What tech specs do you want in a moose/bear/deer rifle?

Hunting rifle tech specs

Ok Skogkatt, here is my opinion that I formed from my experience using different types and brands of rifles for hunting over the years. And before I get into details I will say that most rifles that were made for hunting within the last 100 years should serve you well in the field and allow you harvest the game your after.
Ok, first, like others have said, reliability and ease of maintenance are at the top of my list, than accuracy and weight, so a bolt action is king as a hunting rifle in my mind. Then come the finer details, action design, trigger etc.
After trying most major brands I came to favor the ruger mk2 and Hawkeye rifles for my hunting rigs with kimber and Winchester close behind and I'll break it down and explain why.
Action design- its a close copy of a mauser 98, which means controlled round feeding, a standing ejector, and a strong full length claw extractor. A very robust design.
Safety- a 3 position safety; safe w/bolt locked, safe w/bolt unlocked and fire. Also you can visually see the safety lever blocking the firing pin when in the fully rearward safe position, which I like.
Trigger- a simple open design which is easy to clean and doesn't allow dirt or gunk to get trapped in like an enclosed/sandwiched style trigger design. Most of the newer rugers I've had had pretty decent triggers. If you have a bad trigger it's easy to smooth out with a little stoning or you could buy a replacement from timney.
Scope mounting- many people complain about rugers scope mounting system and rings but I quite like it for a hunting rifle. Its simple and strong. There's no bases you have to worry about loosening on you and it's easy to remove and remount the scope with a flat head screw driver or something similar in a pinch.
Accuracy- I hear a lot of complaints about rugers here but in my personal experience my rugers have all shot well. I mean I have a 25-06 and 300 rcm that will shoot about 1 moa, a ruger no.1 in 280 that will do the same or a little better, and a 338 that shot about 2 moa or better, all with factory ammo. And I'm sure a better shooter could get better groups than me. And all these group sizes are much smaller than minute of deer.

Anyway, I listed off all these points not to try and sell you on a ruger as some might accuse me of (lol), but to help you consider certain technical/design aspects of different rifles you end up looking at, which will hopefully help you with your choice. These are just some things I prefer or find important when thinking of a perfect hunting rifle.

Good luck on finding you new hunting rifle!
Cheers,
JD
 
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maple_leaf_eh said:
Opinions are like armpits - everyone has them, and only mine don't stink.

Congratulations on joining the sport! You will get tons of advice because you asked. But learn what you like and decide won't isn't working. Be prepared to change a couple of times before you settle down.

FWIW, I know two hunters who bought identical .300 Win Mag Savage synthetic stock, detachable magazine, scope-equipped 'package guns'. They worked up loads they both liked. One got into the Saskatchewan big game book with a monster mulie buck; the other dropped a mulie that was just outside the cut off score. You don't need fancy equipment or high specification anything to be a successful hunter. I own one of those Savages now after selling my own .300 Win Mag Centurion synthetic stock P'17 conversion. I like plastic stocks because they won't break, and they clean up with Windex and a toothbrush.
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stubblejumper said:
I want a reliable, accurate rifle in all conditions, which to me is a quality bolt action, properly bedded into into a fiberglass stock, with the barrel floated. Wood stocks are not 100% stable in wet conditions, and many molded plastic stocks are not as rigid as I like. I also want a fairly light, but very consistent trigger. My own go to rifle is a full custom, but that isn't in your budget. On a smaller budget, I like the Tikka T-3 bedded into a B&C stock, or one of the good used bolt actions that came in a McMillan stock from the factory. I have owned four T-3 rifles, and all are very accurate, as are all of the T-3s that I have developed loads for. As far as scopes go, I use a Z5 3.5-18x44 myself, but I am a big fan of the Z3 3-10x42 as well.
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synthetic stock are breakable especially the molded ones.

and stubblejumper nailed if you want a good synthetic stock but your budget will explode. and welcome here but i doubt you will end up with only one rifle. you re on gunnutz lol ...
 
OP - Your biggest risk is to buy some expensive kit and find its not suitable for your intended purpose, after you get out into the field and get some experience under your belt. I've seen this way too many times with novice hunters who have used the internet as their learning tool. Here are some classic mistakes:

1) Too much scope ("All I saw was fur?")
2) Too big a calibre in a light rifle ("I cant get this rifle to shoot straight, maybe its a lemon?")
3) Too nice a rifle ("I dont want to get this wet")
4) Too many gizmos (range finders, etc) .....
5) Spending a lot of money on a rifle, and not spending enough time becoming proficient with it.

