Rifle Selection

[djsmarinelectronics]

I am not a rifle person, only rifle I have is a Savage Arms .22 automatic. I am looking to get a larger rifle, for say....Deer. I would be interested in your opinions on rifles to research.

What brands, What caliber, Auto, pump or lever action? Etc.

Thank you for your input!

 

[TightlineT]

I'm not a big deer hunter and I'm kinda old school, but I like a 30-30 Marlin in lever action for our area. Some of the big deer hunters can probably give you better advice. Hope this helps.

 

[churly]

Thats a loaded question Johnny. You can get a deer killer for $250-$25K. My favorite brand right now is by far the Tikka rifles. They are as accurate out of the box as any rifle I have touched. Super smooth actions and adjustable triggers is the first thing that got my attention, but they will stack bullets out of the box. As far as calibers, my newest tikka is chambered in .260rem. Thats the same bullet as the 6.5creedmore but with a little more powder. Its flat shooting and packs a punch. For accuracy and reliability, I recommend a bolt action. Many brands like Savage, Mossberg, and Ruger are making economy rifles that will do the job at a fair price. I bought a mossberg patriot bantam chambered in .350 legend( to be legal in Ohio gun season) last year and have less than $250 in the whole set up and it was shooting sub MOA at 100 yards and took a nice mature buck the first time I got the chance to use it. I would recommend going to the gun store and handle a few rifles and see what feels good in your hand. Any centerfire round from .24-.35 will do the job if you practice.

 

[FishingwithRusty]

ruger american in 6.5 Creedmoor or .308, relatively inexpensive but a good shooter. 6.5 has better ballistics then the 308 and shoots flatter but the 308 is a bigger chunk of lead.

there is another version of the american called "the scout" also HIGHLY recommended. neither is real big or heavy and wouldnt be a huge burden to carry and if i remember correctly you can get them for less than $450

 

[31airborne]

I also recommend going with a bolt action rifle vc auto-loader or lever action. you'll have more flexibility and an easier time with mounting accessories (like optics). lots of well made, inexpensive options out there - since you own a Savage I'd start there. they make a superb firearm.

you have tons of caliber options for deer hunting. kinda depends on the turf you'll be hunting. if it's open (not too much ground cover) I recommend a faster, lighter bullet like .243. if you're going to be shooting in heavy cover Rusty's recommendation on .308 WIN is solid. .30-06 would be another good choice. you'll want to do some home work on bullet options. will be key to match your bullet to the conditions you're hunting - lighter boattails for long range shots, heavier spire point for heavy cover, etc.

a .270 WIN gives you a solid balance of long range, punch-thru, and knock-down power. I've used .270 on everything from whitetail to elk to antelope. no issues with kills, range, or cover penetration. wide variety of loads (bullets) available commercially.

 

[Mudman]

Tikka T3 in 308 is super accurate, super lite and will set them down. If u r going for long range? Remington Sendero in 300 win mag. 300 win mag has a crazy amount of ammo Selection and will smack the down at any distance u will ever shoot.

 

[FishingwithRusty]

dont get me wrong, i LOVE my Remington 700-5R bolt gun in .308, very close to the M24 i shot in the Army and if i absolutely had to make the shot that would be my choice but for deer hunting around here in the woods, id go with a semi auto gas gun for faster follow up shots and there are plenty of sub moa gas guns. in most cases the gun is FAR more accurate than the shooter will ever be.

31 Airborne brought up another GREAT round...the 270 is a FLAT shooting round. Collin's mother has one, zero'd it at 100 and the hold over to go out to 400 was less than an inch.

 

[danrnsmyth]

The ruger american is a fine gun for the money and the two calibers Rusty mentioned are excellent, my experience is you can spend a lot of money and take on a lot of recoil for about 1 inch difference at 300 yards...google MPBR and look for chuck hawks articles, plus both these calibers have good ammo availability and pricing , as well a bullet weights to cover varmits to deer..

 

[finbully]

Browning A Bolt in .270 is hard to beat.

The .300 Win Mag mentioned is overkill for the little white tails we have east of the Rockies . That cartridge is my go to elk rifle in a Browning A Bolt.

Get a bolt action - one shot one kill. Spend money on a good scope and practice shooting.

 

[djsmarinelectronics]

Awesome guys, thanks. Now for a little research but thanks for sending me in the right direction

 

[beetlespin]

It’s hard to beat Tikka. I have a T3X CTR 6.5 Creedmoor that I love. Have another T3X in 243 that I also like.

 

[JoeFD]

My goto for a deer rifle is my remington model seven in .308. manageable recoil, short barrel, great for walking or stand hunting. Handloads are shooting about .75moa out of a short light barrel.

Also, I have a .308 on a thompson center encore. There is a confidence and special thing with carrying a single shot rifle. Knowing that you have to put that bullet where it belongs on the first shot or its all over. I love my T/C.

The .308 is great if you want to hunt other animals too. does a number on a hog!

 

[WaterChap]

Remington Bolt Action .270 is hard to beat for a not crazy expensive rifle. The .270 is a flat shooting round.

 

[tndoe270]

Remington bolt action ,270, love that gun extremely accurate, like someone else said don't go cheap on the scope, the scope makes all the difference in the world, kinda like comparing a cheap pair of sunglasses vs a pair of Costa when sight fishing, the same goes for a cheap scope vs a Leupold scope.

 

[jcodylew]

I Shoot a Browning .270!! love that round, and itll flat put a hurting on em

 

[ranger518vx]

Browning X-bolt or A-bolt in .308, .270, or 7mm-08 are all very good. I've killed numerous with each.

 

[kornbread]

There are several options as far as what brand. My recommendation is to buy a 308 or 30/06. You can find ammo basically at any store that sells ammo and at any price range. My best advice is to have good optics. You can’t shoot what you can’t see. If it were me I would go look at Vortex, Nikon, and Leupold scopes. I own all three but am partial to Leupold. Buy a decent optic and a mid range rifle and you’ll be satisfied.

 

[AreTheyBiting]

I am a big fan of the .308
I shoot an old Winchester model 70 featherweight and love it
But if I was buying one today it would be a Browning or Ruger

Also don;t buy a cheap scope
Buy the best scope you can get
50mm gives you a larger field of view to track a deer
Nikon makes a very nice 3x9 50mm normally about $230
Academy has it on sale for $115
https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/nikon-prostaff-3-9-x-50-riflescope-201014876

 

[DesertDog]

Browning ABolt in 270 or 30.06. 243 is a Good Caliber also!