What size rifle...

[FishNovice101]

should I buy? I have a 30-30 that I want to hand down to my son this year, so I want a new gun. (Good excuse, huh!!!)

We hunt in areas that we could be in brush, or take that long shot along a power-line.

Any suggestions for an all-around good rifle?

[KG243]

308

[youngie22]

300 win mag

[mrklean]

Rem 7mm

[adamr]

I bought a 30/06 simple because I was reading a article about a man hunting in alaska ran out of shells or for got his shells and the only caliber they had at a gas station was 30/06 but my next will probably be a 264

[tednugefan]

7mm-08

[fishinmajishin]

7mm-08. Hunt with it this year. Retire the 30-30 next year and give the -08 to your son, and get a 7mm mag for yourself.

[tednugefan]

i love the 7mm-08, im confident in every shot i take with it

[paul pachowicz]

discussin calibers is like discussin politics & religion However, I'm not a belted ammo fan or the WSMs or the overly rated Weatherby mags. .06 will take anything on the north American continent up to grizzly. The few mentioned like the .308 & 7-08 are great calibers. I process wild game and see what the big cals do to carcasses like the 300 win mag & the heavier 7mm mag bullets. If you were happy with the ol thudy-thudy then stay with that 30 range. I shoot the .270 most of the time but will grab the .06 (hand loaded 150 grain Sierra boat tails) for deer just for old time sake and will go with the .243 (100 grain sierra boattails) on antelope. I don't own a 308 but I do like the bullet weight choices with it. Just as a side note, what are ya thinkin as far as brand names for the gun, rings, mount, and scope for the new one?

[FishNovice101]

Wow guys - thanks for all the responses!!

I am not sure what brand, etc. yet. I went to Gander today and looked a little. Saw a nice Savage, synthetic stock, stainless barrel. Kinda like that style.

I am so unsure about the caliber. I don't want one that is gonna ruin a lot of meat. Also may take it out west hunting antelope as well. I have to consider the amount of kick too, so definitely not a 30-06. My hubby has one and I don't like the kick.

[N7709K]

Well I have a savage 111 30-06. The recoil is less than my fathers browning blr in 308 Winchester.

[TrophyEyes]

I have a 7mm Rem mag in a Browning A-Bolt with a Boss system on it. It shoots very flat, there are many bullet options from 140 - 175 grains from most manufactures (I am sure there are others). With the boss system it does not kick bad at all, but it is loud as >>> something I can't say on this site. I have not had a problem with destroyed meat, so I don't think that will be a problem.

Brands I would look at are Browning A-Bolt, Tikka, TC Pro Hunter.

[walleye365]

if you dont want to ruin meat go with 25-06 or 7mm-08 exellent knock down with out the hole you can put your fist threw the 25 i use serra game king 117 grain 7mm fed. fusion 140 grain. good luck

[paul pachowicz]

I'm glad you looked at those Savages. For your money you can't beat em. Out of the box you are gonna get very close to MOA and can really tuned em in with handloads. I have seen alotta new Remingtons and rate them low on the quality ladder since they shipped there manufactoring overseas several years ago. Years ago I would pound my chest about em but now, I'd say the Savage is the way to go. As far as recoil is concerned, I will say this a million times!!!! You hafta spend the time on the range to with your gun!!!! Recoil is recoil regardless of the caliber and the way to rid yourself of flinching it is to shoot...shoot and shoot somemore. I'd dare say that when if you flinch on the range you will flinch on game. You don't have to shoot up a box of ammo in 10 minutes on the range. It takes hours upon hours on the bench to become an accomplished marksman. One way a guy can research calibers is to borrow a reloading maunual and read up on calibers you are interested in. As being a lady, there are several calibers that suit a gal like, .243, 7-.08, 25-.06 and they are well suited for deer and antelope. Might I suggest checking your libary and see if they have a book called "Pet Loads by Ken Waters or [YouNeedAuthorization] it. I think it is the most comprehensive book on calibers from the nimrod to the crack shot. Keep us informed on what you end up with.

[FishNovice101]

Paul,

Thank you so much for all the information. What was the name of the second book you referenced? It was not shown. You can email it to me at char_hanson at hotmail dot com. I am really leaning toward the Savage. I like the Accu-Trigger idea.

I will be buying a new trombone for my son on Wednesday, so depending on how much that sets me back, I may have a new gun by the weekend.

I will definitely keep you all updated.

Thanks again guys.

[vister]

rem 7mm mag, they shouldn't make any different caliber's!

[picksbigwagon]

I had never really heard much about the 7-08 until a couple years ago. I reload for a friend and his 308, there is a lot of "fun" to be had developing loads for that caliber. If you are looking at off the shelf ammo, I was at Petry's in Finlayson a couple weeks ago, they had 30-30, 270, and 30-06 in more than one offering. One box of 243 and I believe one offering in 308 and 7MM rem mag. Look hard at those savage's, they are a good deal. If I was gonna get a new rifle, it would be in 308. But I ain't lookin.....(sorry the wife might read this, love ya honey)

[caseymcq]

I have a 7mm Rem Mag, kicks like a mule and is very loud. I bought it last year. It is a Remmington 770. It came with a scope and for the price it seems like a really good deal. If you are just going to use the gun for deer hunting a 7mm-08 would probably be the way to go. I will use my gun for moose (when I get drawn ) here in MN and possibly(hopefully) elsewhere

[Grant Pearson]

.30-06 hands down. Great for anything from 'yotes to moose. All you gotta do is change the bullet weight and you're good to go. very versatile caliber.

[icefishing21]

rem 30-06. this gun has the most knockdown power that i have seen so far. I hunt in the same environment as you stated, can be in brush or shoot along a power line.i have shot 3 deer with it in the past 3 years and it always drops them in thier tracks.

[FishNovice101]

My husband does have a 30-06 that he really likes. As you said, lot of knockdown power. I have shot the gun and I'm not afraid to say that I was scared of it. Did not like the kick at all.

I am going to be shooting a lot of rifles this Sunday trying to figure out which one I want to buy. I will be shooting: 243, 270, 7mm-08, 300 MAG, 308, and maybe I'll try the 30-06 once more. I'm sure my shoulder will be sore on Monday!!

[MUSKYMAN1011]

Does anyone in here shoot a 25-06 ?

Just curious?

thanks

[walleye365]

i shoot a 25-06 great gun iv killed 20 plus deer with it have'nt had any of them go out of site if they dont drop 30 yards is about it.

[wolfman-k]

I'm really partial to my 270 Winchester, I bought it for hunting out West & for deer here. It shoots flat with not much kick. Another thing you might try is to purchase a recoil pad of some sort. I know there are some on the market now that advertise a reducion of up to 90% of the recoil, your gun dealer should be able to help you out on the differnt kinds available.

[fishwithteeth]

I shoot a 30.06 and when I was looking for a firearm for my bride, I knew a 30.06 would be too much. I looked at the data on several different calibers regarding recoil and talked to a few shooters to get advice. I finally purchased a .243 Browning A-Bolt Micro Hunter. The micro works well for her because it is a little shorter - she is 5'3" - and the recoil does not bother her at all. Couple the rifle with a 85 grain Barnes TSX bullet and you have a very capable rifle for taking big game at various distances. Just my .02.