The ultimate newbie here...
 

I'll give you a little background. Well, I've been very interesting in hunting since I was old enough to shoot. My firearm experience is as follows (all still targets, i.e. heart not pounding) 3500 pistol rounds, 1000 rimfire rounds, who knows how many airgun, 2500 shotgun rounds (most of these are skeet and sporting clay). I'm 5'9" and weigh 150-155 lbs. I am moving to the Seattle, WA area in Oct. and have decided to start hunting and fishing. My dad wasn't able to show me the basics, faq type questions, since he was always out of town. I'm just asking for basics from rifle selection (currently looking at Rem. 700 BDL SS) to hunting techniques. I'd like to hunt deer/elk/cougar when I move to WA.

Thanks in advance,
-Barry-

P.S. Very nice message board you have here, one of the best/most informative I've seen. I've been lurking for quite some time.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

I should add this:

The rifle is a 7mm mag. I've been told by others on my boat (I'm currently on a submarine in GA, but the boat is moving around to WA) that the 7mm mag. will more than cover any deer/elk/cougar I come across out to distances more than anyone should shoot.

I'm also looking for info on equipment, not just technique/strategy. Anything from stands to clothes. I'm about to buy a new GPS unit, a Magellan Explorist 600. I've done so much research and have finally found one I like.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

Sorry, but I keep having ideas...haha!

Here's another rifle I'm looking at.

Savage Arms Weather Warrior. Same caliber but it just seems like this rifle has many more features, fluted barrel and muzzle break. Is this a, 'get what you pay for kind of thing?" I don't want something cheap.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

I do not concider Savage rifles cheap, more along the lines of inexpensive and a great value. It will shoot equal if not better than any Remington, Winchester, Ruger or Browning. I think the 7mm would be a fine choice. Depending on which game you plan to hunt more often, don't over look the good ole .30-06 it Makes a great duel purpose deer/elk gun. Don't forget to factor in a good scope. It is equally important as the rifle. You can't shoot what you can't see.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

I agree, I would much rather have a good solid rifle and a top of the line scope. Welcome to the board.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

Thanks, I'm sure that I'll enjoy it here. I'm actually very interested in the Savage since I have no desire to buy a rifle with a wood stock and that seems to be the predominant issue with Savages, cheap wood stocks. I love the synthetic/stainless look and feel it is much more durable. I don't want to get into the sport to show off how much money I might have. I shoot skeet with a Benelli Nova. I love that shotgun and some people at the range have enjoyed it as well.

Also, is there a website/book like, "Deer Hunting/Hunting in General for dummies?" A basic type information area would be more beneficial to me.

Thanks once again.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

You'd probably be happy with the Savage. They have some low priced, great guns. I have a .223 model 110 or something with 3x9 scope that I paid $350. It's basically a beater gun for coyotes but man is it accurate, especially for just having a sporter weight barrel!!

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

Barry,
Welcome to hunting. It gets in your blood and stays with you forever. You'll be getting a lot of advise from a lot of "experts" but keep a few things in mind.
Most of the stuff, ie: gadgets, that people swear that you need.....you really dont need.
90% of what you see on hunting videos/hunting shows is acting. DO NOT look to them for technique, advise or for what your hunt should be like.
Buy the best equipment you can afford and are comfortable with and it will work for you.

Good luck to you and your hunting adventures to come.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

Jacobi,

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

It doesnt get any better than a Remington 700. BDL SS is a great gun, also the mountain DM and LSS are bought nice light guns. 7mm rem. Mag is extremely versatile, as is the .30-06. as far as glass, basic 3-9 works great. the leupold rifleman series is fairly cheap. I was skeptical about them, but after owning one and putting it through some tough stuff, i'd say it works great. I'd go witha VX-II if i had my choice, 3-9X40. can't go wrong with a leupold. Nikon is turniing out some good stuff, although leupold is american made.

