first rifle

[zonda_rocks]

I want to buy my first rifle ever for deer hunting and I was wondering what is the best gun to get on a tight budget

thanks

 

[Oldnamvet]

A lot depends on what type of area you will hunt, how far the shots are, and how tight your budget is. One place to start is with a NEF Handi-rifle. These are break action single shot rifles for about $200 new. 30.06 is a caliber that covers most deer hunting. Good used rifles of various types can also be found but you have to know how to pick a good one. If you don't, it will be a crap shoot and you could end up with junk - or worse- something dangerous to use.

 

[30-06 lover]

I would get the Remingotn 700 SPS model in 30-06. That would be the most universal rifle/caliber setup because the 30-06 can take any big game animal in America, there are tons of loads for the '06, and it is very accurate caliber. The Rem 700 is also very versatile, very accurate right out of the box, plus there are numerous after market parts for it if you ever choose to customized.
-Mike

 

[Smokey Joe]

Tight budget?

For a deer rifle on a tight budget you could do far worse than a Yugo M-48 Mauser. XLNT condition ones will cost you well under $200. They are 8mm Mauser, which is comparable to the .30'-06 performance-wise. Surplus ammo is available for practice, and deer-hunting softpoint bullet ammo is available at any decent sptg gds sto.

Use it "as issued" at first if you have good eyes. If yr eyes are elderly, you might want a "ghost ring" style rear sight which is easy to substitute for the military open rear sight.

Upgrades including better trigger, laminated Boyd's stock, scout 'scope mount and 'scope, are to be had for not too much $$, and you can add these piecemeal as yr finances allow. With the ones I've mentioned, you can do all the work yrself.

There are other milsurp bolt actions for about the same money, or less, but they all suffer from either hard-to-get, expensive ammo, or considerably less accuracy. That's why I'm favoring the M-48 for you.

There are also, of course, many other fine rifles for more $$, but you mentioned a limited budget.

AVOID the Mitchell's Mausers which you see advertised in all the gun mags. This is usually the Yugo M-48, and the 2-3 I've seen look really nice, but from other sources they are a LOT cheaper, with the same fine Mauser workmanship and design.

 

[Ol` Joe]

I`d take a look at the Stevens 200 or Savage "package rifles" sold at the various mart stores. The scopes aren`t the best and I would replace it as soon as I could but the rifles are very accurate and a good buy for the money. Here`s a link to Wal Marts rifle and price.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2684985

 

[rangerruck]

ditto's to ol joe, everyone knows that stevens/savage have excellent made accurate bbls. so they will have all the accuracy you will ever need for hunting. the stevens is about 100 bucks or more cheaper than the Savage package rifles, but the savage will have an accutrigger, and allready come with a boresighted scope. As for calibers, i light kicker will be in 243, the one with the most and cheapest ammo will be in 30/06 or 308.

 

[hoghunting]

I agree with the last two

For the money the Stevens/Savage combos are hard to beat. Around here in Texas, surplus ammo in 308 is very inexpensive for practice. The 308 will also make a very good all-purpose hunting round.

 

[greg531mi]

My son hunts with a Enfield, they are around $100, the Mark 4's have peep sights, and are good for 200 yards, you can always add a scope mount and scope when money is less tight.... But check the state reg's on how many rounds the gun can have....in Michigan, a bolt action can have as many as you want, a self loader is limited to 6, one in the chamber, and 5 in the mag