the muleskinner
Member
Remmy model 700bdl in 30-06. Leopold 3x9x40. This is the classic American set up, and it won't break the bank.
Ideal Rifle, Scope & Ammo - Deer Hunting
- Thread starter CAPTAIN MIKE
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MCgunner
Member
There are as many answers as there are hunters. MY PERSONAL favorite is a light weight little Remington M7 Stainless in .308 Winchester. It has the power, it has the accuracy, it has a reasonably flat trajectory, it's light and compact and can do it all. It's topped by a 2x10x40 Weaver KV in Millett mounts and rings and sporting Millett "scope topper" iron sights.
If you don't agree with my choice, that's your prerogative and I'm not adamant about it as I know how many good choices in caliber, rifle, and scope there are on the market. The good combinations will work. I would caution to stay in the $150 or up range on optics. Cheap optics can suck. I've owned some that were decent, but there is some junk out there, especially below 100 bucks.
I do love the little M7, very accurate, yet light to carry and short to maneuver in the brush or a stand or box blind. It's even available in some short magnums now, but .308 is all I'll ever need. It's ideal for deer/hog country. I like the 2x10 as it gives plenty of magnification, but low power is necessary in the brush and 2x works great. It's an all around rifle for western mountain canyons to south Texas heavy brush to even southern forests. I have other rifles, but this one is my go to rig.
If you don't agree with my choice, that's your prerogative and I'm not adamant about it as I know how many good choices in caliber, rifle, and scope there are on the market. The good combinations will work. I would caution to stay in the $150 or up range on optics. Cheap optics can suck. I've owned some that were decent, but there is some junk out there, especially below 100 bucks.
I do love the little M7, very accurate, yet light to carry and short to maneuver in the brush or a stand or box blind. It's even available in some short magnums now, but .308 is all I'll ever need. It's ideal for deer/hog country. I like the 2x10 as it gives plenty of magnification, but low power is necessary in the brush and 2x works great. It's an all around rifle for western mountain canyons to south Texas heavy brush to even southern forests. I have other rifles, but this one is my go to rig.
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mcdonl
Member
Where I hunt... heavy brush... I prefer a 12ga.... Slug, 00, 00, slug, 00
wheelgunslinger
Member
My personal favorites are:
Enfield 303. Get one with a good barrel and that wasn't beaten into the ground and you'll have an accurate rifle that can kill a deer dead as anything and make followup shots as quickly as a semi-auto rifle.
Ruger #1 A great and classy rifle. One shot at a time makes you really pay attention to what you're doing. Buying one in 243 to 30-06 can make for a great deer rifle.
Optics: I'm partial to Leupold. I like the 3-9x magnification for deer hunting in open country, but tend to use iron sights in the Appalachian area.
However, if I were to go to a gun store with you, I'd likely steer you to a 30-30 Marlin, a less expensive optic like a Tasco, and get you going with a few plinker rounds. You won't break the bank, and you'll have a great all-purpose rifle for everything from gopher to black bear.
Once you put in some time to being a better rifleman, you'll maybe want a nice bolt gun to make some long range shots. But, otherwise, a lever rifle is a great way to harvest deer.
But, this is my opinion.
Enfield 303. Get one with a good barrel and that wasn't beaten into the ground and you'll have an accurate rifle that can kill a deer dead as anything and make followup shots as quickly as a semi-auto rifle.
Ruger #1 A great and classy rifle. One shot at a time makes you really pay attention to what you're doing. Buying one in 243 to 30-06 can make for a great deer rifle.
Optics: I'm partial to Leupold. I like the 3-9x magnification for deer hunting in open country, but tend to use iron sights in the Appalachian area.
However, if I were to go to a gun store with you, I'd likely steer you to a 30-30 Marlin, a less expensive optic like a Tasco, and get you going with a few plinker rounds. You won't break the bank, and you'll have a great all-purpose rifle for everything from gopher to black bear.
Once you put in some time to being a better rifleman, you'll maybe want a nice bolt gun to make some long range shots. But, otherwise, a lever rifle is a great way to harvest deer.
