Deer Gun??


Muleyman

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This year was my first year of hunting as lots of you know. I mostly bowhunt though. I am lookin for a good deer hunting rifle. Nothin too expensive though. My brother has a Remington Model 710 .243 and it is a great gun. The only thing that I don't like about it is that the bolt is not smooth. I have been thinkin about a Remington Model 770 .270. What do you guys think about that gun? Is the action any smoother then the old 710? That is just one option though, there is many more guns out there to choose from. What would you guys reccomend for a good deer gun?

Thanks

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I am a firm believer in the Mauser 98 action; it is the best there is in my view in terms of reliability and performance. It has more than a century of proven history to support this conclusion. Many custom rifles (including my own) are built on Mauser actions such as an FN, but you don't have to go with a custom rifle to get one. Remingtom actually offered a new build Mauser 98 in its 798 model a few years back and I think it can be had for under $500. I saw one at Bass Pro about 3 years ago for $450. I have never used or owned a Remington 798, so do some research on it. My comments are based on my belief in the Mauser 98 action and the fact that this seems like a cheap way to get one. Google it and draw your own conclusions. I'd get one in .30-06 for versatility with North American big game and plains game around the world. - Jack

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I own two 30-06's. A 270 or 280 work awesome on deer, but a 30-06 has probably dropped everything in North America. You should consider this if you ever get a chance at shooting something a little bigger. I agree with the others I haven't heard the best of things regarding the 770 and should upgrade to the 700. I'd look at some other brands as well. A gun fits everyone different. T/C has their Venture which is pretty similar to the 770. I really like Savage rifles and if you consider a slight upgrade look at those with the Accu-trigger model 116 and 110.

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The 770 replaced the 710.

I believe they are economy priced bolt guns. Barrels are pinned not threaded into the receiver. Receiver was stamped and rolled, not machined. Many stamped parts in those guns. Not to say they do not shoot well. But I think in time and good usage they will show advanced wear and accuracy will suffer.

You would be served way better by going with a Remington 700 action or a Savage bolt gun.

Depending on the terrain you hunt, you may want to consider the barrel length. Longer barrels seem to hang up on brush and branches as you walk. Thus the success of the lever guns. The Winchester 94's and Marlin 336's have been quite popular for a long time. Ammo is easily found for them. Most often chambered on 30/30 or .35 Remington calibers. Many deer have been killed with these proven calibers. With the new lever revolution ammo. These guns are way more capable that they were in the past. They have become 200 yard+ rifles. The Marlin can be had with a scope for $325 at Gander Mtns and Sports Authorities.

If you hunt open areas you may want a bolt gun with a longer barrel for increased velocity and accuracy in more powerful calibers. If you go the bolt gun route. Give a good hard look at the Savages, Remingtons, Brownings. The Japanese made Weatherby Vanguard are a very good bargain for what they deliver. They also can be had in the $3-400 range in popular calibers. All very good guns.

Price is an issue for most. But if versatility is important. Look at the Thompson Center Encore rifles in the chambering you like. Then you get another barrel in just about any cartridge availible. Turn it into a shotgun or a muzzleloader if you like. The T/C runs in the $600 range with one barrel and each additional barrel costs about $2-250. Cheaper than buying another gun.

Hope this info helps.

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Go on the website http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

...as you look through them keep in mind that the prices are usually a little high. There's a package series that come with a scope and mounts that will save you some money. You're going to get a economical scope that will work fine, but there are better scopes out there. Otherwise the weather warrior series model 116 will be synthetic stocked, stainless steel, and have the accu-stock that's pretty ridged and accurate. If you're more traditional then there is the hunter series or the classic series for a little more $. It's all personal preference really.

Most economical I'd say would be to go with the package deal model 110GXP3 in 30-06. It doesn't have the accu-stock but it's still got the accu-trigger which has a light pull that will give you (not the gun) lots of accuracy.

Edited by dbHunterNY
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when you are looking at a deer rifle IMO there are two things you need to look at... 1 being quality for the money... I like either Savage or Remington... savage has some ready-to-go packages you can purchase that have scopes included (the scopes are kind of cheap though) but for the price.. you cant beat how a savage shoots.. I also have a remington 700 SPS (special purpose synthetic)... I LOVE that gun... 2 would be caliber... this depends on where you will be hunting mostly... If you will be primarily hunting in thick wooded areas a 30-30 or .243 are both excellent choices... If you will be hunting a lot of open timber or crop fields I would choose a caliber known for its flatter bullet trajectory like the .270 win or the 7mm mag... Don't get me wrong... a .243 can take down a deer at longer ranges but you MUST know your bullets trajectory... but also at those longer ranges a .270 or a 7mm mag or a .300 win mag have more knock down power...

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IF your going "Cheap"

If you are going to go for "Cheap" that's bad but inexspensive can be good.

If you want a new rifle a Howa is a very good inexpensive rifle and has one of the strongest actions on the market.

If you are willing to shop used guns you can probably get pretty much whatever you want inside your budget. I picked up a Remington Model 700 Mountain Rifle in .270 with a 3-9x40 Leupold before christmas for $575.00

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If i were you, and this may be way off base, but i would go with the best smoke pole you can afford. I absolutely love shooting my muzzle loader and would recommend one to anyone...theres just something about shooting a ML that is more exciting than your average rifle...plus you still have some good yardage and knock down power out to 200 yds...JMO

but then again, its illegal to hunt deer with a regular rifle in IL, so i didnt have much of a choice.

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The gun I used for deer this year is a marlin 30-30 lever action. I like it a lot. I don't think it is too expensive, but I don't know the exact price. I would recommend this gun to you.

Often called "The Deer Slayer"...of the 5 rifles I own I know the Marlin 336A will work in most situations I'll ever deer hunt in.

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