Best choice for 1st gun???
 

Hey ya'll... Just wanderin what ya'lls input is on what type of gun I should get for my first. I just shot my first deer(it was a 3 point) last week with a old winchester 30-30 rifle. I was thinking that I should get something like this for my 1st gun.. I love the open sights with a lil power behind it. My birthday is coming up the 27th, so with christmas and my birthday combined, I should have around 300-400 dollars to spend.. Any imput on what kind of gun to get would be great including type(.243, .270, 30-06, etc..) and brand... Thx!!! ;)

RE: Best choice for 1st gun???
 

Ruger 77 Stainless in 260 REM.

RE: Best choice for 1st gun???
 

The 7mm-08 makes a fine starter gun and works very well on deer and even larger game out to medium ranges.It can also be had in lighter guns with minimum recoil.

RE: Best choice for 1st gun???
 

maybe something like a ruger 25-06?or a rubger 270, might not be able to get those in open sights but then again i dont know for sure

RE: Best choice for 1st gun???
 

Congratulations on your first deer kill!!

I think a Remington Model 700 ADL Synthetic Youth; chambered in .308 Win.; MSRP $484.00. would be a good choice for you. If you look around, you can find this rifle for less than MSRP $484.00. Good luck, and welcome to the forum.

RE: Best choice for 1st gun???
 

I love James B's suggestion, and Stubblejumper's advice is also sound. Either of these two cartridges will serve you well for any type of hunting you will do.

RE: Best choice for 1st gun???
 

It is hard to beat a good 30-30 or 35 REM for deer hunting. The lever gun is a great woods gun but if you have open or long range shots where you live you might be better suited for one of the flatter shooting cartriges.
If you have gun shows in your area you can get a good Marlin for under $300. Ruger, Savage and Remington all have guns in your price range but you will need to decide what type of conditions you will use it in.
Just some thoughts

RE: Best choice for 1st gun???
 

Both the 7mm-08 Rem and the 260 Rem will out perform the antiquated 30-30 Win hands down offering better ballistics and mild recoil with far more downrange energy.

RE: Best choice for 1st gun???
 

Some really good advice so far, but my 2 cents say go get you a Savage in 7mm-08, and it'll be a looooong time before you need anything else;).

Gordon

RE: Best choice for 1st gun???
 

If you like a traditional level gun with open sights then there really are only two choices. Buy a Marlin, not Winchester, chambered in either 45-70 or 35 Rem. Both of these rounds are much better killers than a 30-30. A good new bolt action scoped and ready to hunt will likely take you over your $400 budget. I would suggest buying a used rifle, you can get more gun for the money. If you want a new rifle my vote goes to the Savage package rifles. The scope isn't great but it will work until you can put some additional money together. Buy one in 7mm-08 and don't look back!

RE: Best choice for 1st gun???
 

What the heck, I'll throw in my two cents. I'm fairly new to hunting myself, and my first deer rifle was the Remington 700 ADL synthetic in .30-06. If you've been shooting for a while and don't mind the recoil (assuming you like the .30-30, it shouldn't be a problem), the .30-06 a great caliber. You can take deer, elk, black bear, and even caribou, moose, and grizzlies with the heavier loads.

You can certainly get the job done with smaller calibers (.243, .25-06, .270, etc.), but the power and versatility of the .30-06 is there when you need it. Ammo's easy to find in various loads, and you can hit hard out past 300 yards with good shot placement.

By the way, I paid just over $450 for my 700, but it came with a Skyline Excel camo stock and Leupold mounts and rings. I've seen synthetics with open sights for around $400, so you should be able to meet your budget.

RE: Best choice for 1st gun???
 

For young kids starting out, I usually recommend one of the single shot rifles like NEF in .243. It teaches them safety, taking their one and only BEST shot, etc.

For older 1st timers, I usually recommend a bolt action like the Howa with a decent scope on it. Calibers depends on what they think they can handle, and their physical size. I never recommend anything in the 30 caliber range (except the 30-30) due to the recoil. The fastest way to turn off a new hunter is to pound them with recoil.

Set up with low to medium recoil, and an accurate combination and they'll be hooked for life and can upgrade later.