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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2016 12:24:42 GMT -5
I've got a questuon for you experienced hunters...
What's a good rifle to start with for hunting deer? I'd want something pretty basic but practical.
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Post by Canuklehead on Dec 14, 2016 14:10:41 GMT -5
Are you just planning on hunting deer or would you want a rifle that's capable of taking larger game as well? If it's just deer you could go with a .243 calibre but you would need a different rifle if you were going after moose or elk.
I was asking the same question a few years ago and let me tell you, hunters are stubborn as hell and very opinionated on this question. You'll find one review saying a 30-06 is the only way to go and then another saying it's complete garbage, same with rifle manufacturers Browning vs Remington etc.
I went with a Remington 700 in .308. They have been making the 700 forever and 308 is fairly cheap and easy to find in most places. Also, I'm able to hunt deer/elk/moose with the same rifle.
I highly recommend a Browning Xbolt though. My buddy got one in .270 last year and it is a great rifle.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2016 15:47:13 GMT -5
I've got a questuon for you experienced hunters... What's a good rifle to start with for hunting deer? I'd want something pretty basic but practical. As Canucklehead said you could ask this question to 10 hunters and get 10 different answers. I started out with a .243, then .270 and now shoot .270 and 7mm mag. If you are going to stay in California and only hunt deer/pigs/antelope I would buy a .270. If there is ever any chance you will go for mule deer, elk, bear, moose, or white tail... I would buy a 7mm mag. There is absolutely no need to buy anything .30 caliber anymore... all of the smaller bullets out perform the bigger ones, kick less and are cheaper. Do not buy a Weatherby... the ammo prices are a rape job and they suck. I have a Winchester .243, a remmington .270, a savage 7mm, and a browning .257... they are all great guns and you will not be disappointed. I will highly recommend Vortex for any optics. They are so underpriced it's ridiculous. A couple of deer seasons ago we lined up 7 different spotting scopes ranging in price from $3,500.00 (swarovsky HD) to the Vortex which was $1,400.00... every single person thought the Vortex was the best scope regardless of price.
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Post by Canuklehead on Dec 14, 2016 16:25:08 GMT -5
I've got a questuon for you experienced hunters... What's a good rifle to start with for hunting deer? I'd want something pretty basic but practical. As Canucklehead said you could ask this question to 10 hunters and get 10 different answers. I started out with a .243, then .270 and now shoot .270 and 7mm mag. If you are going to stay in California and only hunt deer/pigs/antelope I would buy a .270. If there is ever any chance you will go for mule deer, elk, bear, moose, or white tail... I would buy a 7mm mag. There is absolutely no need to buy anything .30 caliber anymore... all of the smaller bullets out perform the bigger ones, kick less and are cheaper. Do not buy a Weatherby... the ammo prices are a rape job and they suck. I have a Winchester .243, a remmington .270, a savage 7mm, and a browning .257... they are all great guns and you will not be disappointed. I will highly recommend Vortex for any optics. They are so underpriced it's ridiculous. A couple of deer seasons ago we lined up 7 different spotting scopes ranging in price from $3,500.00 (swarovsky HD) to the Vortex which was $1,400.00... every single person thought the Vortex was the best scope regardless of price.Couldn't agree more with this last part. Bought a new vortex scope last year and it's amazing, I'll buy them exclusively from now on.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2016 20:55:19 GMT -5
Thanks guys. It's time to start looking around. I doubt I go out of cali anytime soon so it's going to likely be all deer for me for now. I can build into something bigger if need be.
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Faydee
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Post by Faydee on Dec 14, 2016 20:56:39 GMT -5
270 would be my recommendation too, Votrex is the way to go... if you are ever going to hunt something bigger than a deer &mm or 30-06
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Post by JROD on Dec 14, 2016 22:12:27 GMT -5
Valetudo
Mission drives the gear, i.e. what are you planning on hunting and what is your budget? Do you want one "do-it-all" hunting rifle or something specific to whitetail deer or antelope?
Defining the budget would be the first step. What is the total amount you are prepared to spend? Meaning rifle, scope, rings/mount, sling, ammo.
