New rifle for deer

[OntarioHunter]

Nothing will turn a young hunter off more than messing up an animal and having to clean up one that's wounded. I would be concerned about hunting in a hard wind with light calibers. Too hard to predict where the bullet will hit the animal. She hits one in the guts or butt and has to finish it off, that could be the end of her hunting. I say get her a heavier gun with a good recoil pad in a somewhat heavier caliber, put a bipod on it, and let her shoot it at the range just enough to hit the bull. A .308 would be my suggestion or possibly .300 Savage but she won't get any range with the latter. Depending on where and how she'll be hunting, extended range may not be that important.

I expect this young gal can probably handle a little recoil a lot better than buggering up a deer.

 

[std7mag]

Nothing will turn a young hunter off more than messing up an animal and having to clean up one that's wounded. I would be concerned about hunting in a hard wind with light calibers. Too hard to predict where the bullet will hit the animal. She hits one in the guts or butt and has to finish it off, that could be the end of her hunting. I say get her a heavier gun with a good recoil pad in a somewhat heavier caliber, put a bipod on it, and let her shoot it at the range just enough to hit the bull. A .308 would be my suggestion or possibly .300 Savage but she won't get any range with the latter. Depending on where and how she'll be hunting, extended range may not be that important.

I expect this young gal can probably handle a little recoil a lot better than buggering up a deer.

Depending upon where the hunt is, i'd almost totally disagree.

With a 6mm, or 25 caliber the wind can be blowing 30 mph and at 30-70 yards average shot distance in the eastern woods, it matters not.
And forget a bipod!

One shot with a hard recoiling rifle at the range will eliminate ANY chance of them actually hunting with that rifle.
Possibly with them not ever wanting to shoot a gun EVER again!

 

[Moeness]

For our purposes i believe a .243 would be more than adequate.
- strictly whitetail deer
- distances of 100-200 yds
- tree stand/ground blind shooting
- mostly flat, wooded terrain (MN)

 

[EKYHunter]

I always laugh when I hear folks say a .243 is to small for deer. Reminds me of the saying “Keep your mouth closed and let folks think your ignorant or open your mouth and prove it.”’

 

[blackbeard]

I'd go 243 over 25-06 for a kid, depending on age of course. 25-06 has some kick and muzzle blast that might shy a kid away. 7mm-08 would be a dang good choice too.

 

[Scarey]

I have 3 different rifles I use regularly for hunting. My wife likes to use the .243 win for her hunting needs and my youngest son took a nice buck with that rifle several years back. The .243 with 100 gr pills makes for a good bang, flop. I switch up between my .280 rem and my 7mm-08. Both shoot 150 gr pills. I would have to say that my 7-08 is probably my favorite one of them all. Even with the 150 gr pills the recoil is mild.

 

[Don Fischer]

Nothing will turn a young hunter off more than messing up an animal and having to clean up one that's wounded. I would be concerned about hunting in a hard wind with light calibers. Too hard to predict where the bullet will hit the animal. She hits one in the guts or butt and has to finish it off, that could be the end of her hunting. I say get her a heavier gun with a good recoil pad in a somewhat heavier caliber, put a bipod on it, and let her shoot it at the range just enough to hit the bull. A .308 would be my suggestion or possibly .300 Savage but she won't get any range with the latter. Depending on where and how she'll be hunting, extended range may not be that important.

I expect this young gal can probably handle a little recoil a lot better than buggering up a deer.

What seems to be a little known fact is that unless your life is in danger by the animal your shooting at, nothing requires you to take the shot! For myself hunting in the wind is easy, I don't do it! I'm quite sure I could get the trigger pulled but in a hard wind I don't think I know anyone that is well schooled enough in shooting to pull it off properly. It's like the running shot, I don't even attempt it! I'm not good enough! Keep in mind, what ever the concern might be there is no law that says you must pull the trigger!

