[mattman the gun fan]

well i belive i have made my decision on what my first fire arm will be. I think im gonna purchase a rifle for hunting. What are some of the best models and makes for rifles? im open to all suggestions.

[Northslope Nimrod]

What type of hunting? Do you want to use this gun for a variety of critters? Say...coyotee to deer, elk, moose, hogs, water buffalo?

There are different actions to choose from: Bolt action, Lever action, Semi-auto.

Describe the type of hunting and the terrain and we will be full of suggestions.

[Sam Cade]

How much money ya got to spend?

[mustanger98]

If you want a hunting rifle, I suggest a single-shot, lever action, or crankbolt. Caliber/chambering selections are dependent on your intended quarry.

Do you want to use this gun for a variety of critters? Say...coyotee to deer, elk, moose, hogs, water buffalo?

Coyote- .223 will work fine in bolt or semi auto either one. .243Winchester in a bolt action is a good choice. In some cases, you'll need a .223 semi auto for the fast follow-up shots. Other times, one shot one kill. A lot of that depends on the terrain.

Deer- .243Winchester (crankbolt) and .30-30Win. (mostly lever, but also can be found in some crankbolt models) are great choices.

Elk- While I personally wouldn't be past hunting elk with a .30-30 and 170gr SP's, most folks say they wouldn't in favor of something heavier and harder recoiling. Anything bigger, obviously you'll need a bigger rifle.

[iamkris]

Mattman --

First, do you have any experience shooting? Shooting rifles? If not, no offence intended, but you will do yourself a great service by NOT buying a "hunting rifle" as your first firearm.

You owe yourself the time to learn the fundamentals of good rifle shooting by purchasing a 22 LR and practice, practice, practice. Stance, sight alignment, sight picture, breathing, trigger control, follow through. Like golf...it sounds simple but it isn't.

More than anything else, you owe the game you will shoot to be a good rifle shot. There is nothing more unforgiveable than wounding and losing an animal.

Now on the other hand, if you are a crack shot (a little hard to believe if this is your first firearm) then the recommendations above are excellent.

[Vern Humphrey]

well i belive i have made my decision on what my first fire arm will be. I think im gonna purchase a rifle for hunting. What are some of the best models and makes for rifles? im open to all suggestions.


Since you are from Ohio, I'm going to assume you hunt small game and white tail deer.

For small game (squirrels, for example) a good .22 rifle is ideal. Many people like the Ruger 10/22 automatic. Others prefer a bolt action -- Savage, Marlin, Ruger and Remington all make good ones, and you can find plenty of used .22s in pawn shops or on the web. Mate your chosen .22 with a good scope -- one designed for .22s -- either a 4X or a 3X9 power scope (I have a 4X Burris mini scope on my Kimber M82 and a Burris 3X9 on my Ruger 77/22 in .22 Magnum.)

For deer the classic answer is the .30-30 -- either the Winchester Model 94 or the Marlin 336. I have always preferred the Winchester, and mine wears an aperture (peep) sight.

But a better choice would be a bolt action rifle -- you can't go wrong with the .30-06. A good .30-06 would be good for anything you might want to hunt, from white tails in Ohio to moose in Alaska. I like a low power scope -- a 4X or a 3X9 again, but in full size.

For rifles, your choices are Winchester (the superb Model 70 Classic), Remington (the 700) or Savage (variations of the Model 110).

[blackhawk2000]

A lever gun in .30-30, or a bolt gun in .308 depending on your terrain. I don't think a bolt gun in .30-06 is a good beginner caliber. The first rifle I shot was my buddy's autoloader .30-06 and it whooped my behind. Now it doesn't bother me.

[Vern Humphrey]

A lever gun in .30-30, or a bolt gun in .308 depending on your terrain. I don't think a bolt gun in .30-06 is a good beginner caliber. The first rifle I shot was my buddy's autoloader .30-06 and it whooped my behind. Now it doesn't bother me.

Literally millions of men first learned to shoot with the .30-06. It was our standard cartridge for 50 years, through two World Wars and Korea. It's nothing to be afraid of.

Now in standard loadings, the .308 and the .30-06 are virtually identical -- you can't tell the difference in terms of recoil. However, in Lite Magnum or Hi Energy loadings, the .30-06 begins to act like a .300 Magnum. And for a handloader it has greater potential than the .308.

[blackhawk2000]

I had no adult guidance to teach me the ways of the gun. I'm sure I wasn't shooting right, it wasn't a pleasant experience, and another beginning gun owner without proper guidance might be put off by the experience, and not shoot again.

