If you were to go out today and buy a new hunting rifle what brand and caliber would you choose? I know this is a broad question but let's just assume mostly deer but if you wanted to hog or coyote hunt on occasion. Also wood vs synthetic blued vs SS. Thanks.
I love the look and feel of a nice wooden stock, but synthetic is more practical. Caliber depends on shots and game. A coyote rifle for flat country isn't going to be much of a deer rifle. .22-250 will reach out and put the touch on a coyote further than I can shoot it accurately. For whitetails, it's hard to beat a 700 Remington in .30-06. Not one of the cool kids in the cartridge club, but it will do the job and a huge variety of ammo is relatively cheap and widely available. Don't want anything shiny on a hunting gun if I can help it.
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity,
nothing else matters.
Kimber mountain ascent in .308 or 30.06,synthetic and SS.
I had rather have a couple of very nice rifles than a bunch of cheaper rifles. It would be a Sako 85 Classic Delixe in 270 or 7x64.
I like a 300 win mag, great knock down, great distance gun and can hunt anything in North America with it. I sometimes have to shoot at a distance 200-400 yards and really like it for that. I also like the 270 for Whitetails and pigs, and a 204 Ruger for coyotes. An all around gun for Deer, Pigs and Yotes would be 270.
I like custom made guns but if I bought one off the shelf it would be a Weatherby and have (257 mag). The ones I've dealt with out of the box have great accuracy...1" MOA or less at 100 yards. The problem with Weatherby mag rifles is the cost of the ammo, but they make most of the standard calibers too.
Last edited by Stompy; 03-11-2019 at 01:48 PM.
When I hunted deer (PA) it was with a Sako Finn Bear in .270. Very sweet rifle.
It all depends what you are going to do with it. If it is more looks, then get a blued wood gun in .308 maybe a Ruger or Savage.
If you are going to use and abuse it. Then get the same in synthetic / SS. With either you could hunt anything in the lower 48. It all depends where you put the bullet.
Savage, stainless steel, laminated (prettiest), or composite stock, 30-06. Can hunt ANYTHING in North America and don't have to worry about the weather causing rust--take it apart after season and clean her up for next year. True hunting TOOL.
243 for your listed game list.
So let's throw out hogs and coyotes as I could build an AR for that (have a Colt M4 carbine already). Now what brand, caliber, and stock/barrel material would you choose? I have a 270 Remington 700 BDL Enhanced with the engraving on the receiver and floor plate but it was a gift my grandfather that he bought me so I would have something to remember him for the rest of my life, its roughly 20 years old and very sentimental. Part of me says use it part of me says keep it as a safe queen. I currently don't hunt but would like to get back into it at some point and I'm a believer in quality equipment.
Use it, he would want you to. Can't think of nothing better than making memories with a gift I received from someone that cared for me.
If I use it I feel like I need a better scope for it. The gun was around $900 way back then and we but a $100 Tasco 50mm on it. I'd like to have a Leupold on it to complete it. I'm so out of touch on hunting gear what would be a good model? Is 40mm or 44mm the go to?
Like I said before, I sometimes have to shoot some distance so I use the Leopold's in 4.5x14x50 1" tube. Vari X III.
Yup. If you want a rifle for deer and yotes a 243 would be perfect. And I see you are from Arkansas just like me and we don't have the biggest deer in the nation by any stretch. A 243 would do fine on both. As far a brand I really like Tikka and Sako rifles and prefer wood and blued steel but there a lots of great options these days. My personal go to deer rifle is a Tikka M695 in 270 win. My wife gave it to me for Christmas many years ago as her father had one I always admired. She did good, it's super accurate, has beautiful wood, and a really nice crisp adjustable trigger.Originally Posted by yetti462
Lots of good ones on the market. Lots of cheap stuff that works just fine but are plainly inferior rifles on the market today. If I were buying a new one it would be a Winchester featherweight in 270 or 7-08 with a nice light 2-7x32 scope. I am partial to leverguns too and enjoy carrying a 30-30 into the woods. A nice well worn marlin with peeps fits the bill. Best deer rifle ever made imo was the savage 99.
If you hunt big pigs with a 243 you better be a good tracker...or head shoot them. It'd be fine for smaller pigs.
Likely I’d get a browning x bolt of some configuration in .308. If I was gonna go all out it would be a Hells canyon speed
Stainless Tikka with synthetic stock in either 6.5 Creedmoor or 7mm-08. Put a good scope on it, feed it ELD-X bullets, and have fun.
Aaron Campbell
Barling, AR
2007 Bass Cat Sabre
2011 Merc 175 Pro XS
You're avatar makes me think of "truck boat truck" and Glug. Dont touch the trim.
Just for grins and giggles, take a look at CZ rifles. A friend sold his Remington to buy the CZ. It is a nice rifle.
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