Help finding a gun for deer hunting!?

Question

OK. I am trying to get a gun for the hubby for Christmas. We live in Alabama and he hunts in part woods to brush to open pastures. He wants a rifle for deer hunting. I have done a little research and have come up with either a 270 (don't know what brand) or a 30/06 (don't know what brand).

Can you please give me suggestions on what is the best gun or cheapest ammo or anything you can think of. Also brand recommendations are welcomed because I have no clue what I am doing!

He also has trouble with his shoulder and I don't know if "mega" kick would be good for him, but apparently guys don't really care, he just wants the gun and the kill.

Thanks!!!!
Jenni

For those saying "Don't hunt deer" I don't hunt and personally don't like it either, but he's going to do it regardless if he has his own gun or borrows one. So...all I can do is get him what he's been asking for for years and make sure it has enough power to kill the deer instead of wound it and then it suffers. We also eat the meat so it's not going to waste. All I am trying to do is get an answer so please sick to the question. Thanks!

Answer 1

OK.Now that everybody is done totally confusing you with their own preferences let me give you some insight here.As a Dealer , Gunsmith and a Deer Hunter with over 35+ years hunting and firearms are not just a welcomed hobby, but my business and my livelihood.

Based on your budget, I would recommend you stick to the following 2 choices for a rifle for your husband.

The Remington 700 is probably one of the most popular rifles being sold and manufactured to date and the 270 caliber is one of the top five in Deer hunting popularity. This caliber is perfect and at the same time will not only be effective, but will offer a little less recoil to your husbands injured shoulder.

The other rifle I would recommend is the Savage series of bolt action rifles, again in 270 caliber. There are various Models available and they are a little less costly than the Remington 's but you are not going to be sacrificing quality for a cheaper price.

If you have a Cabelas or Bass Pro Shop,***** Sporting Goods or Sports Authority store in your general area you can easily go and see these guns first hand. The clerks and staff are knowledgeable and will answer any questions you may have on either of these or any other firearm they may stock.

I say to concentrate on these two brands because being in the business myself for many years here on the east coast (Maryland) I sell these two brands 10-1 over any other rifle in my store(s). From a Gunsmith's view, I get to see the problems with differtent brands that Hunters and others don't get to see. As far as Remington and Savage, I have them in for repairs less often than any other brands. To me that speaks volumes. Check these out if you can in person, and I'll be happy to give you any additional information you may need to make a good choice..I agree with others that you are doing a great but unusual thing for your husband by taking the time and effort you will need to do to do this intelligently on your own as a surprise.Pretty Cool.....

Answer 2

Bound's hubby here:

Hello. You are asking a very good question. I would question your caliber choice, was it yours or his? The .270 Winchester and the .25-06 Remington share the same parent cartridge ... the .30-'06 Springfield. Because of the case capacity, all three will probably have the same level of recoil. If you and your hubby are not dead-set on the .270 or the .30-06, I would suggest you consider either the 6mm Remington or the .243 Winchester, with both having less case capacity and most likely less recoil.

For rifle brand, I would suggest a Remington 700. Personally, I find the heavier barreled varmint rifles to be more accurate and are my preference. You can purchase a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .243 Winchester (see link: http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_700/model_700_SPS_varmint_specs.asp ) at a Cabela's for about $500. Personally, I prefer the trigger of the Remington to the style offered on the current Savage's ... even though Savage's are very good rifles!

Since my accident, and numerous fractures, I may be recoil conscious and have to reconsider my cartridge choice... and that would be my hunting rifle consideration if I could not use my .308s.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Jenni, Either the 270 or the 30 - 06. They are both excellent deer calibers.You can not go wrong with either one. They are both
great all around calibers for all types of big game hunting. The `06 has a better selection of bullet weights to choose from for different hunting applications.
A Remington 700 comes to mind as a good one, but there are tons of others, some are very $$$. Talk to your gun dealer. He can get you more bang for your buck so to speak.
Buy the best rifle and scope that you can afford, He will treasure
it and you for your thoughtfulness.

Answer 4

If he has shoulder trouble, you could go for a smaller cartridge. 30-06 is really more than you need for Alabama deer. I have most of my family (in MS) hunting with 7mm08's, and I'd suggest a Sako 75 or 85, or a Remington 700 CDL topped with a Leupold 2-7 VariX II as about perfect for his needs. Don't go cheap on the cartridges. The bullet is a lot more important than what it's shot out of, since it's the thing that actually does the work. I handload, and the family mostly have Nosler Partitions for their deer loads, with a Speer Grand Slam or some such thrown in. He'll have to shoot several and see what cartridges his rifle likes.

