first deer rifle (on a budget)

madmac

madmac

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cape breton ns-esquimalt bc-halifax ns
hi folks, i am thinking about trying to get a deer this fall and i was wondering which would be the better choice, i am also planning on mounting a modern scope (i am not even sure if it is possible) ??

Moisan Nagant = affordable

303 enfield = even more affordable
 
I'd go with a new Stevens instead of some relic that may not hit the broad side of a barn at 20 paces...unless you can test the actual rifle for accuracy at the range first.

Even then, you can't beat a new Stevens for price and accuracy.
 
Lee Endifled = $200 for one in decent shape. Cheap scope = $50 at least. Having action drilled and tapped to mount a scope = $50. Scope rings and scope base = $30. End result, you'll be out a bit over $300. The gun will weight about 10 pounds and the scope mounting system on the enfields sucks (tip-off rings tend to slip and slide under centerfire recoil). The stock was never designed for scope use, so your head position in relation to the stock when looking through the scope is awful.

For $399 you can get a Savage FCXP in 270 or 30-06 brand new in the box complete with scope, bases, rings, everything you need but bullets. Much better deal, if you ask me.


Don't get me wrong I have killed all but one of the animals I've ever shot in my life (which is getting to be a pretty good collection) with a battered old Enfield exactly as I described above. It kills things dead as dead gets, and considering that someone gave it to me, that rifle doesn't owe me a dime. But if I had to go buy a rifle today as a starter-gun, I'd get the savage in 30-06.
 
I'd say enfield.... trust a TRUE game getter ..... here's the proof :D
1911 BSA SHTLE 3* with custom camo synthetic.... bushnell elite 3200 camo 3-9x40
pembertontrip11.jpg


and its brother , my FAVORITE deer rifle, 1918 BSA SHTLE 3*
pembertonoct9th-11th010.jpg

pembertonoct9th-11th032.jpg

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No problems with any of the above, but I wanted to add, that you can haunt the local gun shops, and the EE here, and quite possibly get a sporting rifle, like a Savage, for cheap, possibly with the scope already on it.
 
I guess the first question I have is "what is your budget"?

I should also add that scope quality is very important. For the money I think it is hard to beat a fixed 4x Weaver the K4 is around $170 new.
 
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IMO a no1 mk3 lee enfield .303 is the best bush gun ever designed. My father has shot more deer with his than i ever will shoot any other animal COMBINED in my life. They are just an awsome caliber and gun to hunt with. and the sights on the MK3 is just fabulous. I just bought one in fantastic condition for $175 and when test fired i was "plinking" off clay pigeons at 100yds with the open sights!!! its no collector cause its been sporterized, but obviously its my new favorite toy.
But dont let any one sell you a POS. there is alot of junk out there. try it out first with the option of a full refund if the casings come out bent all to shat, or it flys strays everwheres.
I'll be opting to leave my Browning a-bolt 2 .300 win mag, ruger stainless synthetic lightweight .30-06, savage bolt action .243, and marlin 336 .35 rem home, and the good ole .303 is commin as my new huntin buddy!!!

PM me if you want to know anything more, i got great litte tips for finding a decent one.

But thats my opinion of course
 
First Gun on a Budget

It all depends, how big is your budget? If you are hunting in the bush, from a stand or open ground it all depends on what you want to get.
For the bush or from a stand a 303 cut down sporter with open sights would do the trick. They usually run from around $75 for a rough one to $250 for one in really great shape. If you are not sure about hunting buy something you can resell to recoup your costs or trade up to something better.
 
Enfield before Nagant. No question. 7.62 x 54R Ammo is becoming a rare commodity.

Watch the EE forums. Someone is always trying to dump a bubb'd Enfield. I recommend a P14 (.303) or P17 (30-06), rather than the Mark I thru IV series. Pimping one of them is like putting lipstick on a pig. There is also a lot of good deals on Savages etc.
 
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If you in Cape Breton, ask around what other hunters use. There is a distinct difference between what is popular and works well on the Prairies than what works in the bush Down East.

Guns are like shoes. There is no perfect shoe. Whatever fits is what works. My .02 cents is one of the Savage packages with the scope and sling. You are not buying a 60 or 90 year old conversion from one thing to something else.

I have had plastic Bell and Carlson stocks on hunting rifles. Best choice in my opinion. Any rifle will get bumped and kissed when you use it. I don't care how pretty it is, the idea is to have a reliable worry-free tool to get a good shot off at the target of your choice. I oil the steel on my hunting guns, and clean the mud off with hot water and a toothbrush. I've hunted in under the hot sun and in driving blizzards in the same month. Wood would have warped and changed its point of aim from sighting-in under either of those conditions.
 
By the time you pay for a mount and have it drilled and tapped on a Mosin or 303, you might as well just buy a Stevens for 300 bucks. You will get a choice of caliber in which there are a lot more choices in the selection of ammo than the 303 or Mosin. Plus you will have a brand new rifle, that you know will be accurate.
 
From the stand point of weight, accuracy, and durability both the Lee Enfield and the Mosin Nagant are similar although the full length MN would be unwieldily. The butt plate of the Mosin Nagant is perhaps the worst in the history of firearm design, and one wonders what the Russians had against their soldiers that they would choose such a shape. The 7.62X54R has a bit more velocity with bullets of equal weight, but not by enough to have a clear advantage over the .303 in practical terms. An SMLE is easier to scope than the Mosin Nagant, and about the only scope mounting systems that can work due to the MN's split bridge are a side mount which has issues, and a scout scope mount ahead of the action, that not everyone is happy with. The Lee Enfield's detachable magazine holds more ammo, but the MN's can't be lost unless one unclips the base of the floor plate. In their better examples, feeding is reliable in both rifles. If used with issue sights, a #1 MK III and the MN are about even, but a #4 or #5 Lee Enfield with the ladder peep sight and the large aperture battle sight is leaps ahead. If you get one with the non-adjustable peep sight I would try to switch it for the ladder style. My pick between the two would be the Lee Enfield, if I could find a good one.
 
mylesrom said:
By the time you pay for a mount and have it drilled and tapped on a Mosin or 303, you might as well just buy a Stevens for 300 bucks. You will get a choice of caliber in which there are a lot more choices in the selection of ammo than the 303 or Mosin. Plus you will have a brand new rifle, that you know will be accurate.
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X2!


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maple_leaf_eh said:
If you in Cape Breton, ask around what other hunters use. There is a distinct difference between what is popular and works well on the Prairies than what works in the bush Down East.

Guns are like shoes. There is no perfect shoe. Whatever fits is what works. My .02 cents is one of the Savage packages with the scope and sling. You are not buying a 60 or 90 year old conversion from one thing to something else.

I have had plastic Bell and Carlson stocks on hunting rifles. Best choice in my opinion. Any rifle will get bumped and kissed when you use it. I don't care how pretty it is, the idea is to have a reliable worry-free tool to get a good shot off at the target of your choice. I oil the steel on my hunting guns, and clean the mud off with hot water and a toothbrush. I've hunted in under the hot sun and in driving blizzards in the same month. Wood would have warped and changed its point of aim from sighting-in under either of those conditions.
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Do you guys have any deer left there? wasn't many when i left home.
 
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