New to hunting...

[Ben_BlueOx]

Hi, you might of seen my other recent posts. I’m totally new to the hunting world. No previous experience at all, so please excuse my ignorance. I have only just applied for my foid card.

long term I’m looking to rifle hunt elk and such.

Any recommendations on brands and specs to focus on? all recommendations welcome, so I can look into things with more detail.

thanks.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Here are two threads to chew on:

Ranking 10 Common Bolt Action Hunting Rifles Under $750

Seems like every day somebody on HT posts looking for a basic rifle recommendation for themselves or a kid. In 2019 just about any factory gun will shoot 1.5 MOA (and many 1 MOA) right out of the box with factory ammo. So, within 350y and with appropriate cartridge/bullet and shot selection...

www.hunttalk.com

For RockinU - Common Cartridge Choices

@RockinU asked for my and @mtmuley's cartridge thoughts in another thread. Here goes . . . . My advice on common recommended hunting cartridges loosely in order of recoil lowest to highest Whitetail Deer in wooded area/Black Bear - 30-30Win, .243, 25-06Rem, 6.5CM, .260Rem, 7mm08Rem, .270Win...

www.hunttalk.com

 

[SFC B]

Hi, you might of seen my other recent posts. I’m totally new to the hunting world. No previous experience at all, so please excuse my ignorance. I have only just applied for my foid card.

long term I’m looking to rifle hunt elk and such.

Any recommendations on brands and specs to focus on? all recommendations welcome, so I can look into things with more detail.

thanks.

Do you have any firearms experience at all? Budget? Size/recoil tolerance? These are a few things to help narrow the field....

 

[Ben_BlueOx]

I know this is another one of those questions that is like opening a can of worms because so much I’m sure is personal preference.

After reading the threads you provided, One question I did have, is what is the main differences between the ammo you listed? What considerations would you consider making a choice? I never realized there are so many different setup options.

 

[Ben_BlueOx]

Do you have any firearms experience at all? Budget? Size/recoil tolerance? These are a few things to help narrow the field....

currently I have zero firearm experience. I have applied for a FOID card and planning to take safety classes and training classes when things open up again.

Im trying to be proactive and get all my ducks in a row so I have less research to do on the back end.

I don’t have a budget set, personally though I would rather pick up a higher—mid or high quality equipment from the start as I would rather go with longevity and put the time in to use it effectively.

as far as recoil goes, I’m guessing the less the better? Size I have no idea?!

 

[VikingsGuy]

I know this is another one of those questions that is like opening a can of worms because so much I’m sure is personal preference.

After reading the threads you provided, One question I did have, is what is the main differences between the ammo you listed? What considerations would you consider making a choice? I never realized there are so many different setup options.

A little terminology:

"caliber" is the diameter of the firearm bore. There can be a huge variation within the same caliber - for example a .308 caliber 30-30 Winchester cartridge is much slower and less powerful than a .308 caliber 300RUM cartridge. Common big game calibers are .243" (or 6mm); .257"; .264" ( or .260" or 6.5mm); .270"; 7mm (or .280" or 284"); .308"; .325"; and .338"

"cartridge" is a specific form factor for a matching piece of ammunition and firearm chambering. For example, .30-30 Winchester, .308 Winchester, 300Winmag, 300RUM, etc. The velocity and ability to drive heavier bullets (and resulting recoil) varies wildly across cartridges that may have the same caliber. Common big game hunting cartridges include .243 Winchester, 25-06 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor (also called 6.5 manbun on this forum as a friendly teasing of the younger shooters that popularized it), 260 Remington, .270 Winchester, 7mm08 Remington (also called 7mm08Hunttalk on this forum as it is a favorite of Randy - BigFin), 280 Remington, 7mm Remington Magnum, 30-30 Winchester, .308 Winchester, 30-06 Springfield, 300 Winchester Magnum, 300 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM), 300 Remington UltraMagnum (RUM), and 338 Winchester Magnum.

"bullet" is the business end of a piece of ammo. Bullet weight (measured in grains), shape (commonly summarized in its ballistic coefficient - "BC") and make-up (lead, lead with copper jacket, addition of a plastic "ballistic tip", all copper, different ways to bond a lead core to a copper jacket, etc) can result in big differences in "terminal performance" from the same cartridge. For example, a .300WSM cartridge can shoot light 110grain VMax highly frangible bullets super fast but with low penetration and high tissue damage but it can also shoot 180grain solid mono-metal TSX bullets - slower but will penetrate much further and do less tissue damage. Common big game hunting bullet types are "cup and core", "ballistic tips", "bonded", "partition-style" and mono-metal (non-lead) with and without ballistic tips.

