Good hunting rifle
- Thread starter Colin5577
- Start date
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
That's a pretty tight budget if you want a new rifle. I hate to cheap out on glass which limits you a bit more. Honestly you should look for a used Leupold on the EE and see where that leaves your budget. Then I'd be looking at TradeEx to see what I could get in a Husqvarna 30-06 or see if you still have enough scratch for a Zastava. You might even talk them into throwing in rings and bases. Failing that get some weavers. You might find a nice rifle for around $500 on the EE which would leave you lots of room for a decent scope.
You can put something together new for the upper end of your price range. Personally, I'd go with something in the 30-06, 270, 308 range (in that order of preference if it were up to me) for a general all-purpose game round. As for the rifle, it would be hard to beat a Ruger American. Most people way "over-glass" their rifles - I'd go with a simple, cheap, bulletproof, un-beatable warranty Leupold FXII 4x33, or as a second choice, an FXII 6x36.
Too much thinking going into something this subjective (within reasonable parameters)... choose any bottleneck cartidge between 6.5mm and .35 cal (.30/06 being a good compromise) and a good bolt platform (M70, M77, A-Bolt etc..) and a decent optic, (3200, VX-1 or 2... etc..)... load it with an old fashioned cup n' core, and you are good to go....
pisces-guy
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- West Kelowna, B.C.
Hey
I'm looking for some advice to find a good all around hunting rifle and optic. something that would be good for in the bush or sitting on a watch in the field. i mostly hunt deer but want the option to use it for moose as well.
let me know what you think.
I'm going to assume you want a good rifle for a reasonable price...I'd recommend stainless steel mated to either a synthetic or laminate stock to make it more resistant to rain or snow or impacts. Weatherby Vanguard 2, Savage Axis 2, and soon the Ruger American will be available in Canada in stainless, and they're all inexpensive. See which one feels best to you. I've used a Bushnell Elite scope on my rifles for years, and they've been reliable and great in both rain and shine...their quality glass allowed me to make long shots that I couldn't have made with a cheap scope. The Bushnell Legend HD is a less expensive option that's not quite as good, but in the neighbourhood, and still has the Rainguard coating that lets you see and shoot accurately through your scope in rainy conditions. A 3-9X40 scope is just great 98% of the time, a 4-12X40 scope is perfect for deer at long range and moose. As far as caliber goes, I'd recommend either a .270 or .308. The ammo is less expensive, available everywhere ammo is sold, and often in greater variety than less popular calibers. The recoil is manageable, encouraging you to practice more, and they're very effective on both deer and moose at reasonable ranges. As far as ammo goes, if you want one choice for both deer and moose, I'd go with 150 grain Nosler Partitions if you go with the .270, and 165 grain Nosler Accubonds if you go with the .308. The Partition is a tough bullet that will hold together and keep the expanded bullet moving into the vitals of a moose even if it hits a leg bone first...this is especially important with lighter grain bullets. The Accubond in 165 grain .308 is tough enough to get the job done and has good ballistics. Hope this helps...of course you can look at other more expensive rifles if your budget allows, the suggestions I named were to give you accurate shooters at a low cost. Have fun shopping!
Yeah Boomer pretty much nailed it. We could shut this down now, its all covered. Dude you should be doing articles in the shooting mags. Sure seem to have ALL the angles covered. Nice to see someone articulate and can spell too.....Im pretty sure you would find a 308, 270, or 30-06 in just about anyones gunsafe on this site. Consistantly accurate and effective game getters. I collect the brass for a 3000 member club and the rifle brass I get the most of is 308/30-06 after 223/5.56. 270 brass is sparse.
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pisces-guy
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- West Kelowna, B.C.
I think Boomer, Bogie, and I all deserve kudos for giving this fellow some good answers!
My opinion;
1. Howa made, Vanguard 2 in 270, 308 or 30-06 (around $550) with a Redfield Revolution of your need (around $300, including base and rings) on it.
2. If you want something cheaper, shorter and a bit lighter (more bush hunting than field?), replace Vanguard 2 with a Marlin XS7/XL7 (around $400). Keep the scope.
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Thanks for all the great advice. I think I'm leaning towards a 270. I have a buddy with one and its a great accurate gun. I'm just not totally convinced that it will take down a moose cleanly. But that does give me a good excuse to add to the gun cabinet.
Not so amazing when you know Chaz... he is without a doubt the best woodsman I have ever known... he has counted coupe on numerous big game animals... including black bear... he does his deer hunting with a .22 Mag rimfire and has shot hundreds without ever using a second shot... but not many people will lay on a tree branch unmoving for hours until taking the shot from 15 feet or less through the top of the head... his .270 moose load is a whatever the hardware store has in stock... he does not use a scope and he gets within 50 yards and often at touching range... and puts a single slug through the lungs... then he sits and meditates (I won't pretend to understand his ritual, except to know that it is important to him)... I have been privileged to learn from him.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
If the .270 is the cartridge that grabs your attention, or just happens to be chambered in the rifle that grabs your imagination, you can use it with confidence on moose, elk, and bears, as well as deer, antelope and sheep. Ammunition is easy to acquire, and there is a huge selection of .270 Winchester components available to the handloader. When I searched out a rifle for my south paw son, I intended it to be a .30/06, but the LH Ruger Hawkeye I found in .270 Winchester was as new, very attractively priced, and came with a Leupold 3.5-10X scope; he loves it.
As I said previously, pay more attention to the rifle than to the cartridge. You know better than anyone the type of terrain you'll encounter, and this should help dictate which rifle you choose. The steeper the country, the lighter the rifle should be. The disadvantage of a very light rifle is that it can be difficult to hold steady. Now combine a very light rifle that is difficult to hold steady with an optic having high magnification, and you might find the combination impossible to manage, except when shooting from prone. The solution is a little less magnification and slightly more gun weight.
If the country you hunt tends to have heavy cover, a short rifle has an advantage over a longer one. But care must be taken to ensure your short rifle maintains a slightly muzzle heavy balance or the piece will feel clubby and will be slow to get on target. The solution is a rifle with a barrel that is slightly longer, or has a slightly larger contour. Take your time and choose wisely. If you have the opportunity to handle the rifle first, that will be beneficial, and you should be able to tell fairly quickly if a rifle is too light or too short.
