Rifle Recomendations from you hunters

[spectratoad]

Well I have never hunted before but put in for deer & antelope tags this year. My son did also. I am looking to get him a rifle with scope for graduation/birthday.
What do you guys recommend? Kind of looking for myself too but I will go used on mine.

[Desert Rat]

Ask Tom Brown, I guess anything that exceed 60 rounds a minute is a good start :D

[Phat Matt]

I am guessing that you are going to be hunting open range then if you are going for antelope?

[Jordy]

.50 cal is always a good place to start. Reach out and touch someone. :D :D :D
Oh, and Brown likes hunting with an Uzi. Stop hating. :D :D :D

[Phat Matt]

You could read this article as a start. Talk to the guys at the local gun shop and tell them what you want to do also.
http://www.huntingmag.com/guns_loads/all_012505/

[Phat Matt]

.50 cal is always a good place to start. Reach out and touch someone. :D :D :D
Oh, and Brown likes hunting with an Uzi. Stop hating. :D :D :D
It's a gun and a butcher all rolled into one. :)

[djunkie]

How old is your son? I would recomened a .270 if deer and antelope is what your gonna hunt. The kick isn't too bad but the range on it is great which is what you will need for the antelope. Or if you really want some punch I'm kinda partial to a 7mm mag or 300 win. mag. A little overkill but You can hunt anything big game with those. :rollside:

[460 jus getn it]

How old is your son? I would recomened a .270 if deer and antelope is what your gonna hunt. The kick isn't too bad but the range on it is great which is what you will need for the antelope. Or if you really want some punch I'm kinda partial to a 7mm mag or 300 win. mag. A little overkill but You can hunt anything big game with those. :rollside:
all three are great guns. im partial to 30 odd 6 but thats just me. as for his age, my cousin bought his daughter a .270 and she loves it. great all purpose rifle.

[Jordy]

all three are great guns. im partial to 30 odd 6 but thats just me. as for his age, my cousin bought his daughter a .270 and she loves it. great all purpose rifle.
You can't use any of those for your drive-bys, so what good are they to you??? :D :D :D

[cdog]

I like the 30.06. It may be a little overkill but will work for hunting any small to large game. Plus the surplus ammo is cheap for target practice. Exotic loads cost $$$$. I've always had good luck with remington rifles. Good luck.

[djunkie]

30.06 is a great round. I own 2 of those rifles myself. Funny think is I do all my big game hunting with $69 British Enfield .303 that I bought at Big 5.
I tend to like the .270 better than a 30.06 because it tends to shoot flatter at longer distances. Not as important for deer but more for antelope. Still a great round too.
Another thing to keep in mind is to buy a caliber that is common to shoot. I've had problems trying to buy ammo at some places that didn't stock what I shoot. Thats another reason to go .270 or even 30.06. You can buy bullets anywhere for those guns.

[spectratoad]

How old is your son? I would recomened a .270 if deer and antelope is what your gonna hunt. The kick isn't too bad but the range on it is great which is what you will need for the antelope. Or if you really want some punch I'm kinda partial to a 7mm mag or 300 win. mag. A little overkill but You can hunt anything big game with those. :rollside:
He is 14. That is what I was thinking. I'm going to head down to sportsmans warehouse to see what they have.
I have a 30-06 that I am going to try to talk my dad out of for me. Probably hasn't seen light in 10 years.

[djunkie]

He is 14. That is what I was thinking. I'm going to head down to sportsmans warehouse to see what they have.
I have a 30-06 that I am going to try to talk my dad out of for me. Probably hasn't seen light in 10 years.
Well keep in mind that a .270 is a necked down 30.06. So if the 30.06 is too much kick for him then the .270 will be also. But at his age I was shooting my .303 so I would imagine he'd be fine.

[Sleek-Jet]

7mm Remington Mag...
You can use it to hunt anything from Antelope to Elk... There's enough bullet and load selections available.
I've got two in my arsenal, and it's all I've ever hunted with.

[Freak]

Remington Model 7400 in 270 or 30-06. Hell you can get them at wall-mart. Shoots pretty well right out of the box.

