Need deer rifle advice

All that I can add to this is my personal experience. My shortest kill has been about 15 yards, longest was 225. Calibers in rifles were .243 Win, .270 Win, 7mm-08, .308 Win, 30-06, .444 Marlin, .41 and .44 mag in pistols. Results are strikingly similar with all of them. Every deer I shot for years in the heart/lung behind the shoulder would run 40-50 yards and die. Easy to track. About three seasons ago, I started aiming more forward into the shoulder area, and they all seem to fall kerplunk. Common rifles like Remington 700's and Ruger 77's. I'm partial to Leupold scopes. For my budget they work pretty good in low afternoon light, which is when I see most deer.

My first experiences hunting TX many years ago, I made the mistake of hauling my .30-06, when my Aunt and Uncle guiding me were using .22-250’s. I shot a respectable buck with decent age, and more inches of rack than pounds of body mass.

Fast forward about 20yrs, the more deer I killed around the country, the less appropriate I found the 30-06 and 308 for deer, and the more optimal I found the 243win & 7-08. With the 6.5 creed and 6 creed on the market today, also filling that niche.

I’d be very hard pressed to recommend anything but 243win, 7-08, or 6.5 creed for a one-gun, new deer rifle buyer.

On a budget, I’d personally be buying a Rem 700, Savage 12, or Ruger American. In that order. For $1000, you’ll be very well served to spend as much on the scope as you do the rifle, and don’t cheap out on the rings and base. You can buy a deer slaying machine for $450-550 any time of year - but spending $800 on the rifle and $200 on the optic will leave your buddy regretting his decision.

• Tikka T3 (their older model, works just fine and it's less expensive - usually a little over $500).
• Tikka T3x Lite .308 Win
• Tikka T3x Lite SS .308 Win

Affordable, durable, accurate and reliable in a hard hitting caliber that you can literally find everywhere with a wide selection of different bullets.

Throw on a Leupold, Nikon or Zeiss scope and have at it.

With only a 1000 dollars to spend, I would search the used rifle area. You get a higher quality rifle in probably good condition. I bought a used 257 Weatherby Vanguard (top of that line) for 400. It is a MOA gun. Was most surprised at how well those rifles shoot. That leaves you enough for a quality scope. You may spend more on scope than rifle, which is what I think you should do. I also suggest an older CZ in your caliber of choice. Very good value in used condition.

Depending on what part of Texas you are hunting a long shot could be 100 yards or it could be affinity. I live on 750 acres I own and shots are from 25 yards to way out there.

With a $1k budget I’d get a Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic and top it with a MeoPro 3.5-10x44 from Camera Land for $400.00. If I needed to spend less I’d get the same rifle in .243, 6.5 Creedmoor or 7mm-08 and top it with the Minox ZV 3 that’s $100.00 and change from Natchez.

If your friend is in the DFW area I’ll mount the scope for him at no charge.

I have a big dislike for the scopes on package budget rifles.

Lots of good info here in this thread. Texas is such a diverse place in terms of terrain and geographic regions, we'd really need to know more about the specific area in Texas (ie: plains, coastal, hill country, piney woods, etc.). I'm a handloader so my all time favorite (if I could only have 1 rifle hypothetical) would be my 7x57. But that would NOT be a good choice for a newbie who doesn't handload and was looking for readily available factory ammo.

That said, you'd be really hard pressed to find a better option than a 30-06 or a 308. One is long action, the other is short. You can find ammo anywhere for either one. You can find virtually any rifle you desire chambered in either one. Both are extremely popular whitetail cartridges. If the subject does get into handloading, both cartridges are easy to reload.

I would give a slight edge to the 30-06 in that the more case capacity and longer neck will do better with heavier bullets. 30 caliber is certainly one of if not the most popular hunting calibers in North America.

As for the glass, I've had good experiences with Nikon, Leupold, Redfield, and Weaver scopes. A good mid-grade scope in the ~$200 should be plenty good for deer hunting. Most of my scopes are 3-9x40. I have a couple of straight power 4 and 6s but prefer the variable option.

someguy2800 said:

I really like the 6.5 creedmoor as an all purpose medium game rifle. Mild recoil, 40 grains more bullet weight than a 243, excellent ballistics, and ammo is very economical and available everywhere with a lot of good selection.

