Time to buy my first hunting rifle

Brushy

Brushy

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Prince George, BC
So a little over a year ago I got my firearms licence to carry a shotgun in the bush with me for defence while I did field work.

Since then, I've caught the bug!!! :D

I'm studying for my CORE and I'm getting pumped about the hunting season!

I'd like to hunt elk and moose this season I think.

I want to get a good hunting rifle, but I don't have a lot of money to get more than one right now, so I want to get a good one that I'll like for a while. I don't have unlimited money, but I also don't want to just buy a cheap one that I'll hate in a year. For sure I know that it's a lot of personal preference, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me? I've been told by a few people that .270 is a good gun for a girl, so I've been looking at them a lot. Also, I can't lie, I want it to be look nice :redface:

Thanks for everyone's thoughts/advice in advance!
 
Look at a Weatherby Vangaurd with the wood stock. I think they run about $600, look good and shoot good. A .270 will do a great job for you, and the weight of the rifle coupled with the .270 Winchester cartridge should make a pleasant shooting rifle.
 
There are several cartridges that you can consider. I would say that the 6.5X55 swedish mauser is the minimum for elk -bring on the flames- and after that you could look at the 270, 280, 30.06 and the 308. These are all 'milder' cartridges that have minimial kick.

As to the rifles themselves. I would suggest that you should try to handle as many as you can. The fit and feel of a rifle is very important and is proberly more important the the cartridge that it is chambered in.

Get a rifle that fits you well and it will be a keeper!
 
With moose and elk on the agenda,I would go for either a 7mm-08 or a 308win.Both offer minimal recoil with a bullet diameter suitable for moose and elk.
 
I personally think that you've made a great caliber choice Brushy. The Vanguard in wood is a nice choice, the Savage model 114 is also a good choice if you want wood.
 
Mossberg ATR, Savage 110/11, Weatherby Vanguard, Remington SPS, Stevens 200, NEF/H&R single shot, all are viable candidates.
Just make sure that you get the rifle properly sized for you, unless your 5'10" tall and have 29" arms your going to find the rifles way too long and maybe un balanced for your frame. A poor fitting rifle will kick the stuffings out of you way more than one properly fitted to you.
As stated earlier anything from the 270/ 308 class of cartridge is very suitable, my personal favorite being the 7mm-08, but for that one you wont find ammo in Wally World or Arabian Tire.
Good luck
 
The .270 is a great calibre. But I notice you are from Prince George and I am assuming you will be hunting elk in interior B.C. With the Grizzly situation in that province I would recommend a .300 win mag as a minimum starting point, with quality bullets. The weatherby vangaurd and remington sps are your best buy for your money.
 
THanks for all the feedback so far guys!! I'm getting so pumped!

I just have one question so far: for sure I want the gun to 'fit' me like you're all talking about, but how do I know it if will? I'm not a really big girl (5'3"/125lbs). Is just going to the store and holding it enough?

And as for the grizzley situation up here, I will always be hunting with a man who has a big gun. I only know boys that hunt, and they all have larger caliber guns, so I don't think I'll need to up my own for protection ;)
 
I would seriously look at thee suggestions given to you by stubblejumper, ie. the 708- 308 class of cartridge, as well as the 6.5X55.
All these cartridges have minimal recoil while having thee availability of largwer bullets.

Your brain will get you out of trouble faster than a big gun in grizz country, but if you already live there you know that!
Cat
 
Ok two quick questions as I search through your suggestions at wholesalesports ;)

1. What is short action? And do I want that?

2. Is it hard/expensive/stupid to replace a stock? Because there are some really good deals on synthetic stock rifles (like a Weatherby Vanguard with a scope/base/sling for $779) and the only thing I could see myself not liking is the stock. If I could change that in the future, I'm sure I'd keep in for a long time...

3. What about Ruger? I can find some similarly priced ones from them too. Same with Remmington. I'm sure you guys would have suggested those if they were good, but I'm just wondering why you didn't.

Thanks again!
 
could you try any of the guns that your partners or friends have. if so get them out to try.try to dress in about the same type of clothing that you plan on hunting in.the feel of guns changes with the seasons
 
Try out a Browning micro hunter,a used Remington model 7,a Ruger model 77 compact,Mossberg also makes a smaller rifle somewhat like the model 100 atr.
I would stick with the 7mm-08 or 308.Both my wife and 16 year old daughter shoot the 7mm-08 no problem.:)
 
 
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My son was faced with the same dilema this year. We discussed various options and criteria. I said I would match whatever he was willing to plunk down....and then I turned him loose on the EE. We will see how the custom 257wthby works out this year.
 
Brushy said:
THanks for all the feedback so far guys!! I'm getting so pumped!
Click to expand...
PUMPED, YA SAY?? Get one of these in a .308. :p

.jpg
 
Brushy said:
Ok two quick questions as I search through your suggestions at wholesalesports ;)

1. What is short action? And do I want that?

2. Is it hard/expensive/stupid to replace a stock? Because there are some really good deals on synthetic stock rifles (like a Weatherby Vanguard with a scope/base/sling for $779) and the only thing I could see myself not liking is the stock. If I could change that in the future, I'm sure I'd keep in for a long time...

3. What about Ruger? I can find some similarly priced ones from them too. Same with Remmington. I'm sure you guys would have suggested those if they were good, but I'm just wondering why you didn't.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

There are different action lengths, long and short. It is related to how far you must pull the bolts back when chambering a round. I prefer short actions over long, it is a personal preference. A 270 is much longer round than a 308, so the action is longer. A lot of smaller rifles are built around short actions.

Replacing a stock is very easy and price is all over the place. May be a good idea to buy the best gun you can get now and look at aesthetics is the future. But since you are a girl and all girls are artistic;) , check out this thread

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49977&highlight=paint+jobs


I think some guys have focused on the cost of the rifle (Vanguard, SPS) and not the fit. No Ruger expert here, but I thought they were a little longer stocked rifle.

Someone mentioned the Browning micro hunter, (Browning is not cheap though) but a good suggestion and look at the Remington model 7 (not the 700), they are both rifles for smaller framed people.

The 308 suggestion is a great one. One last thing, the affordable new rifles are aimed at the general public, and you are smaller than teh general public. Perhaps a used rifle may be a better plan. I taught both my sons to shoot with a Savage 99, perhaps a short action BLR is alsoe a good idea.
 
The vanguard would be a good choice if it fits you well.

Do you have the budget for a good scope as well? That is far more important than a good looking stock. If cash is a bit tight, I'd go for something less expensive with a synthetic stock and mount a good scope on it.

One example would be a stevens 200 for $330, mount a quality scope on it and then upgrade the stock later as a reward to the rifle for putting meat in your freezer. :)

You can get a nice laminate stock from Boyd's for $86US and just finish it yourself with a few coats of Truoil. They likely sell them for the vanguard as well.
 
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