[yeehaw]

I've used a 270win since I was 14 for deer. I have even taken 2 decent elk with it. It is perfect for deer and antelope. You can't go wrong with a 30.06 or even better a .300 win mag. They have a lot of options as far as factory ammo. You should get a 3-9 scope or better escpecially if you are hunting antelope. Whatever you get the most import thing is practice, practice, practice.

[yeehaw]

One more thing.... When you are shooting at your first deer you don't feel the kick at all. As a matter of fact, I don't think I felt the kick last year when I shot a deer up in Flagstaff and that is after 22 or so years! I get serious buck fever :) At the range is a different story.

[78Eliminator]

.375 ultra mag.

[Captain Dan]

Remington Model 7400 in 270 or 30-06. Hell you can get them at wall-mart. Shoots pretty well right out of the box.
Wal Mart stopped selling guns in CA.

[djunkie]

One more thing.... When you are shooting at your first deer you don't feel the kick at all. As a matter of fact, I don't think I felt the kick last year when I shot a deer up in Flagstaff and that is after 22 or so years! I get serious buck fever :) At the range is a different story.
Thats what I meant. When I go to sight my gun in before I go hunting after about 10 rounds I can already start to feel it in my shoulder. And my ears will even hurt with earplugs. When your out hunting you don't feel or hear anything. :crossx:

[djunkie]

.375 ultra mag.
Ya for shootin elephants. :crossx: :crossx:

[phebus]

As was stated, I would also concern myself with a good scope. Those antelopes are the Ferrari's of the plains. Can you say "fast and far?"

[Liberator TJ1984]

There are several New Short Magnums on the market right now that would be a good choice also. I shot one of those in 243WSM and it only kicked like a 222...... LOUD SOB !!! but very little recoil ....my Boss bought it for his Daughter who is 13 ....maybe you could look at the 300WSM or 7MM WSM and keep the bullet weight down to where the recoil would be reduced by not having to push a heavy slug ? :cool:

[Red Horse]

.270. Has a wide range of load and enough power to push them. You can go real light and fast or hard and heavy.

[Jbb]

Hunting?....My gun of....choice! (http://www.wimp.com/chaingun/) .......bang!

[lakewake]

Check out Savage Arms as a great starter rifle. It is something he won't soon outgrow. Tight groups at 100 to 400 yards with a lot of practice. The new Accutrigger is something else. It maintains a 5.7 pound trigger pull (No misfires if dropped)with a sear system that works like a safety to drop it to 1.75 pounds at the time of the shot. Simply put its a trigger in a trigger system.The net result is less flinch from trigger pull. My recommendation is the .308 Winchester. It is the prefered sniper round and available during world war,7.62 mm NATO. I put in a link to Savage below. They have many models and finishes in both left and right hand models. $450 -$650 retail.
Walmart is still the lowest prices and you can shop Walmart.com for models.The 10FP is $519, in Synthetic with stainless action and barrel is a low maintenance model. Also check your local gun shops for a good used trade ins.You can probably get a good 30.06 or .308 with a scope zeroed in for under $500. Good luck.
http://www.savagearms.com/14u.htm
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2684972

[Dave C]

Holy shiat. :crossx: :supp:
some people get to have all the fun......
Hunting?....My gun of....choice! (http://www.wimp.com/chaingun/) .......bang!

[spectratoad]

Well keep in mind that a .270 is a necked down 30.06. So if the 30.06 is too much kick for him then the .270 will be also. But at his age I was shooting my .303 so I would imagine he'd be fine.
He goes out for pheasant with the 20guage and hoists the 12 ok so I'm not worried about kick. Just looking for a good, quality first hunting rifle.

[spectratoad]

As was stated, I would also concern myself with a good scope. Those antelopes are the Ferrari's of the plains. Can you say "fast and far?"
No kidding, we got a herd of about 50 a couple miles behind the house. They can scoot.

[spectratoad]

Hunting?....My gun of....choice! (http://www.wimp.com/chaingun/) .......bang!
I would like to put something in the freezer though. :cool:

[spectratoad]

Also check your local gun shops for a good used trade ins.You can probably get a good 30.06 or .308 with a scope zeroed in for under $500. Good luck.
I just looked at a remington .308 with scope at a local shop for $350.

