First centerfire rifle

[aarondhgraham]

Here is another option,,,

H&R Handi-Rifle in .357 Magnum.



It's a single-shot break-open action,,,
Mine is very accurate at 100 yards,,,
It holds a 2" pattern off a bench.

It certainly not the finest or fanciest rifle in the world,,,
But you can get one used for 200-250 bucks,,,
I have just under 350 invested in mine,,,
That's with a used Leupold scope.

Just another option for you to consider.

Someone also mentioned a Ruger 77/357,,,
A friend of mine owns one of those and it's a great rifle.

Aarond

.

 

[Hunter125]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I've already got the slug gun and bow options taken care of. I grew up hunting with an 870 and am actually pretty decent with it, so I don't mind slugs too much, just wanting to add a rifle to my meager collection.

I may have to start looking at lever actions in .357 Mag. I already have a GP 100, so it might be a good compliment.

Someone suggested moving. No way am I moving out of Indiana, I grew up here and just moved back here from IL. Not being able to use a true rifle for deer is one con in a long list of pros.

On another interesting note, IN changed a few regs this year (not sure exactly which ones) but now a few new rounds are allowed for deer like .450 Bushmaster, .50 AE, and .458 Socom if I'm not mistaken. Should make some of the AR guys happy.

On the lever action note, would you go with Henry, Marlin, or Rossi?

 

[allaroundhunter]

Heck, get an AR chambered in .458 SOCOM and go varmint hunting

 

[Kachok]

Think about that for a second. The 30-06, quite possibly the best all around deer cartridge in the history of deer cartridges, cannot be used on a deer out of a rifle. But a pistol cartridge can.

Sometimes all you can do is shake your head.

Anyone that thinks the 30-06 is the best deer cartridge of all time never never used a 6.5x55 or 7mm-08 I keep my 06 loaded with some heavy lead for bigger stuff but I deer hunt with my Swede more then all my other rifles combined.

 

[mdauben]

Anyone that thinks the 30-06 is the best deer cartridge of all time never never used a 6.5x55 or 7mm-08

I have to agree that sometimes the '06 fans get a bit carried away. I would willingly conceed that the .30-06 is possibly the best all around cartridge. As its fans are quick to point out, it will indeed handle any game in North America. If you want one rifle and one cartridge to do it all, its the obvious choice.

But... if you are going to limit the discussion to deer cartridges and rifles, I think there are a lot of other choices, many of which are arguably better. For deer. I would say the 7mm-08 Rem would be near the top of my own list. The 6.5x55, .260 Rem, or any of the modern quater-bores would make better choices (IMHO at least) that the .30-06 Spr, too.

 

[Kachok]

Oh yeah, the 06 is a remarkable all arounder, but it is a little more meat damage then I like on deer, maybe I just have not found the right bullet/load yet. My 6.5x55 kills them as dead as anything without blowing basketball sized chunks out the far shoulder, and best of all the recoil is so light I get to watch them drop through the scope. While my 6.5x55 and 7mm-08 are more accurate my 30-06 is drilling 1/2" groups so accuracy is not a concern for any of them. I keep my 30-06 loaded for big pigs.