But, this is my opinion.
.
Weatherby Mark V Deluxe with the most expensive Nikon or Leupold
telescopic sight (with proper eye relief) that you can afford, chambered in
270, 308, or 30-06.
If your budget won't allow that, a good-fitting Savage will do the job almost
as well and should last many, many lifetimes.
Weatherby Mark V Deluxe with the most expensive Nikon or Leupold
telescopic sight (with proper eye relief) that you can afford, chambered in
270, 308, or 30-06.
If your budget won't allow that, a good-fitting Savage will do the job almost
as well and should last many, many lifetimes.
kmrcstintn
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Remington Gamemaster 760 or its successor Remington 7600 in .30-06; invest in 1 or 2 spare mags, a trigger job, and a Limbsaver recoil pad; long enough barrel for good accuracy on longer distance shots, 'handy' enough for brush work, slide action allows for relatively quick followup shots (if needed); it's only major drawback is the gritty and spongy factory trigger (basically a 'shotgun' trigger group);
in PA woods, some shots are 'up cloe and personal' so we have a bunch of old school hunters that opt for mounting the scope with see-through rings to be able to utilize the iron sights; I'll use my dad's Remmy 760 as an example of what I mean...for nearly 25 years, he kept it stock and had an older Redfield 3-9 x 40 mounted with aluminum see-through rings; several times the mounting screws that held the rings on came loose and had to go through resighting a few times; I took it from him for several months and did some upgrades...
1) Limbsaver recoil pad installed 2) a new Bushnell Trophy 3-9 x 40 scope with thicker reticle crosshairs 3) install a weaver base & threadlock the screws and use heavy duty steel clamp style see-through rings 4) switch out from full power loads to a reduced recoil load; the trigger still needs massaging, but 26 years of shooting might have already smoothed out the trigger
in PA woods, some shots are 'up cloe and personal' so we have a bunch of old school hunters that opt for mounting the scope with see-through rings to be able to utilize the iron sights; I'll use my dad's Remmy 760 as an example of what I mean...for nearly 25 years, he kept it stock and had an older Redfield 3-9 x 40 mounted with aluminum see-through rings; several times the mounting screws that held the rings on came loose and had to go through resighting a few times; I took it from him for several months and did some upgrades...
1) Limbsaver recoil pad installed 2) a new Bushnell Trophy 3-9 x 40 scope with thicker reticle crosshairs 3) install a weaver base & threadlock the screws and use heavy duty steel clamp style see-through rings 4) switch out from full power loads to a reduced recoil load; the trigger still needs massaging, but 26 years of shooting might have already smoothed out the trigger
moooose102
Member
458 winchester magnum!
seriously though, a lot depends on where you hunt, and they type of terrain. if you hunt heavy thick woods, a short barreled lever gun might be just the ticket, but if you live in wyoming and hunt out in the open feilds where a 300 yard shot is the norm, you dont want the lever, you are going to want a bar or bolt w/ a nice scope. all around, probably the best deer rifle (caliber wise anyway) would be a 30-06. as for the gun itself, that is a pretty personal thing. depending on you. if you want a bolt, lever, or semi-auto, or maybe even a single shot. you have lots of choices. persoanally, with no other info, i would reccomend a bolt action 30-06 with a 3-9x40 scope. you would be hard pressed for that to be a bad rifle under any circumstanses.
seriously though, a lot depends on where you hunt, and they type of terrain. if you hunt heavy thick woods, a short barreled lever gun might be just the ticket, but if you live in wyoming and hunt out in the open feilds where a 300 yard shot is the norm, you dont want the lever, you are going to want a bar or bolt w/ a nice scope. all around, probably the best deer rifle (caliber wise anyway) would be a 30-06. as for the gun itself, that is a pretty personal thing. depending on you. if you want a bolt, lever, or semi-auto, or maybe even a single shot. you have lots of choices. persoanally, with no other info, i would reccomend a bolt action 30-06 with a 3-9x40 scope. you would be hard pressed for that to be a bad rifle under any circumstanses.