Now if he has a good teacher, then by all means go 06, and then you won't have to upgrade in the future, if you go after bigger game.

[Vern Humphrey]

The .30-06 is not that hard to shoot. Even more important, a blindfolded man couldn't tell the difference between the recoil of a .308 and a .30-06.

Now a man who wants to go hunting needs to sight his rifle in and practice with it. The best place to do that is at a range, and you can usually find an experienced shooter at most ranges who will be glad to help you.

[Cueball]

Like others have said, if this is your very first firearm, I would suggest starting with a .22LR. Learn proper techniques and get somewhat used to it with something that is inexpensive to shoot and won't discourage you. I like the CZ 452 bolt action rifles for that. They are very accurate out of the box and a lot of fun to shoot. After that, tell us what type hunting you plan on doing and we can make some suggestions.

Also, FYI... If you are hunting in OH, thw only rifles legal to use are the .22LR and then the .223 for Coyote and such. Deer can only be hunted with shotgun & slugs.

BTW... I'm 1/2 hr to 45mins from you.

[ctdonath]

.30-06 was too much for me when I started, and .223 was startling and 12ga hurt.

Start light. Get used to it. Give your body time to figure out what to and not to do, without flinching. Don't play "tough guy". Move up at your own speed.

Now nothing bothers me ('cept maybe slugs out of the 12ga pistol, bit much for the thumb). 500+ prone rounds of .308 in 5 days - no problem.

[MDHunter]

I agree with most of the posts here, start with a .22 long rifle - relatively cheap rifle, really cheap ammo, and TONS of fun to shoot! Lets you develop good habits and learn inexpensively, and with no extra BOOM to throw you off.......once you got that down, you'll have a better idea of what type of larger rifle you might want (and will have had a chance to see a lot of different rifle types, at the range.

Vern - gotta love that Ruger M77 .22 Mag, huh??!! I really love mine with a 3x9 22 mag scope on it, and heavy barrel - now the gray and fox squirrels in maryland, they don't seem to like it so much.......I can't figure out why! :evil:

Good luck, whatever you choose, and welcome to a great hobby!

Michael

[Vern Humphrey]

Vern - gotta love that Ruger M77 .22 Mag, huh??!! I really love mine with a 3x9 22 mag scope on it, and heavy barrel - now the gray and fox squirrels in maryland, they don't seem to like it so much.......I can't figure out why!

I mostly reserve my .22 Mag for late season squirrels, when the leaves are off and you get long shots. My Kimber M82 in .22 LR is my primary squirrel rifle.

When I lived in Virginia, I hunted an area where the rule was "rimfire only in hunting season." One of the members of our hunt club was a game warden, and I raised the subject with him, and he opined rimfires were legal for turkies.

That .22 Magnum was a revelation to those wise old toms who thought they knew the range of a shotgun!! ;)

[Sewerman]

Barrett light .50 :evil:

[mattman the gun fan]

yes i do have shooting exspieriance and i was talking to my father the other night and he said a winchester 308 is a great rifle. and i have about 600 dollars to blow.im looking to mostly hunt deer.

[iamkris]

Where are you planning to hunt? If Ohio, I just looked up the regs there...looks like shotgun or muzzleloader only for firearm deer season.

If you are looking to hunt deer in the eastern US, a 308 is fine but frankly overkill. You'll do just as well with a .30-30 or 243...plenty of killing power, less recoil for short ranges you'll experience. If western US, a 308 is ok (I've used on for antelope and mule deer in WY) but you'd probably be better suited with a 270, 25-06 or something flatter shooting. 308 Win would be an OK compromise though. Rmington 700, Winchester 70, Tikka T3, Savage 110...would all do you fine, plenty accurate just differing prices.

Here's the Ohio reg I was quoting
Allowable Hunting Equipment

Archery Season:

Longbow: minimum draw weight 40 lbs. Crossbow: draw weight not less than 75 lbs., nor more than 200 lbs.

Gun Season and Youth Deer Gun Season:

10, 12, 16, 20, 28, or .410 gauge shotgun using one ball or one rifled slug per barrel (rifled shotgun barrels are permitted when using shotgun slug ammunition); or muzzleloading rifle .38 caliber or larger; or handgun with 5-in. minimum length barrel, using straight-walled cartridges .357 caliber or larger, or longbow, crossbow (draw weight limitations same as for Archery Season).

