Deer gun season is starting in a couple days here in Oklahoma. I want to get a good rifle under $500 in a couple days and get i ready to go hunting the weekend after Thanksgiving. I've heard several different opinions on what I should buy. The most common seem to be the 270 and the 223. Looking around the local stores, I notice that .270 ammo seems to be cheaper and more readily available. I just want something that shoots as straight and level as possible, and that has some knock down power to it. What about other rifles like the 30-06, 30-30, 7mm, 300, 243, etc? How are they for deer hunting? I live in Oklahoma so there is a lot of open space, but I doubt I'd attempt anything over 250 to 300 yards. Thanks for any info! Matt

Personally I favor the 30 06. Not only do I think it is one of the most versatile guns around, ammo is available almost anywhere. If someplace sells ammo they will almost surely have some for the 06. It offers great knock down power and will shoot out to the 300 yard mark pretty darn consistently. Just my opinion.

Tom

Anything from a 243 and on up will do the job on a whitetail... IF the shot is placed where it is supposed to be...

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Yeah, shot pacement is the most important part of it. I like my .270, had it for 30 years and havn't seen another caliber that does a better job. Be sure to get a quality scope if you buy a scope.

Forget about the 223, it is a varmint cartridge, not a deer round. Same with any other 22 caliber. If you are new to shooting and worried about recoil then the 243 Win is a good place to start followed by the 257 Roberts, 25-06 Rem, 260 Rem, 6.5X55mm, 270 Win, 280 Rem, 7mm-08 Rem (my favorite deer round) 308 Win and 30-06 Springfield. Notice the 30-30 Win isn't in there? Thats because it is only a 150 yard gun at best. As far as an affordable, dependable and accurate rifle, Savage. Very hard to beat. Even cheaper, but still accurate is the H&R siingle shot rifles. Don't let the looks fool you, they will shoot.

Go with a .270 package by Savage with a synthetic stock. You can find them at Walmart, or any other large sporting goods store for $369 and I have seen them on sale for $319 When you can upgrade the scope, but the scope is basically thrown in there on the deal, and it is a pretty decent Simmons. I have a 7mm mag with a laminate stock, but I think a .270 would give you plenty of range, and it would not give the recoil that some people seem to notice a lot. I personally don't. Good luck.

I'm from North Texas. Oklahoma deer are fairly small compared to most other states. I suggest a .270 caliber. It will provide range and knockdown. The Savage package sounds like a fairly decent purchase.

-Gooch-

Can't go wrong with a 270 win for deer. Light on recoil, cheap ammo and readily available in many styles and manufacturers.

I use a 30-30, shotgun, and a .308. Up here I grab the 30-30 most of the time, but if I was visiting you I'd take the 308 because guns are specific to how you will use them. Before you buy look down the road and think if you will be hunting bigger game in the future, a .243 is great for deer but it won't be the prefered gun for a Canadian moose hunt 2yrs from now. Are you looking for one gun that will do it all, or are you willing to build a collection of hunt specific guns over the years?
If you want one gun for everything buy a 30-06, if you can afford to build a collection over the years you will eventually be able to pick the gun that suits your plans for that day.
Once you choose the caliber you have another decision to make, what kind of action do you want. This also depends on how you hunt, drives call for a lever or semi, people in blinds usually like bolts.
If given the chance shoot a few and see what feels good to you, and if you buy a gun make sure you take some time to get to know it, deer aren't for practicing on, you should know your gun before you take it into the field and shoot at game.

"guns aren't for killing people, guns are for killing dangerous and delicious animals"
- Homer Simpson

270,accept no substitutes. And I speculate the Hornady SST is your bullet;I just haven't used up my Hornady 140 grain boat spirepoint interlocks yet.