Looking for a good, all around Hunting Rifle

T

thatguy67

Regular
Rating - 93.3%
14   1   0
Location
Ottawa, ON
Hey all,

Sorta new to the hunting game and I'm looking for a good all-around hunting rifle, thinking something good for deer, black bear at most.
Open to lever or bolt action, was looking at a Marlin 336 and liked the looks of it.
Doesn't have to be fancy, trying to keep this under $900 for the rifle alone.

Let me know what you all think!
 
Lots of vanillas.............errrrrrrrrr............flavours out there.
I'd find a good used 336 rather than a new one just cuzz I'm like this.
Step up to the 35rem if you can find one.
Bit mawr whuuuuuump than the thuddy thuddy.

You should be able to find a decent BLR for that kind of coin if'n
they suit yer fancy?
 
Remington m700... 270w, 308, 30/06.... will do what you want, easy to sell if you ever want to. Ammunition everywhere. 308 will be a lighter rifle and a little handier. I would see about a clean used m700...
 
A 308 will do all you want and ammunition is relatively inexpensive and available even in Podunk SK. As for the rifle any major manufacturer will produce a rifle accurate enough for your needs, if you like levers you could get a good used BLR for your budget or a Savage 99 for less. For bolt guns you can get a Remington, Weatherby or Savage in your price range new and much more variety and nicer looking rifles if you are willing to go used. You didn't ask about optics but my advice FWIW would be to not go cheap as a scope most surely will fail when you have a trophy animal of a lifetime in your sights.
 
bcboarder said:
Tikka t3 30/06. After shooting my buddy's I wish I went that route with my first hunting rifle
Click to expand...

Agree with that. Now have a 308 and 300wm. If I had bought the 30-06 originally I wouldn't have bothered with the other. Lol.
Vanguard 2 is a good rifle especially when they're on sale for $4-500. If it's the same price as a tikka or close I would get the tikka. My opinion only.
 
Tikka T3 Hunter or Battue in 30-06 or 270. They're even nicer with a walnut stock.
If you reload, or buy in quantity when and where available (like Tradex), I would go for 6.5x55 or 9.3x62 depending on your quarry and preference.
 
You might not want to shoot the same thing at a deer as you do a bear. Killing deer is very easy. Over killing them destroys meat. Consider the range you want to shoot at. If you're under 200 yards, a normally loaded 30-06 is probably too much for a deer... unless you like hamburger -- or your shot is perfect.... so you would want a lighter load and a smaller bullet.

The title of this thread should be: "Looking-for-a-good-all-around-Hunting-Cartridge". Absolutely no offence intended -- but with that question, your research becomes easier. If you learn about sectional density of bullets and how it relates to velocity, you'll come up with a suitable cartridge -- and then you just buy a decent gun that shoots it. There is no all around perfect answer, but you should understand why the compromises are compromises. Personally, I settled on a 6.5 Swede. The higher sectional density mid-calibers like 6.5mm and 260, 270 etc are very nice to shoot (low recoil and flat to 300 yards) and very effective. They can really do a lot -- from varmints with a light bullet to a sweet shooting 2700fps deer bullet... to a big dead moose. They ain't for killing big things out past 300 yard though...

Experienced shooters may like the 30-06 (especially hand loaders), but they are nasty to shoot compared to a 270 or so.

Don't forget to consider the size off the hole on the other side of the deer.
 
Last edited:
There's a Rem 7 stainless in .260 over on the EE for a grand. Good quality, lightweight all weather option in the perfect chambering for what you're hunting. They hold their value well if you change your mind later.
 
I'd look for a Brno 21 in 7x57 or 8x57. Or a Savage 99 in 300 or 308, or a Marlin in 35 Rem.

Also, find what you like, go handle some rifles. Gunstore racks and the EE are ful of adequate rifles.
 
Depends on your budget
Bargain basement a Mosin Nagant 91/30 7.62x54r will drop anything alive on the planet for under $300 with ammunition

If you are not a collector or have a bigger budget I'd go with 308 since the rounds will be so common in the future. Tikka models seem to get rave reviews. Personally I would buy anything of quality except a Remington after watching safety misfire videos on the 700 series. I don't mean to hate on Remmington but after seeing a video where a mother shot her young son thru a horse trailer when engaging the safety I lost faith in the brand.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom