Rifle window shopping for new hunter

[Don Fischer]

Tikka and for God’s sake not a Creedmoor if you’re ever considering elk hunting.

Creedmoor won't kill an elk. The bullet will bounce off!

 

[Brian in Montana]

I've been in something of a build-your-own phase the past few years, but I've owned a couple of Tikkas and definitely recommend them. Excellent factory guns. I still have and use my T3X in .308 and I've shot about everything in the Rockies with it at one time or another. I doubt anything could be much better as a general purpose mountain-hunting rifle.

 

[Caseknife]

Ruger American in .308 with a Leupold VX-3HD 2.5-8x36 from Schmalts, with Talley Lightweight mounts will perform great and not break the bank. May not be the prettiest, won't make any tacticool points, doesn't fit with what the internet says he needs, but will kill anything in the US that can be hunted currently.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Shop used guns. Lots of 30-06 to pick from. Seems everyone wants to dump the most useful caliber ever made for new man-bun guns with plastic stocks.

 

[Don Fischer]

Shop used guns. Lots of 30-06 to pick from. Seems everyone wants to dump the most useful caliber ever made for new man-bun guns with plastic stocks.

I hunted for a lot of years before finally coming into a 30-06. I agree it is probably the most useful cartridge ever but there are so many it's pretty much splitting hairs. In Alaska for bear protection fishing I had my 308 with me and loaded up 200gr bullet's. I think the 30-06 would have handled the 200's better but it has a 24" barrel and the 308 a 20". For me the barrel length is an advantage, small advantage but may be one anyway. Therre are so many cartridges anymore, there are no holes! Ask what's best for this or that and we end up splitting hairs. I think the 30-06 still might rule as most popular though!

 

[Kentucky Jack]

Lots of good advice here, I've seen several mentions of Bergara! They make great rifles. I bought one a couple years ago in 30-06 and have nothing bad to say about it. I'm extremely impressed with it.

 

[Addicting]

Lots of good advice here, I've seen several mentions of Bergara! They make great rifles. I bought one a couple years ago in 30-06 and have nothing bad to say about it. I'm extremely impressed with it.

It’s a good rifle but I would recommend bedding them right away. The contact patch of the action on the pillars is very small and moves with recoil. I noticed flyers with all the ones I’ve shot. After bedding they were all shooters with no more flyers.

 

[Kentucky Jack]

It’s a good rifle but I would recommend bedding them right away. The contact patch of the action on the pillars is very small and moves with recoil. I noticed flyers with all the ones I’ve shot. After bedding they were all shooters with no more flyers.

All I've done to mine was free float the barrel and haven't had any issues. I've shot it in July when it's over 90° and just a couple weeks ago when it was -2° kept real good tight groups. I will add that it took me awhile to find one, but I was being picky and wanted it in a wood stock chambered in 30-06. I could have bought a hundred in synthetic before I found on in a wood stock. Nothing wrong with synthetic but I shoot what I'm comfortable with and a wood stock just feels better to me.

 

[Horseman]

I would go with a 30-06 or 7mmrem mag-you could go lighter for deer but I think the 3006 and 7mmrem mag are the best all around caliber for deer to moose. Affordable ammo is available everywhere, both calibers are plenty flat shooting and recoil is definitely tolerable. I find the jump in recoil from a 7mm rem mag to a 300 win mag to be noticeable. Get a standard weight sporter not a lightweight rifle or tactical style rifle. Don’t buy a rifle with a muzzle break-they may tame recoil and they may look cool but muzzle breaks will destroy your hunting buddy’s ear drums-if he’s a new hunter he’ll need hunting buddies more than he’ll need a muzzle break. I hate hunting near a muzzle brake!

 

[Red-Team 98]

Bergara B14
Various models and cal
Great Barrel and a great trigger
Most good rifles have muzzle brakes but come with cap to install if you decide not to use the brake like Bergara.

 

[Red-Team 98]

308 Win a great place to start. A joy to reload and highly respected in hunting and target shooting.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Spent a couple days extra in Spokane thanks to the Southwest flight debacle. Got a chance to take my girlfriend's 22 year old son to Sportsman's and Double Eagle to handle some rifles and have him get familiar with what he liked. I haven't "shopped" for a rifle in a few decades so nearly everything on the rack was new to me.

Joe was introduced to firearms by the Army and accompanied some friends into the field for moose while stationed there.

I told him we weren't looking for specific calibers but for him to find a rifle/safety position/ stock material/price point he liked. While there we talked about what ammunition was readily available. Looking at the ammo shelves, we saw plenty of 6.5CM, 308 and 30-06. I think in our discussion we narrowed it down to .308 and 30-06.

From my experience with a .300 WM I wanted him to have a rifle he was comfortable practicing with regularly. I think I'm going to ask his Maternal uncle to take him out to get some recoil practice.

He liked the Tikkas, Ruger American, and a couple others. My one and only large caliber rifle I bought used from a family friend gunsmith. Any shopping tips I can pass along to Joe ?

Look for a used gun. Take Dad with him. No heirloom available to hand down? That would be much better than buying something.

 

[Red-Team 98]

Look for a used gun. Take Dad with him. No heirloom available to hand down? That would be much better than buying something.

Take a good look at Bergara Rifles
Great rifle for the money
I have a Bergara Ridge in 308 Win excellent shooter .

 

[Don Fischer]

Glad the OP posted this thread. I'm in a similar scenario. I even considered buying a practice rifle (300winmag) just to ease into things and not worry about abusing the actual hunting rifle. Or am I overthinking this? As to the OP's question... is a used rifle also an option as a starter? Or a just buy a Savage axis & sell it on the cheap or trade for quality ammo later when you buy the lifetime rifle? Sorry for the rambling.

Only problem with buying used is selection in cartridges! Of course you may end up with a shot out barrel but IMO not likely! Few shooter's actually shoot out a barrel. what they do is get one just to dirty from not cleaning.

If your buying a rifle, look for one you like and can afford. Forget that re-sale value! For the most part used rifles simply don't appreciate that much over time. if you have or find one that has is is most likely a custom from some well known smith in the past that belonged to some famous named gun writter! Sometimes it sounds to me like some people try to raise their wealth buy buying guns that appreciate in value!

Something about high value rifles. I have a 1903 made by Paul Jaeger hmself in 1945, appraised in 1992 at far more than it cost new from Jaeger. Know what, it's only worth that appraised value if you find someone willing to pay it or if it's insured and burns up in a house fire! Buy a rifle you can afford and use it!