Help a Noobie choose his first rifle

LOL at the 45-70 chart!

I just picked up a Marlin 1895 in 45-70 this past weekend. NEVER shot one, so I can't comment on recoil yet... Got a Bushnell Elite 2-7x32 enroute & will mount it with Weaver Grand Slam steel rings AND a BearTooth Mercantile cross bolt safety delete... Here it is after I got it home.

OP given the choice between the 30-30 & 45-70, I'd still say 30-30 @ the moment...

Cheers
Jay

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Recommend staying away from the 45-70. Not that its a bad cartridge just a chunck to handle for a first gun. The dirty thirty has probably harvested more game than any other caliber. Ammo can be found everywhere and they are ,as a rule, accurate for hunting at moderate range. Light on recoil so easy to master. Game animals don't get harvested by how bigs the gun but by how well the shots placed. Close your eyes and mount the gun and it should all feel like it was specially made for you. Welcome and good hunting
 
Longstud said:
Recommend staying away from the 45-70. Not that its a bad cartridge just a chunck to handle for a first gun. The dirty thirty has probably harvested more game than any other caliber.
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Agreed! Starting with a larger caliber is risky, you may develop a flinch, not shoot it well & definitely not enjoy shooting as much. :ar15:

Once the op is bored of the 30-30, he can step it up if he wants. :rockOn:

Cheers
Jay
 
If you are going hunting then a Remington 700 series in .308 for your first rifle. Or secondly a savage bolt in the same caliber.
 
Between the 30-30 and the 45-70, I would pick the 30-30 for a multi purpose first rifle,.. ammo is cheaper and easier to find, recoil is lighter, and in most cases a rifle chambered in 30-30 will be lighter weight than one in 45-70. In no way am I condemning the great old 45-70, but for a first time multi purpose rifle, IMO, it just doesn't seem practical.

If I was going to pick a first time rifle for myself today it would be a decent bolt action, such as an X-Bolt, M70, Tikka, Rem700, chambered in 308win,.. lots of inexpensive ammo choices found anywhere, and mild recoil.


If you like lever actions, the Browning BLR in 308 would be a great choice also,.. light and nice to carry, short and quick handling, and most BLR's are as accurate as a bolt action.



Now, with all that being said,.. if you are looking for a true versatile cartridge,.. the 30-06 is arguably the most versatile cartridge ever made,.. yes there are lots of cartridges out there more capable or suited for specific tasks,.. but when you do the math compared to others,.. bullet weight choices + ammo brands + availability + cost + capability + recoil = 30-06,...………..
..just another choice for you to think about.
 
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30-30 Is a terrible caliber.
45-70 is not too much but like the 30-30 not a long range caliber.
Get a modern calibre from 6.5 mm up to .30-06
 
30-30 is awesome for hunting..however you mentioned surplus.. you probably on a budget, right? Go with the SkS as the 7.62x39mm round is great for anything as large as deer and the ammo is fairly inexpensive. If your game is moose I would say the Mosin–Nagant M44 which utilizes a much powerful round.. however they give a good kick.
 
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