Advice on first Hunting Riffle

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WildWaldo

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Calgary AB
I want to get in to hunting next year and am going to need a riffle for the task.
But I am not sure what I should get/look for.

-I will be looking for something mainly for Deer and possibly Elk.
-Budget is an issue so cheaper is better but I don't want garbage.
-I am left handed and left eye dominant.(Right eye is very weak)

1) What Caliber should I get? I was thinking of 30-06 as it looks to be one of the most common and a good all around cartridge.

2) what manufactures should I look for / avoid?
I was looking in Basspro the other day and they had a Savage bolt action combo with scope for around $500. looked like a good price but don't know much about them.

3) Should I look new or used? Used should be cheaper but I don't want junk and it maybe harder to find what I need.

4) Should I Order something left handed or just learn to shoot a right handed gun? I have a 22 bolt action rife that is right hand and I have no issues shooting it left handed, But having a bigger heavier gun and being in the woods I am not sure what it will be like to use.

I know a lot of this maybe personal preference but any advice would be helpful.

Thanks
 
Caliber - .30-06... good choice... you can hunt any big game with that

Rifle... get that savage or a rem 700 sps dm... (if going new)

If you are left handed and left eye dominant don't try and relearn... get a lefty rifle...

I like the older rifles myself... but JMOP... watch the EE here... have seen some good lefty deals
 
I would go with a lefty bolt gun.Nothing wrong with a savage,although i can't coment on the optics on their package guns.(ive never bought the package setup).My favorate lefty bolt gun I own is a browning x bolt micro hunter in 308,light weight and extremly accurate.
 
WildWaldo said:
I want to get in to hunting next year and am going to need a riffle for the task.
But I am not sure what I should get/look for.



4) Should I Order something left handed or just learn to shoot a right handed gun? I have a 22 bolt action rife that is right hand and I have no issues shooting it left handed, But having a bigger heavier gun and being in the woods I am not sure what it will be like to use.

I know a lot of this maybe personal preference but any advice would be helpful.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I too, shoot left, have all my life, never did get a left hand bolt gun, not sure that I would want one now after all this time. things would be weird for me, I think. if like you say, you have no issues shooting your right hand bolt gun, left handed, you may want to consider staying with one. there would be a much bigger selection to choose from. Have you considered a lever action, they work well for either right or left shooter's. I'm a big fan of lever guns. As for cal, I'm a big fan of short action cals. Consider a 308 for what your gonna hunt, there is an endless selection out there, just waiting for you. Good Luck and happy shooting. P.S. I believe I noticed a Browning BLR 308 on the EE, just the other day and the price was pretty descent! If I didn't already have one, I'd be on that one!
 
two-dogs said:
I too, shoot left, have all my life, never did get a left hand bolt gun, not sure that I would want one now after all this time. things would be weird for me, I think. if like you say, you have no issues shooting your right hand bolt gun, left handed, you may want to consider staying with one. there would be a much bigger selection to choose from. Have you considered a lever action, they work well for either right or left shooter's. I'm a big fan of lever guns. As for cal, I'm a big fan of short action cals. Consider a 308 for what your gonna hunt, there is an endless selection out there, just waiting for you. Good Luck and happy shooting.
Click to expand...

It isn't about the ability to shoot and cycle the bolt.... it's about the speed... I am right handed and shoot a right handed bolt obviously..... I can cue up the second shot without lowering the rifle from my shoulder... and the ejected round doesn't hit me in the face....

I also know many folks like OP who were taught to shoot right.... nowadays LH rifles are readily available... sacrifice nothing and go full lefty...
 
Go to gun shops and gun shows. Handle and shoulder as many different rifles as you can, ask lots of questions, see what is most comfortable and what you like best and go with it.

3006 is a great caliber to hunt with and ammo can be found just about anywhere, try to shoot one and see if its what you want to start with...lots of caliber choices that will suit your needs.
 
Superbrad said:
It isn't about the ability to shoot and cycle the bolt.... it's about the speed... I am right handed and shoot a right handed bolt obviously..... I can cue up the second shot without lowering the rifle from my shoulder... and the ejected round doesn't hit me in the face....

I also know many folks like OP who were taught to shoot right.... nowadays LH rifles are readily available... sacrifice nothing and go full lefty...
Click to expand...

true enough about the grease lightning speed, but I can cycle my bolt action without lowering the rifle and I've never ever even come close to being hit in my face with an ejecting round.
more truth about the availability of left handed rifles of nowadays. I'm an old dude, away back when, there were very few left handed rifles to choose from, most were in long action cals, and very very few in short action. many a time when looking in the gun brochures or catalogs, my heart was broken and I felt left out in the cold, cause I was a left handed shooter. I just became accustomed to shooting right hand rifles.
 
two-dogs said:
true enough about the grease lightning speed, but I can cycle my bolt action without lowering the rifle and I've never ever even come close to being hit in my face with an ejecting round.
more truth about the availability of left handed rifles of nowadays. I'm an old dude, away back when, there were very few left handed rifles to choose from, most were in long action cals, and very very few in short action. many a time when looking in the gun brochures or catalogs, my heart was broken and I felt left out in the cold, cause I was a left handed shooter. I just became accustomed to shooting right hand rifles.
Click to expand...

Yep... that is why my advice is taylored to the OP... he has so many more options than you did... and the price difference is negligable....

No need for a heartbreak anymore....
 
WildWaldo said:
I want to get in to hunting next year and am going to need a riffle for the task.
But I am not sure what I should get/look for.

-I will be looking for something mainly for Deer and possibly Elk.
-Budget is an issue so cheaper is better but I don't want garbage.
-I am left handed and left eye dominant.(Right eye is very weak)

1) What Caliber should I get? I was thinking of 30-06 as it looks to be one of the most common and a good all around cartridge.

2) what manufactures should I look for / avoid?
I was looking in Basspro the other day and they had a Savage bolt action combo with scope for around $500. looked like a good price but don't know much about them.

3) Should I look new or used? Used should be cheaper but I don't want junk and it maybe harder to find what I need.

4) Should I Order something left handed or just learn to shoot a right handed gun? I have a 22 bolt action rife that is right hand and I have no issues shooting it left handed, But having a bigger heavier gun and being in the woods I am not sure what it will be like to use.

I know a lot of this maybe personal preference but any advice would be helpful.

Thanks
Click to expand...

You can't go wrong with the good ol' 30-06. It's probably taken more North American game than any other cartridge except the 44-40!!

I'd stay away from Bass Pro. I bought my Savage Axis combo package for just over $400 from P & D in Edmonton (site sponsor).

The scope isn't the greatest, but for an inexpensive hunting rifle combo, you can't go wrong. Marlin also makes the XL7 combo that has some good reviews.

Because you are left eye dominant, I'd try to find a left-hand bolt rifle, simply because the scope will line up with the dominant eye when the rifle is against your left shoulder. You CAN use a right hand bolt rifle against your left shoulder, but you may find it feels awkward.

Most inexpensive rifles are made with right hand bolts (cheaper) so you might wind up spending more than you'd like (or have budgeted for) to get a left-hand bolt rifle. You might have to buy a used rifle to get a lefty bolt in your price range.
 
Have a look here...

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431263

WildWaldo said:
I want to get in to hunting next year and am going to need a riffle for the task.
But I am not sure what I should get/look for.

-I will be looking for something mainly for Deer and possibly Elk.
-Budget is an issue so cheaper is better but I don't want garbage.
-I am left handed and left eye dominant.(Right eye is very weak)

1) What Caliber should I get? I was thinking of 30-06 as it looks to be one of the most common and a good all around cartridge.

2) what manufactures should I look for / avoid?
I was looking in Basspro the other day and they had a Savage bolt action combo with scope for around $500. looked like a good price but don't know much about them.

3) Should I look new or used? Used should be cheaper but I don't want junk and it maybe harder to find what I need.

4) Should I Order something left handed or just learn to shoot a right handed gun? I have a 22 bolt action rife that is right hand and I have no issues shooting it left handed, But having a bigger heavier gun and being in the woods I am not sure what it will be like to use.

I know a lot of this maybe personal preference but any advice would be helpful.

Thanks
Click to expand...
 
Caliber: 30-06 will kill anything short of polar bear in North America, but personally I would recommend a .308 with either 168 or 180 grain bullets. That's just my personal preference because I like a short action over a long action.

Make: As previously stated alot of cheaper package guns are right handed and come with lower quality scopes, and stay FAR away from the Remington 770. You have a whole year before next hunting season so I would recommend saving up and buying good quality gear (you will not regret it) as left handed rifles go I would recommend a Tikka T3 Lite with a Blued barrel and synthetic stock, I believe the going rate for these is about 700 bucks, again good quality gear counts.

Optics: My personal preference is Leupold. Their customer service is top notch from my dealings with them and their warranty is outstanding. They are more on the pricey side but I personally think they are a superior scope compared to the Bushnell scopes. As model goes, if your on a budget the VX-II in a 3-9x40 will work just fine. I believe the going rate on this is around 400 bucks.

Hope that helps!

Jack
 
WildWaldo said:
I want to get in to hunting next year and am going to need a riffle for the task.
But I am not sure what I should get/look for.

-I will be looking for something mainly for Deer and possibly Elk.
-Budget is an issue so cheaper is better but I don't want garbage.
-I am left handed and left eye dominant.(Right eye is very weak)

1) What Caliber should I get? I was thinking of 30-06 as it looks to be one of the most common and a good all around cartridge.

