any tips on what kind of deer rifles are good????

[yocal_local]

what r some good deer rifles? what on is better 30-06 or 300 mag

[cribbageboy]

My personal favorites are the .270, 30-30, and 30-06. These are the only ones i have experience with. But i have heard the 7mm is a decent caliber too. It all depends on what you want in a gun, and what all you plan on hunting with it.

[tednugefan]

my favorite is the 7mm-08, the bullet travels flat and it doesnt have much kick. the 30-06 will shoot through thicker brush but it has more kick and the bullet doesnt travel as flat. i feel confident taking a 200 yard shot with my 7mm-08

[lawdog]

 Originally Posted By: tednugefan

my favorite is the 7mm-08, the bullet travels flat and it doesnt have much kick. the 30-06 will shoot through thicker brush but it has more kick and the bullet doesnt travel as flat. i feel confident taking a 200 yard shot with my 7mm-08

Here we go again... NO SHOOTING THROUGH BRUSH!!!!!!! The 30-06 will not shoot through brush, anymore than a .416 can. NO gun will.

There, with my pet peeve out of the way, the 30-06 is my favorite gun because of its versatility. Its in all honesty more than you need for a pure whitetail gun, but its versatility and ability to shoot larger animals with it, makes it my clear choice. If you absolutely want a pure whitetail deer only gun, I'd buy a 25-06.

[treble]

haha im sure he's shot 5 deer through the brush with it in the last six years

[BoxMN]

I don't take too long of shots where I hunt, but I use a .270 and it is nice shooting and drops deer in their tracks when they are not moving. Last 4 deer didn't move more than 1 foot from where they were standing. A few running deer took some finishing off shots though, but more due to my aim I know.

.30-06 has more variety in cartridges. Good all around choice. If I got a next rifle it might be 7MM. But .270 is fine for me. I am no expert though, that is for sure.

edit: oh yeah, my shots are usually in the 85 yards to about 160 yard range. I actually got the .270 instead of .30-06 in case I went to NoDak or out west hunting with longer shots.

[cribbageboy]

lawdog,

By "shooting through brush" I'm sure he doesn't mean with NO deflection. In my opinion EVERY gun shoots "through" brush, it is simply the degree of deflection that is the concern. I in NO way am reccomending "shooting through brush", and I feel that you are an unethical hunter if you do so, but try shooting through a pile of brush/twigs at a target at about 50 yards. You should hit the target, if you are a decent shot at all, you just wont hit it where you want it (which is why I dont recommend taking deer with this "method").

[tednugefan]

i personally am not one of the people who shoot throught the brush when they hear something move, i only shoot if i see and know for sure thats its a deer. if theres a little bit of brush i will take the shot as long im confident that my bullet will make it. not every deer walks out into a open field

[tednugefan]

when i mean a little bit of brush im talking bout like a few twigs

[BucksnDucks]

U said thicker, not alittle bit in your first post! Way to cover ur rear end!

[SSSTaxidermy]

I've got both a 30-06 and 300 win Mag. Both are entirely different gun set ups. The 30-06 is my fathers old model 1903, US Rockisland Arsenal gun, with peep sight. Great gun, but a tanker to haul around to say the least. But it clearly does the job on deer.. I've used it a hand full of times and harvested all does with it. I want to take a nice buck with it so I can retire it. It would end my chapter with it, and hopefully one day, my son or daughter can do the same...Understanding the family history and pride involved. The peep sight is very accurate, but I eliminate myself to closer shots (no more than 100 yds at most) with it, being it is still an open sight. But on the other side, my .300 is a Model 700 SPS Stainless, with a Nikon Monarch. This is my baby, and when I want something reliable, and have total confidence shooting with, I will take this. It hasn't let me down yet. I love both guns on 2 different personal levels. I don't know if I would be able to part with either. I think the reason why I enjoy shooting my .300 so much, is the high confidence level I have with it. It makes a huge difference. Have fun shopping!

[Eskimoman]

I hunt up in northern mn and I like to hunt on the ground. I use a 30-30 lever actoin because it is short and easy to carry through the woods. When I sit in more open areas I use a 7mm. pleanty of power and shoots flat. It all depends what kind of hunting you do.

[rockman]

Are you looking for brand recommendations as well? If so,I recommend the Tikka line of rifles.The T3 is a nice rifle for the money.I have two older Tikka Whitetail Hunters,and the smoothness of the action on those two guns is awesome.30-06 is fine for most hunting in MN,although .300 mag could do double duty for hunting out west,or for bigger game than whitetail deer.

[tednugefan]

yea and i also said for the 30-06 in the first post. i wasnt talking bout the 30-06 in the second post, i was talking bout my 7mm-08

[Bandit]

First off, you can shoot through brush with any caliber, but you won't hit where you are aiming no matter how big your weapon is, so DON'T do it. You may hit the animal, but you won't know where and chances are you never will. If you want to try to sleep at night after that then more power to ya I guess.

Now as far as cal. I own, or have owned and hunted with most of the popular ones between 243 and 300 Wthby. The only one I really don't like is the 7mm Rem mag. It kicks like a mule and does not do much more that the 270 Win. In my opinion it is not worth it. But hey they will all do the job if you do yours, so pick what you like.

As far as rifles go, again it is a preference thing. I personally think Tikkas are over rated, I like Remingtons. Buy what you like. All of them make quality stuff.

[Gissert]

I have shot on a home range at my inlaws for years.

Two years ago, I was checking my .338 prior to an elk hunt. It has always been a very accurate shooting rifle.

At 100 yards, I had one bullet at the point of aim, one hit four inches off to the side, and another actually went thru the paper sideways (Keyholed).

I was really worried that I had some major issues brewing. I moved the target into 50 yards, no problems at all. Back to 100, they were keyholing again. It was then I noticed there was a bit of tall grass around 60 yards that I was shooting through. It was sparse enough that I never even noticed in in my scope. I stomped it down, and end of problem.

I have never been a believer of the "brush rifle" theory, but I was really quite surprised at how a few strands of tall grass messed up a 210 grain bullet smoking along at 2600 FPS.

[t rex]

Whatever caliber you personally can afford and shoot very well....Well,that should be the kind of gun for you.

[anyfishwilldo]

I personally love my .270WSM. Shoots fast and flat. I have shot elk, whitetail and antelope at better than 300 yards.

[Lunker]

.270 and 30-06. Very versatile.

[WaveWacker]

All around I feel a 30-06 is probably the mose versitile caliber. I personally shoot a .308 which has been great to me. Most hunting with it has been done for whitetails in MN and Canada. Longest shot was 293yds.

BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) is the brand of choice.