Best caliber for beginner?
 

Hello everyone. New to the forum. I'm also new to hunting and was wondering what would be the best size caliber rifle for me. I haven't shot a rifle since I was young, and that was a .22 rifle. I will be hunting deer and wild boar. Right now I live in Florida, but soon will be moving to Ohio so I'm looking for something that will be good there too. I have heard a couple of recomendations for the 270 and the 30-06. Thanks.

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RE: Best caliber for beginner?
 

I just checked a couple of websites and it seems Ohio does restrict deer hunting to various gauge shotguns, muzzleloaders, and bowhunting. I'll probably look into a muzzleloader when I move there (in about a year and 1/2 or so). Until then I'm still interested in a centerfire rifle (270, 30-06,...). What would be a good choice? I weigh about 190lbs. so I don't think some recoil will be that much of a factor.

RE: Best caliber for beginner?
 

I know I'll probably hear about this, but.....
Any caliber from 7MM-08 through the 30-06 will do for any whitetail hunting at most any range that deer should be shot at! There is not enough difference in them to raise a fuss over! Pick one you like and go with it!

RE: Best caliber for beginner?
 

Yep, what he said except that I'd start out with the 243 and go on up from there.
If bigger game might be in the mix later on then opt for .270, .280, 30-06, 7mm-08, or 308.

IMO the .270 Winchester is real hard to beat. Light recoil and very flat shooting and perfectly capable of larger animals like elk.

RE: Best caliber for beginner?
 

I think a .270 is a great first "big rifle" to have.

RE: Best caliber for beginner?
 

For deer hunting I'd suggest that you go with a lighter caliber, like .243Win, 6mm Rem, .25-06 or even as big as a .270Win or 7mm-08...

BUT...

To get you back up to snuff with your marksmanship skills there is really no better rifle than a good .22LR. It's incredibly cheap to shoot so you'll shoot it a lot and get a ton of practice for very little money (one can usually buy a brick of 500 .22LR rounds for less than the cost of a single box of 20 centerfire rounds). It has almost no recoil so you can work on hitting the target and honing your fundamental marksmanship skills without developing a flinch due to recoil. A semi-auto .22LR (I'd recommend a Ruger 10/22) is also a ton of fun to shoot and plink with. Making pop cans dance and blasting dirt clods is always a lot more entertaining than punching holes in paper, while still accomplishing the same task of honing ones shooting skills.

Once you've practiced enough that you can hit targets out to 100 yards consistantly with a scoped .22LR, then work your way up into the harder hitting (and kicking) rounds suitable for deer.

Mike

RE: Best caliber for beginner?
 

30-06 Sprg. Good luck.

RE: Best caliber for beginner?
 

I live in Ohio and for deer youcan only us a shoot gun or bow or muzzel loder but for what your looking for I would go with a 243 win for deer and hogs you can't go wrong good luck

RE: Best caliber for beginner?
 

You are right about Ohio, you can only use a shotgun, muzzle loader, or handgun for deer hunting.

As to your first question, I highly suggest either the .270 Winchester or 30.06 Springfield. Either one is capable of taking all North Americal Game and your choice of ammo is th best. You can find a variety of sizes of ammo for these czalibers and since they are popular you should be able to find them anywehre (from your local Walmart to your local Sporting Goods Store).

First off, I would go out to a gun shop and see what rifle fits you the best. Get the feel of all rifles that you are considering, bring them up to your shoulder and see which one shoulders the best. You will want a rifle that fits you and is comfortable to shoot, otherwise you just invested in a large paper weight.

Secondly, go to a local gun range and see if you can shoot them there. Find some buddies into hunting and ask to shoot their rifles. Most hunters will let you try out their rifle. This is a cost friendly solution to trying them out before you buy a rifle.

Lastly, do a lot of research on the rifle that you decide to buy. Go to different gun stores, check out the internet for good buys, etc..

Good Luck!
Matt