Shotguns cannot be capable of holding more than three shells. This means you may not hunt with a shotgun capable of holding more than three shells, unless it is plugged with a one-piece filler which limits the capacity of the gun to three shells. The filler must be such that it cannot be removed without disassembling the gun.

Statewide Muzzleloader Season:

Longbow, crossbow (draw weight limitations same as for archery season), muzzleloading rifle .38 caliber or larger, or muzzleloading shotgun of 10, 12, 16, 20, 28, or .410 gauge using one ball per barrel.

Hunters cannot carry more than one firearm while hunting deer.

Hunting Other Game During the Youth Deer Gun, Deer Gun, and Muzzleloader Seasons

Youth Deer Gun Season – It is lawful to hunt legal game and furbearers (including coyote and wild boar). It is unlawful to use or possess slugs except youth hunters hunting deer. Waterfowl hunting and the night hunting of furbearers is also permitted when the season is open. All persons (except waterfowl hunters) hunting during the youth deer gun season are required to wear hunter orange.

Deer Gun Season - It is unlawful to hunt any wild animal except deer, coyote or wild boar statewide from 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset. Hunters must possess a special deer permit with the temporary tag attached that is valid for the zone or unit being hunted. Hunters may not possess rifle ammunition or shot shells (except waterfowl hunters), however, hunters using a muzzleloading rifle, .38 caliber or larger may possess ammunition for that rifle. Waterfowl hunting and the night hunting of furbearers, except coyote and wild boar, is also permitted when the season is open. All persons (except waterfowl hunters) hunting during the deer gun season are required to wear hunter orange.

Statewide Muzzleloader Deer Season - It is lawful to hunt legal game and furbearers (including coyote and wild boar) with shot shells containing shot no larger than #4 (except waterfowl hunters may use larger steel shot). If you are hunting coyote during the statewide muzzleloader deer season with a device that is lawful for deer hunting, you must also have a special deer permit with the temporary tag attached that is valid for the zone or unit being hunted. Waterfowl hunting and the night hunting of furbearers is also permitted when the season is open. All persons (except waterfowl hunters) hunting during the statewide muzzleloader deer gun season are required to wear hunter orange.

[f4t9r]

Ruger makes a good line of bolt actions in many diff cal.
figure out how big you want to go

[beerslurpy]

308 vepr? That would fit your budget and it would make both a handy hunting and people killing implement. You might even be able to afford optics as well.

[Litefoot]

Get a 30-06. No other cartridge compares. There simply is NOT a more versatile nor readily availalble cartridge anywhere. Light loads are plenty accurate for varmints and the heavy loads will take anything bigger.

I'd recommend a new Savage 110 with Accu-trigger. It's as accurate as any and you'll have $$ left to mount a good scope. Just don't get the synthetic model. Good luck and have fun!

[browningguy]

A Savage in .308 or 30-06 is just the ticket for shooters with your budget. The Savage is very cheap, and one of the most accurate factory rifles made. Ok, they aren't pretty but you can grow into those.

With your budget you could get a Savage, and a decent scope, Burris 3-9x40 Fullfield II or Bushnell 3200 in the same magnification range. Skip the rifle/scope combos, they use scopes that are just horrible in quality.

By the way, I don't even own a Savage but have been impressed with every one I've shot.

[Sleeping Dog]

iamkris may have won the prize on this one. For deer hunting in Ohio, the answer seems to be "none of the above", just like southern MI. Shotgun (slugs or buckshot), muzzle-loader, or handgun only. see www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/regs/default.htm

If you don't know how to shoot safely and accurately, many clubs offer classes. Also, you have a nice facility on Ohio's north coast called Camp Perry that occasionally conducts SAFS (small arms firing school, I think). They sell 30-06 rifles, too. see www.odcmp.com.

Go Blue :p

Regards.

[Bridger]

If this is your first gun, you really should get a .22 LR.

Cheap ammo, affordable rifles. You can get a 10-22 for or a Marlin Model 60 or various bolt actions for under 200 dollars. Then buy a lot of ammo. If you want a centerfire for hunting too, you can pick up an NEF handi-rifle for a good price as well.

But you NEED the .22, it is the best way to get better, tons of fun, and the ammo is CHEAP. 7 dollars for 500 rounds versus 15-20 dollars for 20 rounds for your hunting gun.

[ruger270man]

whether you have $300, $600, or $1000, I'd recommend a Savage. Their bolt actions are an awesome value, and accurate as hell to boot.