Is the rifle only going to be used for the occasional hunt or a hard-use gun that can hang out in the backcountry, take high round counts, take severe weather, and hold value over time?
What is the distance you plan on taking game? Open prairie? Mountain to mountain? Brushy woodland?
For casual hunting, a box stock Savage, Remington, Winchester, or Ruger will suffice.
For a hard use gun, I'd roll with a Sako, Tikka, FN, Kimber, or a custom built on a Remington 700 action.
For whitetail, antelope, and similar mid-sized game <300m, stick with a 243.
Same game >300m, grab a 7mm mag, 25-06, 30-06, or any of the short mag cartridges.
Get a 1 piece scope mount for whatever scope you run. I avoid standard weaver style rings as they dont hold up over time if you are hard on gear and actually use a gun for something other than deer camp "posing". I like the ADM, Giessele, or Larue Tactical single piece scope mounts.
Scope? I agree with the others. Damn hard to beat a Vortex. I have quite a few of their scopes and i use the shit out of my gear and they are solid. I have a Schmidt&Bender Short Dot on a KAC SR15 that cost north of 2k and i'd take my Vortex Razor over it any day. Vortex pricing runs the gamue from $250 to $1000+. They make a scope for every budget and every use and their warranty is the best in the business.
Define some answers to the questions i posed above and i'll point you in the right direction for pricing and sourcing from reputable vendors.
And whatever you choose, do NOT listen to the fucking gunshop Bubbas. Or the window lickers in Cabelas, Bass Pro, Gander Mountain, Academy Sports, or any other box store. The guys that sell guns and gear in those shops are booger eating motards.
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Post by Valenotloggedin on Dec 14, 2016 22:56:04 GMT -5
For budget, I'd say about $1500 for the rifle and gear. Ammo I pick up in bulk, so that will be a different purchase.
I'm still quite the noob, hell, Greybeard from this forum is the one that first taught me about firearms. Good guy to learn from.
When you say hard use, what do you mean?
I'm going to say I will likely be sticking to just the area that I have my place at, so just deer for now. It's mostly open plain with the occasional brush in the areas I will be hunting in. For distance, I've already gotten pretty close to some of the deer, I'd say within 50 yards. So I'm assuming my hunting will be within 150 yards.
Now, I do like to purchase items that will hold value over time. I don't mind going in more to pick up a quality rifle that will do just that. I already have a couple of "cheap" box stock firearms, I feel like I'd like to evolve a bit from that. I honestly don't see myself needing to use this rifle in severe weather.
I agree with the morons in the shops. I try to take advice from the guys in our area that I see actively out hunting. I'm just a couple beers away from the big invite, I feel it coming on.
I appreciate all advice, I can't thank you guys enough.
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Faydee
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Post by Faydee on Dec 16, 2016 1:47:27 GMT -5
quick side about ammo, don't use bulk practice ammo when your shot is THE shot... loading your own is probably out so get some nice hunting ammo or match grade ammo
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2016 11:18:21 GMT -5
quick side about ammo, don't use bulk practice ammo when your shot is THE shot... loading your own is probably out so get some nice hunting ammo or match grade ammo Noted. Thanks for that bit of advice. Loading my own is out for now but is someting I'd eventually like to get into.
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Faydee
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Post by Faydee on Dec 20, 2016 21:33:04 GMT -5
One of these days I will get into reloading, but today is not that day, i wish i could though.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2016 22:21:59 GMT -5
I started with the 30-06. Deer I killed didn't really ruin any meat. Decent size exit wound. Going to go coyote hunting with the same rifle for day hunts because it has a better scope and I don't want to keep the hides. I can also just drop to a lower grain plus I can hunt bear with it too. Can't believe no love for the 06... lol
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2016 0:08:03 GMT -5
I started with the 30-06. Deer I killed didn't really ruin any meat. Decent size exit wound. Going to go coyote hunting with the same rifle for day hunts because it has a better scope and I don't want to keep the hides. I can also just drop to a lower grain plus I can hunt bear with it too. Can't believe no love for the 06... lol Have you ever killed a bear?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2016 1:40:09 GMT -5
I started with the 30-06. Deer I killed didn't really ruin any meat. Decent size exit wound. Going to go coyote hunting with the same rifle for day hunts because it has a better scope and I don't want to keep the hides. I can also just drop to a lower grain plus I can hunt bear with it too. Can't believe no love for the 06... lol I don't think there is anything wrong with an '06, but it is just an outdated round that doesn't perform nearly as good as smaller caliber rounds that don't have nearly the recoil and can shoot much further. It has been a very dependable round for decades, but it's ballistic coefficient numbers are nowhere near the short mags or the 7mm. I bet it will put a hell of an exit hole in a coyote though.
