First Deer Rifle Advice

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cuervo

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I'm thinking of picking up a basic deer rifle and have been shopping around. Below are some I've found and just wanted to get some opinions. I'm mainly considering .30-06, and could go with .308. I don't know as much about the other main deer calibers out there such as 7mm and .270.

1. New Savage 111 with Simmons 3-9x40 for $329. This does NOT have the accutrigger.

2. Used Mossberg ATR 100 with Tasco 3-9x40 for $249. Some worn spots on the parkerizing, but overall very good condition.

3. New Remington 710 with rings for $299 or with scope for $400 or so.

4. I also checked out Walmart and they have a Savage kit in 7mm for $364 with the accutrigger. I could presumably find .30-06 for about the same price. They also had a Winchester 70 kit in 7mm for $325 on clearance. If I looked around some different stores, I may find a different caliber.

Of the ones I handled, the Remington seemed to have the flimsiest bolt and stiff action. The Mossberg was better, and the Savage seemed the best. I didn't get a chance to handle with Winchester.

I know the Savage is considered by many to be a good starter gun, but I was wondering if it was worth the $60 more over the Mossberg and if the accutrigger is worth the extra cost.

Thanks for the input.
 
OK

You are looking for an economy deer rifle.

I would recommend the Stevens m200 - and I'd go with the .270 Winchester if this is for deer hunting and not bigger game like elk. These can be had for under $300 brand new. This is just the old model Savage 110 marketed as the Stevens. A great value.

Do not buy a "kit" with a cheap scope. Buy a decent scope separately (recommend the Simmons prohunter 3x9, Weaver 3X9 or Nikon prostaff 3x9). A good set of inexpensive weaver mounts and rings are the way to go - all's you have to do is screw them onto the receiver which is drilled and tapped from the factory - and then mount the scope.

If you haven't mounted a scope before, just ask for a how-to here - we'll be glad to help. It's easy to bore site your scope by looking through the bore with the bolt removed and then aligning the scopes reticle (cross-hairs) just under the 'center' of the bore picture. This will get you on paper at 25 yards for sure.

I have one of these Stevens rifles in .270 and it shoots under 3/4" at 100 yards with a Nikon prostaff 3x9 scope. Best value going.

I do not like the others listed accept for the Savage.

Another nice thing about the Stevens is that the stock, while rough is a quality, glass-filled polymer stock and can be sanded and painted. That's what I did with mine - used Krylon camo paint from walmart! Its holding up really well and looks good:

20500back_to_front_close.jpg

20500front_to_back_close.jpg
 
I'll be hunting in central NC out of a tree stand, most likely. Beyond that, I'm not sure since I haven't been on my friend's land yet.

I know the scopes that come with the rifles will be the lowest-end, but figured it was something to start with and then upgrade later.

I'm tempted to just use a scoped M1A I have for this year, and then search a little more casually early next year. But, having heard good things about the Savage, I thought it might be worth getting one now.

I had not seen any Stephens. I was mainly thinking .30-06 or .308 since those are very popular calibers and there would be plenty of different loads available, plus I already have these two calibers so wouldn't have to go into a new caliber.
 
Can't go wrong with the Savage in either .270 or 30-06. Best bang for the buck out there. However if you ever comtemplate hunting Elk size critters or bigger, the 30-06 would have the edge.

+1 on don't buy a "kit" with a cheap scope. I spend about as much on glass as I do on most rifles. That being said I have a fairly inexpensive Simmons Aetec 2.8-10X scope that is a great scope for the money.
 
Use the M1A. .308 is a fine hunting caliber, and the gun's plenty accurate.

Why would you want one of the rifles listed if you have the M1A already?

If anything, I'd recommend getting a compact rifle next. You already have a full-size rifle. Save up; don't go cheap. In a tree stand, it's not such an issue, but on foot, lugging around a big, heavy rifle can get old. But the M1A will serve you just fine, now and into the future.

And the M1A is already sighted in.
 
Don't mean this as a threadjack, but on scopes here's my $0.02


If buying new, the Prostaff is probably the best optically in the budget range (sub $160). I'm fairly certain of it.

However, I'd seriously look at buying a used, but not abused Burris FFII 3-9x for around $130-$140. I sold one on here that was used only 1 time on a .223. Nothing wrong with it, wanted to fund new project. $130 shipped was the going price based off of what typical Ebay prices were. You can find many of these in equally good condition. Glass is superior to any sub $200 scope by far and can rival $300-$400 scopes in many ways. Tough. Lifetime warranty. The works.

The others to look at would be Weaver or Simmons, Weaver being the better of those two.
 
+1 on the Prostaffs they are excellent bang for your buck (both puns are just coincidental.)

As for using the M1A as a hunting rifle you sure could. But if you want a specific rifle for medium to heavy game, The Savages are a Great place to start. The Stevens by Savage is a good choice as was previously stated.
7mm, 270, 30.06 are all good choices.
 
The Savage 111 or the Mossberg 100ATR will both fit the bill, but I would probably get the Savage (though I am a Mossberg fan) because you can do more with it down the road. You could get the Mossberg and a Nikon Monarch, which is better than the prostaff and still just a shade over $200 if you hurry with SWFA. In any case, stick with either the Savage or the Mossberg from your list.

