First Deer Rifle, Veterans please give advice

[devildog32713]

Howdy all, My options: Savage Edge, Mossberg ATR. Remington 770 was one of my options, but I've learned it's a POS. Additionally, what caliber should I go with? My shoulder isn't the concern, my accuracy is. Options: .30-06, .270, .308, .243, and 7mm-08 in the savage. I like the 7mm's ballistics, but ammunition isn't as plentiful and more expensive around here. Thank you all.

 

[Abel]

Get a Tikka Lite in 270. They're not very expensive and the quality is pretty darned good.

 

[devildog32713]

$500+ is past my 15 year old paycheck

 

[slowr1der]

Go with the Savage Model 10 from Walmart with the accu trigger. It is right under $400 and one of the best values out there. Much much better than the Remington 770 for not much more. It comes with a Simmons scope, which should get you by until you can afford better. Or if you want a caliber that's chambered in a long action it will be the model 110 instead of model 10.

 

[Smith357]

I like the versatility of the 06 but then I reload for it. Really all the calibers you mention are good. While the .243 will also double as a fine varmint cartridge it may be a bit small for large mulies. As for the rifle, I'm a solid believer in buying a good used rifle, you can generally pick up a good scoped mid grade rifle for less than a bare new economy grade rifle. There are plenty of nice lightly used Remingtons, Winchesters, Savages, and even Browning BAR MKIIs in the $4-600 range with decent glass.

I was in the market about a year ago and got a nice Winchester M70 .30-06 with a Leupold 3x9 for $425

 

[Justin Holder]

Search the used rack. You just might find a great deal.

A while back Academy had some Stevens 200 7mm-08 and 270win for $180 brand new.

 

[turbo]

​

I would ask, where and in what kind of area do you hunt? Are you a walker or a tree stand hunter, light brush or heavy woods, most likely what would be your longest shot? If you start with these questions and you have a budget , then you may home in on a good used weapon to suit your needs. And there are some great used stuff out there if you spend the time to answer the above questions your choices will narrow down to a list you can afford.

 

[Abel]

If money is an issue, go for the Stevens 200. Put a Bushnell Banner on it with some Weaver mounts and you're set.

 

[Birdmang]

Savage edge in .243

 

[Tim the student]

Man, I'd love to help, but I'm the wrong sort of veteran.

Good luck with your search.

 

[Uncle Mike]

Of the ones you mention, the Savage Edge is the only one that I would consider, and on that note, I'll say that you would be better off to find a Stevens 200 in 30-06 maybe, or the 7mm-08.

You may be able to locate a good used rifle, word of advice, unless your completely comfortable, and trust the descriptions of the rifles you see on sites like Gun Broker and such, I would search the local gun shops so you could fondle them before you purchase.

 

[PedalBiker]

Aside from less recoil there's no advantage of the 7mm over a 30-06. For deer there's no practical difference between any of the larger calibers you listed. The 243 is my favorite of the bunch for shooting, but it's a big step down from even the 7mm-08. That's why it's so fun to shoot.

Of the rifles you listed the Savage would be my pick.

Mossberg rifles may be ok. I think they share many design features with the savage.

 

[Jonny V]

I'm a veteran

and I second the "used rifle" motion. If you have a Cabelas that's local to you, they have racks and racks of used rifles of every sort and make. Your local gun dealer probably has used rifles coming out his ears too. I would NOT buy a used rifle sight unseen.

That being said, I would recommend the 270 as a perfect starting caliber. It will comfortably take any game up to and including elk, and (with the 30 06) it's the most economical of the bunch to shoot. You will NEVER out-grow the 270. Jack O'connor was right, the 270 is one of the all time great American rifle cartridges.

The used rifle recommendation is a bit easier to make. Modern rifles, although they look shiny and new and tricked out, are made as cheaply and as quickly as they can force the little sweat-shop workers to rush them out. On top of that, you'll win the lottery about 35 times before you find a new rifle made out of virgin steel.

You are much more likely to get a high quality firearm for much less money on the used market. If you restrict your search to weapons 25 years old, or older, you will (for the most part) be looking at a weapon made of virgin steel, by a knowledgeable and skilled machinist, not a sweat shop worker. It should be not much of a problem for you to come up with a nice Winchester model 70, Remington 700, or Mauser 98 for around $300, and it might even have a scope on it.

Semper Fi

 

[RonDeer10mm]

from the three you listed my choice would definetly be the savage edge.
but a weatheby vanguard at $399 is a way better rifle IMO.
caliber choice is up to you.

 

[Lloyd Smale]

walmart has rem 700 cammo matte blued guns for under 450 bucks. to me thats the best bang for the buck out there.

 

[dodge]

I have an Edge I wouldn't recommend it to a first time shooter. The stock is flimsey at best and the trigger pull is for a gorilla. You would be much better off with a Stevens or good used rifle. With used rifles most are not shot very much and are a better buy.

 

[BrocLuno]

I third the used rifle concept ...

For deer, anything from a 30-30 to 7mm. A good 30-30 with new LeverEvolution pointy bullets will do just fine. If you need more reach than 150 yds, try 308. The big deal is not the cost of the gun (although that's a factor), it's what comes to shoulder well and points well. After that, it's what can you feed from any store in your hunting area? 30-30, 308, 30-06 are all pretty cheap to feed. Ammo costs go up from there as far as I can tell in my part of the world. The ammo cost is not related to hunting - that will be less than a box a year - it'll be related to practice that should be many boxes a year

 

[Cemo]

The .243 works very well on deer size game. With a 100 gr. bullet it makes the ultimate deer rifle IMHO. With a shot thru the lungs, they don't go far, and a shoulder shot will usually take them down on the spot. Several of my family members and friends use it. The ammo is available at most places, the gun is accurate and recoil is mild. If larger game is in the future for this gun, you might consider the .308, it is a very capable round for overall use i.e whitetails, mule deer, elk, black bear, etc, and is my favorite larger round. If you come across a rife cambered in the 25-06 in you price range, don't overlook it. The 25-06 adds a little more range and moves up a little in the size of game.