If you're hunting deer, I'd recommend one of the following calibers

.270
.308
30-06


Sure, there are other great choices, like 257 roberts, or 25-06, or 280 remington, or 7mm, but with the 3 that I listed, you'll find ammo anywhere you look, and all 3 of plenty of power, and good accuracy. I personally shoot a .270 WIN, out of a Ruger M77MKII, also a good gun, except for its trigger pull.

[Cpl Punishment]

Remington, Winchester, Ruger, Browning, etc all make fine bolt guns
But for sheer accuracy and a very inexpensive rifle, I'd go along with the Savage crowd. I would recommend NOT getting a kit, buy the rifle and then spend the remaining money on the best scope you can afford. Godd glass on a decent rifle will be a much better deal than shabby glass on a very nice rifle.

If you want to do primarily eastern hunting, then you shouldn't discount a Marlin 336 in .30-30.



Honestly guys, the .308 or .30'06 is not a bad choice for a beginner. In fact it may be better. I wonder how many rifle shooters (many who complain about the recoil of something as tame as a .308) started out AS ADULTS with a .22 and just expected every rifle to have no recoil, and thus, will never move up in caliber because any recoil is perceived as too much. The .308 and .30'06 aren;t difficult calibers to shoot, they really aren't.

[mustanger98]

Remington, Winchester, Ruger, Browning, etc all make fine bolt guns
But for sheer accuracy and a very inexpensive rifle, I'd go along with the Savage crowd.

Right. I like all of those.

I would recommend NOT getting a kit, buy the rifle and then spend the remaining money on the best scope you can afford. Godd glass on a decent rifle will be a much better deal than shabby glass on a very nice rifle.

Right about buying a rifle, but glass is not a pre-requisite to the best accuracy. Very good shooting can be carried out using irons. People think just because you have a scope it's automatically more accurate. Those people, shooting their scoped rifles on the line, often cannot understand why the guy sitting next to them shooting aperture sights got the same size group they just got, or better. With that in mind, I recommend mounting a good aperture sight and learning how to use it.

If you want to do primarily eastern hunting, then you shouldn't discount a Marlin 336 in .30-30.

I second that. Consider a Marlin 336 or Winchester '94, both of which are available in .30-30. Mount a Williams 5D or Foolproof, or in the '94's case, a Lyman #2 tang sight. Then, enjoy. :cool:

Honestly guys, the .308 or .30'06 is not a bad choice for a beginner. In fact it may be better.

First centerfire I ever shot was a .30-30 and .243 wasn't a stretch. Neither was .30-06 from my Garand, or 8mm Mauser from a K98k. I won't say it's better, but I will say some adjust to recoil better than others. A .22 ain't a bad idea. As others have said, .22's a good way to practice cheap. And a lot of felt recoil depends on the fit between rifle and shooter.

I wonder how many rifle shooters (many who complain about the recoil of something as tame as a .308) started out AS ADULTS with a .22 and just expected every rifle to have no recoil, and thus, will never move up in caliber because any recoil is perceived as too much.

Who really knows. I know guys who shoot .22's and anything else they want to because they can.

The .308 and .30'06 aren;t difficult calibers to shoot, they really aren't

Not in the right rifle for the individual.

[adaman04]

Remington 700 bolt action is a great rifle. I have mine in .270 Win. and love it. It has taken me plenty of deer. .308 would do okay for deer, but it's just hard to go wrong with the old .30-06. It's 100th year is rolling around, and it is as popular as ever. It isn't going anywhere. It also has plenty of power for most all North American game.

[mattman the gun fan]

lmao you guys know to much about guns.its like im learning a new languge. Well anyway these all seem great i will definatly be looking around the remingtons and winchester models.

[iamkris]

How could anyone know too much about guns... :confused:

Anyway, you haven't even scratched the surface. Being amazed about a bunch of gun nuts knowing something about a Remington 700 is like asking a car nut about a Toyota Camry and thinking, "Man, THAT guy really knows cars!".

[BJPZOO]

I like a savage in .270. There are alot of bullet weights to pick from. :D

[mustanger98]

How could anyone know too much about guns...

Anyway, you haven't even scratched the surface. Being amazed about a bunch of gun nuts knowing something about a Remington 700 is like asking a car nut about a Toyota Camry and thinking, "Man, THAT guy really knows cars!".

Having not scratched the surface is right. Anybody worth listening to will also tell you no one of us knows "everything" about guns. We mostly know about the guns we have plus some we've studied or dealt with repairing or briefly shooting a range buddies guns.

I like a savage in .270. There are alot of bullet weights to pick from.