 

[OntarioHunter]

What seems to be a little known fact is that unless your life is in danger by the animal your shooting at, nothing requires you to take the shot! For myself hunting in the wind is easy, I don't do it! I'm quite sure I could get the trigger pulled but in a hard wind I don't think I know anyone that is well schooled enough in shooting to pull it off properly. It's like the running shot, I don't even attempt it! I'm not good enough! Keep in mind, what ever the concern might be there is no law that says you must pull the trigger!

Some rifles/calibers shoot better in windy conditions than others. Three months ago I made a good shot on a wildebeest in a very hard side wind at 350 meters. PH gave me his 270 WSM with $1600 scope and said, "You can do it." I did. Just behind the ear. Of course that's not where I was aiming but figured the bullet would have to hit the bull someplace vital between the boiler room and brain bucket. Didn't expect it to drift quite that much. I would not have taken that shot with a lighter bullet. Not in that wind.

Similarly, some rifles/calibers do better than others in thick cover. If I'm going after deer in heavy timber it won't be with light caliber.

Guess I'm a middle of the road guy ... middle of the road caliber, weight, and recoil.

 

[T.R.]

Buy a Mossberg 464 in 30-30 because it's short, light, accurate, moderate recoil, and easy on the wallet.

TR

 

[Lonster]

Get a Remington Model Seven chambered in 7mm-08 and be done with it.

sawmeal restaurant

 

[Don Fischer]

Some rifles/calibers shoot better in windy conditions than others. Three months ago I made a good shot on a wildebeest in a very hard side wind at 350 meters. PH gave me his 270 WSM with $1600 scope and said, "You can do it." I did. Just behind the ear. Of course that's not where I was aiming but figured the bullet would have to hit the bull someplace vital between the boiler room and brain bucket. Didn't expect it to drift quite that much. I would not have taken that shot with a lighter bullet. Not in that wind.

Similarly, some rifles/calibers do better than others in thick cover. If I'm going after deer in heavy timber it won't be with light caliber.

Guess I'm a middle of the road guy ... middle of the road caliber, weight, and recoil.

Key sentence here is, "Of course that is not where I was aiming"!

 

[OntarioHunter]

Key sentence here is, "Of course that is not where I was aiming"!

Yes, it was not where I was aiming, but given the way the bull was standing with his head down and ass in the wind, I was pretty sure the bullet couldn't drift far enough to not hit something vital, either boiler room, neck or head. The shot was flat terrain with a gun set up for long distance so there shouldn't be any vertical drop to speak of. PH assured me he had it dialed in. We had plenty of time to talk it over. PH knew what his gun could do and he knew what I could do (he'd already guided me to a dozen trophies). He said "I'm sure you can make that shot" and I did. I pulled crosshairs to right of bull's shoulder maybe six inches and hit him behind the ear. It would be nice to take credit for placing the bullet there but it isn't what happened. Not exactly.

What happens if a PH tells his client to take a shot that's beyond the client's ability and the animal is wounded and lost? The client pays the trophy fee anyway (= big $$$) and PH can forget about a tip. Lodge probably won't get tipped either which wouldn't bode well for PH! The PH business is VERY competitive. Many have to freelance for years before they have a reputation sufficient to land a permanent staff job at a lodge.

The client also wants a good relationship with PH/lodge so the pressure is on him to not disappoint. It doesn't look good for PH if his client isn't "producing." My guy has a new baby boy and young daughter. I want only the best for him so I'm not taking any big risks beyond my ability. Do I ever say no? Yes. On my first trip we caught the herd of buffalo moving between two forests when the big bull suddenly stopped to stare us down. Sticks went up. "110 metres. Can you do it?" No, the wind is throwing me around too much. PH stood against my right arm. "Okay. Now I can do it." Boom. Shot it through the heart face on.