Answer 5

Look into the Remington 700 series of rifles. If he is concerned about mega 'kick' then also consider the excellent .25-06 Remington. This one kicks less than the .270 Winchester and drops deer just as well. Of the .270 & .30-06 the '06 will have the most kick.

12.5 pounds of recoil for the .25-06 (120 grain bullets);
16.5 pounds of recoil for the .270 (130 grain bullets) and
17.6 pounds of recoil for the .30-06 (150 grain bullets).

NOTE: I've killed deer with both the .25-06 & the .270 and the deer can't tell the difference. They just drop.

Good luck.

H

Answer 6

Jenni, I don't know what gun to recommend (my sister and BIL deer hunt and I think they have a 270 for that) especially since I live in MN and not in AL! I did want to mention that I have used a 30/06 to target shoot years ago and that had significant kickback (I had quite the bruise on my shoulder). Maybe not a good choice.

If you don't know other hunters, see if you can find a hunting club near by (check the internet). They would be your best source of information since they are also familiar with the territory and deer in your area. Your county sheriff's dept. might also be able to make recommendations since many law enforcement officers also hunt. Your local gun shop is also a source, but since they have an economic interest, sometimes you have to question their suggestions.

All you gals complaining about hunting, would you rather have a beloved relative die when they hit a deer on the freeway because of overpopulation? Keeping the deer population in check, which feeds mighty greedily on farm crops during the year, is important in finding a balance and preventing a slower death with mass animal starvation.

Answer 7

If you stuck on one of these 2 calibers go with the 30-06 in a remington 700 model or save a few bucks and go with a savage, so people may knock em' but they a re really good guns. now on to calibers, there are so many good deer calibers that its impossible to pick one, so with out knowing your husbands statue ( big , small , etc) here is a list of great deer cartridges for the smaller people .243 win, 6mm rem, 7mm-06, 308 all those are great and will killem just as dead as anything else without all the recoil, now then if hes a larger man he could go on up, my personal favorite is a thompson .280 remington, after that 30-06 and 300 win mag but pretty much all the magnums are more than needed to kill deer, the bullets are more expensive, theyre not designed to expand properly on light skinned animals like deer and they kick a lot harder, so in short this should be your list,7mm-08 ,280 remington, 308 or 30-06 one of the 4 for sure.

Answer 8

Jenni, I hope this guy appreciates his wonderful wife!

OK, you have given a lot of useful info, thanks.

You have also narrowed it down to two very good caliber choices.

I am a fan of the venerable .30-06 but it does have a bit more kick than the .270, which is a somewhat lighter but still an excellent caliber for the Alabama whitetail. Given the shoulder, go ahead and pick the .270.

Prices and availability of hunting ammo for either are about the same, so no real advantage to either.

Brand of rifle is determined mostly by budget and personnel preference.....with what we know that's going to be a tough call.

Can you find out what his family, friends and hunting buddies use? That can give you some answers.

Typically I will recommend Savage as a budget choice and Remington as a medium to higher end budget. This is very generic advice however and there are really a lot of very good brands. If you have the money to splurge, Weatherby and Kimber will be brands that will make everyone jealous.

Also, as important as the rifle is the scope. Again, budget and personnel preference dominate in this decision. I like Nikon scopes, Weaver or Leupold are very good too.

Now, be careful when you shop. Gun dealers are for the most part really straight-shooting guys but remember they have a vested interest in selling you what they have in stock or what they make the most profit margin on.

Also, it's very important that you understand that there are laws that prohibit one party for buying a firearm for another party. It's sad, but because of some criminals out there doing straw purchases people like me and you need to be careful how we buy gifts for loved ones. If you buy it, by law it's your rifle.

One alternative is to get your husband a gift certificate (or an envelope full of money) and let him have the fun of picking and choosing his rifle, scope and accessories. Not as cool as unwrapping a box under the tree, but a lot of fun for guys. I know that's kinda how I'd like to get one, if my wife was nice enough to get me a new rifle this Christmas!

Answer 9

Jenni, I think given the situation you have stated I would recommend a Winchester .308. This is a good choice for timber where there would be close range shots with some brush to contend with. And it has the range needed for those long shots. This rifle is a short action caliber. It has the same size bullet as a 30/06 but does not have the kick. It still has good knock down power. I had shoulder surgery and had to go to this caliber of rifle. I was very pleased and I think your husband would be too.

Answer 10

a 25-06 will prbably be your best bet. Smaller bore, not much kick. And it will be good for the whitetails in AL. The 30-06 has a pretty good kick and you dont want to go at an animal with too much velocity or lead. If you do you can really damage the meat, and after all, that is the primary reason to take an animals life. You can't go wrong if you stay with the brand names. Ruger, Remington, Winchester, Browning...