[Red82]

I'm looking to go hunting for the first time with a buddy of mine in NC. I don't know how often I'll go hunting but would like to have a nice mid/long range rifle that can be fun to shoot as well as effective for hunting deer and maybe something larger. Any advice on caliber as well as quality rifles would be appreciated!

 

[edr9x23super]

Get anything in .308; you can kill anything you see (man or animal) all the way out past 500 yards and then some.....And the recoil isn't bad at all...

For that matter, a good old 30-06 will do just about the same, and you have plenty of options with bullet selection, same as the .308.....

 

[Red82]

Those were what I was thinking. I just don't know much about rifles so I wanted to make sure that the quality was good and the caliber was right.

 

[Guardian]

I've always been a 30-06 man and it never failed me.

 

[SIXTO]

I got to agree with above. I prefer the '06 myself, but it boils down to semantics and maybe logistics when comparing the 308 and 30'06. When looking at rifles themselves, I'd look at the Remington 700. It comes in many flavors and price ranges. Also, an often over looked but really nice rifle for a reasonable price is the Weatherby Vanguards. My third choice would be the Ruger 77's, but I've never been a huge fan of there two piece bolt systems.

 

[archer51]

My preferred caliber would be the tried and true 30-06. Hard to beat it for versatility. As for a rifle brand, I've owned Winchesters in the past and liked them, but when I went down to 1 rifle I kept my Ruger 77 and sold my Winchesters.

 

[pcon]

I'd agree with what's posted. I went deer hunting once with a .270. I knew I could take down a deer, but we also had some bear tags with us and I felt a little undergunned for things larger than a deer.

 

[Rcher]

30-06 ... You can load as light or as heavy as you need in this caliber.

 

[msgt/ret]

Another fan of the 30/06 great selections and availability of factory loads plus with hand loading you can take anything from mice to elephants. The Remington 700 BDL and ADL series are good choices and may be found at reasonable prices both new and used.

 

[highoctane]

If deer was going to be the smallest thing you were going to hunt dont overlook the 7mm mag. I prefer the remington 700. I have one in .270 i use for deer and love it.

 

[Red82]

Thanks for all your advice guys!

 

[fernset]

Why would a 300 wmg be a bad choice? I don't know anything bout hunting but ballistics seem like this would be a good one?

 

[msgt/ret]

The 300 Win Mag is a good round but the recoil is difficult to manage for some people and requiring a longer action rifles generally are more expensive. Where the 300 really shines in long shots at larger game such as elk and moose.

 

[jca1]

The 300 wmg is an excellent hunting round, sweet shooting, but feisty. If you are going to deer hunt mostly 6mm, .243, .270, etc will be great and have less recoil than a 30-06 or 300. I like the Remington model 700 rifle as others have said.

 

[buckeye .45]

I'm not gonna beat the caliber choice any more, .308 or .30-06 will certainly do the job for you, as both are very versatile calibers.

Take a look at the savage Rifles, I've got a 110 in .308, that I really like. Not quite as pretty as a 700 IMO, but the accutrigger is a sweet system, and my rifle is darn accurate.

 

[jwhite75]

'06, 308 or the often overlooked .270...my favorite. Winchester Model 70 or Rem 700.

 

[SIXTO]

Yes... how could I forget about the model 70. Thats a good one too.

 

[SleepingZ]

270 ---1st choice, 30-06---second choice. Can not go wrong with either, I like the 270 a little better for its flat shooting, and a tad less recoil.

Now for a gun, you are not trying to be a snipper, so my first recommendation would be a Ruger KM-77. Stainless steel and composite stock (low maintenance and weather resistant)

The truly great thing about the Rugers is the scope mounting system. You do not need a base and rings, the Ruger system has rings that come with the gun (saving$$) that are machined to the guns receiver. Slick system and less to go wrong.

If Grizzly bear and Africa are not on your to do list, you will have a combination that will do anything you ask of it.

Scope---Spend $200 to $300 for this gun, 3 x 9 should be fine. A $300 3 x 9 scope is a better scope than a $300 4 x 12 in most circumstances.

Z

 

[Siafu]

I use a .270 and don't feel under gunned in the north east. Our biggest game is black bear and I am confident that the .270 would do the trick.

 

[Wasabi]

I'm surprised I don't see more .308 recommendations. What's the downsides with it?