As for the rifle choice, he is going to need to go to a few stores and play touchy fealy and see what he likes. Most factory colt actions now are plenty accurate so that a pretty level playing field. If I were starting over today with that budget I would probably buy a Bergara B14 paired with a vortex diamondback 3-9x40. Really nice rifles with great triggers.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/415003711/BERGARA+B-14+RIDGE+6.5CM

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I also like the Bergara. It is a lot of gun for the money with the only drawback is the weight. If you are shooting from a blind or stand the weight is no problem. For still hunting or spot and stalk I would recommend something a little lighter like a Ruger American, Model Seven Remington, Tikka, or the Kimber Hunter. As for caliber the 6.5 CM is the rage now, but any of the mid-range calibers from 243-308 will get the job done with the proper bullet.

If he's just starting out, a Mossberg Patriot, Savage Axis II, or Ruger American will leave him with enough $$ to get decent glass. New hunters have a tendency to buy an expensive rifle and put cheap glass on it, but are better off getting a basic, quality rifle with better glass. As for Caliber, hunting in TX can sometimes offer long shots, .308 in a short action, or .270 in a long action would be my first two choices not knowing the land to be hunted. If long shots will not be taken, .243 or 7mm-08 would be my rcommendations.

I would choose the 6.5 Creedmoor for caliber .

Rifle , TC Venture or Ruger American for a good budget rifle .

I’m not a hunting expert by any means, but I’d personally start with a Savage non-Axis in .243 (or 6.5 Creedmoor, if they make it), and work up from there. It will be a more pleasant rifle to learn on than a more powerful caliber, and it has plenty of power for deer with good loads.

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/savage-11-trophy-hunter-xp-243-winchester-bolt-action-rifle

Or if he doesn’t mind a bit more recoil, 7mm-08, or .270 Winchester.

I did the Walmart walk of shame sporting my New to me LCR 3" Ruger the other night. I saw a full set up in the sporting goods section with both .243 and .270 available for $368/rifle add the $40 for a hunting license and he would be good to go for $408+ammo .243=$11 .270=$14. Remind him to sight in the scope before going hunting. Advise him that a good hunter safety course is good for beginners. If he is only going to use the weapon as a one and done, I would recommend a shotgun with buckshot or slugs if the barrel is rifled. This would be a good home defense method thus extending a dual role for the shotgun. The others above have already given sage advice on the common types of firearms used in hunting and deer rifles.

Something 24 to 30 caliber that shoots bullets between 100gr and 180gr somewhere between 2500 and 3000 fps. There you go. Done -haha. Need more info? - so do the responders - haha.



There is going to be a lot of advice since a whole lot of rifles and calibers can take a relatively small deer.
For the first rifle/one gun guy, it needs to be an easily found caliber.
Plastic stock or wood stock; matte finish vs glossy blue; detachable mag vs floorplate vs blind mag - these are just preferences and really how much he wants to spend.
Same thing with optics and mounts - just preferences and dollars.
The best thing would be to have some sort of starting place on preferences. While the big box store salesman is going to try to push certain products, it would still be beneficial to go to a big box store and see what your friend likes.
From there, you can hone in on needs/wants/budget.
Otherwise, the question sounds like," I need a car to get to work. I want to spend this amount of dollars. What do you recommend?"

When in Texas do as the Texicans do. I've only hunted SW Texas once. Since I didnt want to travel with my rifle I borrowed what was available. I had a choice of a 243 or 270. You could have any rifle you wanted as long as it was a Remington 700 ADL with a leupold 3x9 rifleman scope. Either were up to the task. Mine was #12. There is no telling how many deer that rifle killed and no doubt still going strong today.

I'm thinking $350 for a rifle and $250 for scope and rings. That leaves $400 for ammo. That should just about get you there.

CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog...lt_65_grendel_24_5+1_turkish_walnut_stk_black

Leupold VX3i 3.5-10x40
https://www.opticsplanet.com/leupold-leupold-vx-3i-3-5-10x40mm-riflescope.html?_iv_amp=1

The CZ ships with scope rings.

