Need Help Picking My First Deer Gun?!
 

Hey guys, I'm new to deer hunting(this will be my first year) and I need help picking my first deer rifle. I have been squirrel hunting for a few years now and would like to get into deer hunting. I am not a beginner when it comes to shooting guns or anything so no problem there. I will be using the rifle I get simply for deer hunting. Nothing else. Any other deer hunting tips will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Where are you from? What kind of terrain are you hunting? What kind of shots do you expect to make? Need more info so we can help!

I'm in Southern West Virginia. I'm hunting in tight woods(not very open). Don't know what you mean by what kind of shots I plan to make.

Guys that hunt white tail deer out west do a lot of hunting in wide open spaces and really long shots are common. Guys that mostly hunt hills and timber rarely get a shot over 100 yards. That can make a huge difference when choosing a rifle for hunting!

I'm from Illinois, which is one of the "Slug States" I can't use anything other than shotgun slugs or muzzle loader to take deer, so my advice may not be worth much to you. That being said, .243 and .30-30 are probably two of the most popular deer cartridges in American history. Both of which are great short to midrange cartridges. If you think you might need to reach out there a ways, you might look at something with a little more power, like .270 or .25-06.

As far as a particular rifle goes, I'm a big fan of what Savage has to offer lately, particularly in the American Classic and Weather Warrior series.

You will not go wrong with a .270, .308 or a 30.06.

I shoot a Marlin 336 30-30. its a great gun. perfect for tight woods hunting. and using Leverevolution Ammo by Hornady, i can reach a good 200 yards

if u have a shotgun maybe you could get a slug barrel for it the range u be shooting that work fine for you if you realy want a rifle 308 30 30 270 3006 cant go wrong with any of them any mom and pop country store carrys those 4 calabors of ammo on the shelfes

If I could only own ONE caliber to hunt deer from north, south, east or west; it would be a .270.

Most of your budget should go into your scope, rings and bases !!!



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CJ Clemens gave you a very good answer.

Are you young and is this your first big game rifle? If so, I especially recommend a 30-06. It'll take virtually anything you might hunt and has all kinds of loading available if you don't handload. If you get another rifle later, a 30-06 is great to have as a second gun.

Now, I'll recommend a Savage. they're excellent quality and the accutrigger is very nice. I use a Savage 30-06 myself.

I'm 19. This will be my first big game rifle. I'm not new to shooting guns or anything I just never got to go hunting when I was younger because my dad was in the military and wasn't able to take me and never really had anyone else to.

Jimmy

What I would do is determine your budget then go handle as many rifles that fit your budget and see which one feels the best to YOU.
Then if you have friends or family that have rifles in different calibers and shoot as many as you can get your hands on to determine what YOU feel comfortable with recoil wise.
All of the calibers/cartridges mentioned will kill deer if you put the bullet through the vitals.If you don't reload take into consideration what ammo is available in your area.
Take into consideration as to what glass you want stick on top of it. You'll NEVER regret buying the best you can afford,so leave room in the budget for decent optics.

1st rifle
 

In tight woods ,when I'm still hunting, I use a Marlin 336-30/30. When I'm stand hunting , I use my Savage 30-06. I like the 06 better for hunting out west, or more open ground. You can get a lot of bullet weights for the 06.

Gotcha!

Squirrel hunting is great practice for deer, by the way. They live in the same places, you can use the same tactics: stand/blind hunting, stillhunting, etc. Squirrels are a good way to check out a piece of land.

The following is good advice, too:

That last statement is one many neglect. An old rule of thumb for hunting is to spend as much on the optics as the gun. That said, I have a relatively cheap scope on my Savage and get away with it.

I'll add that if budget is an issue, a rifle that at least gets you hunting is a Mosin Nagant. There are better choices, but they'll work if $150-200 is all you can swing. A few simple tweaks can greatly improve them.

Were it me I would go to a local gun shop and handle, shoulder as many different brands as I could to see what felt best to me fit wise. As for caliber about ANY thing from 6 mm to 8mm works. If I could only have one rifle It would be some thing American made in 7 MM 08. 7MM 08 works well in about all conditions and ammo isn't real expensive like some. The 308 would be my second choice just for the fact just about every mom and pop store usually has some on their shelve. Well that was before this hording epidemic came about.

:D Al

.270 is a great gun...you can get varmint loads and go up to deer and even elk.. Good overall gun...30-30 is good "brush" gun for around 100-150yd shots IMO. Either one would put a hurt/kill on a deer under 100yds..

30-30 in the woods......30/06 out of the woods. Can't go wrong with either.

I'd concentrate on getting something that's handy and fits you well. You don't need any magnum cartridge or a gun with a heavy stock or a long barrel. For your hunting, the cartridge you shoot won't matter too much, just be sure to get a typical "deer cartridge", like a 308, 243, 260, 30/30, 35 Rem, etc. I'd most likley be looking at bolt action, short action gun instead of a long action like 30/06 or 270 Win.