[NOCTURNAL]

Try the Remington Model 700. It is a very versatile rifle and can be upgraded in future years with many suppliers to choose from.
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_700/
The 700 is the base of many sniper/tactical rifles and is trusted for accuracy. Get it in .308 - it will allow many ammunition choices without breaking the bank.

[YeLLowBoaT]

I would look at the rem model 710, They come with a scope that is bore sited.
You can get them in 243, 270 30.06, 7 mm rem mag and 300 mag. They have a composite stock. They are about 400 bucks. You can't hurt them. I have shot about 10 of them with cheap ammo at 100 yds they have all shot groups of less then 3"s.
You can't beat them for the money.
If you have a little more to spend I would go with savage.
One thing that I would NOT do is go get one of the "light weight" guns ( 5-7 lbs) yes they are very nice to carry, but they have alot of recoil. For a kid that is something to think about.

[djunkie]

Try the Remington Model 700. It is a very versatile rifle and can be upgraded in future years with many suppliers to choose from.
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_700/
The 700 is the base of many sniper/tactical rifles and is trusted for accuracy. Get it in .308 - it will allow many ammunition choices without breaking the bank.
Great gun. The 700 is awesome. There are cheaper priced ones but this is the best bang for the buck. With the Savage with the accu trigger in a close second.

[BIGJOEDUCKSLAYER]

His 1st gun should be 30-378. Range is about 2mi. does not kick to much because of flash suppressor/magna porting. :D good luck and good hunting
BIGJOEDUCKSLAYER

[Cheap Thrills]

Get him a .458 Winchester Magnum He'll grow into it. Just the percussion from the muzzle blast will kill most anything within 100 yrds.:D
Seriously the .270 would be a good choice.
If you needed a larger round the .308 , 30-06 are also fine choices.
I prefer the .270 over the others simply because I've spent alot of time with it at the loading bench and at the firing range. not to mention the best perk of all is the freezer full of meat it has provided.
Be Safe and have fun.
C.T. :wink:

[spectratoad]

Thanks for all the info. I think I am headed towards the .270. Then I need to figure out which scope to mount. :)
not to mention the best perk of all is the freezer full of meat it has provided. Be Safe and have fun. C.T. :wink:
We put in for two Dear tags and two antelope. If we both hit I may have to buy an extra freezer. :)

[gramps]

.270 is a fair choice, .280 is a great choice. MUCH better range of bullet weight, 100 grains up to 180 grains, the .270 is pretty much limited to some hard to find 110 grain loads easy to find 103 grain load and hard to find 150 grain loads. A different caliber to look at is the 25-06. It's a great caliber for anything up to large deer. I have friends that even take elk with it. Don't be cheap when it comes to the scope, good glass is worth every penny you spend on it. If you can, go with a Leupold scope.

[djunkie]

Thanks for all the info. I think I am headed towards the .270. Then I need to figure out which scope to mount. :)
We put in for two Dear tags and two antelope. If we both hit I may have to buy an extra freezer. :)
You won't be disappointed with the .270. And remember not to go cheap on the scope. Its the most important part.
And hopefully you'll guy do good have some pictures like these to share. :rollside: :rollside:
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/3307nebraska_nov_2003_014_Medium_.jpg

[Burn Out]

I started out in High school in Wyoming with a Winchester .264 Mag! Thing kicked like a mother! Did good on deer, antelope to elk. I also ran around with a Remington 6mm! Thats a .244 caliber bullet, and really accurate! Great for varmints! I used that to shoot my first white tail deer, which dropped with the one shot I made! Tasco has a fairly decent scope for starting out and leopolds are the better end of scopes. Don't forget the slings!
:cool:

[SmokinLowriderSS]