"terminal performance" is how the bullet behaves at the point of impact on the animal - this is driven by ability to maintain velocity at the point of impact and the structural integrity of the bullet as it impacts and penetrates the target.

Hopefully with this background, the choices presented in the two link above make a little more sense. For beginners, the 6.5creedmoor and the 7mm08 make great places to start and they are relatively low recoil and capable of taking up to elk at reasonable distances. The .270 and .308 are also good all around options. The 30-06 is a classic all around choice, but in my opinion with modern bullets, it adds no value above the .308, .270 or 7mm08 while adding some recoil.

 

[jeremys4]

If your planning on hunting elk I would say a .300win mag you can shoot lighter loads for smaller animals like deer. Then get a bigger load for elk. Just my opinion lots of calibers are good to kill elk with but if he only has on gun that would be my choice. I first shot reduced recoil 150 grain bullet to Sight in the new scope. It would be a great deer round. Good luck glad to see new people getting outside and hunting.

 

[SFC B]

Something I would suggest is plenty of trigger time behind a .22 after you have gotten basic instruction. You will be able to concentrate on the mechanics of shooting and practice without the idea of recoil hanging over you. Once you gave gotten comfortable with what it means to shoot and be accurate you can translate to a large caliber weapon. Also, shoot a .22 is a LOT cheaper than a larger centerfire rifle.

 

[VikingsGuy]

currently I have zero firearm experience. I have applied for a FOID card and planning to take safety classes and training classes when things open up again.

Im trying to be proactive and get all my ducks in a row so I have less research to do on the back end.

I don’t have a budget set, personally though I would rather pick up a higher—mid or high quality equipment from the start as I would rather go with longevity and put the time in to use it effectively.

as far as recoil goes, I’m guessing the less the better? Size I have no idea?!

There are literally a million permutations, but if you want one "turn key" solution for a moderate budget arsenal that will cover you from home defense, to plinking, to varmints, to bird hunting, to big game, I suggest the following:

• A .22LR Tikka T1X for practice and plinking - there are cheaper .22s out their but this gets you a form factor similar to my big game bolt recommendation. ($475) Add a Leupold Leupold VX-Freedom 2-7x33mm scope for under $200 from trusted Hunttalk member @schmalts
• A 7mm08Rem (or .308Win or .270Win) Tikka T3x lite SS for big game hunting pronghorn, deer, black bear and elk. One of the very best mid-priced options ($725) Add a Leupold VX-3i 4.5-14x40mm scope for under $500 from trusted Hunttalk member @schmalts
• A 12 gauge Benelli Montefeltro semi-auto shotgun - this shotgun will shoot well for several lifetimes ($800)
• A Glock 19 Gen4 9mm semi-auto handgun ($499) - I am a sig and ruger guy, but glock has arguably set the standard for affordable middle of the road 9mms.

For about $3,000 you could cover firearms recreation for a lifetime and never be left short (unless you pull a one in a million bison tag, or go for brown/grizz bear).

 

[rtraverdavis]

@Ben_BlueOx A great place to start to sort of immerse yourself in the whole world might be MeatEater’s Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Big Game. It’s a great book that covers the basics of just about everything you are probably wondering right now, and has information that is well organized and very accessible. It would be a great jumping-off place for you—it helped me a bunch when I was really getting started six years ago.

The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game: Rinella, Steven, Hafner, John: 9780812994063: Amazon.com: Books

The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game [Rinella, Steven, Hafner, John] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game

www.amazon.com

 

[AggieHunter]

I use a .308 Win for Pronghorn, Deer, and Elk and it has worked well for me and doesn't have much recoil. I also wouldn't skimp on ammo and would get some of the higher quality bullets such as Nosler or Hornady and try different loads.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Hunter's Connect is a BigFin recommend resource for newer hunters:

Hunters Connect

Hunters Connect is here to help everyone that wants to increase their hunting knowledge and skills. We will cover every topic an up and coming hunter will ne...

www.youtube.com

 

[Ben_BlueOx]

@Ben_BlueOx A great place to start to sort of immerse yourself in the whole world might be MeatEater’s Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Big Game. It’s a great book that covers the basics of just about everything you are probably wondering right now, and has information that is well organized and very accessible. It would be a great jumping-off place for you—it helped me a bunch when I was really getting started six years ago.