Uhhh, here we go... Most of what I've heard about .270, factory loads only come in 130gr or so and you have to handload 140's to get closer to match accurate. I've looked up .270 in the Hornady 5th Edition, but not lately, so I know there are more bullet weights out there. But I haven't seen the variety in .270 I've seen for .30-30, .30-06, .308, and other .30calibers which come in all styles in weights between 110 and 220 grains. :rolleyes:

[MachIVshooter]

I have been asked more times than I can count "what is the best hunting rifle for all kinds of game?"

My responses vary somewhat, but most often it comes to some good bolt gun in 7mm Rem Mag or .30-06. I usually recommend Ruger M77 in the <$500 category, because Remington, Winchester and all the others only offer the bottom end models for that price. For my sister, we bought a Ruger M77 stainless synthetic in .280 Rem. with a Nikon Pro-Staff 3-9, all new, for a whopping $640 out the door. It will shoot MOA and is a very nice handling rifle. .280 has an edge over .270, but it is more of a handloaders cartridge. I also own a Ruger M77 in 6mm Rem. that I use for coyotes and antelope. Great gun, I bought it used for $320. That said, my preferred rifle is a Remington 700. I own 4 of them, all are tack drivers. But they're a bit more expensive. Expect ~$600 for a standard BDL, and more for any other variant (LSS, Sendero, XCR, etc.). Same goes for Winchester and Savage.

So, in summary, I think the best bang for the buck in an all-purpose rifle would be a Ruger M77 in .30-06 or 7mm Rem Mag. For a tad higher budget, look at Remingtons, Winchesters, CZs, Tikka's, Brownings and Savages in the same chamberings.

[mustanger98]

I also own a Ruger M77 in 6mm Rem. that I use for coyotes and antelope. Great gun, I bought it used for $320.

The Ruger M77's are good and usually still good bought used in my part of the country too. I lean towards the .243Winchester for deer, coyotes, and anything else, unless I have my .30-30 that day.

with Corbon Softpoints, 150 grs at 2300 fps, it's just as capable of taking deer as the 30-30, and it is half the cost of the lever action. Its practice ammo is 1/4 the cost of 30-30 ammo, so you get to practice more. It's a gas operated autoloader, so recoil is reduced and is mild. You can do some rapifiring for fun and for combat match shooting, making it more versatile than any bolt action will ever be. the 7.62x39 fmj military surplus ammo is about half the cost of decent 3006 ball ammo (when you can find the latter, it's not common)

The above could only be a rant against leverguns. I've not found the .30-30's recoil offensive. Rapid fire is okay if you like to burn up barrels, but it don't make a SKS/AK any more versatile than a bolt or lever. It just means it shoots faster and runs up your ammo bill faster. Plus, rapid fire don't impose the discipline on the shooter a slower rate of fire does. As for .30-06 ball, it's not uncommon so much as it is not what the AK/SKS shoots.

Commerical 280, 270 ammo costs 4x what the sks rds cost, so you get to practice 4x as much, for the same money. a good used .22lr autorifle can be had for $75, or a bit less. The marlin M60 Glenfield is a fine choice, as is the Ruger 1022. There's no elk,moose or bears in Ohio boys, and not much in the way of long range deer shooting, either. 1-2 deer a year, as vs a dozen matches and lots of fun plinking mean a lot more use for the autorifle. A scoped sks, with good ammo, is plenty capable of taking coyotes to 200 yds, maybe a bit more in very skilled hands. Maybe the guy is buried in money, but the odds are good that he's not. Save some for paying a decent shooting coach, and you will be way ahead.

Regarding ammo, it's all in what you like. 7.62x39 vs. .280, .270, etc. just boils down to what you like to do with it.

Marlin Glenfield- I've heard those are unreliable especially when compared to a couple of other brands like Springfield and Ruger 10/22.

As for elk, moose, bear, etc, ever hear of traveling? And the matches... well, ever hear of American service rifles? M1 Garand, M14, M1903/'03A3 are excellent. They'll take coyotes with stock irons too. Pay a shooting coach? I didn't; I learned from my Daddy, got inspired by my Grandpa and Sgt. Alvin York (both vets, but two very different stories), and got plenty of advice from the guys at the gun club who shoot matches. The rest is pratice.

[mustanger98]

sure it's more versatile, Just TRY winning a combat

rifle match with a lever,against anybody who knows jack squat and has an sks.

That's not versatility on the SKS's part. Watch "anybody who knows jack squat and has an sks" try winning in real combat against a guy with a levergun who actually knows what he's doing. Tactics, dear boy, tactics.