slayer

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

Hi Barry, welcome to the forum and thank you for your service to this great nation! Personally, I use a Remington .30-06 that I bought used in a pawn shop last year. I use 150 grain noseler ballistic tips and have fired 4 shots from that rifle since a friend and I sighted the scope in. All 4 shots were killing shots and the deer dropped immediately on impact. Again, welcome to the board, you'll find more info here than you know what to do with.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

First off, Welcome to hunting and to the boards. Stick around here and most questions you have can be answered. As far as books, Walmart has a good selection of those basic learning books available by hunting species, or you can look on amazon.com. If you have any specific questions go ahead and ask. Good luck and enjoy hunting, it is the funnest thing I do throughout every year!

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

Welcome first off!!!:)

As to the choice in chambering of your rifle, the 7mm rem mag will do nicely. It is my choice for an all arounder cartridge which has harvested moose, elk, deer and antelope in my case with ease. Bullet choice is very good due to the 284's popularity. If you plan to by OTC factory ammo you'll find it almost everywhere, good selection of bullets/styles and not to hard on the pocket book.

As to rifle both Savage and 700's are good choice, it boils down to personal preference and actual fit. The savage has a idiot proof self trigger adjustment in the accutrigger but 700 can be equally touched up by a component firearm owner or cheaply by any gunsmith as well to feel great. No doubt the savage is accurate/solid and of great value. The 700 is still known for strength and is usually pretty OofB accurate. I am not sure what model of savage but to me a blind(internal) box mag is it's only fault, as savage uses this on a number of their rifles. I did notice they do offer some DM's now though. The 700 is available in 2 mag types DM or Hinged floor plate both IMO are better than a internal, so slight edge goes her for me(again that is personal). The one thing I will caution you on in your choices is the muzzlebreak, first off the 7mm rem mag is not mild but is tolerable by most shooters in recoil and most importantly a muzzle break is extremely loud (it should never be fired without hearing protection used unless you don't value your ears!). If recoil presents a problem you can install an aftermarket recoil pad like sims or decelerator that will help emmense in felt recoil. In fact some of the new rifle come with the new SIMs factory installed so you may want to consider this while sorting through the various models as well.

As far as technigue just hang on this board and you'll learn a ton...lots of great/well versed hunters of varying locations and game animals willing to embark their thought/knowledge/experiences.

I disagree about the GPS as well, having used most of them I still find the Garmin product the best for ease of use/features/power consumption...being in the military you are probably more versed on this application then me, so chalk it up to personal difference of opinion.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

Thanks for the input Skeeter.

As for the rifles, now it's between the savage and the new Rem. 700 XCR. Apparently they don't make the bdl ss anymore because it's not on their site. Anyways, I like the XCR much more. The main difference is price. The Sav. is $661 while the Rem. is $893. The muzzle break on the Sav. is adjustable so I figure I could use it at the range and not in the field. I would like to save the money and get the Sav. and be able to get a nicer scope, but if the Sav. won't hold it's own, and be dependable for years, I don't want to mess with it.

As for the GPS, the new Explorist series is top notch, do some research on it. We use a handheld Garmin on the boat as a backup for a backup for a backup (it's mainly just a toy) and I haven't been happy with it in the slightest. The new Explorist 600 has SD card expandable memory, USB computer hook-up, rechargeable battery, compass, barometer, altimeter, and with the expandable memory you can load as many points of interest as possible (the 1 gig card can load about 90% of the US).

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

Hey everyone. little new here. but i would have to say that if i wanted an all around big game or general hunting cartridge i would want the 30-06. you can use the mid-weight (125,150 and 165)stuff for deer and elk and such. but then you can load it down to the accelerator(55) and hunt yotes and varmits. then you can use the 220 on moose and anything else in north america and a good bit everywhere else.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

Jacobi you also have another choice in the remi the Model 700 SPS SS, it is basically the 04' BDL SS but has a few changes worth noting - floor hinged plate mag(this in a change to ADL not BDL really) and SIMS R3 recoil pad factory installed. It comes in a 7mm rem mag -26" barrel and on rems website suggest list is 619.00.