2) what manufactures should I look for / avoid?
I was looking in Basspro the other day and they had a Savage bolt action combo with scope for around $500. looked like a good price but don't know much about them.

3) Should I look new or used? Used should be cheaper but I don't want junk and it maybe harder to find what I need.

4) Should I Order something left handed or just learn to shoot a right handed gun? I have a 22 bolt action rife that is right hand and I have no issues shooting it left handed, But having a bigger heavier gun and being in the woods I am not sure what it will be like to use.

I know a lot of this maybe personal preference but any advice would be helpful.

Thanks
Click to expand...



There are many caliber choices for deer and elk, 6.5x55, 270, 7mm, 308, 30-06.... Thay are all good pick the one you want. As for manufacturers, all newer rifles are reliable and accurate enough for hunting, I would go with the Tikka T3, I find you get a lot of gun for your dollar. I would look at used guns, you can find
good deals on excellent quality rifles. Left hand bolt action would be my choice.

Have fun looking for your new gun!!
 
Attention said:
There are many caliber choices for deer and elk, 6.5x55, 270, 7mm, 308, 30-06.... Thay are all good pick the one you want. As for manufacturers, all newer rifles are reliable and accurate enough for hunting, I would go with the Tikka T3, I find you get a lot of gun for your dollar. I would look at used guns, you can find
good deals on excellent quality rifles. Left hand bolt action would be my choice.

Have fun looking for your new gun!!
Click to expand...



X2 on the caliber choice comment. There are many, many options that would work for your stated purpose. Unless you have strong reasons to start a search with your particular caliber choice, start instead with a 'caliber class' (it sounds like your class runs from roughly 6.5X55 to 30-06).

Decide on the features that you want and THEN pick a caliber that is available (shopping for used rifles is easier if you are fairly open regarding caliber). Features you should look for are: left handed (don't compromise on this), desired magazine type, comfortable fit, comfortable balance, ease of manipulation, trigger pull, and overall length and weight. The only way to do this, in my opinion, is to handle many, many different models. Every manufacturer has something that would theoretically work for you, and a few manufacturers have particular models that many/most people here will advise against. Go to the gun shop, explain what you're doing, check out a bunch of different models (do not get railroaded by a salesperson), and come back here with your short list if your mind isn't already made up. Nobody here will complain if you ask for further advice on how to spend your cash! :D

My personal list of desired qualities in a deer gun are 22" or shorter barrel, 6.5-7lbs before scope, detachable magazine, synthetic stock, quick pointing, short action. Make sure you handle each model that you try in short and long action versions, because the feel can be quite different, especially when cycling the bolt while shouldered.

The Savage combos are great value, to be honest. Sure the scope and scope mounts are trashy, but they'll let you get your feet wet without making a huge investment. Personally, unless you've got loads of cash, I advise against shelling out more than you need to get started on your first rifle: At this point, you're not entirely sure what features are important to you. If it turns out that you don't like your 'budget' rifle in the end, you can resell it for a smaller loss than if you needed to resell a premium rifle. Just don't go TOO cheap (Remington 770, etc.)!
 
I think the 30-06 should serve you well. As far as which rifle? I would say go handle as many as you can. When you find the one that you like, go with it. I have learned that you get what you pay for, and if you maybe wait a bit to buy the one you like rather than what you can afford at the time, you will be happy in the end and save yourself buying twice. Just my opinion, but its a lesson Ive learned that has come with a price tag.
 
30-06 is perfect for pretty much everything up here, I personally use a .270 for medium game and would use my .300 win mag for larger stuff. Go handle everything possible, don't settle for second best, and don't count out the EE. Everything on here is for the most part as described- people pay close attention to their ratings after all.
 
Try to handle as many different LH rifles as you can.Remington ,Ruger ,Tikka and Savage all make LH rifles .Ask the guys at the stores about features and options on each gun.
Gun shopping ,it's like shopping but fun.
 
The 30-06 is a great caliber but have found them to be a tad heavy on whitetail. And a tad heavy in recoil if it is considered a starter rifle. If a 260 Remington (from the 308 case) was available in left hand, that would be a great caliber. I was looking at the SAKO company in Finland and they build a 260 Remington in the M-85 with a 1 in 8" twist which makes it compatible with a 140 grain bullet. Which would be considered a heavy bullet for tthe caliber. But there NOT available in Left hand action. However, according to a source, I received a message from, the left hand M-85 may be available in left hand. Most likely in the 270, 280 and 30-06 casing, and possibly in a 243, 7m-08 and 308. If they do the these, then a 260 Remington is a real possibility.

So the next caliber up from the 260 Remington would be a 7m-08 (it's based on a 308 case). With a 140 grain bullet it would easily suffice on most animals you are interested in hunting. And ammo can be obtained in a 150 grain for elk. They don't kick to hard and keep in mind that heavy recoil is something to avoid. At least until your comfortable with shooting a mid caliber rifle.
 
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