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Faydee
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Post by Faydee on Dec 21, 2016 6:36:05 GMT -5
308
JROD any experience with 300 blackout in AR type platform? I have always wondered how those preform overall
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2016 7:28:39 GMT -5
I started with the 30-06. Deer I killed didn't really ruin any meat. Decent size exit wound. Going to go coyote hunting with the same rifle for day hunts because it has a better scope and I don't want to keep the hides. I can also just drop to a lower grain plus I can hunt bear with it too. Can't believe no love for the 06... lol Have you ever killed a bear? Lol. No, I actually have no desire. My buddy shot a black bear with his 270 though. Barely took 10 steps and fell. I won't eat bear meat, they aren't a threat in my area, and I don't for a hide so I won't do it. I was just saying I could if I wanted to.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2016 11:23:10 GMT -5
Have you ever killed a bear? Lol. No, I actually have no desire. My buddy shot a black bear with his 270 though. Barely took 10 steps and fell. I won't eat bear meat, they aren't a threat in my area, and I don't for a hide so I won't do it. I was just saying I could if I wanted to. I heard on rogan that bear meat is delicious. Why won't you eat it?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2016 12:50:27 GMT -5
My buddy's 15 year old went up to Canada this past spring and shot a black bear. Then he got in trouble with the Canadian Mounties and had to pay a fine, which cracked me up. He gave me some breakfast sausage that was made from the meat. It was pretty good. A little greasy, but decent flavor and obviously not pig/cow meat. Nothing spectacular, but not gross either. Worth trying at least once so you can say that you ate a bear once.
Another one of my buddies was talking up the .17 Hornady Mach 2 bullet the other day. He's in love with them. Said there's next to no recoil but they'll kill a Racoon in one shot. Not sure how well they'd work on bigger game, but he was saying they've done some big innovations with the small caliber bullets that are making them outperform larger ones. I don't really hunt animals, so I don't know much about it. But I am looking forward to trying his .17 out in a few weeks.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2016 19:53:23 GMT -5
308 JROD any experience with 300 blackout in AR type platform? I have always wondered how those preform overall Gimmick round... overpriced and not practical in my opinion. Why shoot a big fucking bullet unless you are trying to kill something? And then why would you hunt with a gun that is inferior to hunt with like an AR? I shot one about 10 times a few months ago, and I didn't like it for what it is... lots of powder on a small framed gun.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2016 19:54:36 GMT -5
Lol. No, I actually have no desire. My buddy shot a black bear with his 270 though. Barely took 10 steps and fell. I won't eat bear meat, they aren't a threat in my area, and I don't for a hide so I won't do it. I was just saying I could if I wanted to. I heard on rogan that bear meat is delicious. Why won't you eat it? Breakfast sausage and jerky sticks are the only way I have ever eaten black bear meat and enjoyed it. Not a bad taste, just greasy and has an off-putting texture if its not ground up and seasoned well.
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Post by Angelo on Dec 22, 2016 3:11:12 GMT -5
What would a .458 SOCOM round do to a deer?
Bear meat is one of the few I won't eat because of the risk of if their liver was damaged when killed/slaughtered.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2016 18:44:42 GMT -5
What would a .458 SOCOM round do to a deer? Bear meat is one of the few I won't eat because of the risk of if their liver was damaged when killed/slaughtered. 1) Kill it 2) When they are tree'd you shoot them in the head which is a long ways away from their liver. And I don't think anyone is talking about hunting polar bears.
