Rifle Advice?

[zfields]

"Bigger" game and 5.56.....not the best of choices.

Sent from my fingers, to your face.

[A.M.]

Well I don't know... so can you give me a bit more advice please?

[MossbergMan]

AR platformed rifle in 6.5 or 6.8

[zfields]

Well I don't know... so can you give me a bit more advice please?

Said it earlier : ) I think a lever gun is a great start. 30-30 is a very effective hunting round for deer and hog, larger can be a bit questionable. 556 many people consider the bare minimum for either. Softpoint 30-30 can be a very effective SD round also.

AR platformed rifle in 6.5 or 6.8

While I agree these are great calibers, they are a bit more expensive of an intro into rifles, and ammo is a bit harder to get a hold of. If you are reloading, or plan on loading up online with ammo, good way to go.

[Biigg50]

There are so many options and this such a broad subject that people have written entire books on this subject. There are always the good old standbys such as the 243, 308, 270, 30-06 or 300's. all are good for some big game some are better for bigger game. A bolt gun will give better accuracy as a rule, but a semi- auto may give faster follow up shots if your first was not enough. A 223 or 5.56 is great for varmints and I have shot pigs with it but I consider it marginal for that purpose. Most pro's will tell you to pick the biggest gun you are comfortable shooting and practice with it as much as you possibly can.

[Sheepdog1968]

For your first rifle I'd go with a Ruger 10-22 and put tech sights on them and take an Appleseed class to learn marksmanship. Then practice a lot and read works from the likes of Jeff cooper. Many folks go out and buy too much too fast. Figure out what you want to do. In the mean time practice a lot with the 22.

[Sheepdog1968]

Said it earlier : ) I think a lever gun is a great start. 30-30 is a very effective hunting round for deer and hog, larger can be a bit questionable. 556 many people consider the bare minimum for either. Softpoint 30-30 can be a very effective SD round also.



While I agree these are great calibers, they are a bit more expensive of an intro into rifles, and ammo is a bit harder to get a hold of. If you are reloading, or plan on loading up online with ammo, good way to go.

I absolutely fell in love with myn30-30 lever action. If I had to have only one center fire rifle this would be it without a doubt. By the way, I loved semi autos for 20+ years before I discovered lever actions. Now when I go out to shoot a file it is mostly my 30-30.

[Vacaville]

I gotta say, I'm a big levergun fan. A 30-30 is a pretty damn effective hunting and SD round.


Want to go semi auto? I'd look at 7.62x39 Saiga rifles, or mini-14s personally.

+1 on this.

I sold my SKS and got myself a Marlin 336 30-30 a couple of years back. It's become my go-to all around hunting/home defense rifle (I live on a farm). Quick handling and big enough for deer at short-medium range. Plus there's something about chambering a round in a lever action that I love.

[Euphoria526]

I gotta say, I'm a big levergun fan. A 30-30 is a pretty damn effective hunting and SD round.


Want to go semi auto? I'd look at 7.62x39 Saiga rifles, or mini-14s personally.

+100
It's my first rifle I bought, after shooting buddies' ar's, Remington's, and the like. It offers more power than the 5.56 and it is an insanely accurate gun. Powerful enough for boar hunting and taking out deer. I was shooting 100 yards iron sites yesterday with it.
It's a great rifle that won't break the bank either, got mine for under $400 used. Love that gun and am never getting rid of it!! That and who doesn't like a cowboy gun? It just cracks a grin on your face when you chamber the round, every time.

[Extra411]

If you ever need a gun for HD, I think semi-auto is always better than bolt action. The advantages vs disadvantages aren't even in the same league. I don't see how anyone can make a case of disparaging the value of quicker follow up shots in a defensive situation.

If you can narrow it down to one of those categories, then consider caliber, accuracy, weight, reliability, and cost. For caliber, since you plan to hunt big game, it's probably safe to say you need a round bigger than .223. .308 is a popular semi-auto round; it is big enough to hunt big game, and there are many rifles to choose from in that caliber, so that'd be my suggestion to start.

Or, if you have ~$3000 to burn, I'd say just get a SCAR 17S and be done with it I've yet to shoot a rifle that has so many advantages and so few disadvantages. Need to carry your rifle around all day? It's only 8 lbs unloaded. Accuracy? I constantly shoot sub MOA with cheap serbian ammo. It's really difficult for me to justify buying another battlerifle after having a SCAR 17S.

Of course, in a topic like this, everyone is going to recommend the gun(s) they have (which is usually the ones they like), and I'm no exception. Ultimately you need to make the decisions based on your own criterias, and analyze the information accordingly.

[glockman19]

For a go to all purpose rifle you probably want a .30 caliber.
If I had to choose just one it would be a M1A Scout rifle.

[IPSICK]

Let us all know when you guys find a quality .308 semi-auto within the OPs budget. Until then, considering the requirements how can the OP go wrong with a 30-30good lever action?

[zfields]

Let us all know when you guys find a quality .308 semi-auto within the OPs budget. Until then, considering the requirements how can the OP go wrong with a 30-30good lever action?

Saiga or Vepr in 308.


I'd still go lever though.

[CinnamonBear723]

I would get a solid bolt action rifle chambered in .270 win, .308, or 30-06. You set a very reasonable price for a very nice rifle. Remington 700, Browning A bolt, Ruger M77, Whetherby Vanguard series 2, and Savage, all make excellent quality rifles that you could both take to the range and use for hunting almost everything out there in North America. My first rifle was a .270 and i still own and regularly use it. It shoots a round that is versatile enough for coyote, and powerful enough for black bear. The best advice is to go to your local shop and handle them. Put them up to your shoulder and cycle the bolts and try the triggers. Thats the best way. The three calibers that i recommended are all very well rounded calibers and easily accessible. Good luck!

[bomb_on_bus]

Well a .22WM would be better than .22LR for learning, plinking, small game hunting as far as the .22 argument goes.

I would lean towards a platform that you can learn on first. You don't want to shell out a ton of money and then not be happy with the results the first couple of times and give up.

Self defense and home defense will limit your hunting factor. You don't want to have a projectile powerful enough to go through half a dozen rooms in your house after hitting a bad guy.

You will find that there isn't one magic gun that can do it all. Thats why many gun owners have more than one type of gun.

Once you get the basics down get a gun for home/self defense and another for hunting. A pump action shotgun holding 6-8 rounds with bird shot is the go to for a lot of people I know.

A lot of hunters enjoy the .243 or .270 for average game and sometimes .300WM as well. But you will see just about anything going out on hunting trips. So again find what works best for you and go with that. You don't want a pee shooter while out hunting elk nor do you want a cannon when going out for prairie dogs.