All have given you good advice on caliber selection. A 30 30 or 45 70 will do all that you ask in your terrain. A 270 will give you more reach should you decide to hunt in an area where you have to stretch out a shot. I am partial to the 45 70 myself for the timber. Works great for everything from mice to moose. Go to a shop and handle everything that they have and find the one that feels most comfortable. Short shots, you really don't need the scope. 100 to 200 yards is an easy poke with open sights. If you go plain barrel and scope route, don't cheap out on the scope. You get what you pay for. in the glass department.

in my opinion i would use a 30-30 or 243 i would give the nod to the 30-30 in this one though it has a little more "punch" imo and will be a fine cal for what you have stated as for gun brand you cant really go wrong with the tried and true marlin 336 just be careful of the new "remlins" they can be defective but if you check them out before buying then you will be alright

It really all comes down between personal preference. The 30-30 is a great gun, and is the first gun that I hunted with in Pennsylvania. After that, I used a 30-06 for a few years, and then bought a .260 Remington. Since you aren't shooting very far, I would recommend using something like a 243, 260, 7mm .08, or 270. There really isn't much need for you to go to a 30 caliber, unless you want to shoot further.

I know a lot of people that hunt with 243's because of the light recoil and weight of the rifle. Personally, that is what I think may be best for you. It has plenty of knock down power for any whitetail, and is extremely accurate.

Since I only have one deer gun, I chose a Muzzle Loader so that I get a longer season. Here in Southern Michigan its an extra 16 days of hunting in December.

I love my CVA Accura V2 with the Wester Powders Breech Plug and Blackhorn 209 powder!

Strictly for deer hunting you will never regret a 7MM-08 or .308 Win. for any range, short or long. Also, both are both capable of taking larger game at shorter ranges.

Hunting rifle
 

I would recommend .270,.308, or 30-06 as the caliber. You can find this ammo virtually anywhere. I personally like the 7mm Rem Mag, thats what I shoot and will likely always shoot. Bullets aren't as common as the more popular calibers, but they are easily found.

Like others have likely said, DONT GO CHEAP on your Optics. It burns a deep hole inside me when I see someone at Academy purchasing a $500 rifle and a $45 scope to go on it. Your making a lifelong investment, don't be chicken**** about it.
I like Leupold optics, they have worked well for us and I have had some work done on a scope or two by Leupold that cost me the shipping there ( I think they covered the return shipping....) A good Leupold scope can be purchased for 300-500$. Or, a new Redfield ( Made now by Leupold) can be purchased. I have 3 of them on various rifles. Dang good glass for $225 or so. Also have a lifetime warranty.
I would personally recommend a rifle with a synthetic stock. I have a winchester model 70 with a HEAVY wood stock. Its nice, but when I walk more than 300 yards, I need a wheelbarrow to haul it around.

Ding, Ding, Ding. We have a winner. Those would be the 2 I would look for as well. Easy to shoot and they are capable of longer shots than the 30-30 that keeps getting mentioned. The . 308 was designed by the military and military cartridges are usually well designed for a reason.

Keep this in mind also, if you ever decide to go on a hunt or go hunting with someone else. Their area may not be the same as yours, so if you really only want to buy one rifle buy something in a versatile caliber. The .270, .308, .280 rem, 7mm Rem Mag, 30-06, and others can go from being " brush guns" to reaching out and touching out at 200+ yards. I would also say to buy " cheaper" ammo of whatever caliber you choose and shoot to get a feel for the rifle and to get the scope somewhat sighted. Then when hunting season is getting close, you can grab a box ( or 3 :D ) of good quality hunting ammo and dial your scope and rifle in.
Another tip, when you can, always buy 2 boxes of whatever ammo you decide to hunt with. I personally use a federal premium and they run about $50 a box, I just take $100 plus shipping and order 2 every September from Cabelas. That way, you'll always have enough ammo.

Absolutely get something versatile. At 19 who knows where you may end up or where you may hunt in future years. Can't go wrong with a 7mm Mag in my opinion. Great long or short range. Whatever you get I recommend a bolt action rifle. More accurate and a lot less to go wrong with them. If you are getting off 5 shots at a deer with a semi you are not really aiming anyway.

With this post being 60 days old what did Jimmy bird do?

Did he follow this very excellent advice?
"What I would do is determine your budget then go handle as many rifles that fit your budget and see which one feels the best to YOU.
Then if you have friends or family that have rifles in different calibers and shoot as many as you can get your hands on to determine what YOU feel comfortable with recoil wise.
All of the calibers/cartridges mentioned will kill deer if you put the bullet through the vitals. If you don't reload take into consideration what ammo is available in your area.
Take into consideration as to what glass you want stick on top of it. You'll NEVER regret buying the best you can afford, so leave room in the budget for decent optics.
jerry d is offline Report Post"

Or did he just pull a rabbit out of the hat?

:D Al

I'd get a bolt action 30-06, if you decide to branch out some day, you can kill practically any animal in North America with it. Ammo's still fairly affordable and easy to find. Put a quality scope on it, and you should be good to go.

[QUOTE=JimmyBird;4154212]Hey guys, I'm new to deer hunting(this will be my first year) and I need help picking my first deer rifle. I have been squirrel hunting for a few years now and would like to get into deer hunting. I am not a beginner when it comes to shooting guns or anything so no problem there. I will be using the rifle I get simply for deer hunting. Nothing else. Any other deer hunting tips will be appreciated. Thanks in advance

Have you ever shot a center fire rifle ?
Whatever rifle you choose, you'll want a bolt action , a low trigger weight, and your scope to mount low as it can go without touching the barrel, if that's comfortable for your cheek weld.

Monte carlo stocks are good for cheek weld when you position your eye for looking through the scope.

A right palm swell on the rifle grip helps with trigger control. A heavy trigger can cause you to pull your shots to the left or the right, if your right or left handed.





You can shoot a wide variety of bullet weights with the 3006.

These guys are giving you great advice by the way !

These things I've mentioned are all for accuracy.