Interested in buying my first rifle...suggestions?

Question

I want to get into the sport of hunting. I have a couple friends who are newly involved and having a lot of fun.

I was considering a .308 bc it seems to be most versatile, but I'm not quite sure about which rifle I actually want. Any suggestions?

Also, was hoping to stay around the $500 range

Will be hunting nothing larger than deer.

As for price range, like I said, this is my first rifle, doesn't have to be the best.

Answer 1

U DONT NEED ANYTHING THAT BIG GO FIND A CHEAP 30 30 OR 243. I HAVE SHOT ALL MY DEER WITH 30 30S UNTIL THIS YEAR WHEN I USED MY AR15 A 223. WHICH IS ALL U NEED. THE AR15 IS SPENDY THOUGH BUT IS AN ACCURATE GUN.

Answer 2

The good thing about the 308 and 30-30 is the "relativly" cheap ammunition.
A marlin 336 in a 30-30 would be great and complete with a scope should put you right at about $500.
There are several brands of bolt action rifles - mossburg (it may not have the 308. I thought it was only 270 and 30-06. I may be wrong though), savage/stevens, and howa that have a reputation of good accuracy for a cheap price. I would personally find a Stevens rifle (which is the old savage rifle before their recent makeover). The gun can be had for 300 dollars, leupold mounts/rings (do your self a favor and make sure it's this brand), and a scope (do your self a favor and go with a simmons) should put you out the door for $500 and the gun should be able to shoot as well as a package double that cost.

I'd shop around on the manufacturer's website and see what you like and don't like. Then get on some forums and do a lot of research.
You can then get a estimate cost at www.impactguns.com that would be comparible to Walmart prices (which will be the cheapest)
I would go ahead and buy the gun at Walmart provided they have it on the shelf. there's nothing wrong with special ordering one there, but realize there might be something wrong with it and they'll have to try it again. Nothing wrong with bass pro, cabelas, gander mountain, *****, etc if there is one in your area b/c they will probably have the gun in stock.
I would avoid the small gun shops as they are the highest cost and I personally don't like the owners' attitudes - at least at every one within 50 miles of me.

good luck

Answer 3

This is strictly a personal preference but I've had great luck with all my Remington 700's. I would go with the Remington Model 700. All the 700's have the same action and most have the same trigger. It's mostly a choice between barrel, stock, caliber, and magazine options. I would recomend the Model 700 SPS to start with, especially in 30-06. This is not a "pretty" gun in the SPS configuration, but you can replace the stock later. I would also recomend buying it new as you might get burned on a used gun at this stage. 30-06 is a good versatile, and reasonably cheap round that has proven itself over the last 100 years, and will be around for a long time. Another reason I would recomend the 700 SPS is, if in the future you chose to really delve into the hunting and shooting in general, you can take your 700 and send to to a custom gunmaker and have them build a custom gun on the 700 action. It will save you some cash and this is the action that many custom gunshops use as a foundation.

Answer 4

Your caliber choice is good now you need a brand of rifle and possibly a good scope. You can't go wrong with the Remington and Ruger brand of rifles but you may be a hundred, or so, dollars shy of the asking price for a new one. Check Academy stores first. They have great specials. Also, they advertised last year a Mossberg bolt-action rifle w/camo stock for around $300 in .308 and .243. Might look for Academy on-line if they don't exist in your State of residence.

Good luck.

H

Answer 5

for your first deer rifle the 308 is just about as perfect choice as you can make .as said by other posters go to gun shop or pawn shop and get a good used one.unlike some of the other posters i would not suggest going with any thing smaller ,because with smaller caliber bullet placement is more critical,the additional power of the 308 may over come bad bullet placement as long as its not a completely wild shot.for deer size game i would suggest a 150 grain bullet from a reputable manufacture federal, Winchester,Remington.if you have not done allot of shooting ,i would also suggest that you buy a 22 Lr rifle or borrow one from your friends and do allot of shooting at the range.if you plan on having a scope on your 308 then have a scope on the 22 and practice from field positions ,kneeling, off handed and prone .also practice using a tree as a rest .not just a bench.be safe and have fun

Answer 6

If you're hunting nothing larger than deer, then you've excluded most of the 308's versatility, and you may as well go for a smaller caliber. 7mm08 and 260 Remington are the same case, necked down, and offer some advantages and no real disadvantages for deer and smaller game, though the difference is slight. You might even pick up something like a Swedish Mauser (6.5x55) for really cheap until you hunt some and see what you really want when your experience and budget have improved.

Answer 7

The .308 is a pretty good choice.

If I were you I'd head out to the gun store or even local pawn shops and look for a decent used rifle. Stick with brand names you are familiar with, Ruger, Remington, Winchester, Savage are some of the more common, mid-range priced rifles. If you are lucky you might even score one with a decent scope on it.

Stick to a bolt action rifle. They are the most plentiful and easiest to use.

The .308 is a good round but don't over look others like the .270 or the 7mm mag. (my two favorite deer guns).

Good luck.

Answer 8

You want a .308, get a .308. Look at the Mossberg 100 ATR for under $400.00. Everything else exceeds your budget.
Please support the small business owner. You will get better service from the little guy than the big Gander Mtn types.

Answer 9

For Hunting and for a first rifle, I would suggest you look into a Marlin Lever Action Model 336 rifle in 30-30 caliber. They are a quality firearm, and the 30-30 caliber cartridge is responsible for more Deer kills in the U.S. than any other cartridge in U.S.history... The Marlin will easily handle ranges up to 125 yards , and you can easily mount a Scope that will enable you to take more accurate shots at extended ranges....
This firearm will easily fit into your budget and would make an excellent choice for a "first" rifle..They are available from Dick's Sporting Goods, Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops, Sports Authority, Academy Sports and most major chain outlets..

Answer 10

When you have a 30-06 you don't need any other rifle. It is more versatile because you have a larger variety of bullet weights to choose from.* Buy Savage Brand.*

Answer 11

An official Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time