Deer Rifle Recommendation?

[Divernhunter]

I am sorry to hear that about Africa. My daughter took 10+ animals spot and stalk ranges 135-410 yards with her 257Roberts. They were plains game and some with a reputation for hard to kill. They were all one shot no tracking kills. We went in 2013 to South Africa

So ElvenSoul I call BS


God Bless America--You do not need any bullet heavier than 150-165gr so the 308 will do just as well as the 30-06. Modern bullets have replaced just getting bigger to do the job. I have both. It is much easier to get mil surplus ammo for the 308 to plink with.

[m35a2]

Only seen it mentioned once in this thread....a Winchester '94. I used one for years while hunting with my dad in No. Ca, Utah, Idaho, Or. Had a 1963 in 30-30. My dad gave it to me for my 12th b-day, he bought it when I was born. It was a tack driver. Lots of venison in the freezer with that tool. I am still kicking myself in the arse for selling it years ago when I was hard up for $. IIRC, I sold it for 200 bucks. It is going to cost 500+ to replace it. I have been looking for the right replacement one for years.

[Remus]

Pretty well covered.
CZ, Savage 114 U line, and Browning are worth a look.

[duckman1]

.270 Winchester on Kudu and .300WSM on the Eland.



Fixed link

[Citizen_B]

1) Are aesthetics important to you? Do you want a nice-looking rifle as well as one that shoots well, or will any ol' gun do the trick?

2) Do you handle recoil well?

1) Aesthetics aren't important to me. I want a work horse that will do the job, last, and hopefully still be useful decades from now.

2) I would say I'm not that sensitive to recoil. I've shot a 30-06 and would describe it as stout but definitely manageable.

[rivraton]

Only seen it mentioned once in this thread....a Winchester '94. I used one for years while hunting with my dad in No. Ca, Utah, Idaho, Or. Had a 1963 in 30-30. My dad gave it to me for my 12th b-day, he bought it when I was born. It was a tack driver. Lots of venison in the freezer with that tool. I am still kicking myself in the arse for selling it years ago when I was hard up for $. IIRC, I sold it for 200 bucks. It is going to cost 500+ to replace it. I have been looking for the right replacement one for years.

I have a (1927) '94 in .32Spl. that my dad handed down to me. Out to 150 yds,
it's is 1 shot, 1 kill. I can't think of a rifle that mounts better than a '94, ol' John Moses hit it out of the park with that design.

[Citizen_B]

Not unless you want to wear ear pro while hunting or are shooting multiple, fast moving targets.

Is a muzzle brake something hunters use? I just assumed not.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I have a lot of new options to research.

[Sinister_Rounds]

I love reading this stuff because hunters all have their reason. I have decided on a 30-06 because I am a new hunter and I can learn from that. All rounds mentioned will drop a deer but it comes down to what you are comfortable shooting with and being accurate.

best of luck, ultimately you will have to decide on what you want to shoot.

Nick

[welderdude]

My 2 cents....
I think it is hard to beat either a Remington 700 or a Winchester 70 with a quality 3x9 or 4x12 range scope.
As for calibers, I like to think about keeping things simple by limiting calibers across other rifles you may have now or would like to own. ie; if you have a Garand or 03a3, then go for the 30-06. an M1a or an Ar10 then buy a 308.
Get what you want, and what speaks to you then get a notebook and go shoot it as much as you can at the ranges you plan on hunting with.
Looking forward to seeing what you pick out!

[scidx]

I'm not bashing on the "one true rifle" idea, but...

It is my opinion that when someone has or wants the one do-all rifle, they don't necessarily hunt everything. The occasional, once or twice trip, I understand. If you make hunting a hobby, you're going to want the ideal cartridge/rifle/optic/gear set-up for that animal.

What makes a good wooded deer rifle, doesn't really make a good long range varmint rifle. Both can be hunted with the same gun, but the gun may not be exactly what is desired.

Also, personally, I'd want a rifle I can shoot as much as I can at the range. If a .270 Winchester is a soft shooter for you, outstanding. I wouldn't settle on "manageable" recoil as my one and only rifle for all hunting purposes.

In my mind, this means more weight to tame heavier recoil. Still not a dead end, but not ideal for all.