Ash
 
By the way, for hunting, the triggers on the 111 and the 100ATR will be good enough, no need to get the Accutrigger if you like the price on the other rifles. (You can get a Mossberg 100ATR NIB for $250 though).

Ash
 
M1a1

Well, unless you are hot to buy a new rifle, I'd just hunt with your M1A1. That'll do the trick just as well and maybe better than all listed. Just check your local game laws on mag capcity - might have to get a 5 round mag if you don't already have one.

If you get into it, then buy the bolt rifle later - start looking around for deals. I found that Stevens on sale for $250 - was a Bass Pro Shop grand opening special.

BTW, the Stevens only weighs 7 pounds - very light weight.
 
ArmedBear said:
If anything, I'd recommend getting a compact rifle next. You already have a full-size rifle. Save up; don't go cheap. In a tree stand, it's not such an issue, but on foot, lugging around a big, heavy rifle can get old. But the M1A will serve you just fine, now and into the future.
Click to expand...
I agree with ArmedBear 100%. The M1A is a great rifle and more than adequate for deer. While it is a little heavy, that won't matter as you are stand hunting. Your next rifle should be a quality lightweight bolt or lever action. If you really feel the need to spend money now, spend it on ammo and get plenty of practice in with that M1A.

Then, buy a nice used featherweight bolt gun or a Marlin 336 or Winchester 94 at the end of deer season when they can be had dirt cheap.
 
i would go mossy first, then savage. simply because the new mossy's are quite innovative, and full of features, particularly with the stock. Plus it is very similar to a howa action. So that ain't bad. i would stay away from 7mm as opposed to 30.06 , the 06 ammo is much cheaper, and can be found growing on certain trees, west of the Mississippi, not so for the 7 milly. if either of the other cals ore in , say, 270, 243, or 308, or even 6.5 swede, i would also look at those.
 
Savage or Stevens.

I don't know how many other guns you have and what your recoil level is so I hope I won't offended you here.

Deer aren't very difficult to kill and many people choose too large of a cartridge. The 06 is a great cartridge, especially if you intend to go elk or moose hunting in the future, but a 250 Savage through 270 will kill deer just as dead, and just as fast, with less recoil and blast. Less recoil and blast usually mean better accuracy. Since bullet placement trumps caliber and bullet construction, for a first big game gun I'd rather recommend a 25-06, 260, 7mm08 or a 270. The better accuracy and the lack of a developed flinch might make one of them a MORE EFFECTIVE deer killer.

There was a fairly large study a short time ago on the east coast. The results were that there was little to no difference in deer killing performance between the 25 caliber rifles to even the 300 magnums IIRC. http://www.scilowcountry.org/cedar_knoll_deer_study.htm

It might be a good idea to shoot a friends 06 or 308 bolt action gun first to see how well you like it. A typical weight bolt gun is going to kick a good bit more than a heavy M1A.

Good luck.
Bigfoot
 
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Out of the rifles that you listed I would say to stay away from the Remington 710. I love 700's just not crazy about that model. The kit rifles usually aren't that great of a bargain because the scope is usually junk. You can't really go wrong with any of the calibers that you mentioned but I would probably take the 7mm out of the mix. Also, Bigfoot mentioned some really good calibers that would do the job and be easy on the shoulder.
 
mosin nagant m44!!!! you cant beat a first deer rifle that is less than 1/3 of the price of the others you mentioned. The round is more than capable of dropping deer and a blast to shoot.
 
I ended up going with a Savage for $329 at Dick's.

The scope that came with it is fairly.....crappy. I'm not sure if it is even still a Simmons since it doesn't have any name on it. And, it just barely fit the length of the action, making it pretty far forward of what would be a normal hold for me.

So, right now I'm looking at a Burris to replace it. However, most of the scopes I looked at in the store, and presumably a Burris, have tubes that are too short to fit the distance between the rings. Any advice on selecting offset rings? Would replacing the mounts will a one-piece mount interfere with ejecting?

tia
 
Doh! Missed that you already settled on the Savage. Shutting up.

Are you already a (1) hunter looking for a "dedicated" deer rifle, or (2) rifle shooter thinking about taking up hunting?

If the latter, hunt with the M1A this year and see what you think of hunting. If the former, you have lots of options ... but RUN, don't walk, away from the Remington 710. I love Remingtons. But the 710 was Remington's version of the PC Jr. I don't know anybody who has one who remains happy with the purchase ... and ya can't give 'em away, much less sell them.
 
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Use your M1A. If you'll be hunting out of a stand, weight is not a problem. You have an exceptional rifle already. Go spend your money on under layers and good insulated boots.
 
Yeah, I'd just go with the M1A.

I have a 710 and don't loathe it, but it doesn't get me all giddy like, well, any of my other stuff.

ETA Realized you posted you got the savage--that's what I'd have chosen of the list, let us know how you like it after you get the scope/rings resolved.
 
I held the mossberg atr and the action is smooth as hell. The trigger creeps a little but i didn't mind that. For $270 new its a steal. I once considering getting one and still do but i figure i should get the nicest gun i can and just use it the rest of my life and be pampered by it.

Yeah i just saw you bought the savage.
 
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