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Post by Angelo on Dec 22, 2016 20:48:11 GMT -5
What would a .458 SOCOM round do to a deer? Bear meat is one of the few I won't eat because of the risk of if their liver was damaged when killed/slaughtered. 1) Kill it 2) When they are tree'd you shoot them in the head which is a long ways away from their liver. And I don't think anyone is talking about hunting polar bears. Was just curious since they are using AR15s chambered in the 458 for boar hunting in Louisiana now. But they are quite a bit thicker than a deer.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 9:06:31 GMT -5
Saw an article about how the hybrid coyote/wolf is making a huge stink in West Virginia. Open season all year bUT hunting at night comes in January. I know I've talked about it before but I'm getting pumped for our January trip. This particular breed that has infested the East Coast are a big issue. Killing livestock, pets, and deer (babies of course). People want them gone. Have a trapper coming out on the property as well... Good times
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 9:58:59 GMT -5
1) Kill it 2) When they are tree'd you shoot them in the head which is a long ways away from their liver. And I don't think anyone is talking about hunting polar bears. Was just curious since they are using AR15s chambered in the 458 for boar hunting in Louisiana now. But they are quite a bit thicker than a deer. Pigs are different than deer in a lot of ways, so a big gun is more typical. Deer don't need to be shot with large calibers and if you hit one in the shoulder or ham with a 458, you are going to lose a huge portion of meat.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 9:59:50 GMT -5
Saw an article about how the hybrid coyote/wolf is making a huge stink in West Virginia. Open season all year bUT hunting at night comes in January. I know I've talked about it before but I'm getting pumped for our January trip. This particular breed that has infested the East Coast are a big issue. Killing livestock, pets, and deer (babies of course). People want them gone. Have a trapper coming out on the property as well... Good times Kill them all! I have seen coyotes kill cow elk, so to think about a coyote/wolf hybrid sweeping across the country is a horrible thought.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2016 12:06:52 GMT -5
Oh, I plan on it. I hope we can wipe out an ass load of them. I will be disappointed if I can't bag at least one. Hopefully two.
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Post by Premier on Dec 25, 2016 11:57:27 GMT -5
Bow season just opened here in Florida last weekend. My dad got a little 5 point on the first day. I don't think he's ever gotten a Buck on day one, so he was pretty stoked. He makes jerky, I'll see if I can get his recipe. That shit is GOOD. He also just caught a bunch of Salmon in the Kalama in Washington like he does every year in September. His candied salmon is un-freaking-believable. Does your dad lives in Florida? So he ships the salmon back from Washington ?
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Post by agrappleaday on Dec 26, 2016 11:15:09 GMT -5
Bow season just opened here in Florida last weekend. My dad got a little 5 point on the first day. I don't think he's ever gotten a Buck on day one, so he was pretty stoked. He makes jerky, I'll see if I can get his recipe. That shit is GOOD. He also just caught a bunch of Salmon in the Kalama in Washington like he does every year in September. His candied salmon is un-freaking-believable. Does your dad lives in Florida? So he ships the salmon back from Washington ? Any Update on this candied salmon recipe? I would like to give it a go.
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Post by CaveBearOG on Dec 26, 2016 15:00:41 GMT -5
Nice gun talk. Agree with everyone. I just feel a 270 or 06 are great all purpose big game guns. From pig to black bear to bull elk. Those two rounds will drop near anything. I grew up hunting in thickly wooded hills covered in pine and laurel. A 100 yard shot is rare. I started with. A basic 30/30 94,I also used a 357 lever action and that fucker in brrush is a badass.
Notes, placement is key to the kill and reducing meat damage.
A 458 is complete overkill in the lower 48 and a 17 unless a head shot, is way, way under kill. Ive hit large fox squirrel with a 12 g. And 22 and not killed them. However, I watched a my grandpa kill about an 80lb doe with a clean 22 headshot, sooooo. So like a dick its not about size, its about placement 😁 lol.
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