Well I have never hunted before but put in for deer & antelope tags this year. My son did also. I am looking to get him a rifle with scope for graduation/birthday.
What do you guys recommend? Kind of looking for myself too but I will go used on mine.
Decisions, decisions. If you are hunting open range (especially antelope), you are needing pretty good carry range as they are especially hard to sneak up within 200 yards of, alert afraid little bahstahds. I don't know how big of deer you expect to see, we have some of the biggest whitetail deer in the country here in the midwest (Neb to Okla), we grain feed the bastards to over 300lbs a lot.
First off, balistically, so many cartridges are very similar, more so that many of their users care to admit to, I have handloaded my .308 Winchester for 20 years now, a whole shelf downstairs of manuals, so try to use salt with claims of relative "flat-shootingness". Out to 350 yards, there is little flight balistics difference from a .223 to a 300 Win Mag, and past there, they ALL start dropping like stones. Relative velocities as well, what starts out faster also slows down faster in the added wind resistance. Downrange energy delivery, that's a different story. Accuracy, to a certain degree, bolt actions will group a little better than a good semi-auto, but not always, and that diffe3rence is not all that much. I shoot a gas auto Browning BAR, and manage to develop loads that fire under 1" at 100 yards without much difficulty, without a heavy bull barell.
Ok, REAL first off, check the state regs you plan to hunt in. You cannot use a .243 in Ks as they require a minimum .25 calibre, but 243 is acceptable physically IMO (although I consider it to be an absolute minimum) and several states allow it. Some states permit center fire .22's which I detest as WAY too small for game animals, varmits are another story. Now you know your starting point.
Do you know a few people who would let you try their rifles out for examples, both for action styles and calibres? Recoil can be a mother from some calibres. Recoil is a factor of the following:
Bullet weight, more = more recoil
Bullet velocity, more = more recoil
ammount of powder burned (cartridge size), more = more recoil
weight of rifle, more= less recoil felt
action style, fixed actions (bolt/lever/single shot) = more recoil to the shoulder
some years ago, a friend bought a deer rifle for Ks as his .243 was illegal, chose a clasic, 30.06 bolt action, standard sporter barrell, and as soon as he left the range from shooting it, had a compensator installed as the recoil was objectionable, and the balistics are identical for all practical purposes to my .308 auto, which is a sweetheart to shoot.
As DJunkie said, .270 is a good cartridge, capable of taking deer and reaching for antelope, and does not recoil badly. A mid-range loading should deliver about 2400 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle, 130 grain bullet for deer IMO, 100 grain for antelope, about 2300 ft-lbs.
7mm Remington Magnum, will get your attention, definitely.
Smaller western desert deer & antelope, 120 grain bullet would be my choice, about 2800 ft-lbs energy at the muzzle.
.300 Winchester Magnum, 150 grain bullett, ballpark 3500 ft-lbs energy. A definite teeth-rattler if you are not accustomed to it. Good enough for bear tho (although IMO, a little light for the Brown/Grizzly/Kodiak family, rocket launcher is a better choice there. :crossx: ), caribou, moose, big stuff.
.284 Winchester and 7mm-08 fall right in between the 270 and the 7mm Mag, and are dead even in capability, I don't know how available ammo is, over the counter type that is.
30-06 is quite capable, balistically falls right in there, and IS available practically everywhere right down to the odd little farm-town hardware store that only opens 3 days a week. LOL
.375 Ultra Mag .... OUCH!!!! LOL
On the scopes, distances make higher powers more useful, BUT, higher magnification can actually enhance heat waves in your vision, not to mention gun-shake/wobble, so beware. I do run a 4.5x14 on my BAR, the 14 power gets used for sighting and that is pretty much it, she sits on 4.5 to 6 most of the time, if I have the time for a long shot, I'll crank it up perhaps, not usually tho. Deer to antelope, I'd go multi-power personally as the ranges from deer to antelope CAN be a lot different, but perhaps less so in your area. 3x9 from a good maker would be a good idea IMO. I've shot most of my deer here under 100 yards, but have had to shoot 1 at about 175, and another nice doe was right at 250.
Damn that was long, I hope some of it helps your decisions. Lots of good ideas floated here before me. :) I'm just trying to fill in the thought process for ya so you can decide on more than just "so & so advised this".
I'm partial to my .308, and practice ammo is GI 7.62 NATO, which my BAR tries like mad to stack right on top of each other, even the de-linked machine gun ammo. I have handloaded accurate ammo for it from 52 grain sabotted .223 hollowpoints (coyote & prarie dogs) to 150 grain elk/large animal ammo, I have a few small advantages. :crossx:
Recoil at the range is a world different from "real-world" recoil, both from the distraction of the target animal, and from the fact that most of the time at a shooting range, you wind up in an unnatural position, often leaned over foreward, which prevents your body from being able to roll with the recoil in a natural manner, which makes it feel harder. Proper positioning of the body changes everything.
Lots of good rifles out there, hard today to make a really bad choice.
Best of luck to you both.