Don't worry about the Savage any, it is every bit a solid rifle it just depends on how it feels and personal opinion of features. Like I said if internal box mag I don't care for it but other could care less about this feature. Internet research is great but never make up your mind till you shoulder/cycle/touch/feel any rifle!! You may find a few that will do but I am willing to bet one that you just can't leave without. FWIW, your theory is extremely sound and agreed upon, when working on a budget save the money on rifle and put towards optics/rings/bases is a very good idea. Many feel (I agree) that a gun is only as good as it's dress (glass) and also confidence is IMO another huge factor. That's why I feel interms of rifle the fit/features, optics and mounts you can trust are worth the price or saving a few more months to get what you truly want. Best of luck!

GPS like I said is just my opinion, mine is plenty as I don't need maps uploaded, it is strictly a tool to get instant info, safety reasons and save locals. If I need a topo map I much rather prefer a larger scaled map that I can actually read and interpert but again everybody has their use, likes and dislikes..it don't have to be the same to be right just as long as your happy and it fills your needs, then go with it!

Best of luck!

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

The same can be said about the 300 mag and IMO it is better choice if you want to chuck and get the advantage out of the 200 gr plus lead. I would feel confident and have on using my 7mm rem mag upto Moose sized game. Their simply isn't anything it won't due with 160 or even 175 gr bullet that the 06 will with 180 or larger. For large bears or dangerous game neither would make me feel to great toting, the 300 wim mag would be the smallest but in truth I'd much rather have 338 win or larger in that case. As to varmits the 7mm with proper bullet will work fine but if truly interested I think a specialized rifle for varmits is the way to go. Long and short many appear to crossover and may work to a degree, however in reality few will truly suffice for everything in NA. Good news it just means we all need a few guns in our cabinets...now tell me where the down side is..LOL! Not saying the 06 isn't a great choice for an all arounder for NA Biggame needs upto the big bears and the odd yote/varmit but I disagree it has any advatange over the 7mm rem mag or a few others for that matter either!

Not being a jerk just stating my opinion!;)

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

The 7mmremmag is certainly a fine choice as an all around cartridge.You can use 140gr to 160gr bullets for game ranging from pronghorn to moose as long as you choose your bullets wisely.There is really no need for heavier bullets for these animals.There is absolutely nothing other than the largest bears that I would not hunt with the 7mmremmag.For the largest bears,I would want at least a .338win mag or perhaps even more.Good luck and good hunting.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

Howdy and welcome to the forums, Barry!

I agree with pretty much everything everyone else has said on the board. The .270 vs. 7mm vs. 30-06 debate has raged on for years, and will probably continue to be argued for years to come. Any of them will serve most people well. And both the Savage and Remington are fine arms that would serve you well. Like others have mentioned, your hunting success depends on your weakest link. Don't let it be your optics. If your going to skimp, skimp on the rifle and not the scope. I would also recommend a good set of binoculars. When stalking and scanning, good binoculars are worth their weight in gold. I've known some people that don't carry binoculars, they look through their riflescopes. Bigtime safety issue IMHO, because the rifle looks where the scope looks.

As far as hunting techniques, study the animals you plan to hunt, and know their habitat, food, habits, etc. Always be aware of the wind, and use it in your favor. Camoflauge color isn't a big factor, but how well it breaks up your outline is. Most game animals are active during the early morning/late afternoon hours, so I find the first few minutes during sunrise and the final minutes during sunset to be the most important.

