Good deer rifle

[luthierguy]

I am somewhat new to hunting and am looking for a good rifle for deer hunting. Many people that I know recommend the 300 mag, but I have heard that they are much more powerful than what is necessary and that I should go with the 30 06. I can't decide what to buy and have yet to find anything in my price range (~$300). Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[NCsmitty]

Welcome to THR, luthierguy.

You'll not need anything more than a 30'06 for deer. Easier on your shoulder and your wallet.


NCsmitty

 

[TexasEd]

Go look for a used Savage 30-06 they are on the lower end of the price point, however they are a solid rifle. As far as caliber goes the 06 is plenty for deer and if you want to knock over an elk it will do it with no problem. Ammo is cheaper and easy to find. Good Luck.

 

[luthierguy]

Appreciate the information.

 

[ECVMatt]

You should think about how you are going to hunt and what type of land you will be hunting. If longer shots are in the mix, then go with a 30-06. If most of the shots are going to be 150 yards or less, you might look at a Marlin 336 or a Winchester 94 in .30-30. The Marlins are easy to find in pawn shops and used gun racks for less than 300 dollars. The Winchesters have become more expensive these days.

In the 30-06 you might look for a Stevens Model 200. They are good solid rifles with a price right about 300 bucks. Remember that the 30-06 kicks a bit, so you might want to think about a .243 or a 7-08. These will both kill deer out to 300 yards and won't kick you that much. They may be easier to learn on.

Forget the magnums for your first rifle. You need to learn how to shoot first. It doesn't matter how powerful the cartridge is, if you miss it makes no difference.

Good luck,

Matt

 

[Smith357]

You hear correctly, the 300 mag is a bit of overkill for a deer. The .30-06 is just a great round. Ammo for the 06 can be found in any backwater bait shop or wally world, the 300 is not quite that plentiful, and the 06 ammo is cheap in comparison. I just picked up a bunch of it at wally world for $17 for a box of 20, I need fresh brass for my reloads. The 06 can be hand loaded for most any North American game animal. The bullet range and 100 years worth of data give you loads from 110 grain varmint load to 250 grain moose getters.

 

[tactikel]

A .30-06 is plenty of gun for deer. Don't overlook a good used rifle in .243, .270, or even .30-30. Think about what ranges you will shooting at and taylor your rifle/cartridge to fit. Also shooting 40 or 60 rounds of .300 win mag during target practice will really give you a pounding compared to a .243.

 

[bang_bang]

Well, I think you've gotten some good advice so far. I, personally, like to have a bit more than needed to kill deer. I shoot a 300 Mag for just about anything around my area.

With that being said, deer don't require much more than good shot placement to drop them in their tracks. .308, 30-06, 30-30, .270, 7mm-08, and the .243 are all excellent for deer and varmints.

Go look at a Steven's Model 200 as mentioned earlier. For under $300 brand new, they are some nice shooting rifles. With that price, it allows some more money to be spent on optics and ammo.

I would personally recommend a Steven's 200 chambered in .308, .270, or 30-06. These calibers give you a lot of versatility, long range capable, easy on the wallet to shoot, easy to find ammo for, and plenty of knockdown power for even the largest of whitetails.

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

The rifles named so far are all great. But don't forget the Mosin Nagant! 7.62x54R will take deer, the gun is rudimentary but will only run you $100-150

 

[TCB in TN]

Have seen good shooting savage, stevens, and Mossbergs in 30-06 for under $300 slightly used, and IMHO they are a great value for the money. And as mentioned above the ole Marlin 336 in 30-30 will take great care of deer on out to 200 yards just as well. Our local pawn and guns usually have a half dozen or so of the Marlins in the $225-275 range, and they do a pretty nice job.

 

[Red Tornado]

In MS, I wouldn't expect many long shots, so a 30-30 lever is going to be the most traditional. Honestly, pretty much anything from .243 up will be fine. As will almost all milsurps. If you're going to have shots available over 150 yards or so, then it might make a difference, but from 125 in, just find something you like that fits your budget...it'll work fine.

Just to throw in a suggestion, H&R single shots are inexpensive, accurate, and available in a wide range of calibers.
RT

 

[sarduy]

WELCOME TO THR!

if you want a deer rifle around ~300 get a:

stevens 200 in 308 or 30-06.

 

[Arkel23]

Get a .300 win or wby mag or 30-06, the .300
s will have the extra juice on those long ranges. Try looking for a Mossberg in Wal-Mart they usually have they for around $200.00.

 

[Niles Coyote]

A 243, 260, 7mm-08, 308 all work well on deer for several hundred years with a lot less recoil. Match the type of bullet to the game you are pursing and you will be good to go for varmint's up to elk.

 

[LoneStarWings]

Personally I'd go for a Marlin XS7 in .308 WIN.

They go for about $280.

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/CenterfireBoltAction/XS7.asp

Marlin is known for making weapons with strong performance/dollar ratios. This rifle will shoot sub-MOA with the right loads.

It's also pretty lighweight at 6lbs. The .308 is a ubiquitous and versatile cartridge and is good enough for about any game in north america aside from maybe grizzlies and polar bears.

Here's a good review in shooting times magazine of the 30-06 model:
http://www.shootingtimes.com/longgun_reviews/ST_Marlinxl7_200804/index.html

If you decide on a different caliber, marlin makes them in 25-06, 270 win, 30-06, 7mm-.08, and 243 win as well.