 

[Fireman13]

I am surprised no one has recommended the 7mm-08 to you. It is arguably more effective than the .308 and barely kicks more than the .243. I have three of them and both of my 28 year old kids shoot them as do I. Ammo is pretty widely available in normal times and they are awesome deer guns with 150 grain bullets in them. They will also shoot 120, 140 and 160 grains nicely. I have an A-bolt, a Rem 700 and a new x bolt. The A-bolt shoots .75 MOA groups, the Remmy shoots solid 1" groups and the X bolt is throwing .54MOA groups nearly out of the box. For us, this is the one gun for deer. I love the Tikka T3s as well, but haven't needed another one yet. I also shoot a 7mm Rem Mag in a weatherby Vanguard and love that as well, but that caliber is overkill for most deer situations and not nearly as much fun to practice with. Enjoy!

 

[Don Fischer]

Yes, it was not where I was aiming, but given the way the bull was standing with his head down and ass in the wind, I was pretty sure the bullet couldn't drift far enough to not hit something vital, either boiler room, neck or head. The shot was flat terrain with a gun set up for long distance so there shouldn't be any vertical drop to speak of. PH assured me he had it dialed in. We had plenty of time to talk it over. PH knew what his gun could do and he knew what I could do (he'd already guided me to a dozen trophies). He said "I'm sure you can make that shot" and I did. I pulled crosshairs to right of bull's shoulder maybe six inches and hit him behind the ear. It would be nice to take credit for placing the bullet there but it isn't what happened. Not exactly.

What happens if a PH tells his client to take a shot that's beyond the client's ability and the animal is wounded and lost? The client pays the trophy fee anyway (= big $$$) and PH can forget about a tip. Lodge probably won't get tipped either which wouldn't bode well for PH! The PH business is VERY competitive. Many have to freelance for years before they have a reputation sufficient to land a permanent staff job at a lodge.

The client also wants a good relationship with PH/lodge so the pressure is on him to not disappoint. It doesn't look good for PH if his client isn't "producing." My guy has a new baby boy and young daughter. I want only the best for him so I'm not taking any big risks beyond my ability. Do I ever say no? Yes. On my first trip we caught the herd of buffalo moving between two forests when the big bull suddenly stopped to stare us down. Sticks went up. "110 metres. Can you do it?" No, the wind is throwing me around too much. PH stood against my right arm. "Okay. Now I can do it." Boom. Shot it through the heart face on.

Something we all learn sooner or later is we give one of our best shooting rifles to another guy and it suddenly becomes not best shooting or, we have a lousy shooting rifle and have someone else shoo it and it is suddenly damn good shoothing. PH assured you he had it dialed in is all good and well but he had it dialed in for him, not you. Sounds like you came close to a trophy fee for a missed animal! In the same situation anyone of us could have done the same thing!

 

[SummersOff]

Tired of getting texts from people with their deer during rifle season. Haven’t had much luck bow hunting so I want to get a nice rifle for next season. Looking for something strictly for deer with lighter recoil so my daughter can use it also. From my research online and here, I think a 243 or 25-06 would be perfect. Still open to suggestions though. Leaning towards a 25-06 because I went out with my FIL last year and he let me use his Ruger M77 MII in 25-06. Nice gun. Felt comfortable, of course didn’t get a shot off. So, couple of questions:
- Looked at the Ruger, the REM 700, Savage 110. What others are comparable?
- am I really going to notice a difference between a 22” vs. 24” vs. 26” barrel? If not, the Tikka comes into play.
- I’m looking locally but if I don’t find one, where can I find a reputable dealer online? Seems like I’ve been everywhere; Gunprime, GoG, Gunbroker, Buds….

Thanks for the feedback. Hopefully find something during Black Friday!

Tikka 25-06 is a tack driver. You can also use reduced recoil loads in a 7mm-08.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Something we all learn sooner or later is we give one of our best shooting rifles to another guy and it suddenly becomes not best shooting or, we have a lousy shooting rifle and have someone else shoo it and it is suddenly damn good shoothing. PH assured you he had it dialed in is all good and well but he had it dialed in for him, not you. Sounds like you came close to a trophy fee for a missed animal! In the same situation anyone of us could have done the same thing!

