The right rifle for Texas
 

I am new to Texas and my Father gave me his winchester model 70 right handed 30-06. The problem I have is I am a lefty and I am not sure what caliber i should use in Texas for deer and hogs and for general target shooting. If anyone has suggestions about the Ruger no 1 and what caliber or a left handed bolt in either Winchester or Ruger let me know please? Everyone I ask has different answers about the caliber and most just say it is up to your personal choice of a caliber. What are the differences of the calibers in terms of range and stopping power and for target shooting Thanks

RE: The right rifle for Texas
 

Like you already know there is no "perfect or Right" gun for any situation. My pick is the .270 Win.

RE: The right rifle for Texas
 

i look into the 243,25-06,7mm08,270rem,and 260rem for flat shooting rifles that don't have much recoil and all of these are good rounds for the smaller texas deer

RE: The right rifle for Texas
 

you really cant go wrong with a 30-06.

RE: The right rifle for Texas
 

I am sure the Texas hogs are meaner than the deer. The great thing about the 30 06 is that you can buy relatively good bulk ammo cheap. I admit if I was shooting in the flats (I don't know what your terrain is) then I would favor your thoughts in a Ruger #1 in 7mm mag with a sound scope. It has a 26" barrel for the magnum. Nice bullets in the 7's. But heck, you are in Texas. You can put a .44 on your hip for the close in work!

RE: The right rifle for Texas
 

The .243 would make a great "minimum" deer caliber, anywhere! That said, I'd lean towards the .260 or really, the 7MM-08 as perfect Texas deer guns! The '08 will tame the baddest hog you ever come across!

RE: The right rifle for Texas
 

I lean towards a .243, 25-06, or 6mm.

RE: The right rifle for Texas
 

In Texas I use a 7mm-08 Rem, a 308 Win and a 270 Win with the 270 Win being my most favored at this time. All three drop deer and hogs with authority.

RE: The right rifle for Texas
 

I would go with a 280 rem then a 270 win. You can do everything with a 280 that you can do with a 270. But with the 280 you can hunt bigger animals if you ever choose to. If not a 280 then i would just shoot the 30-06 like HighDesertWolf said.

I would go with a remington rifle. They're the real work horses.

RE: The right rifle for Texas
 

You really can't go wrong with the .30/'06, but I used a 7X57mm for all my hunting when I lived in Texas. It was a Ruger No. 1A. You really can't go wrong with a Ruger 1A either, and they come in .30/'06, .270, 7X57mm, and .243. The .243 is a nice deer load, but I'd want to shoot heavier bullets at hogs!