There is a good chance that your big game shots are going to be less than 100y, if not by opportunity then by necessity. MOA capability is a minor consideration at this distance. Many of the older hunters on this board started their hunting career using iron sighted 30-30's and Lee Enfields, without any detriment to the success rate. Heck, the venerable 30-30 lever action still accounts for the majority of deer harvested at our camp. Why? Because it best suits the situation at hand.
Do you have any friends who are experienced hunters? I suggest you get them to take you out for a few hunts. You'll learn 1000% percent more than you can on the internet, and they may even loan you a gun to start with.
 
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I am partial to the Browning A-Bolt and the Rem 700; either of those in a stainless version in .30-06 would be a fine rifle.
If you really like the idea of an autoloader, go for it. I would personally buy a Browning BAR in .30-06 and have at 'er!
It weighs about a pound more than most bolt rifles, shoots very well, and has a bit less recoil.

Don't overthink everything: If you get the idea that a bolt gun is a bit more practical, and that really matters to you, get the bolt. If you think the autoloader is just plain cool.....get one, because if you don't get one now, you'll get one later.
I started my hunting career with an autoloader (a Winchester Model 1907 in .351 WSL) but now carry bolt guns most of the time.

Your choice of the .30-06 for a do-all cartridge is a good one; any non-featherweight rifle with a decent recoil pad ought to be comfortable to shoot.
 
-JD- said:
Ok Skogkatt, here is my opinion that I formed from my experience using different types and brands of rifles for hunting over the years. And before I get into details I will say that most rifles that were made for hunting within the last 100 years should serve you well in the field and allow you harvest the game your after.
Ok, first, like others have said, reliability and ease of maintenance are at the top of my list, than accuracy and weight, so a bolt action is king as a hunting rifle in my mind. Then come the finer details, action design, trigger etc.
After trying most major brands I came to favor the ruger mk2 and Hawkeye rifles for my hunting rigs with kimber and Winchester close behind and I'll break it down and explain why.
Action design- its a close copy of a mauser 98, which means controlled round feeding, a standing ejector, and a strong full length claw extractor. A very robust design.
Safety- a 3 position safety; safe w/bolt locked, safe w/bolt unlocked and fire. Also you can visually see the safety lever blocking the firing pin when in the fully rearward safe position, which I like.
Trigger- a simple open design which is easy to clean and doesn't allow dirt or gunk to get trapped in like an enclosed/sandwiched style trigger design. Most of the newer rugers I've had had pretty decent triggers. If you have a bad trigger it's easy to smooth out with a little stoning or you could buy a replacement from timney.
Scope mounting- many people complain about rugers scope mounting system and rings but I quite like it for a hunting rifle. Its simple and strong. There's no bases you have to worry about loosening on you and it's easy to remove and remount the scope with a flat head screw driver or something similar in a pinch.
Accuracy- I hear a lot of complaints about rugers here but in my personal experience my rugers have all shot well. I mean I have a 25-06 and 300 rcm that will shoot about 1 moa, a ruger no.1 in 280 that will do the same or a little better, and a 338 that shot about 2 moa or better, all with factory ammo. And I'm sure a better shooter could get better groups than me. And all these group sizes are much smaller than minute of deer.

Anyway, I listed off all these points not to try and sell you on a ruger as some might accuse me of (lol), but to help you consider certain technical/design aspects of different rifles you end up looking at, which will hopefully help you with your choice. These are just some things I prefer or find important when thinking of a perfect hunting rifle.

Good luck on finding you new hunting rifle!
Cheers,
JD
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Thank you for sharing your experience with Ruger. I like to have as much information I can.
 
cosmic said:
OP - Your biggest risk is to buy some expensive kit and find its not suitable for your intended purpose, after you get out into the field and get some experience under your belt. I've seen this way too many times with novice hunters who have used the internet as their learning tool. Here are some classic mistakes:

1) Too much scope ("All I saw was fur?")
2) Too big a calibre in a light rifle ("I cant get this rifle to shoot straight, maybe its a lemon?")
3) Too nice a rifle ("I dont want to get this wet")
4) Too many gizmos (range finders, etc) .....
5) Spending a lot of money on a rifle, and not spending enough time becoming proficient with it.

