Good beginners rifle for hunting deer?

Question

I am in my 30's and based on some suggestions from fellow posters I decided I might try hunting deer. I have no experience whatsoever hunting so I was looking for suggestions on a good rifle. Also, which is most important scope or rifle?

I am no stranger to guns as I have a few handguns (.22, .25, 9mm) and a .22 rifle. The only expereince I have is at the gun range though. I have never really fired a high caliber rifle before.

Answer 1

The people who vote for 243 are steering you astray, IMHO. I've probably killed more than a hundred deer with a 6mm Remington, which is just a hair faster with the same bullet, and I promise you it's a specialist's caliber.
You don't say where you're hunting, and that will make a difference. In heavy woods, I use a 348 Winchester levergun, but there's nothing comparable available these days, and the 45-70 Marlin is about as close as you can get. But most people want something more versatile. If you're hunting from a stand, a full-sized bolt-action will be your choice. If you're going to be walking, the Remington 700 Mountain Rifle or one of its lightweight equivalents from another maker would be a definite consideration. And the caliber for general deer hunting can start a lot of arguments, but for deer, the 7mm08 is about ideal for almost any situation. It's pleasant to shoot, with modest recoil, has all the range you'd ever want, and the long bullets available will penetrate and do the job downrange every bit as well as the larger cartridges with more recoil. I have lots of rifles for deer-sized game, but when my father got up into his last years and couldn't take his old cannon into the deer woods with him, I didn't have to think hard. I got him the 700 Mountain in 7mm08 with a Leupold 2-7x (or was it a 3-9x?-it really doesn't matter) and he enjoyed several more years of successful hunting.

Answer 2

Well, for a first rifle, id pick a 243 or a 270, or a 25-06. If you have some experience with recoil, then you can probly go with a 308, but the 30-06 is a hard kicker. If it is your first rifle, you dont really want a 30-06 because its known to make people develope a flinch when they shoot, and it really messes you up. A 30-30 is a good short range gun too.

P.S.-a 22-250 is a VARMINT gun, not a deer gun, doesnt have the stopping power for deer.

Answer 3

Try the .25-06 Remington. It is a stellar deer rifle with the 115 to 120 grain bullets. So is the .270 Winchester, the .308 Winchester or the .30-06 Springfield. Since you're a novice to deer hunting I would start with the .25-06 or .270 in say a Ruger #1 single shot rifle, or a Model 700 Remington of your choice.

Whatever you pick, don't use anything smaller than the .243 Winchester (and only with the 100 grain hunting bullets) for deer. My best suggestion is the .25-06.

Good luck.

H

Answer 4

It will depend on the size of the deer (here we have coues white-tail, white-tail, and mule deer which range in size a lot). There are a lot of good rifles out there, I would recommend a Ruger with a leupold or maybe nikon 3x9x40 or 3x9x50 scope.

.243 or .270 would be good choices for a general first rifle. If you plan on doing any other hunting in the future then you should consider that also. If you will only hunt small game (javelina, etc) then a .243 will be fine. Although it is very do-able, I personally would not take a 30.06 out for a deer hunt, there might not be much left of it. You said that you have not fired a "high" caliber rifle before-the .243 or .270 with something like a 125-150 grain bullet will be a good introduction, they don't kick very hard and won't take your arm off. A little kick is fun though, i enjoy the kick of a 180 or 200 grain bullet out of my 30.06

To answer your question, the rifle and scope are equally important. If you invest a little extra up front and take care of both of them, they will last you a lifetime (and your kids will be able to use them). Don't buy a piece of S* scope if you buy a nice rifle, it will be more difficult to sight in, keep sighted in, and see in low light or varying conditions.

Answer 5

The type of rifle you need depends on a couple of factors. The main one being terrain. Terrain will determine the distance of your average shot and this is very important to selecting the best rifle caliber. The next thing is to determine what type of action you feel the most comfortable with i.e. bolt, lever or semiautomatic. I bought my son a bolt action rifle for his first deer rifle. Easy to learn. Don't get caught up in the number of rounds that it can hold or fire as this is neither important or safe. Generally you get one shot so make it count. I hunt in East Tennessee and I have a .308 Ruger bolt action. If I go out west and hunt in open terrain I use the same rifle chambered in a 7mm Rem Mag. The rifle is definately more important than a scope. If you are hunting thick woods and can't see very far you don't even need a scope if your rifle has iron sights.