Solid quality, low recoil, beautiful rifle, quality scope, & you're good for bambi to about 400 yards.

What'd I tell you? Most guys will spend your arm/leg for a scope.

Okay, levers and single-shots with apertures... I knew a guy once who's Highwall's rear sight cost $450. The rig I was running back then was a '94 with the Lyman #2 tang sight... used, it cost about $250 back then. When I shot a cast bullet match with that rig, it outperformed the more expensive deal. And I killed deer with it, too.

If I were to point somebody, for hunting purposes, to a aperture sight now, I'd say a Williams 5-D from experience, or maybe a Marbles since I'm reading good reviews. Neither costs anywhere near $450.

For the rifle in this category, the Winchester or Marlin .30-30 would be first up. The nicer single-shots geared to hunting tend to be pricier. While the H&R HandiRifle is a good deal, I hear they've been discontinued and used rack prices are climbing.

when we could hunt whitetail here in Iowa with real rifles, my set up was right around your friend's $1000 limit. for me, it just came down to what i liked. i wanted a nice wood stock, blued steel, 30-06, and a good scope. ended up with a blued/walnut ruger M77 hawkeye in 30-06 with a 1-7x32 leupold vx-1 and a military sling from triple-K. i have taken deer from 30 yards to a couple hundred and it has always performed well for me. a couple of perks that come with the M77, you get pretty decent scope rings included and a controlled round feed action with that big mauser style extractor. accuracy has always been right at or slightly over an inch at 100 yards, however, even though i handload i have never gotten too carried away with working up a load for this rifle. i did my research and my first load had the bullet i wanted at the velocity i wanted and i knew there was no reason to try to shave off another quarter inch of group size. i spent a lot more on the rifle that i needed to but i got exactly the one i wanted and i have been very happy with it to this day.

price breakdown for those that are interested:
rifle:+/- $725
scope: $199
sling: $50



i will not argue that you can get very durable, better shooting rifles for less cash these days or that synthetic stocks are more practical for a hunting rifle. in the end, i got what i enjoyed the most and i dont regret it for a second.

Savage axis any caliber you want 299 sometimes cheaper at academy

entropy said:

he's just starting out, a Mossberg Patriot, Savage Axis II, or Ruger American will leave him with enough $$ to get decent glass.

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Or get 2 one in 223 for cheap learning of fundamentals and 1 in 243 -308 for actual hunting. 6.5 creed, ouch I prefer 260 rem, but the former is more available for both ammo and rifles.

I'm with Picher and the .270 is a good all around deer cartridge. Being somewhat low recoil and a good flat shooting round are good qualities. There are some questions here though. Stand or still hunting? If stand hunting then that really opens up a lot of options. If taking a lot of off hand shots that narrows the field a bit to the Kimber, Tikka, Savage 11 class of rifles due to weight and point and shoot ability. A Marlin 336, Savage 99 and Wichester 88 are good spot and stalk rifles as well.

I have used my Weatherby .270 for years and it is still my go to for stand hunting. In my mind accuracy is king in this realm and my weatherby has been second to none in this dept. I would stalk the used racks post hunting season and find a deal in a relatively common caliber with a nice rig. Weatherby, Winchester 70, Remy 700, Tikka, Browning, higher end Savages and Higher end Rugers would be in play for me. Go with what feels right to you and offers the most bang for your buck. Good glass in low light conditions is something important when deer hunting in my experience.

Most of all have fun with it! It's a new rifle.

I'm also in Texas. There isn't a deer in this state that won't fall to a well placed .243 bullet. Same can be said for the 6.5 CM

I choose the 7mm-08 as my do-all hunting rifle, but that's only because I want to hand load 160+ grain bullets for elk on occasion.

If I were choosing a dedicated deer rifle for Texas hunting, it would be a .243 or 6.5 CM without a doubt.

Cableas had M70 featherweights on sale this weekend, I think they were $750. That is a deal, I looked at the 308 Win and 270 Win they had, and I am impressed with the wood and machine work on the things. I think the sale is off, but a M70 rifle is a smooth and slick bolt action, and either caliber is well proven for everything smaller than Grizzly bear.