Good luck and good hunting.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

i know what you're saying skeeter. i'm not trying to step on your toes about the 7mm. the 7mm and '06 are both great cartridges that can take on most everything in na. its just a matter of personal preference in my opinion.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

I say get the -06. load it down to 55 grain accelerators to explode woodchucks or up to 220 grain Round Noses to Drop Bear. Mine loves 150 - 165 Nosler Ballsitic tips to put a hurtin on Deer:D 7mm Mags while nice, are not my 1st choice - if nothing other than personal preference.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

I perfer the .30-06 too. I've almost got my new one ready, just waiting on the stock to be camo dipped (New MossyOak Break-up). It's a Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker w/ Leupold PRW Rings & bases w/ a Zeiss Conquest 3-9X40.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

welcome aboard.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

You know the gun is important but another couple of items that are sometimes over looked is a good fixed blade knife and a set of binoculars do not skimp on the knife as I have found when buying a less expensive knife I have to do twice the work. Also check into the local walmart are sportinggoods store for the rules abd regulations in your area for example some states require a hunters education course I took the one here in Texas and even though I have been hunting my whole life I found it very educational. Welcome aboard and thnaks for your service to our great nation,

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

i feel the exact same way zoomer. i'm getting a rem 700 bdl in 30-06. and that was the deciding factor. the versatility of the cartridge.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

A few things to consider when choosing a cartridge and loads.

Firstly,most guns will not shoot the full range of available bullet weights accurately.In other words if you buy one of the cartridges that uses a .308" bullet,don't expect it to shoot all weights from 110gr to 220gr accurately.The reason for this is that the rate of twist of the rifling can't be optimum for such a large variation in bullets.Usually the best accuracy is obtained within a given range usually from 150gr to 180gr or perhaps 165gr to 200gr in .308".In 7mm the optimum accuracy range is usually 120gr to 160gr or 140gr to 175gr.Of course these ranges do vary from rifle to rifle and bullet to bullet.

Concerning the accelerators used to fire .223" bullets in barrels designed for .308"bullets;accuracy is very inconsistant.Some guns shoot them reasonably well but they they shoot patterns rather than groups in many rifles.

Switching bullets or loads back and forth when hunting different animals does have it's drawbacks.Since it is common for different bullets to shoot to different points of aim you must recheck the point of impact whenever you change loads.Secondly,different loads have different trajectories which means that you must learn more than one trajectory and must always be aware of the trajectory for the load that you are using which can cause problems when buck fever kicks in.I have witnessed this situation myself in hunting situations.A good way to prevent these problems is to select one load suitable for all of you big game hunting that shoots accurately in your gun.Then you need only have one sight in and one trajectory to remember.Simpler means less chance of a mistake and a missed or wounded animal.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

Welcome! Watch out for this bunch!;)

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

I think I've found my rifle. It's a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless. It has exactly what I've been looking for with a guarantee for sub moa. Can't beat that, just have to do my part now. I know I can from the bench, but heart pounding sixteen pointer (haha, yeah right) in my scope will make it a different story.

If you have any opinions on this rifle, do tell.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

I have heard that Savage rifles are one of the most accurate out of the box rifles on the market. The only Savages that I have personally handled lacked a little in the "fit and finish" department for my taste, but overall looked like a great value. I would personally look at a slightly smaller caliber (270, 30 06, 300 WSM). I have owned a couple of Remington Sendero 7 mags and felt like the recoil was a little stiff. I am now shooting a 300 WSM and LOVE it.

Good luck with your rifle choice and your move.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

You found the sendero's in 7mmrem to have stiff recoil yet you love the 300wsm?The sendero's are quite heavy and most wsm's are lighter than average so the recoil should be noticeably greater with the 300 wsm. Perhaps the sendero stocks just didn't fit you properly.

RE: The ultimate newbie here...
 

Jacobi welcome to the forum ... you say your on a sub so I assume your in the navy so first of all let me say thank you for ALL you guys do for us ... I shoot a Rem. model 7 in a 7mm08 and have taken quite a few animals with it including 3 Canadian WT deer that weighed over 250 lbs so might consider that caliber ...

Doc