge and a 22LR you' re set for almost anything in the lower 48. Specialize in rifles chambered for bigger and smaller cartridges AFTER you have acquired this very central mainstay. I have rifles from .223 to .416 including the .270 and the 30-06. If you were talking the shooting out on the prairies then MAYBE a 270; however, for Virginia with the possibility of hunting elk (West) or moose (North) as a future possiblity I' d recommend the 30-06.

I haven' t heard good things about the 710 though the word out there (except on TV) is that they are bad news -- some good advice about 700' s and Savages. Don' t rule out buying something good but used and put your savings towards a Leupold scope.

Never Go Undergunned, Always Check The Sight In, Perform At Showtime,
EKM

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

I have an old Savage 99 I love... 300 Savage with a rotary mag. Short of one of those I would probely get a Bolt gun in 30-06. Any of the major American brands are well made so just find one that fits you best. I have a Savage Bias BUT thats just Me. It' s you gun, and needs to fit you.

David M

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

Darrell, do a search on past posts about the Remington 710 to get everybody' s input. There have been several in the past month. I' m a big fan of Remingtons but I don' t suggest buying the 710. A crappy trigger and cheap bolt housing are the main reasons why. Go with the Remington ADL. It' s only about $20 more than the 710, but you' ll need to buy a scope for it.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

Folks posting on this forum typically disagree to some extent....however this is not the case with the Remington 710. Absolutely everyone is negative on that gun.

IMO both the .270 and the .30-06 are overkill for deer. However the .30-06 will also take you elk hunting!!!

For deer I like the .257 Roberts, the .25-06, the .260 Rem, and don' t forget the .243 Win...it' s been doing the job for a long time!!!

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

After hearing everyone' s opinion and searching past posts about this, I think I will NOT be buying a 710. Looks like I' ll be going with one of the Savage models. Thanks for the input!

Darrell

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

That would be a wise decision DarrelH. Anything but the 710.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

Let me ask one more question. I went today and found two Savage models of interest...the 111 FCXP3 and the 116 FXP3. Other than a removable clip and the stainless barrel, is there much of a difference in these two as far as accuracy,reliability,etc...?

Thanks,
Darrell

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

Stainless is a very nice option. I would recomend getting it, but not needed..
And get a good scope. Not neccesarily the best, but a good one. You may want to get some input on what scope to buy, if you don' t already have one.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

First of all Darrell welcome to the forum.

That' s a smart decision you are making staying away from the Remington 710.You' re making a good choice going with a Savage.You asked about stainless vs. blued.The S/S is more durable and forgiving then the blued but it still needs to be cared for.I prefer the S/S over the blued.If for some reason you decide not to get the Savage look at the Ruger M-77' s. They are available in all different configurations. The scope rings are standard equipment,which will save you 50.00,75.00 or even a 100.00 depending on what base and rings you buy.You won' t go wrong with a Savage but thought I would give you another opition.One other thing if you are planning on putting a scope on your rifle save until you can get a good scope not a cheap one.The rifle can only be as good as the glass on it.Save and buy a Leupold. The 270 is a great deer cartridge. The 30-06 is more versitile and might be a better choice for you. Good Luck in your selection

Ruger Redhawk

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

I have shot the 710 in 30-06, I would not by one if it was me. If you are looking for cheep go with NEF.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

I have a Savage 30-06 with Bushnell scope and love the gun. It shoots nice groups at 100 yards of Remmington 165 grain core locks. I put on a Bonnie Sling and it has a Synthetic stock. I picked it up at a gun show and it was the only 30-06 at the show.

Tomster

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

I have a 270 and love it. It shoots flat and accurate. I would go with it if you are hunting open areas. It also has very little recoil. The problem with it is you can only get a 150 bullet. In heavy woods I would like a heavier bullet. The -06 offers bigger lead. If you are a brush hunter you will want the -06.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

The .270 is probably the best in the world for whitetails, but if you want versatility go with the 30-06. You can get better deals on used guns I bought my .270 Browning BLR at a gunshop in new condition for $425 out the door. Slap on a $189 Nikon scope and your ready to go.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