Has no one mentioned a Remington 760/7600 or am I just to far northeast for you guys? Any caliber it shoots is good enough for anything that happens in Texas and accuracy is all about the vitals of a deer. Follow up shots are fast and intuitive and, if you get a 10 round magazine, you don't have to reload your deer rifle for two or three years.

If he’s a smaller guy, a T/C Compass has a nice compact length of pull and it’s a cheap, accurate rifle. If he’s average or taller, a Ruger American. Both are cruising around $300 and both available in.243 Winchester’s XPR is on sale at CDNN with a Weaver 3-9 and rings for $390 and offering a $100 rebate which brings it to $290.

Every bit as critical is having him understand how to mount a scope. Blowing $150 on a Nikon or $500 on a Leupold won’t make any difference if he cranks down a $10 pair of Tasco rings tight enough to crush the tube.

My boss has hunted deer all his life and takes a yearly elk hunt to Colorado. He was just this week lamenting the poor quality rings on his rifle that were constantly shooting loose. He’d had a local store mount his new Leupold using Vortex Viper rings ($60) that had not so much as been degreased. DON’T let him mistake a salesman for a Smith is the lesson and where it pays to be informed.

I might even suggest he spend a little money up front for a used .22 lr to get comfortable with then hone in on a deer rig later. In fact the aforementioned Win combo, a tall Harris bipod, and a used .22 should only run around $650. He could mount the Weaver to the .22, wait for his rebate check, and have $450 for a good scope/ring combo later. That’s 2 rifles, 2 scopes, and a steadying aid for his $1,000, probably with money to spare.

https://www.cdnnsports.com/winchester-xpr-compact-243.html#.XBNA_hZMFR4

Some rifles not available in some cartridges.

Example: I'd love a Ruger #1 A in .35 rem. They never made it in that.

So what rifle do you fancy?

Long action or short? Auto, pump, bolt, falling block, break open, lever?

Are you going to handload or just use factory ammo, if the latter...........do you mind paying a bit more for the lesser popularity stuff?

Example: .300 Savage vs .308 win.

You can go economy rifle or full blown custom, or anything in between

.243 win, .260 rem........

My 700 ADL in .243 win wears a Leupold VX1 3-9X.
My Ruger #1 RSI in .243 win wore a Leupold M8 4X
My Remington 760 in .35 rem wears a Leupold M8 4X compact
My Contender Carbine wore a Leupold 2-7X

Now..........I did have a decent buck at 250 yards, when I went prone w the RSI.
Used to be a fence out there, and they took it out. Was waiting for him to cross it.
Never did. If he had he'd have been dead.

You don't need a lot of X's to hit your mark. In fact F&S magazine did some test thing, said most folks do better with less mag.
A fixed 6X seems to be popular for longer range deer hunting.

IMHO the scope has to compliment the rifle, in size and shape.
Life is too short to hunt with an ugly setup.

Used to hunt groundhogs as a kid w a 3-9X AO Leupold on a ,243 win.
300 yards was no big deal.
Deer bigger than chucks.

Might be nice to clang steel w your deer rig, so maybe a higher mag scope may be of dual purpose (4-12X ?)
If going with .243 win or similar, you might have a dandy varmint rifle too.

There more mag and an adjustable objective are probably a good idea.

Had a 4-12X AO for a decade on my 700. No chucks around, just yotes now, and wanting it possibly for backup deer rig.............I went back to a 3-9X.
I still shoot .75" groups with it at 100 yards off the bench.........same as I did w 12X.

Will admit if I was to test for accuracy, I'd rather have the 12X.
Makes seeing holes in the paper easier, and minimizes aiming errors.

New guy at work, got his first deer, 50 yards or so, field edge stand............left his scope at 9X the whole time.
Said it was tough, but he got him.
If you have a high mag scope, and don't pay attention, you'll probably get burned on a close one, by having it cranked up.
Kind of why some folks like a fixed 6X.

If Murphy never visits your deer camp.............you can run dang near anything LOL