Deer Rifle??

Ok guys, looking for some advice. I am a bowhunter primarily, but I am looking to buy a good deer rifle, something in the $1300-$1500 range including scope.

What are your thoughts on a rifle? I mainly hunt deer, both in Northern MN, but also in SD. In SD we make fairly long shots, but MN is usually 100 yards or so. I need it to be big enough for bigger game also, as I plan to do some elk hunting in the future. This is a gun that will be getting used, not looking for a collector. Most likely synthetic with Stainless Steal. What are your thoughts?

Oh, I am pretty much set on a Nikon scopes. I have been very impressed with them.

Great question Scott, I would also like to know more about deer rifles, I want a rifle for pretty much for the same reasons as you. I would also like to go on a big game hunt someday. I am pretty much sold on the Remington Model 700 (check out the cool 3D pics on this link) just not sure what ammo to go with.

Scott in case you missed it here is another post on deer rifles.

Great question Scott, I would also like to know more about deer rifles, I want a rifle for pretty much for the same reasons as you. I would also like to go on a big game hunt someday. I am pretty much sold on the Remington Model 700 (check out the cool 3D pics on this link) just not sure what ammo to go with.
Scott in case you missed it here is another post on deer rifles.

Steve, that is funny. I have looked at the Remington 700, in the 300 Mag. But, I wanted to find out what others thought about options.

Steve, that is funny. I have looked at the Remington 700, in the 300 Mag. But, I wanted to find out what others thought about options.

Scott;

If your budget allows, I would go Weatherby. I would probably go 7mm Weatherby Mag for the round. A 7mm will take care of anything from pronghorn to elk/black bear. The 7mm goes from 140 to 175 gr. For moose and anything bigger, I would go atleast a 300 Weatherby mag. Maybe you would be comfortable shooting the 300?????? Their gr range is from 150 to 300. Good all around rifle for all big game.

The biggest draw back to Weatherby is the cost and availability of ammo. You can expect to pay $30 to $40 per box and normally have to order the ammo on line from Weatherby.

Here is Weatherby’s Website where you can get the info and ballistics you are looking for.

Weatherby

Scott;

If your budget allows, I would go Weatherby. I would probably go 7mm Weatherby Mag for the round. A 7mm will take care of anything from pronghorn to elk/black bear. The 7mm goes from 140 to 175 gr. For moose and anything bigger, I would go atleast a 300 Weatherby mag. Maybe you would be comfortable shooting the 300?????? Their gr range is from 150 to 300. Good all around rifle for all big game.

The biggest draw back to Weatherby is the cost and availability of ammo. You can expect to pay $30 to $40 per box and normally have to order the ammo on line from Weatherby.

Here is Weatherby’s Website where you can get the info and ballistics you are looking for.

Weatherby

Scott,
I was in the same boat as you, although i have to hunt deer in MN with slugs. I wanted a rifle that was going to be capable of elk, and would allow me to buy ammo pretty much at any store and at a reasonable cost. I recently found a used Remington 700 7mm. My brother uses a 7mm for bear, deer, and went out west and dropped an elk at 400 yards. One web page I found helpful is http://www.chuckhawks.com.
I also red articles on which cal. to get for an all around gun. I decided on the 7mm. The ballistics on it are very favorable.
Finding a used rifle at a decent price is tough. You can nearly buy a new one for a little more. I lucked out and found a deal on a very nice gun.

Scott,
I was in the same boat as you, although i have to hunt deer in MN with slugs. I wanted a rifle that was going to be capable of elk, and would allow me to buy ammo pretty much at any store and at a reasonable cost. I recently found a used Remington 700 7mm. My brother uses a 7mm for bear, deer, and went out west and dropped an elk at 400 yards. One web page I found helpful is http://www.chuckhawks.com.
I also red articles on which cal. to get for an all around gun. I decided on the 7mm. The ballistics on it are very favorable.
Finding a used rifle at a decent price is tough. You can nearly buy a new one for a little more. I lucked out and found a deal on a very nice gun.

for that kind of money you could start to look at custom rifles. i personally would recommend a 270 short mag. you get almost the same performance from this as you would get from a regular 300 mag. without as much kick. this is something you will want to consider when looking for a gun. a 270 winchester will work for elk, a little light , but not uncommon for people to use. like was posted before the shells for weatherby’s is huge. go to some sporting goods stores like cabela’s, gander mtn., etc and look for a gun that feels nice, feels good, and something you will use instead of admire.

for that kind of money you could start to look at custom rifles. i personally would recommend a 270 short mag. you get almost the same performance from this as you would get from a regular 300 mag. without as much kick. this is something you will want to consider when looking for a gun. a 270 winchester will work for elk, a little light , but not uncommon for people to use. like was posted before the shells for weatherby’s is huge. go to some sporting goods stores like cabela’s, gander mtn., etc and look for a gun that feels nice, feels good, and something you will use instead of admire.

there is a lot of talk about the gun and let me tell you that is important BUT anyone who truly knows rifle shooting will tell you it is better to spend 1000.00 on your scope and 500.00 on your gun than to spend vise versa. most guns right down to the least expensive Savage .243 will out shoot the guy pulling the trigger. so if you are really concerned with pinpoint accuracy “like most bow hunters are” you will be much happier with a gun thats a tac driver than a poor shooting “pretty” gun. most sharp shooters shoot a Remington model 700. now i wont say that an expensive gun or a custom gun isnt going to be more accurate but if you have three hole touching in the bulls eye at 100yds who cares how much you spent on the gun its the glass that counts!!! question, did your shooting get better with your bow when you swiched from the old pins to a fiber optic sight and a peep??? or did you buy a new bow and keep the old pins?? as for calibers it really depends on what your hunting i have a Ruger M77 25.06 and a Ruger M77 7mm and i can shoot everything from prarie dogs to moose. of course this is all one mans opinion.

there is a lot of talk about the gun and let me tell you that is important BUT anyone who truly knows rifle shooting will tell you it is better to spend 1000.00 on your scope and 500.00 on your gun than to spend vise versa. most guns right down to the least expensive Savage .243 will out shoot the guy pulling the trigger. so if you are really concerned with pinpoint accuracy “like most bow hunters are” you will be much happier with a gun thats a tac driver than a poor shooting “pretty” gun. most sharp shooters shoot a Remington model 700. now i wont say that an expensive gun or a custom gun isnt going to be more accurate but if you have three hole touching in the bulls eye at 100yds who cares how much you spent on the gun its the glass that counts!!! question, did your shooting get better with your bow when you swiched from the old pins to a fiber optic sight and a peep??? or did you buy a new bow and keep the old pins?? as for calibers it really depends on what your hunting i have a Ruger M77 25.06 and a Ruger M77 7mm and i can shoot everything from prarie dogs to moose. of course this is all one mans opinion.

I would recomend the 7MM WSM Browning A-Bolt Hunter in Walnut Stock with a Leupold Vari-X II Scope. I Have had this Unit for two years and have shot three Whitetails so far and have tracked them O feet so far. I shoot the Winchester 140gr Balisstic Silvertip. You can get rounds capable of taking any game animal you wish.You can get this gun and scope for about $900.

I would recomend the 7MM WSM Browning A-Bolt Hunter in Walnut Stock with a Leupold Vari-X II Scope. I Have had this Unit for two years and have shot three Whitetails so far and have tracked them O feet so far. I shoot the Winchester 140gr Balisstic Silvertip. You can get rounds capable of taking any game animal you wish.You can get this gun and scope for about $900.

Put it this way, I bought a remington 700 ADL in 30.6 I use remington core lock 165 grain. And have a $100 scope on it. Took it to Forest Lake gun club to get some old timers help sighting it in, as this is my first gun. Long story short I put 4 shots into the same hole, the guy said I was missing the target and the first shot was the only one that hit, till the 4th shot that made the hole a little bigger. He could not belive it, then he told me that the Remington was know for being a great gun out of the box. I got the ADL, that is low end. If you got the BDL in SS with a floating barrel and a Luapold scope you would have one of the greast guns out there.

Put it this way, I bought a remington 700 ADL in 30.6 I use remington core lock 165 grain. And have a $100 scope on it. Took it to Forest Lake gun club to get some old timers help sighting it in, as this is my first gun. Long story short I put 4 shots into the same hole, the guy said I was missing the target and the first shot was the only one that hit, till the 4th shot that made the hole a little bigger. He could not belive it, then he told me that the Remington was know for being a great gun out of the box. I got the ADL, that is low end. If you got the BDL in SS with a floating barrel and a Luapold scope you would have one of the greast guns out there.

I am going to go with the time proven work horse, 30.06 in either Remington or Ruger topped with a Leupold Vari-X. The .06 is a workhorse and will bring anything that North America has to offer down with a quick clean kill. I really like the finish on the Remingtons, but I have owned several Ruger M77’s in different calibers and love how they work, flawless

I am going to go with the time proven work horse, 30.06 in either Remington or Ruger topped with a Leupold Vari-X. The .06 is a workhorse and will bring anything that North America has to offer down with a quick clean kill. I really like the finish on the Remingtons, but I have owned several Ruger M77’s in different calibers and love how they work, flawless

scott you might want to check on the stats of the 300 short mag i here it is a very good all around big game gun.

scott you might want to check on the stats of the 300 short mag i here it is a very good all around big game gun.

SCOTT,
AIN’T GHONNA TELL WHAT RIFLE TO BUY CUZZ THERE ARE SOME DANDY’S OUT THERE. BUT I WOULD SUGGEST STICKING WITH SOMETHING IN TERTY CALIBER. THIS IS JUST BECAUSE OF THE RANGE AND DESIGN OF BULLETS AVAILABLE. PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE CALIBERS HAVE BEEN DESIGN AROUND THE TERTY CAL. MY 2 CENTS.

GUNDY

SCOTT,
AIN’T GHONNA TELL WHAT RIFLE TO BUY CUZZ THERE ARE SOME DANDY’S OUT THERE. BUT I WOULD SUGGEST STICKING WITH SOMETHING IN TERTY CALIBER. THIS IS JUST BECAUSE OF THE RANGE AND DESIGN OF BULLETS AVAILABLE. PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THE CALIBERS HAVE BEEN DESIGN AROUND THE TERTY CAL. MY 2 CENTS.

