Best hunting rifle?

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i have said this on more than one occasion and this is what i counsel new rifle shooters to buy... if i could do it all over i would have bought a nice rem 700 ADL synthetic stock in 30-06 or 308 (or savage110 or ruger 77 or win70, whatever turns you on the most) and a good leupold vxII 3-9 on it or similar or better glass and called it done and gone hunting. out the door for 700 or less used, $900 new if you shop around. and spend the rest on range time and ammo and hunts.

but nooooo, i do everything the hard way and including the above set up i now have to service ammo for .223, 25-06, .44mag, 30-30, .32 spc, 300 sav, 308, 30-06, 358 win, 8mm, .22lr. and those are the rifles ! and i have my eye on a .243, 375h&h and a 7mauser. havent decided what magnum to get yet 7mm or 300 if the price on those rifles gets right i will pull the trigger.

luckily my wife doent seem to notice the difference between the varios rifles except the m1a cuz the mags stick out

i discount the .22 becuase everyboy needs 1 or 3 and a few .22 lh handguns
 
Thanks for all the replies.

I was thinking of a general purpose rifle if their really is such a thing.
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A leading contender for a “general purpose rifle” on most people’s lists would have to be a bolt action .30-06 with a 3-9 scope. Substitute .308 Win if you like. Inexpensive plinking ammo and premium hunting ammo is available for both.

I don't trust sale people as I feel they are there to make a sale, sort of like a car salesman. So that is why I asked and then I can check out the suggestions to see if they work for me. Best car I ever had was an '87 Buick Regal Turbo. Only time I threw money into that was to fill the tank and to buy parts to make it go faster. Shoes, I got these old gym shoes that fit like a glove but look like *hit. Right now I have a Mini 14 and a Marlin 1894c.
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Well, those salespeople ARE there to make a sale – those that can’t usually don’t last long. But many still offer good advice.

-Budget - Open to what is reasonable based on what I find, I don't want the most expensive golf clubs, but don't want the cheapest either. Get what you pay for.
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Used firearms will often give you the best value for your dollar. I challenge anyone to tell the difference between those firearms I purchased new and those I purchased used in terms of cosmetics or function or accuracy.


-Definition of "large" game - Not as big as that bear, don't want to buy something and find out that I should have bought something else, so I value what you all say.
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A .30-06 will do everything from varmints with .22 Accelerators or 110g bullets to 220g for big bruins. I run 165-168g bullets for all my big game hunting.

-Territory / Terrain type(s) - Open.
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A .30-06 will have more reach than you are ready for. All three of mine get shot at 500 yards on a regular basis.
-Affinity or aversity to recoil - I like my shoulder.
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Most people can tolerate the recoil from a .30-06. A .270 Win will serve the same purpose and the 130g bullets commonly used will generate less recoil. You won’t find the plethora of inexpensive plinking ammo for the .270 Win, however. A good recoil pad instead of a hard butt plate helps a lot. You can get slip-on pads or use shoulder pads. When hunting you’re usually only taking one or two shots and you don’t notice the recoil as much.

-Age and general fitness level - 57 and average.
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I’m 58 and elk hunt every year. You can do it.

-Longest shots you are willing and skilled enough to take - Practice makes better.
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True. Once you get sighted in at 100 or 200 it’s a lot of fun to move try 400 and 500. My favorite targets are clay pigeons at 400 and steel gongs at 500.

-Affinity for one action type vs. others - Open to what I find.
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A bolt action would be my recommendation. My favorite is Ruger – one piece bolt, Mauser-style extractor and fixed blade ejector. Not much can go wrong and mine shoot very well. Savage rifles are known for their out-of-the-box value and accuracy. Some folks like Remingtons and they tend to have better cosmetics. Love my Remington BDL but I bought it used for $350.

-Affinity for traditional wood/blued vs. others - I like wood but appreciate other material that doesn't show wear, haven't given much thought blued or not.
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Get what you like. I have wood, synthetic and laminated stocks, blued and stainless actions and barrels. They all have advantages and disadvantages. Last year I hunted with a new Remington .30-06 I had picked up on the cheap. The model is an M700 in “Special Purpose Wood” made in 2005. The wood stock is plain jane, not like a CDL at all. Opening morning I fell twice coming down a talus slope. Both falls introduced the rifle to the rocks and created “character marks” that will forever remind me of that hunt. No biggie – all my rifles are hunters and all get character marks eventually.

-Your state's game laws - will travel since more of my friends are retiring and living out of state, Illinois. I think a 50 would be overkill for me.
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A .30-06 will take you around the world. There is a reason it is the #1 seller year after year after year...

The more info I get the more I can make an informed decision and not have buyer regret later.
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Don’t underestimate the effect ammo costs will play in your ability to practice. When considering a rifle check out the ammo costs for the particular chambering.

I would focus on a bolt gun chambered for a .30-06, .308 Win or one of their many offspring. In the .30-06 class I would consider a .25-06 or .270 Win or .30-06. All are excellent deer rifles. The .270 Win is perhaps the best dedicated deer cartridge available. In the .308 class I would consider a .260 Rem, 7mm-08 or .308 Win.

If elk are a possibility I would lean toward the larger cartridges - .270 Win, , .30-06, .308 Win.

On a tight budget I would look at Savage. Mine shoot great which is my primary concern. Used is always an option and I have yet to get a bad used rifle (with one exception but I knew what I was getting.)

For a scope I would get a 3-9x Burris Fullfield II with a Ballistic Plex reticle. You can get them for about $155 on eBay at “Buy Now” prices. I have a number of Leupolds (mostly used) but have switched to the Burris because I find the Ballistic Plex reticle very useful for my shooting. I have 4 of them now and am planning on a 5th.
 
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-Your state's game laws - will travel since more of my friends are retiring and living out of state, Illinois. I think a 50 would be overkill for me.
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A .30-06 will take you around the world.
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Unless he's hunting in a shotgun only and/or muzzleloader only and/or handgun only state, or part of a state. Isn't Illinois a shotgun state for large game?
 
Ok Lone Ranger,

You have provided a little more info and therefore it is a little easier to answer...

I would recommend a CZ 6.5X55 Swede. It will take anything up to an elk. Some might say it is a little on the light side for elk but at 200 yards or less I would not be afraid to use it. I bought mine last year and took 5 animals with it and all but one fell in their tracks and the other only ran about 60 yards.

If you want something that will work on most anything in NA then I would recommend 300 Mag. Perhaps a short mag in the same caliber....

Good luck,

And oh by the way.... H2O MAN, that is outstanding!!! WOW! Great photos!
 
Well I dont know about the best but.....If I had to have only 1 deer rifle it would be Remington model 700 BDL, .30-06 and a straight 4x or 6x leupold scope. 150 grain nosler ballistic tip for whitetail and 180 grain partition for anything bigger. Like I said maby not the best but has been working for me for about 20 years.
 
Hi hillbillydelux. While no Remington would be my first choice, J.Y. Jones used a 700ADL with a Redfield variable to take all big game species in North America; and there is no arguing with success! :)

He used nothing but Nosler partitions: 200 grainers for the larger animals and 165 grains for everything else.

Have you read his book? If not I recommend tracking it down, I bet you'd like it.
 
Welcome HBDelux! I agree with Reid, a 700 would not be my first choice (mainly due to fit and finish) but they work and are accurate, so I can't say it's bad.
 
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