The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game: Rinella, Steven, Hafner, John: 9780812994063: Amazon.com: Books

The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game [Rinella, Steven, Hafner, John] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1: Big Game

www.amazon.com

amazing. I will put this one in the cart.

 

[Flatlander3]

One other thing is somehow try and find a hunting mentor. Some states have these programs, others you may have to make freinds with someone who hunts. You will learn a vast amount of knowledge from this person than reading, being it is "applied training". Many of us have been luck enough to have had dads or grandpas pass their knowledge down for hunting, but we all realize not everyone had this opportunity.

My biggest advice to a newbie is not to get to over whelmed with everything and say F it. Continue on with the learning and the journey, as we all are continuing learning and we all get overwhelmed with the information from time to time. There will be ups and downs.

Also, hunting has its fundamentals that many agree on, but also alot of opinions with no right or wrong answer (most of the time). One guy may say this gun is the best, while another will say that gun/caliber is junk.

Like others have recommended start with shooting a 22 LR and then purchase a hunting rifle.

Biggest advice is BE SAFE. I have had a few buddys/people come with hunting and i look down there muzzle way to often. I don't hunt with those folks anymore.

You have made a great first step in joining a forum like this to warch, learn, and grow from.

 

[Chippewa]

My vote is for a rifle fun to shoot an carry. Look at balistics of your cartridge to be fair to your elk an hit em with 1500ft# at what ever distance you are practiced. Never had a Howa, but Christiansen Arms Ridgeline or MPR in you favorite load is nice high end custom feel in $2k package. Muzzle brake ready for a nice 300 size cartridge, but kick like 7mm-08. Don't skimp on optic or mounts, of course.

Tips would be. I believe in bedding your mounts. To easy to not do, an then you know you have max holding force. Also follow barrel break in process your manufacturer gives.
Clean with good stuff an a rod with guide. I changed to Boretech eliminator. Alot of reputable shooters using it an it made in PA.

Remember a can of worms is fun for all to open. Thats why so many jump right in with awesome advice. The rest is up to you to learn an just decide what you like.

Also low end rifles with good optics are still fine. My used 700rem 30-06 sporter with 4-12power Leupold works great but heavier to shoulder.

Next will be reloading for your new rifle. Then you can really nerd out if you want.

 

[madtom]

I still HIGHLY recommend doing an in-person hunter safety class, but in the mean time when social contact isn’t an option, you can probably click around on this online course website and learn some good fundamental stuff.

Hunter-ed.com™ | State-Approved Hunter Safety Courses

Hunter-ed.com™ online courses are authorized and approved by IHEA-USA and your state hunting agency. Start your Hunter-ed.com® course today for free!

www.hunter-ed.com

 

[Mainer207]

I wouldn’t blow the budget if you’re new to hunting. There’s always the chance you get out there and don’t enjoy it as much as you thought you would. Plus, you will need more than just the rifle and gear can add up quickly.

That being said, I’d pickup a Ruger American in 7mm-08 or 6.5 as a starter. From there you can jump up to a bit nicer rifle in something heavier like the 7mag, 30-06, or even 300mag if you’re focused on western hunting. That leaves you with a well rounded arsenal down the road.

The Ruger can be bought as a package with a vortex scope for under $600. Its not going to make anyone on here swoon, but it’s a solid setup.

 

[Ben_BlueOx]

I still HIGHLY recommend doing an in-person hunter safety class, but in the mean time when social contact isn’t an option, you can probably click around on this online course website and learn some good fundamental stuff.

Hunter-ed.com™ | State-Approved Hunter Safety Courses

Hunter-ed.com™ online courses are authorized and approved by IHEA-USA and your state hunting agency. Start your Hunter-ed.com® course today for free!

www.hunter-ed.com

I have been researching some local options. I plan on taking a hunters class, as well as bow and shooting sessions.

I actually attended a deer hunting 101 webinar today. So some good introductory discussion there.

 

[bobbydean]

Ben_Blueox,

I have been viewing your various questions and topics you have entered the last couple of days. I like the style and effort to properly prepare yourself for hunting. If you approach the hunt with the same effort, you will become successful.

Approve of your efforts.

 

[Ben_BlueOx]

thanks for the kind words. I often feel the fool asking the basic questions I am, but really appreciate the group being acceptive to my questions and providing such great information, insights, and resources that I can look into.