As a mid-level of all factors, I'd go with:
-South Carolina built Winchester model 70 Featherweight in 7mm-08 (pretty gun, well executed, fun to shoot)
-Leupold FX-II, VX-II (or higher) in no more than 10x power, no larger than 40mm obj.
-Whatever factory load shoots best, if not handloading

If you stay above $500 (not that you have to) any rifle you find will probably fit the bill. You'd have a real challenge finding a bolt rifle you like that is NOT offered in .270 or .308 Win.

[JTROKS]

My deer rifle is the Interarms Mark-X in 270 Win. I think it's ideal for western deer. Elk and moose are possible with heavy bullets, but it won't be a long range shot. The 270 Win will shoot flat enough and my Mark-X is the most accurate hunting rifle I ever had.

[DennisCA]

I had one rifle for many years (since the mid-80's):
It's taken all kinds of critters; It's done it's part - as long as I do mine.


(Overall view)

(Close up)
Model 70 Winchester (featherweight) .270 cal W/3X9 Burris Scope
(I had a better scope on it but broke when I took a nasty fall in SW AZ a few years ago)
I had this from one coast to the other and several places in between.
It's been through all kinds of weather (hot/cold/rain/snow) and still functions well, plus it still looks great!
I traded in a Marlin 336 30-30 (I should've kept the Marlin but that's another story) plus cash. At the time I paid more than I wanted to but in the long run it was worth!

[Thanatos2203]

Is a muzzle brake something hunters use? I just assumed not.

You assumed correct, I've heard of people putting them on .30 magnums and other large/fast calibers but its not something I'd recommend. I've read various accounts of Alaskan guides who will make you take them off your rifle or have personally suffered hearing loss as a result of clients using them. You most likely won't feel the recoil during the kill shot, but if you purchase a lightweight rifle with a sharp recoil and are concerned, just get a limbsaver or something along those lines.

For those who do wear ear pro, there is a pretty good video out there of a guy getting attacked by a pig which he doesn't hear charging up on him. Dumb luck he happens to look to the side and shoot it before it grabs him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDDuK-_DAyA

If you are running a 20" barrel in Texas, trying to shoot as many hogs as you can before they run away, that would be a different story. For almost every other type of hunting, a muzzle device is not something to bring along.

[Thorax]

God Bless America--You do not need any bullet heavier than 150-165gr so the 308 will do just as well as the 30-06. Modern bullets have replaced just getting bigger to do the job. I have both. It is much easier to get mil surplus ammo for the 308 to plink with.

Bring your narrow bootay on up to Montana and I'll take you on a griz hunt.
Don't mind my laughter when you fail to drop one....with 15 shots.
Don't worry, I'll bring a real rifle that will drop one with a single shot.

For all the people in this thread that have stated 'it's enough to hunt moose with'.
You have OBVIOUSLY never seen a moose in the wild.
Trust me when I say that pictures do not do one justice.
I have personally seen a large bull moose DESTROY a White Frieghtliner semi.
It was not even a close match, the bull speared the radiator with one shot, then hooked the tilt cab and ripped it right off the truck with the second shot.

The moose looked at the truck, shook his head, and slowly walked away completely unharmed.

.338 win mag is the smallest starter rifle I'll let anyone use on my watch.
.350 mag better, 375 H&H is not too much gun for moose or griz.

[Divernhunter]

If I were to hunt a griz it would be with my 338Win mag and Swift A-Frames or my 45/70 and swift A-Frames.

I have seen live moose in the wild. My brother has shot moose in the wild using a 338win mag without problems in Canada. I would prefer to use one of the above rifles for them also. I also plan to use my 338win mag when I go elk hunting.

All of that does not change anything about the OP using the 308 since not many people buying their FIRST rifle and talking about mostly Calif hunting will be griz hunting, or moose hunting, in Montana. He also did not say he planned to take it to Africa, Canada, Alaska or any other country.

So my statement stands and is very accurate and correct.

Thorax----You offering to take me hunting for moose or griz(or other bear or elk, or pronghorns or deer). If so please let me know so I can start planning. This year I should be drawn for Wy pronghorn and a better deer zone here in Calif. I really want to get a color phase black bear to go with the jet black B&C bear I have on the wall. I have past up a number of bear here as they were all black. Maybe you can locate a color phase for me?

PS I would agree a 375 is not too much but I do not own one so my 338win mag with swift A-Frames will have(and will) do the job. It is all about shot placement. Also I would rather have someone with a smaller rifle that can place the shot than someone with a big boomer that is afraid of it and cannot properly hit the animal. Maybe then 15 shots would not be needed

I will wait for your invite to hunt.