4MSDeer

Hi all.

As I hunted alot as a kid for Squirrel, I never hunted anything else. Haven' t ever hunted since I was about 15 or 16 y/o...But now as I get older, 31...I am wanting to start to hunt more often and have found a few friends that hunt. I have begun getting the things I need to hunt together, but I have yet to buy a rifle or shotgun. I can' t make up my mind on what I want or to be more specific, Need.

Any ideas on what I need for hunting Whitetail. I will primarily be still hunting in MS. Some areas scouted have been open and others more heavily wooded.

For a first timer, what would be a better gun, a shotgun or rifle? and what type of each...not necessarily name brands. What' s each caliber/gauge used for etc etc?

Links to help with this info would be great as well.

Thanks

SchuylkillOutdoorsman

Im a shotgun man I lovem' Its all you need small game, big game doesnt matter. I do prefer a 12 guage over them all, very deadly at 100 yards with 3" mags. Really you need to figure out what your most comfortable with, like me a shotgun fits like a glove, rifles are clumsy to me I grew up with shotguns so I just likem.

Split-Hoof

Since you will be hunting open areas as well as wooded, a rifle might suit you best. There are many calibers that work well for whitetails. Some of the more popular ones are .30-06, .308, .270, 7mm. Any of these would be a good choice. Personally I like the .30-06, since that' s what I hunt with. There is a very wide range of bullet choices available for that caliber. If you have any friends that own rifles, see if you can shoot a couple different calibers to get an idea of what you personally like.

A5Mag12

Get you a good 3" 12 ga. pump or auto. It will serve you well no mater what you hunt. The Rem. 870 is a good choice, if you find the need for a bit more range than buck shot will give you, you can add a slug barrel and be good to 100+ yds.

NYDH

I agree, a 12ga. 870 is a good all around gun. I would also check with your friends and a couple gun shops in the area and find out what other hunters in your area are using.

bad1/410

i also like the 12gauge remington or a mossburg are both solid guns and will perform really well with practice. also try to shoot differant types of shells to see which ones work the best. for example i have a remington 870 express that loves to use winchester 3" magnum loads but will give me alot of grief when i try to use shells from remington. so like i said you have to experiment with differant loads to see what works for the gun as well as you. hope this helps you out some and goodluck with the hunting.

turtle71

Depends on what you want to hunt. If it' s just whitetail then a reasonably powerful rifle such as a .270 or 30.06. Personally I' d only get a shotgun for deer if I hunted land where using rifle was a safety problem.

If you want to hunt birds too then a 12 gauge with both slug & regular barrels might be worth a look. Or if you want to shoot varmints maybe a .243?

Also check the MS regs to see if they allow muzzleloader in the regular rifle seasons. Buying one of those would get you more time in the woods.

mauser06

dpends on the LAWS!!!!!! rifles arent legal in some states.....check it out and reply stating the legal arms of MS and we can help you...but i dont wanna say buy a 308 winchester when its illegal......check first.....

loghead

Ah heck man!! Just buy both! Tell your wife or girlfriend that you need both. A shotgun for small game and a rifle for big game! Works for me!

4MSDeer

Hey ya' ll, thanks I really appreciate all the replys.

Here in MS we can hunt with both rifle and shotgun. Safety shouldn' t be an issue, so a rifle would be ok. Muzzleloaders are legal, during the proper season of course.

I will probably get me a 12g for sure after reading all your responses. It makes sense that it could be an all around weapon.

I might even buy me a rifle too...see, I don' t have a wife NOR a girlfriend at this time, so I' m free to do as I wish

What calibers are good for what?

I' ve heard the 30.06 is good for medium distances in the brush and out. The .30-30 is a good brush gun and the .270 for longer open shooting. Is this all true?

And what about the 7mag.?

These are all very commonly used around here, I just want some other perspectives.

Thanks