In the price range that you are in, I recommend the Salvage or look around for a clean used Ruger 77, Remington 700 or Winchester 70. NEF makes a single shot .243 which would be in your price range. I've had several NEF's and they were very accurate, although never had one in a .243.

Most important, get out there and enjoy the experience of deer hunting. Good luck, hope the thirty-pointer walks into your sights.

 

[pikid89]

do your self a favor and stick to the flagship models of the major gun companies
Remington 700, Ruger No.1 / M77 (MKI, MKII, Hawkeye), Winchester M70/ M94, Marlin 336, Savage 10 or 110, NEF/H&R handi rifle

when it comes to a major purchase like a deer rifle, buy once cry once.
if you cheap out on either the rifle or the glass, youll spend more on ammo and such chasing zero, trying to get the rig set up to your satisfaction

buy the best rifle and glass that you can afford, even if that means putting off the purchase a little bit to save up a bit more for a better rig

(check your local walmart, i just picked up a Remington M700 ADL 270 for like 300 bucks then get a bushnell elite 3200 for 200 and you will never NEED another medium big game rifle till the day you die)

 

[Water-Man]

For your budget I'd get a Marlin bolt action and you can't go wrong with .308.

 

[T.R.]

FUR-FISH-GAME Magazine recently published a thorough review of Mossberg 4 X 4 rifle in 270 caliber. It was the "package rifle" complete with scope and mounts with laser bore sighting performed at the factory. Amazing accuarsy was produced with a variety of ammo and bullet weights. Cost was less than $500. for this package. 270 ammo can be found anywhere is is often discounted this time of year. The review featured 270 but its safe to assume that Mossberg builds all their rifles with same degree of quality.

Savage & Howa rifles are always good rifles to consider.

308 is easily the most versatile. Factory ammo includes:

- Remington Managed Recoil & FEDERAL Lite for approx 30-30 ballistics

- Remington AccuBond and various Premium bullets for truely big game

- High performance ammo by Hornady & Black Hills for ultra long range shooting

- Plain but lethal soft tip ammo by Remington, Winchester, FEDERAL, and others

For a lever action, Marlin offers genuine tack drivers in 308 Marlin Express and 338 Marlin Express. The reviews I've read leads me to believe that they're under priced. High quality stainless steel actions & barrels are fitted to laminate stocks with real cut checkering. Lever actions aren't for every hunter but I love 'em!

Good hunting to you.

TR
USAF Retired

 

[Cemo]

When buying new or used rifles from gun shops, or used from individuals, always offer them less than what they are asking. You can sometimes get better price bartering, most they can do is say no. Sometimes you can beat Walmart pricing.

 

[teirst]

I have read/seen bad things about the mossberg ATR

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=418820&highlight=mossberg+atr

Shows a guy who was eventually able to get decent groups out of it (1.5 inches at 100 yards) but took working up handloads. Factory ammo was up to 4 inches at 100 yards. The few I have felt had kinda stiff bolts. For a cheap rifle used is really the way to go. Bonus if you are like me and love the feel of wood it is a lot cheaper to get a used rifle with wood furniture than a new one . For new the stevens 200 and some of the wal-mart package deals are hard to beat.

 

[Jonny V]

DevilDog, I thought about your question most of the night and wanted to clarify some things I said in my earlier post about buying used.

New manufacture rifles (or anything for that matter) are roughly built. You can see this for yourself. Go to the gunstore and ask to see a new rifle from the maker of your choice. Then ask to see a 30 year old used rifle in the same price range. On the new rifle, when you look inside its guts, you'll see:
plastic parts
sloppy machine work and tool marks
untrimmed metal flashing
rough, painted surfaces

It's because (in Remington and Marlin and all others too) they slam out a new rifle every two minutes. That's not a joke, that's the corporate mandate. How much care do you really think they put into a two minute rifle? And it's all the makers, not just one or two.

You're not likely to see any of these defects on a 30 year old rifle. The old rifle was made the old way by people who knew what they were doing. Skilled machinists and craftsmen.

When you only have a few hundred to spend, you have to make sure that you get it right the very first time. As a comparison, I remember looking at pool tables once with a friend. There were lots of new ones made out of particle board, and one that was made in 1936 out of solid (real) wood. It needed a good waxing, but that was it. My buddy saw the new one and hollered "look, it's got a 5 year warrantee!". 3 years later, the parts of that new table were falling off and it looked like &^$#@@. Never mind that the 60 year old table was still going strong.

The point is to always spend your money on quality, not flash. A good all purpose rule is that new things are no good.

Semper Fi

 

[phoglund]

I'd go with .308 and whatever rifle feels best in your hands. Lots of ammo options, including some very accurate ammo. Remember .308 has been a common sniper round for decades. Lots of information and experience out there in making it accurate.

Where you will be hunting will have something to do with caliber as well. I live in Montana where shots of a few hundred yards are relatively common (although I avoid them). Something like 30-30 is a no-go for me but might be a great option in the southeast or tighter woods.

My personal big game experience is exclusively with 30.06 which is a grand old round capable of taking any game in the lower 48 within 300 yards. .308 doesn't give up much to it, particularly with modern loadings, and comes in a shorter action length.

Paul