If you had only 3 hunting firearms......

2strklvr

2strklvr

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Muskoka, Ontario
For the most part I am a newb to the shooting sports. I have always wanted to get my PAL and hunting licence. For the past 20 years or so I always found that there was either a lack of time, money (both?) or just the motivation to take the courses, challenge the tests and get my licences. Well finally I did it. I've got my PAL and I'm booked in for hunter's ed. for the first week-end of October. Luckily I have many friends, customers & aquaintances that have no problem with taking me out hunting to show me the ropes.

So now I am faced with the overwhelming choice of rifles and shotguns out there. I've already bought a gun safe, now I guess that I need to fill it. Eventually I'd love to get a little collection going with some nice milsurps, a tacticool black gun or two, maybe a 10/22 to build up with all those neat conversion kits out there - you get the idea.

However to start I figure that I really only need 3 guns. A deer rifle, a shotgun and a .22 that aren't going to break the bank to get started.

The deer gun will be used for tight bush, Muskoka-type hunting. No "reach out and touch someone" stuff like out west. Primarly 150 yard shots or less. I'm thinking about looking for a nice pre-64 30/30 1894 for this purpose. I'm a lefty, so the top eject is attractive to me, not to mention that I've handled one of these guns before and found it light, well balanced and just damn ###y to be honest.

I want a shotgun mostly for upland birds, probably ducks and maybe turkey hunting at some point. I'm thinking 12ga? I like the lightness, looks and simplicity of side by sides. I'd consider a pump gun although I think that were I going to get a pump I'd want either a Remington or a Winchester for the quality aspect, and I know that nice 870's etc. can get spendy. Not really interested in any semi shotguns.

Of course I'll need a .22 for plinking and neighbourhood raccoon control. I'm not too fussy in this aspect. Cheap, reliable and multi-shot capabilty. As a kid I had an old Cooey bolt with a tubular mag that I could work pretty well, even being a southpaw. I would prefer a lever, slide or even a semi over a bolt gun though.

So what do the resident experts think? Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
It's really hard to get down to 3...

1) I'd get shotgun for birds
2) I'd get shotgun for deer (some places have shotgun season only) and turkey (so chokes are mandatory)
3) I'd get a rilfe, probably in 300 WSM or 325 WSM (to cover every animal in North America)

Right now I have just for deer:
1. Couch shotgun for deer
2. Single shot rifled shotgun for deer
3. 6.5x55 Swede (main hunting rifle except for moose, but I have special 170 grain ammo for moose)
 
1. Marlin '95 in 45/70
2. CZ 452 in .22
3. Browning citori 12 ga.
Really the first one is a no brainer, the other 2 are up to the ind.
 
In NB, a 22-250 or .223 Rem,( good for varmits nearly all year except for about 10 days covering Moose season, a .243 Win bolt action (flat trajectory and can take deer with low recoil) and a 12ga pump in either a Benelli Supernova or Rem 870 Wingmaster for upland and waterfowl. The smooth barrel shotguns could double as big game guns for close quarters with the use of slugs.

That would be my range of consideration if restricted to three.
 
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Without that restricted nonsense we have (because there shouldn't be), the 3 guns I would want are.

1) Colt AR-15 for varmints etc..
2) Remington R-25 in 308 for Deer, Moose etc.
3) Remington 870 Tactical with the Knoxx recoil stock with a smooth barrel for shot, and a second rifled barrel for deer etc..
 
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Meh. Ignore the above. :)

I've been hunting Severn (the islands actually, but I digress) for a loooong time, and know exactly the type of hunting you are going to see. Here are my choices:

Deer and B bear: Either (in order of preference) a Ruger 44 carbine (about 400 bucks used, and my go-to gun for more severn deer and bears than I can reember) a Marlin lever in 45/70, or a marlin in 35 rem. You want big and relatively slow moving for our kind of bush. If you are dead set on a 94, get a 32 special...but only as a last resort :)

Shotgun: Grab a used 870 off the EE, and if you are on a super tight budget pick up an older wingmaster with a fixed modified choke. A 2 3/4" gun will be plenty for around here (ponds and bush), but if you find a 3" that's good too.

22: I dunno....I personally hate the 10/22, I'd look for a browning BL22, or a marlin with the tube mag :)
 
391 Beretta 12 g
6.5x284 Sako AV or 61 with custom barrel
338 WM Sako AV or 61 with a custom barrel

I think that would do in anything, in this country if in affrica i would swap the 338 for a 375 H&H
 
mule said:
In NB, a 22-250 or .223 Rem,( good for varmits nearly all year except for about 10 days covering Moose season, a .243 Win bolt action (flat trajectory and can take deer with low recoil) and a 12ga pump in either a Benelli Supernova or Rem 870 Wingmaster for upland and waterfowl. The smooth barrel shotguns could double as big game guns for close quarters with the use of slugs.

That would be my range of consideration if restricted to three.
Click to expand...

Mule Ol'Boy what are ya planning on shooting your moose with if ya ever get drawn???:p Ya gotta have one rifle put away just for that special occasion man:D
 
Cheap decent set-up would be:

Remington 700DM .270
Remington 870 12GA (good barrel selection)
Ruger 10/22

That's what I started with, now I hunt with:
Benelli R1 30-06
Benelli SBE II 12 GA
Ruger 10/22

Anything you like will work for you, and many of the manufacturers are making lefty stuff also. Good luck
 
My first 3 gun were similar to your list.

My first was a 12 ga winchester 120 pump that I got used. A good do all (most) gun. It was a good introductory gun because it could be used to see which type of hunting I was going to get into. Upland game, waterfowl, small game, big game.

My next gun was a 30-06 tikka t3 bolt action. I found I needed a rifle for deer hunting for targets at the end of the range of my shotgun. I went with the generic 30-06 caliber for the same reason I got a 12 ga. I could use the rifle for medium to larger size game.

My third gun was a .22Lr remington 597 semi-auto. As I found myself enjoying hunting, I wanted an inexpensive caliber to have fun plinking with as well as being able to use it for small game.


I have added several more guns since then, but those are the basics that got me started. All of my latest guns have been 12ga and 22LR, except for one 223 rem. :D
 
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