[moneypit]

.270 furr shurr.
300 weatherby mag if you really wana reach out and touch em' but he may need a shoulder replacement.

[77charger]

.270 or .308 good for any north american animal

[spectratoad]

Smokin' - Thanks for all the additional great info. That sure filled in some blanks of already good info.
DJunkie - That's the pic I'm hoping for.
Being retired military I have been around the other weapons, M16, 50cal, grenades etc....but Nevada doesn't allow us to hunt with those weapons. :rolleyes: when it comes to this stuff I am clueless. Thanks again for the info.

[Riverkid]

I have quite a few Rem 700's - .223, .243, .280, 7Mag, .308 and .300WM. They all shoot great. For a one rifle all around I'd go with a 7Mag. I handload the 140 Nos ballistic tips in it for deer and antelope and have never had to shoot at one twice. For all those guys saying the 7mag is too much, just shoot 'em in the neck - saves all the meat. Use heavier bullets for bigger animals.
All mine have either 3.5 X10 or 4.5 X 14 Leupold scopes. That is great glass and you'll never have a problem. If you are worried about recoil maybe try a muzzle brake? They are louder than snot, though.
Good luck. :)

[Tom Brown]

I recommend something with at least an 18" bayonet. Sometimes animals charge after being shot and there's nothing more annoying than having your eyes gored out by an antelope rack.

[SmokinLowriderSS]

I have quite a few Rem 700's - .223, .243, .280, 7Mag, .308 and .300WM. They all shoot great. For a one rifle all around I'd go with a 7Mag. I handload the 140 Nos ballistic tips in it for deer and antelope and have never had to shoot at one twice. For all those guys saying the 7mag is too much, just shoot 'em in the neck - saves all the meat. Use heavier bullets for bigger animals.
All mine have either 3.5 X10 or 4.5 X 14 Leupold scopes. That is great glass and you'll never have a problem. If you are worried about recoil maybe try a muzzle brake? They are louder than snot, though.
Good luck. :)
Yea, it'll wake the county up. LOL The only thing that mihgt be worse would be a 25-o6, or anything with the name "Weatherby" in it. Mr Weatherby was a definte believer in "heavy bullet, high velocity, dead animal". Real heavy recoiling beasts tho.
I LOVE the weatherby commercial with the poor Master Padlock. :crossx:
"Sorry Master, it's a Weatherby."
Leupold is pretty much the hands-down top of the line scope out there, has been for a looong time. Great glass, serious price tho too, but you DO get the best for your $$$.

[Wicky]

Teach him how to really hunt and buy him a compound bow!! Nothing beats bugling in a big Bull Elk!!
Really though, I think the .270 would work best. Just keep his eye back from the scope!!!

[spectratoad]

Teach him how to really hunt and buy him a compound bow!! Nothing beats bugling in a big Bull Elk!!
That is next. We both really want to do a bow hunt. Right now we just want some meat in the freezer.

[CMATT21]

I usually use a 22 grain with a 223 with a master site. Leaving about 10ft range on a good carabu can make you feel real good. Sweet baby rays goes great with anything. I also like the lighted arrows, I love watching trasers hit small young animals in the night.

[Mtg Pro]

If you have never hunted before, I would first suggest a hunter safety course for both you and your son.

