Beginner Hunter Caliber Question

[newbutold]

I've taken deer and pigs with the .270 and 30-06. For elk I use a 7mm RemMag. All have Leupold variables.

I like composite stocks for no worry durability and muzzle brakes so I can target shoot them all day with no pain.

Enjoy shopping and don't get in a hurry.

[FISHNFRANK]

Stick to the .270 or something like the 7mm-08; the lesser recoil will make you a better shooter. And with today’s premium bullets like Barnes you can kill moose or elk. I like the .30-06 a lot and own two but it’s really unnecessary for the majority of North American hunting today. Don’t let anyone talk you into a magnum. All you’ll get out of it is a flinch and a lighter wallet...

[Bisley]

At this stage of CA I would skip the .22lr and start with the 17HMR because learning on a smaller caliber is not only WAY cheaper, but easier to get fundamentals down. And I always suggest hunting rabbits and squirrels to start with and lead free, which is all you can hunt with in 6 months , absolutely sucks in .22lr. ammo. A 17 HMR however is ideal for rabbit and even longer shots on squirrels and is notoriously accurate with lead free. Mine loves 17gr NTX and TNT Green.

On the larger side I am partial to the .30's as well, if for no other reason than bullet selection. Just make sure you have at least a 1-10 twist on either for the longer lead free bullets. Most are these days but they do have 1-12 twist rifles floating around out there.

Best of luck and welcome to the new addiction!

[edgerly779]

Try and find 7mm/08 if you need it not readily available out of town. Try any walmart/ Some people still push that caliber. Stay with the easiest to find .308 30/06 .270.

[Ramsh00ter]

Rock dog, where do you live?

Our hunting club is putting on a 2 day hog hunting on January.
We are located in the Long Beach.

The class is in conjunction with the fish and game advanced hunter ex progrM.

[Fjold]

I would suggest you do the following:

Purchase either a .22lr or a .223, either of which can be had for a very reasonable price and both of which are cheap to shoot. Use them to practice shooting a rifle from the same positions you would use in the field - prone, sitting from sticks, kneeling from sticks, standing from sticks. .22lr can be had for as little as 4cents per round and acceptable .223 ammo for under 40 cents, whereas practice ammunition for the .30-06 and .270 starts at 60 cents and goes up from there.

Both the .270 and the .30-06 have taken just about every game species found in North America. I'm partial to the '06 because I have one but I wouldn't hesitate to use a .270 for pigs, deer or elk.

I'm a low volume shooter and I still go through about 200-250 rounds of .22lr per month. The cost difference between 5 cent .22lr and 60 cent .30-06 ammunition on say 2500 practice rounds per year come to over $1k, so a rifle that's cheap to shoot will pay for itself pretty quickly.

+1, Listen to Jack.

Get a 22 rimfire bolt action rifle (the best one that you can afford) and learn to shoot on that. It will show you the basics of range compensation, wind drift, and shooting technique faster and easier than any centerfire cartridge. You need to learn the basics of rifle shooting first and then work up to centerfires. Good shooting technique will help you with recoil management when you step up to centerfire chamberings.

Sight your 22 rimfire in with good ammunition and aim every shot and track your results. Ideally you would log and record the conditions and results of every shot. Plinking is a concept that I don't understand, every pull of the trigger should be deliberate with an idea of learning from every shot made. When I go to the range I may be there for 2-3 hours and pull the trigger 20 - 40 times. I photograph and label just about every target that I shoot.

Either the 270 or the 30.06 will work fine as long as you can shoot them accurately. The biggest cartridge that I've shot Elk with is a 30.06 but I've taken them with my 308 with no problems and I own a lot bigger guns.

[plumbum]

Just a warning, animals smell pretty bad on the inside.

ROFL! Damn right they do, especially when your hunting partner puts a round front end-to-end and you have to help clean it out!

[ChuckDizzle]

Buy a 5.56 rifle. There's a good reason why, you aren't a good shot and ammo is expensive.

Knowing your rifle, load, and your skills are the most important parts of being a good hunter. Not the right clothing, accessories or equipment.

You'll want to be a sub MOA shooter from a bench, then you'll need to get good shooting off improvised rests and positions.

This is going to take some practice and 5.56 is much cheaper than any other center fire rifle cartridge. It is also very low recoil so you won't develop a flinch as a noob.

It is suitable for just about any game you'll find in California and most you'll find in the lower 48 states. Larger cartridges are great for stretching out how far one can effectively take game, but most hunters, myself included don't feel comfortable taking shots on game from over 200 meters. Inside 200 meters a 5.56 is very flat shooting, just point and click.

