killer711 Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 think oh getting a new gun just wondering what one would be best, alot of brush around my hunting area so im thinking 30-30 but i would like to get somthing bigger like a 300 win mag for a elk hunt in a couple years... what do you use?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 No such thing as the perfect rifle for all situations. What if I hunt (and I do) fields that are a mile from one end to the other? For that, I need a real long range launcher like a 300 RUM with a huge scope. But I also hunt some tight areas where 100 yards is about the maximum distance I'll ever shoot. I also like to spot and stalk, so I may be spending a lot of time on my feet traversing rugged terrain. I don't want to lug around some 12 pound rifle/scope when I'm doing this. And all of this is happening on just one of the three ranches I hunt. The other two provide even more, different opportunities. Here's what I've settled on. It's a compromise that will work in all of the above scenarios, but it's not really ideal for any of them. Savage 116 Weather Warrior Stainless Synthetic in 7mm Rem Mag topped with a Leupold VX-L 4.5x14x56 scope. This is an all weather rifle that's very rugged, fairly light weight, and still capable of shooting accurately out to 400 yards. Actually, it will probably shoot accurately father than that, but 400 is about my limit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 i used a Winchester 94 30-30 lever action for hunting in the woods, then i used my dad's Rem 7600 pump in 30-06, then I had for myself a Rem 742 Woodsmaster semi-auto in 30-06, and now I hunt with a Browning A-bolt 30-06. The Remington 7600 pump is legendary here in NY as a big woods rifle and it's dependable opposed to my Rem 742 or a semi-auto. If the pump doesn't fit you well and you'd prefer a bolt action gun then pick one with a 60 degree or shorter throw bolt (like the A-bolt). It'll help in thicker terrain and with a fast follow up shot. I hate to say it like most would, but a 270, 308, or 30-06 is your best all purpose deer rifle (including elk). If you don't care for recoil then the 270 is a better option then the 30-06. Ammo for these two calibers is cheaper then anything else can be and there's a lot of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSU_Seminole Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 think oh getting a new gun just wondering what one would be best, alot of brush around my hunting area so im thinking 30-30 but i would like to get somthing bigger like a 300 win mag for a elk hunt in a couple years... what do you use?? I would strongly urge you to look at a 280. The 280 has the zip and flat trajectory of the 270, kicks like a 270 but delivers the knock down power of the 30.06. The only reason the 280 isn't as popular as the 270 or 06 is because Remington screwed up the marketing of the calibur way back in the day calling it 7mm wild cat ect ect. Plus the famed writer Jack O'Conner was promoting the .270 all over the place when the 280 was introduced. I have a 280 and it will kill everything from the biggest elk all the way down to antelope. I plan to buy a few more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 Like Texan_Til_I_Die said there's no such thing as the perfect deer rifle for ALL situations. I have 2 that cover almost any situation. Most of the time I'm hunting with my .308. If for some reason I'm faced with hunting a spot that offers long range opportunities I carry my 30-378 Wby Mag. It's also plenty of gun for any big game with bone on its head in North America. Id say 95% of my deer hunting during an open rifle season is with my .308 though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 If I had to pick the three best calibers for deer hunting I would say the .30-06, the .270, and the .308 are on the top of my list. I hunt with a .308 most of the time, my brother uses a .270, and my cousin, who I also hunt with alot, uses the .30-06. We have all shot deer with all of these calibers and most have fallen where they stood or just a few yards away. You really cant go wrong with any of them. You may be better off deciding what make and model of rifle you want first, and then see what caliber options you have with that particular gun. If you suspect elk hunting may be in your future, I would go with the .30-06 even though the other 2 calibers I mentioned would do the job as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikewink Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 I think an '06 or a 7mm are great for deer or elk. Depending on what grain round you use, both are very versatile. Perfect no, but both have laid deer down at all ranges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebohio Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 im in a shotgun state so i know very litttle about rifles but i go to wva on a deer hunt every year. after alot of talk with a very wise man on this forum i decided to go with the 06 for probably the only rifle i will ever own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texastrophies Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 I will do this a little different, as there is no such thing as the perfect deer rifle. Anything from a .243 and up will kill deer and you could actually go smaller than that, if legal. And while a .243 might be a little small for an elk, I am sure there are a few dead elk out there somewhere that will disagree with that statement. The real answer to the question is not a perfect deer rifle, but the perfect rifle for you. Shot placement is way more important than the caliber size, whether it is a .24, .27 or .30 caliber, if it is not a good shot it won't matter. Find a gun that you like, practice, practice practice, get to where you can hit what you are aiming at, know both you and your guns limitations and go hunting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 This topic is one of those that is a matter subject highly to opinion. In my opinion pretty well anything from a .243 up with the right round is able to effectively take deer around here. Personally I like a .270, the .270 has served me pretty well for tight brush ladder stands situations along the river banks where it is pretty thick and shots might be no more than 70 yards and out to the wider open rolling hills where shots are usually 75 to 200 yards. Would not hesitate to use the .270 further out to 300 or further but our property we really don't have too many places we have that are that wide open. Don't know on elk any more than what I