Looking for a new rifle

[KRob]

I stumbled upon this site and you guys seem to know what your talking about so i thought i ask what you guys thought.
I recently went Deer Hunting for the first time. I got very luck and got my first deer on the first day. I used a rifle i purchesed at the bigginig of this summer for Varmint Hunting (Savage in 223). The rifle did the job but it was more of a lucky shot.
My question is what would you folks recomande for a hunting rifle that could be used for deer and up but mainly deer. I would be looking for something that did not cost a arm and a leg since i am a poor college student going into the Army after graduation.

 

[kmassaro]

If you're on the cheap, get a New England Firearms single shot in 270 or 30-06. About $180 new. Put a Bushnell trophy scope on it, or a Banner for even less $$$.

Learn to hit with the first shot. It will kill anything in the lower 48 with aplomb. You'll learn that there are refinements that you'll like, but a good hunter will do very well with just that basic rifle.

Good luck. You'll upgrade over time, but that will serve you well for years.

If you have more $$$, there are a lot of fairly inexpensive rifles that you can upgrade over time...Remington and Savage are both excellent.

Welcome to the world of hunting.

 

[Pahunter]

Savage rifles seem to be very accurate and reasonably priced too. If I was in the market for a budget rifle id be using for deer i would go with a savage. The NEF would be fine too. Are you gonna being using it for long range or just normal deer hunting(300 yards or less, IMO)?

 

[Pahunter]

Oh yeah almost forgot about caliber. The 30-06 or .270 are great deer cartridges. If you want a little more power you might wanna check out the WSM's.

 

[KRob]

I was thinking along the lines of another savage since i am haveing very good luck with this one. How flat of a trajector is 270 and 30-06. Will these rounds work well with larger game (elk maybe bear). What is the limit on these rounds..max range for a ok shooter useing factory loads?
Question IMO?

 

[kmassaro]

I cannot comment on the max range on any cartridge but I will tell you we have killed 3 elk with as many shots at the ranges you suggest...with a 270/130/partition and a 30-06/150/Rem corelokt.

Shot placement is 95% of killing power. Hit them soundly and good things happen. Shoot poorly, and bad things result.

 

[Pahunter]

If you want a little more power for the bigger animals like elk and bear I'd take a serious look at the .300 WSM. It would shoot a bit flatter than the '06 and extend your range a little bit.

 

[COBrad]

Lots of elk are killed every year with 30-06 class rifles, and smaller. My daughter uses a 7mm-08, and though that is pretty small for an elk gun, she shoots it well. At 15 she is 4 for 4 years. Shot placement is key. Get something that won't kick your pants off and learn to shoot it well. For that reason I would suggest avoid buying a magnum as a first big-game rifle.

 

[KRob]

I think i have been turned more towards another savage and i am seriously contimplating it in 30-06. Any other sugestions in either riflr or caliber.

Shot placement is everything no doubt.

 

[308 nate]

I think the savage is a good choice my only suggestion would be to check out the 260rem

140gr barnes XLC at 2800 fps delivers over 1200ft/lbs of energy at 500yards with minimal wind deflection and very managable recoil.
FWIW.
308 Nate

 

[erikljoh]

robins-

I have been in those poor college shoes. But I would strongly recommend selling plasma or your textbooks or start trapping to acquire the extra money needed to pick up a nice used Remington 700 or 721 in 30-06. It is a better gun than a savage, and after you grow out of those poor college shoes you can start to monkey with a new barrel, stock, etc...

The 30-06 is a great round that will do anything you want it to. Plenty of factory loads for a variety of hunting situations too!

 

[KRob]

Ok shooting off to the side now. I go to school in Washington (Gonzaga, Spokane) but my family owns land in Eastern Oregon. How do i move into trapping? What state? Is thier a market for pelts still? Or is trapping and earning money just a joke that i am not in on.

 

[erikljoh]

Kind of a joke, but if you have free time, you can make some money at it. To get started I would search the net or go to a local (old time) sporting goods/hardware and just ask. The DNR or whatever it is called in Washington should also be informative.

There is still a market, however reduced, for fur. It is more of an excuse to be in outside when all the seasons end.

I am in MI, so we don't have the same terrain, but if there are creeks, ditches, and woods there is stuff to be trapped....

Back to the rifle, I don't know what your budget is, but I would think you could get a used 700/721, Bushnell Trophy scope, and mounts for around $450. If you keep your eyes open and look/ask around you can find a used 700/721 for $300. (at least around here).