There is a good chance that your big game shots are going to be less than 100y, if not by opportunity then by necessity. MOA capability is a minor consideration at this distance. Many of the older hunters on this board started their hunting career using iron sighted 30-30's and Lee Enfields, without any detriment to the success rate. Heck, the venerable 30-30 lever action still accounts for the majority of deer harvested at our camp. Why? Because it best suits the situation at hand.
Do you have any friends who are experienced hunters? I suggest you get them to take you out for a few hunts. You'll learn 1000% percent more than you can on the internet, and they may even loan you a gun to start with.
Click to expand...

You are right, I wish I could learn from someone.

1- I look around and I see dense vegetation and trees on the mountains...so I do not think I will need that much magnification, I do not think there are big opening areas here... However, I am a fisherman and I do not have experience hunting... The lenses I look at 1500 CAD range are 3-3.5 minimum.
2- I know 30-06 is what I want.
3 - I do not buy just because is more beautiful, I would like to not be scare of scratching the rifle even though I like taking care of my gear.
4- I need to admit that probably I am overthinking on buying some that probably I will not need... I wonder, will I need this for X reason?... hehe
5- Nothing I can say against this, you are RIGHT. I want to learn and practise as much as I can.

Thank you for your comment!
 
One thing worth mentioning if you aren't an experienced shooter - Get yourself a decent .22 (or similar light caliber) in an action similar to what your 30-06 will be. Practice with this and develop good shooting form and habits, learn how to (not) develop a flinch. Its cheaper, easier and lots of fun, also usable at indoor ranges.
 
Its too bad you've got your heart set on a 30-06. If you had gone the 308 route, you would be able to practice your shooting using relatively inexpensive military surplus ammo. As it stands, 30-06 is going to cost you about $1.50 a shot, or more...
BTW - I have many rifles but dont own a 30-06. I shoot a lot, and am sensitive to recoil. I find the 30-06 in a lightweight hunting rifle to be bothersome. My preferred calibers are in the 6.5 to 7 mm range - much more manageable. What centerfire calibers have you tried to date?
 
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medvedqc said:
synthetic stock are breakable especially the molded ones.

and stubblejumper nailed if you want a good synthetic stock but your budget will explode. and welcome here but i doubt you will end up with only one rifle. you re on gunnutz lol ...
Click to expand...

If you can break a McMillan, you can break anything, that is why they have a lifetime guarantee against breakage. I do own several rifles, but as far as big game hunting goes, I am down to one rifle, that goes with me on every hunt, but if something was to happen to it, I have another rife that I could use, although it really isn't set up for big game hunting.
 
Quick update in the rifle selection:

I went to the gun store today and I had the chance of playing around with different rifles. Browining, Sako and Tikka...

My first rifle was the Browning hells canyon speed, beautiful rifle, balanced with a solid grip and I do really like the bolt action mechanism.

The second rifle was a Sako (I do not remember the brand, but it was around 2.000 CAD and I did not like it because I was feeling it decompensated on weight being heavier on the front.

The last one was a Tikka t3x lite. I must admit I did not like it at all, I am pretty sure it is accurate, but I did not like it on my hands.

I would like to try other brands like Winchester or Weatherby tho. However, The browning is the one I liked the most.
 
Skogkatt said:
Quick update in the rifle selection:

I went to the gun store today and I had the chance of playing around with different rifles. Browining, Sako and Tikka...

My first rifle was the Browning hells canyon speed, beautiful rifle, balanced with a solid grip and I do really like the bolt action mechanism.

The second rifle was a Sako (I do not remember the brand, but it was around 2.000 CAD and I did not like it because I was feeling it decompensated on weight being heavier on the front.

The last one was a Tikka t3x lite. I must admit I did not like it at all, I am pretty sure it is accurate, but I did not like it on my hands.

I would like to try other brands like Winchester or Weatherby tho. However, The browning is the one I liked the most.
Click to expand...

One thing to consider is the balance can change dramatically when you mount an optic. Also I have found that slightly muzzle heavy firearms are easier for me to shoot accurately. The further back the balance point is, the “whippier” the muzzle is.

With a Tikka, for me at least, a stock replacement is mandatory. The Bell&Carlson stocks are well made and priced fairly, and really change the feel of a Tikka. Also for me, on the older T3s, the plastic bolt shroud gets replaced immediately with a metal one.

One last thing, do not underestimate the importance of a good trigger pull.
 
Remember, a heavier rifle is a heavier rifle no matter where the weight lies. Sure, you may be fine carrying 10lbs all day, but after a while you simply don't want to anymore. If longer range shots are not on the menu, go with a shorter, lighter rifle that still fits you well. A deer isn't going to run away because your 308 has a 16" barrel instead of a 24" when you shoot it 100yds away
 
Here’s my two cents since I’m relatively new to hunting so I had to go through the same train of thought.