[Moose]

Todd, Give me a call, I have a few different Cal. you guys can come down and go over to the range and try out be for you buy!.
Moose

[spectratoad]

If you have never hunted before, I would first suggest a hunter safety course for both you and your son.
He goes pheasant hunting alot with some friends. We both have the courses out of the way several years ago. The only thing I've hunted was in the middle east and oh yeah the famous "split tail" here in the states. :)
Moose, we may take you up on that. :cool:

[beyondhelpin]

Stay with the basics to start with. My suggestion would be 270 or 30-06 in that order. The reason for picking the 270 over the 30-06 is the slightly flatter shooting for the antelope. It is also going to have less felt recoil. Both of these calibers are very capable. The 270 is going to shot a 30 grain lighter bullet on average than the 30-06. Ammo is avaliable pretty much anywhere. Remington is good choice as far as accuracy for the cost.
For the scope I would get the Leopold Vari X III with the Boone and Crockett reticle. It is a unclutered range finding scope. If that is to much chect into the Burris with the ballistic plex reticle.
I have never used anything but Leopold till I bought the Burris for a 330 Dakota I just had built for me. I have run about 100 rounds thu it and the scope is so far holding up. I went with Burris for cost as I am in the process of having several guns built for me and the Leopold scope mentioned above alone are $500 each dealer cost.
Just started hanging with some guys at work who are building some awesome rifles. Went to the range with them last week to find my recoil tolerance! Shot a .17, 8mm, 30-06, 708, 7mm Winchester Short Mag, 330 Dakota, 338 Leupua?, 458 Lott (400 grains to 600 grains), and a 475 Bimba Lapua (500 grains). All I can say is wow! The 475 is a gun a friend of mine just had made for Big Browns in the Alaskian Alutians. He is getting his guide license and just purchased some land in the land of the giants! The gun is a heavy barreled 22" with a Scout Scope. It is hands down the coolest gun I have ever shot. It will rock your world on the bench. I must have a pretty good recoil tolerance though. They all came home with brusided sholders and I still wanted to go. I will admit shooting all those guns on the bench will make you a little sore!
Sorry about the thread jack at the end. I am just so pumped about shooting these big guns and knowing they are going to build me at least 2 more of them!

[Riomouse911]

Since he's 14 and you don't want to "overgun" him, a .243 in a Ruger Featherweight M77, Rem Mod 7 etc. is the perfect lightweight, light kicking gun. Any 100 grain spirepoint will be enough for deer and antelope out to 250 yards with no worries, and ammo can be found everywhere.
I started shooting centerfires with a Savage featherweight in .250-3000 (They're scarce now). Same concept as the .243... short gun, short cartridge, light kick...and it killed deer just as dead as the latest shoulder-bustin' ear-ringing magnum does.
The .270 has more oomph at both ends, but not so much as to scare him into flinching. It, too is a great choice, and my Mauser loves cheap Remington 130 gr factory loads.. shoots them under an inch all day at 100 yds. The ammo is also everywhere. Once he gets a bit bigger, then let him look into a magnum rifle... it's too easy to get started shooting poorly with a cannon then shooting well with a pop gun if you're thinking about recoil every time you fire.

[sorry dog]

Everybody pretty much covered it all (guns sure are popular here) but I'll third the weight aspect. I'll shot a .243 that just about gave me a black eye because it was so light. I have a Ruger Model 7 30.06(comes in left hand without special order) that with a bigger scope is a bit heavy so the recoil isn't too bad if you have some experience shooting rifles. Also look at the butt plate for a good cushion. 7mag and 300 mag ammo seems to be almost twice as much as mine... .308/NATO target rounds are dirt cheap... .308 auto will be my next hunting gun. I once missed slightly and gut shot with a 30.06 round but the nanny didn't make it too far so a margin of error from an overkill round helped me a bit there. Never had one run more than 50 yards, but I've had to trail some shot by .243 sized rounds.
Some folks I hunt with have total overkill stuff like 300mag but I think that more for comparison...everybody asks what your shooting...if you care about that stuff.
A pic for Brown...
http://webpages.charter.net/what200/pics/IMAGE007.JPG

[Beer Factor]

270 for most deer areas. I use a 30-30 for brushy areas with no scope. 30-06 for antelope or deer is also good.