Also check out a Project Appleseed course. They teach fundamental rifle marksmanship, more along the lines of classic military three position shooting, but the skills translate.

Good luck.

[RHSth4]

.243 is what I'd recommend for you. It's an adequate round for a deer. Not sure what else you're trying to hunt but I dont think you could go wrong with that caliber starting off.

[TMB 1]

If you want detachable mag check out the Remington 783. Skip the combo, get just rifle no matter the brand you decide on and put a Leupold scope on it. Either 270 or 30-06 will work, but I agree with other posters that you should also get a 22lr for cheap target practice.

A good set for beginner would be a Marlin xt22 22lr with Nikon scope and a Remington 783 in 308 with Leupold scope.

[oak18]

.270 is all I’ve ever used for deer the past decade or so and it probably won’t change anytime soon. It’s a great cartridge so you can’t go wrong. I’d also consider .308. If I ever get another deer rifle I’d go .308 for some variety.

Edit: Go with Savage or Ruger for the rifle. They make great rifles at good prices. If you want something a bit nicer for an extra $200 or so, go with Tikka.

Stay away from Remington. Their quality has tanked and they’ve practically tarnished the reputation of the 700 and the 783 is probably one of the lowest quality new production rifles in existence.

[Pharmboy]

Just my opinions here. I grew up in North Carolina where most hunt whitetail with a bolt gun, so this is where I draw my first timer opinions. I recommend the caliber that fits what and where you plan to hunt, instead of finding one that could fit everything. Check out Chuck Hawks website and learn about types of game, the environment you are going to hunt (ie. brush or in a stand), and other variables that impact a successful hunting/stalking day. For instance, if you are staking out in a stand or not moving much, you can get away with a heavier rifle that would be softer shooting from larger calibers. If you are humping it and only going to take one cold shot, a lightweight mountain rifle would be easier, especially dragging a deer back too. Other variables are if you hire a guide or have an ATV, hunting on private land with restrictions, shooting from a helicopter, etc.

If small boar/feral pig and deer are your primary game, you are looking at CXP2, so good calibers are from the shorter -08 cartridges (.243, 6.5 CM, 7mm-08, and .308). These calibers provide ample hunting bullets and off the shelf match bullet selections too. I have noticed recoil and noise is the greatest deterrent to someone learning how to shoot accurately, so heavier recoiling calibers will be a detriment for those starting in this hobby. Low recoil and semi-auto options are 7.62x39 and 6.5 Grendel Rounds, but hunting bullets are limited.

Once you establish accuracy, then you can expand to other hunting calibers. I have not hunted Elk, but that is CXP3 and will require something in the 308 range or equivalent or stronger (270, 30-06, etc)

Also, a good stock, grip angle, and overall fit will help mitigate recoil and enhance comfort. These can be fit-for-purpose for lying prone, balancing on sticks, or from a rapid standing shot. but for a first time rifle, try to find one that you feel most comfortable or versitle within your price range.

Also, part of the hunt is to field dress the carcass Learn to do that first, then learn to harvest the meat (gut, skin, butcher), or know Someone who can.

[smittty]

All sorts of advice here so it's almost impossible to follow good from bad!

Been hunting for 40 years and where I grew up the biggest game we hunted was moose. Anyone who says you need a magnum caliber has drank the foolaid!

Stick with standard caliber and I would even suggest on the lighter recoiling side. Learn to shoot and use your skill (shot placement) and enjoy that one hunting rifle for the rest of you life.

However, being new to rifles it's going to take you some time to figure out what you like and what you're going to enjoy.

For that reason I would suggest starting out with a 223/5.56 bolt action. Ammo is the least expensive, it's legal in California for big game, and well suited for pigs and the size deer we have here. Also, until you try hunting you won't know if you love it or hate it.

Based on all this, I'd suggest the first rifle to be a Ruger American Ranch in 223/556. It's relatively inexpensive, light, will be great for your first pig hunt, and even if you end up hating hunting it's still a fun rifle to shoot at the range. It's also a great little shtf rifle.

Good luck!

[condor]

Lots of good advice and their reasoning. My thoughts is anything stainless, light weight.. no heavy bbls allowed... in a 30 caliber. Recoil isn't going to be an issue. A couple shots sighting the scope, and maybe one or two rounds in the field. Not enough to give you the yips. My 2cents

[TMB 1]

You don't know what you're talking about. 783 is just a rebranded Marlin its quality is just as good as the Ruger American and Savage. Give any one of these a spit shine and they're just as good if not better than a Tikka.