I also started with a 30-06 in tikka stainless. I thought it was a one and done deal but I was wrong. Part of becoming a good hunter is practise and the 30-06 is pretty punishing at the range. I didn’t like shooting it so I sold it. No regrets other than the money lost. Since recoil was my problem, and I was only hunting for deer, I picked up a browning a-bolt SS in 25-06. This was because I reload so already have the brass from the 30-06. I love the browning and find the designs to be excellent. Eventually I got a ruger m77 in 270 so I can hunt elk. I really think the 270 is an ideal hunting round in long actions. Very good factory ammo choices and flat enough shooting for most of your needs.

Then of course, that GAS attack hit me and I picked up a short action to see if the weight saving and faster bolt cycling is worth the hype. I went for a browning x-bolt SS in 308. Haven’t hunted with it yet but if it’s as good as the a-bolt I’m sure to be a happy man.
 
.30/06 is a good choice, as is a solid bolt action rifle in stainless/synthetic stock... look at the Browning X-Bolt, Winchester 70 and Ruger M77. Mount a low power variable Leupold scope in 2-7X33 or 3-9X40 and you can't go wrong. As an all around rig, the 180 grain loads are a good choice.
 
"Our goto cartridge is the 30-06 around here (White tail and Moose). I generally carry a Mauser 98 based action and the wife has a med/hvy barreled Sauer.

Each rifle has had a load developed for the gun that is sub 1/2" at 100 firing 168gr. Barnes and 4064 powder.... the wife is 5'1 and the Sauer 202 with that barrel looks out of place with her stature BUT, the gun is fit to her, drills bullets where she wants them to land every time without a lot of felt recoil... most importantly, she is confident in pulling the trigger each time and doping for wind/distance is straight forward...(she hunts from a stand so the combo works - 1S 1K)

Once I sighted in a neighbor's Rem 7600 and couldn't believe the felt recoil with his factory loaded sirocco's... massive compared to what we encounter but his is much easier to carry for a week than mine - Give and take. I will confidently take a 200y shot, he will not even think about it (we practice also out to 300 at range).

'06 can take every North American species as per the book "one man, one rifle, one land" by J.Y. Jones....
 
"Our goto cartridge is the 30-06 around here (White tail and Moose). I generally carry a Mauser 98 based action and the wife has a med/hvy barreled Sauer.

Each rifle has had a load developed for the gun that is sub 1/2" at 100 firing 168gr. Barnes and 4064 powder.... the wife is 5'1 and the Sauer 202 with that barrel looks out of place with her stature BUT, the gun is fit to her, drills bullets where she wants them to land every time without a lot of felt recoil... most importantly, she is confident in pulling the trigger each time and doping for wind/distance is straight forward...(she hunts from a stand so the combo works)

Once I sighted in a neighbor's Rem 7600 and couldn't believe the felt recoil with his factory loaded sirocco's... massive compared to what we encounter but his is much easier to carry for a week than mine - Give and take. I will confidently take a 200y shot, he will not even think about it (we practice also out to 300 at range). Cartridge/ bullet weight dictate ballistics and effectiveness for game/ distance... but the gun has to shoot well without making a person afraid of the recoil to be effective and repeatable. I know there are a lot of people that flinch so bad from recoil that each shot is a hail Mary. I can't see how that is fun

'06 can take every North American species as per the book "one man, one rifle, one land" by J.Y. Jones
 
If you guys would need to choose between 30-06 and 308... what would be the best for bear/moose hunting? I know that both are really similar but the recoil is better on the 308. However 308 has less stopping power apparently but is cheaper ammo to practice with...
 
Skogkatt said:
If you guys would need to choose between 30-06 and 308... what would be the best for bear/moose hunting? I know that both are really similar but the recoil is better on the 308. However 308 has less stopping power apparently but is cheaper ammo to practice with...
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up to 150 gr. the ballistics are identical between the two ....after that the 30-06 delivers more speed/ energy but both cartridges are responsible for a lot of good days afield and meat on the table.

You only need 1 well placed bullet to drop anything - you just have to be able to deliver it......so the difference in operating cost is negligible ( you can also find ammo at every Cdn Tire from St. Johns to Vancouver isl and you can spend $25+ on either cartridge or $75+ depending on what you want)
 
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