 

[Schleprok62]

With all due respect to the 30-06 Sprg, for mississippi dear, it would be a bit more than needed. Not that the '06 would be a bad choice, but there are quite a few good calibers with a bit less recoil for a new hunter, that will also do very well in the field... As previously mentioned, any of the short action .308 Win family (.243 Win, 260 Rem, 7mm-08 Rem) all will work very well on all north American Whitetail dear.

The long action calibers are just as diverse, and just as good, including, but not limited to 30-06 Sprg, .280 Rem, .270 Win, 25-06 Rem, etc... with a little more kick to them... The choice is yours in the end, but pretty much all of the calibers mentioned here, and throughout the thread are excellent dear calibers.

I personally use a Marlin 336 in 30-30 Win or Stevens 200 in 7mm-08 Rem...(but I also have a Marlin XL7 in 30-06... go figure...) I think I have all my bases covered... LOL

Hopefully, it's now clear as mud for ya...

Cheers...

 

[Extremely Pro Gun]

The 308 win will be the new 06. It is a NATO round, it will be around in the harshest ammo shortages. Ballistically about the same as the 30-06, it is used in US military sniper rifles like the 300 mag and 50 bmg.

Effective range for a 308 is out to 1000 yards. A gun that is much more accurate than the shooter.

 

[1911 guy]

Deer calibers start about the .243 and run up to and including the .30 caliber magnums. It all depends on range and the size of deer in your area. When my Dad was shooting deer in N. California in the seventies, they were larger deer and several hundred yards was the average shot. .300 Weatherby and high magnification scopes were the order of the day. When we hunted West Virginia, the .243 was the most common caliber seen, followed by .30-30 and .30-06. Now I hunt a different area in W. Va and also Pennsylvania and use a .308.

There really is no "right" answer. It's mostly personal preference. Since you're a new hunter, I'd recommend something very middle of the road. Almost anything based on the .308 case (there are several, all of them good deer rounds) or even the .308 itself. If you expect shots within 150 yards or so, don't overlook the .30-30, either. That old classic has accounted for a lot of dead deer.

For rifles, I'd seriously look at the Savage and Stevens rifles. Not because they're inexpensive (although they are) but because they are suberbly accurate.

 

[md7]

luthierguy,

i see you are from mississippi. i live and hunt primarily in south mississippi, and do some hunting in the natchez and delta areas. i would reccommend a good bolt action rifle chambered in .270 win, .308, or 30-06. some brands that come to mind

remington 700
savage 111, or 116



whatever floats your boat man. they all work. also bear in mind that if you are hunting in heavily wooded areas that are very common in the southern part of mississippi, a marlin in 30-30 would do well.

 

[Bwana John]

The 308 win will be the new 06. It is a NATO round, it will be around in the harshest ammo shortages. Ballistically about the same as the 30-06

not with 190 gr plus bullets

Id find a older Rem 700, Win M70, or commercial Mauser - in .30-06
AND put a higher end fixed 4X or 6X scope on it.

 

[dubbleA]

Last year, I picked up a Marlin XL7 in 270 win to to try and play with. It's quite a nice rifle for the money spent. For a no frills, "minute of deer" rifle inexpensive rifle you cant go wrong with it. They can be had now in various long and short action calibers.

 

[rangerruck]

I would say that most of your budget rifles today, are quite good; except for remmy. any under 400 bucks, Wetherby, howa, savage, stevens, marlin, thomson/center's new one,mossberg, smith/wesson; will all give good performance, and low cost. all around, the best all around cart is the 30.06, but it does have some kick to it. 308, 7.08 and 270 is a bit less,25.06 a bit more less, and the 243 is less than that. Anything between 243, and 30.06 is just fine for deer, but if yo ucome across the occasional mule deer, elk, black bear or such, I myself would like to be carrying the 30.06
Your scope, is actually going to be a more important choice, than the list of above rifles. it should be clear, focus very well, and take recoil. For a do it all scope, that won't break the bank, think Nikon, or burris.
if the rifle you choose comes with a scope, that is fine, try it out. but if it loses zero, moves reticles, or is not clear or crisp, when you put it on it's highest power setting, then get another scope.

 

[Legionnaire]

tactikel said it well. There are a lot of good deer cartridges; while the .30-06 is a great round (and I think every well-equipped hunter should have one), there are a number of other rounds that will work just as well. My kids started taking deer with a Remington Model 7 in .243; I hunt woods with the same gun in .308. A lever action in .30-30 is great deer medicine, too. And listen to rangerruck's advice on scopes. For hunting woods, a fixed 4X scope is great; if you're going to be reaching across bean fields, you might want a 3-9X or 3.5-10X variable. But I can't see the need for anything with greater magnification for deer hunting.

 

[Pilot]

For Whitetail Deer I agree with the others. .30-06, .243, 6MM, .260 Rem, .308, 7MM-08, 7x57, etc. are fine. In fact all but the 6MM or 6.5 MM's listed are fine for Mulies and Elk too. (.243 = 6MM in my book)

 

[rcmodel]

How and where you hunt in Mississippi would be the first thing we need to find out.

Tree Stand?
Stalking in the brush & swamp?
Across cotton & bean fields at 500 yards?

The first two would be best handled by a 30-30 lever-action carbine & open sights.

The later by a 7mm or .300 Mag with a 4-12 scope.

Or just get a .308 or 30-06 and cover all the bases.

rc