I don't pay a trophy fee for a missed animal. Only if blood is drawn. Miss the shot and you just go on to the next one. It was a nice bull but no record breaker. Black wildebeest are fairly numerous so if I'd missed the shot it wouldn't be a big deal. PH warned me the trigger was a bit light and it was ... just a bit. But prone on a bipod it really didn't make much difference. We didn't have a wind meter so presumably nothing dialed in for that, just drop. At 350 meters a 270 WSM should have shot pretty flat anyway. And it did. With that setup I didn't think it was a tough shot. However, I was surprised at the drift.
Oops. Sorry for derailment. Should use PM.

 

[Harvest Score]

Tikkas are great, I have several

I'm really liking the savage 110 Ultralite lately.

270, 6.5, 30-06 so much ammo availability

I'm really liking ballistics of 280ai if you're feeling like frisky.

 

[Don Fischer]

I am surprised no one has recommended the 7mm-08 to you. It is arguably more effective than the .308 and barely kicks more than the .243. I have three of them and both of my 28 year old kids shoot them as do I. Ammo is pretty widely available in normal times and they are awesome deer guns with 150 grain bullets in them. They will also shoot 120, 140 and 160 grains nicely. I have an A-bolt, a Rem 700 and a new x bolt. The A-bolt shoots .75 MOA groups, the Remmy shoots solid 1" groups and the X bolt is throwing .54MOA groups nearly out of the box. For us, this is the one gun for deer. I love the Tikka T3s as well, but haven't needed another one yet. I also shoot a 7mm Rem Mag in a weatherby Vanguard and love that as well, but that caliber is overkill for most deer situations and not nearly as much fun to practice with. Enjoy!

I need to try out a 7mm-08 someday. I keep hearing these things about recoil and simply find it hard to believe. problem comes in with a guy recommending it that mostly shoots 30 and 30 mags and then, recoil is going to feel awfully light. Not trying to say it isn't but recoil depends a great deal on the shooter. My second wife wanted to try a shotgun one time and small as I had was a 20ga and that was the one everyone claimed to start a new shooter on. Well one shot and she almost dropped the gun and thought she'd broke her shoulder. last time I know of she ever tried firing a gun!

My mind tells me the 260 would be a better choice. Same case but lighter bullet's, has to recoil less I would think. shoot a 7mm-08 with a 100hr bullet might be just like a 243! I have to try out a 7mm-08, unbelievable the stuff I hear about it. One of the cartridge's I really liked in the past was the 7x57 and in old military actions or reduced loads for modern actions I'd think the recoil would be about the same. Mine wasn't bad at all but I kind of doubt it would be a good first rifle for a kid or small woman but also think they could learn to handle it, if you could get them to try it again!

You have someone starting out, start them with the min cartridge that would work for what they were going to hunt. If they are going to hunt coyote's, get a 223, deer, something like a 243, maybe a 250-3000 if you can find one. Leave the 25-06 completely out of it. Don't start them on anything bigger than deer till they are really comfortable shooting the first rifle you get them. Seem's like anymore everyone want's their 6 yr old out hunting with a 308 these days! Lot of guy's want something bigger claiming they can grow into it. Yea if the recoil doesn't run them off. Start low and get them something bigger when they are ready for it. love that, they can grow into it bit, especially coming from a guy that has 15 rifles of his own in the safe!

 

[blacksheep]

I used a .243 for years when I was younger. Its a great deer rifle for most hunting applications. No real recoil for those that are recoil sensitive. Huge selection of bullets and factory ammo. The best ammo that I used was Remington Premier 90gr Swift Scirocco. Extremely accurate with a bonded bullet.


blacksheep

 

[Moeness]

The other day I was able to fiddle around with three Superlites:

.243
6.5 with a 24” barrell
.270

All felt nice. That bolt is smooth compared to the others I also played with, a Vanguard, Savage, a Bergara, one Christensen Arms, and a Browning just cause they were there. Ammo was nil for .243 and 6.5. Lots of .270. Walked in with my mind set on the .243, almost bought the .270, walked out with nothing, and will probably be going back later. Didn’t think it was gonna be this hard deciding.