Speedo66
Member
Some very good advice here, with some recommending woods guns (lever action) and some longer distance cartridges.
I would recommend a Browning BLR (lever action) because it covers all of the above.
Pick a nice accurate chambering, i.e. .243, .270, .308, and you're good to go for just about any type of hunting. It's short, light, accurate, powerfull, and fast if a follow up shot is required.
Top it off with a quality variable scope, 3x9 say, and you've got a great combo for woods or open fields.
I would recommend a Browning BLR (lever action) because it covers all of the above.
Pick a nice accurate chambering, i.e. .243, .270, .308, and you're good to go for just about any type of hunting. It's short, light, accurate, powerfull, and fast if a follow up shot is required.
Top it off with a quality variable scope, 3x9 say, and you've got a great combo for woods or open fields.
Here in Wisconsin, most of us use the old KISS method. You know..Keep it Simple Stupid....most shots are reasonably short and I/we use something like a Marlin lever action 336 in 30-30 or 35 Rem. With and without scopes. It gets the job done. I use both. Love my Marlins.
chas08
Member
If you are going to be a "one gun for it all" hunter. (and there's nothing wrong with that) a 30/06 or .270 in your choice of action. The ammo is so common even convienience stores sell it. The 06 offers a variety of bullet weights in factory loads to cover anything you will hunt in the lower 48. The 270 is a good flat shooter and more suited to open country. Both great choices IMHO.
BENELLIMONTE
member
Tikka T3 Lite Hunter in 270 Win. Topped off with a Swarovski 3x9x36 scope and shooting Federal Premium 150 gr. Nosler Partitions. I have killed more deer & elk with this than all my other rifles.
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
My personal preferences ...
Woods gun: Remington Model Seven in .308 (or .243). Mine sits in an H.S. Precision stock, with a Leupold 2-7X compact on top. Shoots 1.5 MOA with 150 grain Remington CoreLokts.
Field gun: Remington 700 BDL in .30-06, with a Leupold VariX-III 3.5-10X40. Shoots sub MOA with 165 grain Remington CoreLokts.
Lots of good choices out there, and lots listed in the thread already.
Woods gun: Remington Model Seven in .308 (or .243). Mine sits in an H.S. Precision stock, with a Leupold 2-7X compact on top. Shoots 1.5 MOA with 150 grain Remington CoreLokts.
Field gun: Remington 700 BDL in .30-06, with a Leupold VariX-III 3.5-10X40. Shoots sub MOA with 165 grain Remington CoreLokts.
Lots of good choices out there, and lots listed in the thread already.
woof
Member
The question is what is the best gun for you, not for the deer. You can go to gunbroker any day and probably 90% of the centerfire rifles there would be fine for deer. Some might be limited on range and some better in thick woods. If I were a deer I'd be more afraid of the "wrong" rifle in the hands of someone who likes it and is comfortable with it than I would be of the "right" rifle in the hands of someone it didn't fit right and perhaps for whom it was too much gun. Keep looking and get the rifle that feels part of you, and that you can shoot well OFFHAND.
scootac
Member
Simple answer.
Savage 99 in 308.
Leupold 3x9
I haven't been hungry in over 40 years of using it.
End of story.
Scootac
Savage 99 in 308.
Leupold 3x9
I haven't been hungry in over 40 years of using it.
End of story.
Scootac
elktrout
Member
I'll add my two cents and agree that the 270 and 308/30-06 family of cartridges is optimal in any reasonably accurate rifle of whatever action type suits you.
Bolt actions usually predominate the choices because they tend to be the most accurate and reliable type.
Whatever you do, resist the urge to put a scope on top of the gun that looks like the end is pregnant and has a power range exceeding 9x. The scope market is so hyped up right now and many shooters are exceeding their simple needs. A fixed 4x or 6x is fine or a variable like 2x-7x or 3x-9x is great.
