New rifle for PA whitetail

[Joe Demko]

Seek out a Savage 99 on the used rack. One of those in .300 Savage or .308 is a perfect PA deer gun. Due to terrain and forest, really long shots are not common here. There are sometimes opportunities on farmland, powerlines, or recently backfilled strip jobs. Even then, you aren't looking at anything that exceeds the effective range of a .308.
I've been hunting PA for 35 years and I fill my deer tags most years. The longest shot I remember ever taking was about 150 long paces across a backfilled strip job. I got the deer.
More often, deer hunting here has meant not being able to see the deer at all unless they were very close. That also meant learning to be still and quiet because anything that startles the deer causes them to nearly instantly disappear. Many, many hunters in PA see lots of deer each year but not long enough or clearly enough to take a shot. Unless you're hunting over something like cornfield from a blind, which has become common here in the last 10-15 years, there isn't a lot of opportunity to study the deer through binoculars like they do on the TV shows.
My dad is one of the most successful deer hunters I've ever known. He got deer when, due to weather or low populations, nobody else did. He used a Winchester Model 88 in .243. Learning how to hunt the area where you'll be is more important than the particular gun/cartridge combo.

 

[Rob96]

I am going to be hitting the PA deer woods this year with my new Marlin 1895G in 45/70.

 

[bpl]

JMPhoto,

A few thoughts on your post. For hunting in PA, most shots are going to be on the shorter side, say under 100 yards. Shooting at 250-300 yards would be an extreme rarity. A 30-30 with a low power scope would be fine for probably 90%+ of PA deer hunting. If you want to be better prepared for a longer shot over a farm field or down a power line, a little bit more power would be reasonable. I would recommend a lightweight short action rifle in .260, 7mm-08, or .308 with a 20-22” barrel and low power scope, fixed or variable. I like 2-7x, 2.5-8x, and 3-9x scopes. You really want the low power end, otherwise you are handicapping yourself on the common quick shorter range shots. Long barrels and magnum calibers really offer no real benefit in PA. In fact, they are a handicap, in my opinion.

I personally like the 7mm-08. It’s a little lighter recoiling and flatter shooting than .308 and it kills deer like Thor’s hammer! I find ammo to be quite easy to find, although usually a dollar or two more per box than .308. Lately, I’ve been hunting with 7mm-08 or 30-30, although this year I will have a new Kimber 84M in .257 Roberts to christen!

I have not handled an X-bolt, but I have an A-bolt in .243 and it’s a great rifle, very accurate. The X-bolt looks like a good option. I like Browning as well and have several other guns made by them as well. Others to consider are the Remington Model 7 and new Winchester Model 70 Featherweight. One of the future purchases I am saving for is a Kimber 84M Montana in 7mm-08, which I think will make an awesome ultralight hiking and foul weather rifle for PA deer and bear hunting.

Just my thoughts!

BPL

 

[T.R.]

Browning BLR is a modern lever action chambered for 30-06, 270, .308, 325 Win Mag and many more. Remover the magazine, turn the rifle upside down, and operate the lever. You'll see it's a bolt action operated by a lever. No kidding!

I've hunted in the Keystone State off and on for four decades. Most of my shots have been well under 100 yards. In my opinion, 180 grain round nosed ammo fired from .308 is hard to beat. You get fast expansion like a pointed 150 grain bullet but the weight and momentum of a 180 grain bullet. The round nose design shoots as flat as any pointed bullet out to about 225 yards. Beyond this distance, the pointed (spitzer) bullets are superior.

Beaver County has some huge racked bucks. Some big 'uns come out of Sullivan County each year, too.

Good hunting to you.
TR

 

[Legionnaire]

Lots of good ideas here and lots of combinations that will work. Just remember that many counties in PA now have antler restrictions, so make sure your eyes or sighting system are up to the task. My preference is a Remington Model Seven in .308 with a Leupold 2-7X compact scope. Just the ticket.

 

[bpl]

Legionnaire,

I agree, thats pretty close to an ideal all around PA deer rifle! Make mine in 7mm-08 though. Actually, after last season I bought a rifle to allow my GF's son to hunt with me this coming year. I bought a Model 7 youth in 7mm-08 and today I ordered a Leupold VX-II 2-7x33mm scope for it. Plan is to use Remington Managed Recoil or I may buy some dies and reload some soft shooting loads with 120 or 130gr bullets.

 

[Uncle Mike]

I agree with the 7mm-08. I hunted with a Remington Model 7 for quite sometime in West Virgina... shots ranging from 20 to 400 yards, never had to shoot one twice.

The 7mm-08 really puts the shubookie to em'!

I miss that rifle, since my oldest came of hunting age she packs it around the wood... and it has done for her as it did me!

Now... I'm forced to make the arduous decision between the custom Savage 30-06 or the Remington model 7 in 7mm short mag.... I like the 30-06 best!

You can't go wrong with the 7mm-08. IMHO

 

[JMPhoto]

Thank you all for the info and in depth suggestions. I am leaning toward the 7mm-08.

 

[Arkel23]

7mm rem mag, it's always available where I live and maybe $1 or $2 more than .270.