I read this post several days ago and have been thinking about a reply. First of all, I hunt in the woods, not in meadows. I prefer to hunt whitetails rather than be a sniper. Each to his own. I do not mean to judge another or his methods. In recent years, I have been decreasing my arsenal of firearms as I get older. I have sold some and given others to my son. There is a school of thought out there that says you have to have an extremely powerful rifle for deer hunting. It ain' t so. I read things from fella' s on this forum who say they have sore shoulders from shooting their 30' 06. I have to chuckle, since I killed my last buck with a 44 magnum carbine. It went through both lungs and left an exit hole big enough to put your fist into. Place your bullet into the vitals and quit worrying about which caliber is best. Most of them are good. Right now, I own a Winchester Model 70 in 270 caliber, a Ruger 77 in 25' 06, the Marlin 44 magnum carbine, and a somewhat customized (to my standards) 6.5X55 mm Swedish Mauser. In the past, I have owned them all...Remingtons, (an old 788 in 22-250 was the most accurate rifle I ever owned) Brownings, Weatherby Mark V' s (the biggest pieces of expensive junk in the rifle world),... just about everything....in many different calibers. I have to say that my favorite rifle is that 6.5X55. I bought mine years ago at a gun show. I had the barrel shortened and recrowned. It has the original stock, but it has been slimmed, re-worked and refinished. It has a Timney trigger in place of the original military one. It has a top quality Williams receiver sight and a quality front bead sight. That' s right...no scope! I hunt in the woods, and in the woods, 100 yards is a very long way. Nothing beats a receiver sight in snowy, rainy, foul weather at close ranges in the trees and brush... And that is when and where I hunt the most. Check ballistic coefficients. Consider recoil. Consider the game. The 6.5X55 is hard to beat. I suggest you find yourself one on the used market. There are plenty of them out there. Those rifles are MACHINED--not investment cast. The workmanship is great. After you find one, put a little money into it with a good gunsmith. Use it as the core of a rifle made for you and your way of hunting. You' ll have a rifle to cherish for a lifetime....and it won' t cost you an arm and a leg.

My 2 cents,
Clint

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

For deer only I would choose a 25-06 as both the 270 and 30-06 are larger than necessary for any deer.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

All very good advice. I would throw in the 7mm-08 and .260 Remington as great whitetail choices as well.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

Thanks to all for your thoughts and suggestions. I bought a Savage 111FCXP3 in .270. Can' t wait for the weekend to get some shooting time with it. Again, thanks for your insights and for saving me from buying a 710.

Darrell

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

hell everyone shoots the 270 and I realize it is a nice gun but i will tkae a 280 anyday for accuracy over that. The 30-06 is inherently more accurate also

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

What on earth are you talking about? How do you figure one is inherently more accurate than the other? If anything the 270 would be more accurate due to longer bullets, unless you get into the heavier 7mm and .308 bullets.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

If the .270 is too large for deer, and not large enough for Elk, what is it good for?

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

Danny-You have just pointed out the reason that I don' t own and never will own a 270.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

LOL

Well, I love the .270. It has been a good deer killer for me, not to mention it' s a very good long range coyote killer. I hunt a lot in western Oklahoma where the shots are usually 200+ yards.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

A large coyote will weigh approximately 40 lbs so any 22 centerfire will have plenty of power for them at most ranges.For very long distances the 243' s and 257' s offer more than enough power for coyotes.I have killed 300lb plus deer at distances of over 400 yards with the 25-06 and 257wby and there was more than enough energy to do the job, so while the 270 works well it really is not necessary for any deer hunting as my earlier post stated.Some people use the large 300 magnums for deer but they certainly are not required for deer hunting.For elk , moose or larger bears the 7mms shoot just as flat and offer heavier bullets than the 270.Feel free to use whatever you want as many people (myself included) use cartridges that are overpowered for the game that they hunt.The fact these larger cartridges are used however does not mean that they are at all required and in some cases they are not even desireable for most hunters.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

6.5x55 Swedish is a great deer cartridge.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

wher you hunting and whats the species white tail ?? mulie.. etc...

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

Nothing in the world wrong with a 270 for deer but I'd consider getting a .30-.06 or 7mm if it's your first rifle.

You can always power down for deer. As stated, there isn't anything in the lower 48 you can't bring down with one of them.

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

Since this thread is almost a year old, I wonder what he bought...

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

Darrell
Stay away from the 710. IMO they are junk. And as many Remingtons as I own, I think I have a right to say that. They just aren't up to Remingtons standard.
If price is a concern, don't overlook Savage. They are considered by many to be the most accurate out-of-the-box mass produced rifles out there. And the new Accu-trigger is really nice. My friend has one in .30-06 and it shoots great.
As for chambering, you can't go wrong with the old 06 or the 270. The '06 being a bit more versitle

RE: Deer rifle...suggestions?
 

The 270 is the near perfect deer rifle, but is VERY limited as you hunt bigger game. if you ever plan on useing this rifle for elk,moose, ect.. BY ALL MEANS get the 06, it's the most versitile of the two by far.