Deer rifle question here from a new guy.

['Card]

For a man of average size, .30-06 recoil is generally considered very manageable. I would think the reason why it bothered you probably had more to do with your inexperience, and the fact that it was a featherlight rifle. If you like the versatility, I'd be comfortable recommending a .30-06 for you - there's a very good reason why it's the most popular deer cartridge east of the Mississippi.

The people who are suggesting you also pick up an inexpensive .22 for practice purposes have the right idea.

Also, until you get accustomed to firing your .30-06, remember that many ammunition manufacturers make "Light Recoil" (also sometimes called "Managed Recoil") rounds. Specifically, look for Federal 3006LR1 Power-Shok 170-grain Soft-Points, or Remington RL30062 125-grain Core-Lokt PSP. Both claim to reduce recoil by about 50%, without sacrificing performance under 200 yards.

 

[dumbhunter]

you guys are awesome

I never expected gun owners to be so friendly. I thought you were all "macho" types that wouldn't want to bother wither with a new guy. Boy was I wrong. And glad to be wrong. I must say, you never know 'till you try something.

Thank you all

 

[robctwo]

I started with Dad's 30/30 lever gun. My first high power was a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in .243. Very nice gun for deer and lots of them have died. I've bought the twin in .270, but not real fond of the kick. Recently I went with the Browning Automatic Rifle in Stalker mode in .308 and 300 WSM.

I will never regret the .243 and still carry it on a regular basis.

Since the Winchesters are real hard to get today I'd look at the Browning A bolt or the Savage weather warrior in a bolt gun.

 

[rangerruck]

All this being said, you should go to a gunshop and get both used 22's in 22lr, both bolt and semi auto action. and buy several boxes of differing rounds. get used to find out what your rifles like the best, and then get max good, with both rifles, and ask plenty of questions and for help while you are out at the range. range peeps are only to glad to help you along your way.
then get you a used hog, or a new Savage or Stevens in the cal you desire.

 

[trstafford]

bullet weight

I didn't notice that anyone had mentioned bullet weight as well as rifle weight are factors in recoil. If you have a 30/06 aith 150 gr bullets it will recoil less than shooting 180 or 200 gr bullets. Also some ammo companies have started loading light recoil ammunition. This would be good to shoot until you get use to them then increase power when you are accustom to the recoil. Shoot a lot of .22 to practice the fundamentals it will benifit you immensly.

 

[AStone]

DH,

Welcome to THR.

You're kinda where I was just a little over a year ago:
interested in guns, but looking for advice.

We both came to the right place.

Yeah, I've been a gun owner all my life,
but I've learned more about guns here in a year
than everything I learned in the last 40.

There's been some great advice in this thread. Read carefully
and consider long before dropping bucks for a big rifle.

I agree with another poster that I'd fore go deer season this year.

Just find a rifle - .22 is a great place to start - and spend time at the range.

Me? I currently own 2 handguns, a shotgun (see user name),
a .22 LR, and am looking for my centerfire rifle.

Leaning strongly towards a 7mm08 (and just starting to consider 6.5x55),
even though the .308 makes a lot of sense, too.

7mm08 (not 7mm mag) has fantastic trajectory
and enough energy to take down just about every larger game in NA
('cept moose maybe, but hey...)
with far less recoil than .30-06.

Depends on what you ultimately want to do with the gun besides "just deer",
and how much value you put on ammo availability...but that's another whole topic in itself.

I also agree that addressing the question of lever v. bolt v. auto v. pump
is a very important one. Spend some time with that one.

Anyway, yeah, you came to the right place to explore this issue.

Good luck, and keep us posted about your decisionS.



Nem

 

['Card]

Several people in this thread have mentioned that you may want to skip hunting season this year, and focus on preparing for next year. I wanted to toss a few thoughts into the mix on that one.

If you have enough time to take a hunter's safety class, and if you have enough time to get your new rifle and spend enough time at the range so that you're comfortable and (equally important) confident with it, and if you're going to be going with a friend who's an experienced hunter, then I don't think there'd be anything wrong with you hunting this fall. By confident, I mean if you can go to the range and consistently put rounds (with your hunting rifle, not a .22) into a 4-6 inch circle at 100 yards from a standing non-supported position. In the type of terrain you're likely to find yourself hunting in, I think that would be more than adequate. The key is to be confident in what you can do, know your limitations, and resolve not to take any shot that is stretching those limitations.

But even if you don't have time for all of that, I wouldn't give up on hunting season this year entirely. There's a lot more to deer hunting than just shooting, you know? There's a lot to learn and process in terms of tracking and stalking and such. There's nothing wrong with spending your first season in the woods hunting with a camera instead of a gun. That would give you another year to develop your shooting skills, and still give you the chance to get out there and learn.

 

[dumbhunter]

'Card..

Thanks for the help and suggestions. That’s along the lines of what I was thinking; that even if I don’t feel completely comfortable taking a shot at a deer, I would still want to go along to see what it is all about. You also bring up another good point in that there is a lot that I can learn about the tactics and procedure of hunting. As Yogi Berra said, “you can observe a lot just by watching”.
I am scheduled to take a hunter safety course at the end of this month. I already picked up the home study materials, and I am reviewing them.
Last weekend, I was hitting a paper plate with all of the shots that I fired at about 60-70 paces, and that was shooting standing up, not leaning on anything. I know that I need to more proficient than that, but my friend said that I did well for my first time out, and I’m looking forward to shooting this weekend (lets hope that the weather clears up). My friend’s brother is going to come with us and bring a few different rifles for me to try, so I’ll let everyone know what I shot and what I thought of them.