GUNDY

Thanks for all the responses guys Keep them coming. I really don’t know a lot about the different Calibers. I do know the 7mm is a popular gun where we hunt in SD.

Thanks for all the responses guys Keep them coming. I really don’t know a lot about the different Calibers. I do know the 7mm is a popular gun where we hunt in SD.

I’m no expert by any means Scott, but I have a couple friends out in Montana who use one rifle for all their hunting. Thats deer, antelope, AND elk. They are shooting a .257 (mag?). I told them that from what I had heard that those were a little lite to be shooting elk, but they assured me they do the job just fine. Matter of fact, as was told to me, one of the guys, Tom, shot and dropped an elk two years earlier at about 400 yards. They really like the fact that they are very flat shooting rifles.

I’m starting to look into deer rifles again myself. Sold my Model 70 .06 about 10-12 years ago because I was slug hunting. Now I need a rifle again. I’ve been thinking about either the 7mm, 300, or .270, all in the WSM.

I’m no expert by any means Scott, but I have a couple friends out in Montana who use one rifle for all their hunting. Thats deer, antelope, AND elk. They are shooting a .257 (mag?). I told them that from what I had heard that those were a little lite to be shooting elk, but they assured me they do the job just fine. Matter of fact, as was told to me, one of the guys, Tom, shot and dropped an elk two years earlier at about 400 yards. They really like the fact that they are very flat shooting rifles.

I’m starting to look into deer rifles again myself. Sold my Model 70 .06 about 10-12 years ago because I was slug hunting. Now I need a rifle again. I’ve been thinking about either the 7mm, 300, or .270, all in the WSM.

Quote:

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Now getting back to stock design there are factors to consider. Having seen your pictures in your fishing reports in the last couple years I can already tell you that if you were to shoulder a Browning A-bolt you probably will find that it won’t fit you very well. Because they have a relatively short length of pull, a very tight grip, and not enough drop at the heel for a man of your build.

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Mike;

A buddy of mine who is 6′ @ 275lbs shoots an A-Bolt Medallion in a 300 wsm. He is a big guy with big shoulders and big paws. The gun fits him VERY well. The gun fits him so well, that @ 300 yards, he is extremely deadly, hitting a 5″ target every time. Out of the box, this gun has impressed me more than any other gun for accuracy. I went with him when he purchased the rifle. He looked at the Rem 700s and we both noticed that the bolt was not as smooth as the Browning and the Browning was not as smooth as the Ruger. I’ve never looked at the Mato series.

Also, I’m not aware of the accuracy problem that you are aware of with the Weatherby’s. Can you get me some info on this??? I do beleive that Weatherby even gives ballistic/accuracy test results specific with each individual rifle.

Scott;
Flinching is a HUGE factor to the vast majority of why people do not shoot accurately. The more you practice, the better you get. The more comfortable with what you are shooting with, the better you will shoot. Many, many people are intimidated with big cal rifles. So again, it is all comfort. Again, as for accuracy, it is 90% on you, not the gun. The last 10% really comes into play with anything over 400 yards. Example of this, is that I took a 308 and shot 15″ x 20″ targets with open sites and did hit them. The rifle was specialized, however it was just a common, over the counter 308 round and again………open sites.

You have alot of options. Probably your best bet is go to some well known shops and talk with some experts.

Quote:

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Now getting back to stock design there are factors to consider. Having seen your pictures in your fishing reports in the last couple years I can already tell you that if you were to shoulder a Browning A-bolt you probably will find that it won’t fit you very well. Because they have a relatively short length of pull, a very tight grip, and not enough drop at the heel for a man of your build.

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Mike;

A buddy of mine who is 6′ @ 275lbs shoots an A-Bolt Medallion in a 300 wsm. He is a big guy with big shoulders and big paws. The gun fits him VERY well. The gun fits him so well, that @ 300 yards, he is extremely deadly, hitting a 5″ target every time. Out of the box, this gun has impressed me more than any other gun for accuracy. I went with him when he purchased the rifle. He looked at the Rem 700s and we both noticed that the bolt was not as smooth as the Browning and the Browning was not as smooth as the Ruger. I’ve never looked at the Mato series.

Also, I’m not aware of the accuracy problem that you are aware of with the Weatherby’s. Can you get me some info on this??? I do beleive that Weatherby even gives ballistic/accuracy test results specific with each individual rifle.

Scott;
Flinching is a HUGE factor to the vast majority of why people do not shoot accurately. The more you practice, the better you get. The more comfortable with what you are shooting with, the better you will shoot. Many, many people are intimidated with big cal rifles. So again, it is all comfort. Again, as for accuracy, it is 90% on you, not the gun. The last 10% really comes into play with anything over 400 yards. Example of this, is that I took a 308 and shot 15″ x 20″ targets with open sites and did hit them. The rifle was specialized, however it was just a common, over the counter 308 round and again………open sites.

You have alot of options. Probably your best bet is go to some well known shops and talk with some experts.

ah!

Thanks!