Ammo: Stick to the recognized quality of Winchester, Remington, Hornady, Federal, etc with a 130 grain in 270 and 150-165 grain in 30 cal.
Bolt actions usually predominate the choices because they tend to be the most accurate and reliable type.
Whatever you do, resist the urge to put a scope on top of the gun that looks like the end is pregnant and has a power range exceeding 9x. The scope market is so hyped up right now and many shooters are exceeding their simple needs. A fixed 4x or 6x is fine or a variable like 2x-7x or 3x-9x is great.
Ammo: Stick to the recognized quality of Winchester, Remington, Hornady, Federal, etc with a 130 grain in 270 and 150-165 grain in 30 cal.
cliffy
member
S0 Many Preferences: SO few dollars
A Remington 700 CDL in .243 Winchester was my choice for a "do-it-all" rifle for Pronghorns at 300 yards, Mule Deer at 150 yards, Feral Hogs at 100 yards, Coyote at 300 yards, Gray Wolves at 200 yards, and so forth. Bullets: 100 grain Speer GRAND SLAM and 90 grain BONDED SWIFT Scirocco II. After a lot of research, I know I didn't go wrong with my choice of a flat-shooting monster of power with manageable recoil. No flinching, yet proper, one-ton of muzzle power places my bullets squarely in the kill-zone with boring regularity. Do I need a .300 ultra-super Belted Magnum Zinger? Only if I hunt the mighty Kodiac Bear, which I do not do. 6mm offers many benefits, including comfortable seventy-round practice sessions up to three times a week, which I do from April through October. I reload during the COLDEST months, when I'm not actually hunting the elusive yeti, or Mountain Goat.
A Remington 700 CDL in .243 Winchester was my choice for a "do-it-all" rifle for Pronghorns at 300 yards, Mule Deer at 150 yards, Feral Hogs at 100 yards, Coyote at 300 yards, Gray Wolves at 200 yards, and so forth. Bullets: 100 grain Speer GRAND SLAM and 90 grain BONDED SWIFT Scirocco II. After a lot of research, I know I didn't go wrong with my choice of a flat-shooting monster of power with manageable recoil. No flinching, yet proper, one-ton of muzzle power places my bullets squarely in the kill-zone with boring regularity. Do I need a .300 ultra-super Belted Magnum Zinger? Only if I hunt the mighty Kodiac Bear, which I do not do. 6mm offers many benefits, including comfortable seventy-round practice sessions up to three times a week, which I do from April through October. I reload during the COLDEST months, when I'm not actually hunting the elusive yeti, or Mountain Goat.
22-rimfire
Member
Good point Elktrout. I agree with you. For some reason the really high powered variables are very popular these days. For hunting whitetails, a good 3-9x or 2-7x is hard to beat. I generally keep my scope set on 4x and rarely change the setting hunting, but I hunt mostly woods environments. Use binoculars to check out game not the scope.
Bbqznbeer
Member
Can't go wrong with a Rem.700 in .308 or 30/06.
As mentioned before , it's what you feel confident with.
My ol' .303brit topped with a 2.5x Lyman , post reticule
As mentioned before , it's what you feel confident with.
My ol' .303brit topped with a 2.5x Lyman , post reticule
Clipper
Member
Guys. It's only been four months without a peep from the OP...
cc93crusier
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- Mar 13, 2007
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For the value minded (still quality stuff)-A couple years ago I bought a Weatherby Vangurd Pkg with a rifle case, cheap Uncle Mike's Rifle sling, and a cheap 3x9 Bushnell Banner scope, for about 500 bucks, I am 100% satisfied! Shoots extremely straight and it got me my 1st buck, a nice 6x6 at about 100 yards. Great value, great quality... By the way, it was a 300win mag...
federalfarmer
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Ruger #1 in .270 Weatherby -- hand load 140 TBBC
and optics is my life (sell them,live them) so....SWAROVSKI.
But I'll "lower" myself and use bolt actions and other glass!
and optics is my life (sell them,live them) so....SWAROVSKI.
But I'll "lower" myself and use bolt actions and other glass!
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