Thank you all so much.

 

[1911 guy]

Don't skip the season!

I post this every once in a while when someone asks "what to buy". Hopefully you can find it useful.

Step one: Find out what action type you prefer. Bolt, semi auto, pump, lever, single shot, try a few of each, opening and closing the actions to get a feel for what you like.

Step two: Use. You're deer hunting, so that narrows it down a little. Nearly anything from .243 to .30-06 will be suitable. Ask to borrow guns in you're chosen action type in as many calibers as you can. Those calibers you can't borrow, read up on ammo availability, performance and how others rate the recoil.

Step three: Stock length. Remember to try mounting the rifles with a coat on. Don't bring the butt up, rather, go out from your body then into your shoulder.

Step four: Optics. Find out from your hunting partner how far most shot are taken. My guess would be around 100 yards or less. That's the average here in the east. Here in Ohio, it's closer to 50 yards. Consider open (iron) sights. If you prefer a scope, go with low magnification. Four power is a good start. If you would like a variable power, a 3X9 is hard to beat. I use one on my .308. Sight in at the average range so you eliminate some guesswork.

Step five: Go buy a .22 rifle in the same action type as your hunting rifle. You can burn a lot of .22 for the cost of just a few shots in a centerfire rifle. The skills you learn can be easily transferred from one to the other. Shoot a lot between now and then. Make sure to put at least a few boxes of ammo through your hunting rifle, though. You need to be able to make a good hit or a clean miss. Tracking a cripple till midnight will likely sour you on hunting.

I'm always happy to help a new hunter, feel free to P.M. me if you want or have other questions. I'm sure most others will say the same.

 

[EVIL5LITER]

I wholeheartedly agree with everyone on pickup up a .22 rifle first. It will teach you marksmanship at a much cheaper price with lots of practice.

As for a deer rifle, I'm extremely fond of the .30-30. Many reasons spring to mind, but I'll list a few here for you to consider:

1) Low recoil. This is a big consideration for you. Many people try and just "take" the recoil and end up developing a flinch that is very hard to get rid of. You do NOT want to do this.

2) Light weight. If you're going to be hiking over several miles while stalk hunting (or even to just get to your stand), you will definitely appreciate a lighter rifle.

3) Shorter Length/Greater Maneuverability. My .30-30 is a good 4-6" shorter than my Model 70 in .30-06. This makes a difference when moving through heavy brush.

4) Ease of use. You don't even have to teach a person how to use a lever action when they first see it. They know already.

I've owned and shot many other types of rifles, and I like them all. But for me, the lever action just wins over me. If I had the choice for my first rifle, it would definitely be a .30-30.

 

[rwc]

Lots of good advice above.

Check with ranges in your area. Most have an "open house" day of some sort where members will set up a broad array of firearms and let folks shoot for a .25 a shot or a donation to the club. This or some other way to try out different rifles in the calibers you are considering would be well worth the time.

My father-in-law shoots a Remy 7mm-08 and loves it. I shoot a Tikka T-3 in .308 with a Leupold VXII 3-9x40 and have no complaints. Food for thought - I can find at least a couple different boxes of ammo in any place that sells it. He often can't.

 

[onemsumba]

friendly gun guys

Most guys with guns are on here becuase they like to talk about guns! so you will get lots and lots of advice and helpful answers, becuase we simply like to talk about our favorite obsession.

i second everything that has allready been said above!

.270
.308
30 '06
30-30

you can't go wrong with any of them!

several companies have Centenial 30'06s out this year. might be a nice buy!

 

[[email protected]]

Wow, lots of ppl replying here, heres my take on a nice deer rifle:
.30-06 is sweet and the best, if you want to, get an r3 recoil pad or something to dampen the recoil before getting something else altogether.

For deer, use the .270 caliber, it shoots really flat so tragectory for a new guy is no problem, it kicks very little and should be dead on. Dont go elk or moose hunting with it though, it may not get the job done

Dont use a 7mm if you dont like recoil, that thing is a bit.. beast when it comes to shouldners
[edited to define the 7mm as mag, easy to find ammo but not the same kick as 7mm-08 or those older 7mm rounds]

scope? definatly, even with good eyesight i use one just to be sure, Id use a Simmons 6.5-20x50 Whitetail scope on anything, but thats me, I like it a lot.

 

[nico]

For deer, use the .270 caliber, it shoots really flat so tragectory for a new guy is no problem, it kicks very little and should be dead on. Dont go elk or moose hunting with it though, it may not get the job done

I disagree. The .270 has marginally less recoil than a 30-06 (1 or 2 ft-lbs iirc). From personal experience and seeing a friend fire my rifle, the recoil is definitely significant for someone who's never fired a centerfire rifle, especially off a bench.

I wouldn't discount it for elk or moose either (although it wouldn't be my first choice). From what I've seen, the .270 seems to be for elk what the .243 is for big deer. It'll do the job sufficiently, but shot placement is more important than with a 30-06 or bigger.