have read. Think the .270 would be my minimum I would try to use for elk, but I would probably step up to a 7 mag or something in a .30 if I were going on an elk hunt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 Im sticking with my 270...not too big... not too small thats for deer..may want to go a little bigger for elk...pretty much what William said..guess I'd go with my 7mmREM Mag for that brush gun..ya 30-30/ 308/ 280 Or get an Encore & interchange barrels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 I would strongly urge you to look at a 280. The 280 has the zip and flat trajectory of the 270, kicks like a 270 but delivers the knock down power of the 30.06. I'll have to agree with this statement. But also, agree with Jeff here: I will do this a little different, as there is no such thing as the perfect deer rifle. Anything from a .243 and up will kill deer and you could actually go smaller than that, if legal. And while a .243 might be a little small for an elk, I am sure there are a few dead elk out there somewhere that will disagree with that statement. The real answer to the question is not a perfect deer rifle, but the perfect rifle for you. Shot placement is way more important than the caliber size, whether it is a .24, .27 or .30 caliber, if it is not a good shot it won't matter. Find a gun that you like, practice, practice practice, get to where you can hit what you are aiming at, know both you and your guns limitations and go hunting. Find what fits you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 Like others have said, deer hunting occurs over a broad variety of conditions and situations. Hard to pick a "perfect" rifle. If I had to choose one rig to hunt deer with for the rest of eternity (with the thought of going elk hunting someday)................. It would be reasonably lightweight. It would be in a very flat-shooting caliber. It would have a variable scope with a versatile power range. I would pick a Weatherby Mark V Ultra-Lightweight in .300 Wby Mag and top it with a Burris 4.5x14 glass. I can't think of a deer hunting situation that could not be handled with this rig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUNTINGMAN Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 I'm going to be in the market for a new deer rifle this year also. I had a bolt action 270 marlin but wasn't happy with it. I already k ow what I'm gonna get,it's a new England handigrip rifle chambered in 308. I have never owned a 308 but here good things abou them,also there are endless possibility for shell choices. I love shooting single shot rifles also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m gardner Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 Some calibers were created for a particular group of animals. The 270 winchester was created to hunt deer sized animals. That's why it does it so well. But the guys who like to hunt with one gun and consider themsleves pros usually use some sort of standard 300 mag like the 300 Win. mag. or the 300 Weatherby. It delivers lots of power at long ranges and will kill your elk too. It can be had in lighter rifles like Weatherby's Ultralight MarkV so it's not bad to carry. My TC weighs about 8.5 pounds with scope so it's a standard weight. If you can take the recoil I'd hunt with a 300. If not the 270 is hard to beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisSeb53 Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 .270 with 130 gr. bullet for deer... upgrade to a 150+ gr. bullet for elk... the biggest thing to remember about killing any animal is shot placement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion_70 Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 I've hunted and used everything on deer from a .223 to a .300 win mag and they have all done the job. I was thinking earlier this year about the same thing, if I had to just settle with one rifle to hunt with, what would it be. I dusted off the Ol Reliable 30'06. You can get bullets for it anywhere and for any game you want and if you handload, well the options there are unbeatable. Bullet weights from 110 to 220 grains that you can take anything from Varmits to Bear or Moose and still have enough power to get the job done. It will shoot reliably out to as far as you want if scoped correctly. I love my .280, .270, .308, 7 mag and 300 mag, but if I could only keep one out of all, it would be my Remington 30'06. It just has that perfect match of power and accuracy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimT Posted June 7, 2011 Report Share Posted June 7, 2011 A Weatherby Vanguard youth in 308 Win topped with a Nikon 3x9x40 and a Remington 700 30-06 topped with a 3x9x40 Loopy is what we shoot. So far no issues and plenty of meat in the freezer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC8point Posted June 19, 2011 Report Share Posted June 19, 2011 I think either the 270 WSM or the 300 WSM I hunt with the 300 WSM and love it can go with different grain bullets and kill anything that I need too in North America Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgeman1 Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 i agree with alot of the people in here when they say to go with the 30.06 i have shot one for years and love it ,and as alot have said it is very versitile as you can buy or load for everything from varmints to very large game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted June 20, 2011 Report Share Posted June 20, 2011 thought i'd revisit this... the other day i was looking at a gun. Thompson Center Venture Predator in 308 Win. Seemed like a really nice general purpose gun. Not your classic looking gun, but it's got lots of great features in a dependable caliber and I'm sure it's pretty accurate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earnhardts12000 Posted June 23, 2011 Report Share Posted June 23, 2011 love my .308 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loner Posted June 26, 2011 Report Share Posted June 26, 2011 you could get so many answers to that question you still would not know what to buy.an all around gun is the 30-06.there is no such thing as a brush gun as far as shooting through something without deflecting the bullet.the 30-06 with 150 or 180gr corlokt is deadly out to 300 yards with little drop when sighted in at 2" high at 100 yards.if you are looking for a light,short fast swinging gun in thick stuff a 30-30,45-70 or 35rem will do the trick.elk might not drop in his tracks but won't be hard to find with 180gr bullet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.