Answer 6

A 243 or a 270 would be your best choices. the 243 is a perfect starting rifle with plenty of range and a flat shot. It is perfect for food plots of 200 yards or less and also in any woods setting out of a tree stand. The 270 would be better if you will be hunting open fields with longer shots, the 270 is a flatter shooting gun. As far as scope the size depends on where you are and how much you want to spend. A good start out scope would be a buckmaster by Bushnell, or a Nikon would also be a good choice

Answer 7

There are any number of rifles and cartridges that will be perfectly adequate for deer sized game. In determining which one is right for you, you will need to consider the following:

1. What does your budget allow? There is no need to go looking at $1500 custom rifles if you only have $500 to spend.

2. What are your state laws? Some states only allow cartridges of certain sizes to be used, while others allow any centerfire cartridge, and still others only allow shotguns and muzzleloaders.

3. What kind of shots are you likely to encounter? If the terrain you hunt in will afford you long shots of 200 yards and over, you will probably need something a little different than if your maximum shots will be 100 yards or less.

4. Are you planning on handloading? If you plan on handloading hunting cartridges for your rifle, you can be a little more creative when you choose a gun, however, if you plan on using off the shelf ammo, you will probably want to stick to something popular and readily available.

IMO, since you are a just getting started with deer hunting, you have many things that are far more important to consider before you place a lot of emphasis on your deer rifle. I would recommend that you spend some time with a family member or close friend who is an experienced deer hunter. Find out more details about the hunting part itself, such as will you be hunting from a stand, a ground blind, still hunting, spot and stalk, etc. Find out what other equipment you will need for hunting the area you plan to hunt. You will probably find that you will need certain types of clothing, boots, and other accessories that you will have to spend plenty of your money on.

For your first season, I think you would be wise to find a family member or close friend that would let you borrow a rifle or other gun for your hunt. They will hopefully be very familiar with it and can help you sight it in and get practiced with it. You may find after your first season that deer hunting just isn't for you, and you are glad you didn't spend a bunch of money on a firearm that you will probably never use again. On the other hand (and hopefully), you may find that deer hunting is one of the most enjoyable things you have ever done and you will definitely make an informed purchase of a new rifle for next season.

I wish you all the best with whatever decision you make.

Answer 8

A 7008 is a good rifle for beginners and even experienced hunters. It has low recoil and and is very lightweight. Your max shot will be about 300 yards (which is good). They are very effective on deer. The rifle is most important. If your gun is not effective it doesn't matter how good your scope is. Most any 30
caliber rifle will also be a good choice.

Answer 9

Honestly there is no real answer to the question other than what you choose for yourself. You should get a rifle that is within your price range and is of good enough quality to last you. As far as caliber is concerned, you should make your choice on issue other than deer hunting. We suggest that a customer think about other uses that are intended or even possible. One of the more versatile rounds is the 308 which is cheap to shoot and works for a variety of terrains and wildlife. Many rifles also come with packaged deals that include scopes and cases. Savage Arms is a good starter rifle, but there are others. http://www.thegunsource.com/store/Items.aspx?QID=3685

Answer 10

There are several great starter rifles for deer hunting. The .243 winchester is a decient medium range round with fairly low recoil. The .375 big bore is my favorite but it has a fairly limited range. I have also had great luck with a 7mm magnum, but it kicks like a bull so if you aren't used to larger calibers it could be quite the shocker.
The 30/30 seems to be the popular rifle of choice, although I havent had the fortune of firing one. My brother swears by the winchester sxr in .300 win. magnum. I have a feeling a cheap $200.00 Mosan Nagant would drop any deer just fine though, there just might not be much left though.
Be Safe, and Happy Hunting