Advice for rifle choice

[MDH33]

Please go easy on this noob.

I'm trying for elk and deer tags for this season (first time) and I have been looking at rifles and trying to decide on a caliber/model. I was hoping some of you long-time hunters could offer some advice.

For now, the hunting I see myself doing will be backpacking in the mountains here in CO. Since I am not a highly experienced shooter, I don't plan on attempting really long shots. Also, I don't have a budget to buy a separate rifle for every type of game, so I'm hoping to find something that will work for both elk and deer, be fairly light to pack with, and be forgiving and fun to shoot so that I'll practice with it often. Inexpensive and readily available ammo might be nice too. I guess for a budget, I would like to keep it under $1500 for the rifle and scope.

Any and all advice appreciated.

 

[Snowrun]

Remington Model 700 in 30-06 is a great all around gun. I prefer the rifles with wood(CDL) or fiberglass stocks (XCR tactical). (I am not a fan of the new plastic stock versions).
308 Winchester is also another pretty universal caliber. It is a bit on the light side if you are going for a trophy bull, but will work wonders on deer and cow elk.
If you can tolerate more recoil then 7mm, 300 win mag/ 300RUM or 338 Lapua/338 RUM are some of the better choices for Bull Elk. They of course all tend to be heavier rifles and have more recoil. Recoil can be a real turnoff and hinder good marksmanship training for beginners so try one of the bigger calibers before you just buy one. Also don't go cheap on the glass. Many people will spend a thousand bucks on a rifle and then put a 100 dollar scope on it. As a general rule the scope should cost as much or more than the rifle.

 

[AHorseThief]

Are you looking to go new or would you be open to used? There are a ton of good deals on used firearms, typically with the scope already mounted. Being hunting rifles, many of them were only shot enough to sight them in.

As far as brand, that is as much a personal choice as anything. For newer rifles, I've really enjoyed shooting the Savage rifles with the AccuTrigger.

For caliber, I personally shoot 7mm mag, but I think something like a .270 would meet your requirements pretty well. It shoots flat, is widely available, and can easily take both elk and deer.

 

[AHorseThief]

Forgot to add, if you are willing to come down to Lakewood, I live right next to BluCore Shooting Center and would be willing to let you take a crack my Ruger M77 in 7MM mag and my wife's old Remington in .270.

 

[Jenny Cruiser]

338 Lapua...As a general rule the scope should cost as much or more than the rifle.

He said under $1500.

An old Weatherby would look great in your 40.

 

[MDH33]

Thanks for the recommendations so far and sorry for the newb questions.

Speaking of scopes, what should I consider for power if I'm not likely to take shots over 200yds? Also, will some of the higher power calibers mentioned be overkill for closer shots?

Since I plan to backpack with it, I had been considering some of the shorter/compact models. I had noticed some with barrel length as short as 16". Will something with an 18-20" barrel behave drastically different than a 24" barrel in the same caliber? 30-06 for example?

 

[MDH33]

Are you looking to go new or would you be open to used? There are a ton of good deals on used firearms, typically with the scope already mounted. Being hunting rifles, many of them were only shot enough to sight them in.

Forgot to add, if you are willing to come down to Lakewood, I live right next to BluCore Shooting Center and would be willing to let you take a crack my Ruger M77 in 7MM mag and my wife's old Remington in .270.

Thank you for the offer to try out yours. I may take you up on that.

I'm open to used for sure. Not sure where to look though. I'm leery to buy anything online without handling it. Any good shops that carry used?

 

[AHorseThief]

Speaking of scopes, what should I consider for power if I'm not likely to take shots over 200yds?

I'd go with the tried and true 3X9.

Also, will some of the higher power calibers mentioned be overkill for closer shots?

On deer, yes.

 

[Snowrun]

I'd go with the tried and true 3X9.



On deer, yes.

Agreed 3X9 or 4-14.5 is what I typically run with for a general purpose hunting rifle. I am a big Leupold fan as far as scopes. (I would mention Schmidt and Bender but they cost more than most cars I have owned).
Most of my scopes are 50mm objectives however 40mm is usually more than enough.

I also prefer 30mm tubes over 1 inch tubes on scopes. The light transmission is essentially the same, however the amount of elevation you can dial on a 30mm scope will allow for a much greater range.

With scopes you get what you pay for. Glass clarity/light transmission, calibrated turret adjustments, the ability to hold a zero, parallax adjustments,customer service etc....

When it comes to cost you also have to consider the amount of money you will spend on the trip itself. If you spend hundreds on the trip and end up missing a shot because of a bad rifle/scope combo you have wasted all that money.

Also I have Remington 700's in 308 win and 300 win mag if you would like to try them out as well. Maybe you me and AHorseThief can head out to Colorado Rifle club together. (I am a member and it will save us the 36 dollar an hour cost for Blue Core)

 

[MDH33]

That's very generous of you guys to offer your time and rifles for me to try. Ammo is on me if we can set something up for some range time

 

[Uncle Ben]

Remington Model 700 in 30-06 is a great all around gun. I prefer the rifles with wood(CDL) or fiberglass stocks (XCR tactical). (I am not a fan of the new plastic stock versions).
308 Winchester is also another pretty universal caliber. It is a bit on the light side if you are going for a trophy bull, but will work wonders on deer and cow elk.
If you can tolerate more recoil then 7mm, 300 win mag/ 300RUM or 338 Lapua/338 RUM are some of the better choices for Bull Elk. They of course all tend to be heavier rifles and have more recoil. Recoil can be a real turnoff and hinder good marksmanship training for beginners so try one of the bigger calibers before you just buy one. Also don't go cheap on the glass. Many people will spend a thousand bucks on a rifle and then put a 100 dollar scope on it. As a general rule the scope should cost as much or more than the rifle.

Hmmmm....I totally agree on the Rem 700 in 30-06 for a all around great rifle for any game in North America. You can find used 06's everywhere and since it's a NATO round, ammo is cheap and plentiful. John's list is good but he left out the Winchester Short Mags. Nearly identical ballistics to their long cased brothers but done in a short action rifle more efficiently. Mag's are over sold to the "bigger is best" crowd and few of them ever are used to make ethical long distance shots that they are designed for! Again, one long gun in the cabinet...30-06 is hard to beat! Scopes, I have to pull my punches as I once was but will never ever be a Leopold fan again. Customer service is the best out there but I would rather have a scope that doesn't need to get sent back! Nikon is my choice for medium priced optics. If they can hold up to what I shoot they can handle normal recoil!

 

[Squishy!]

I shoot a Savage 300 Winchester short mag and I love that gun. I've hit good paper (and prairie dogs) at longer distances than I expected. Mine has the accutrigger as well and man I LOVE that trigger, but that caliber lets you know (for a few days) when you don't have it pulled tight to the shoulder. Before that I shot a Ruger 308 Win that I think I like more than the 300 WSM. It's controllable on the fly, accurate, and its range is quite impressive.

Scopes I've used include Burris. That's it. It's what my Dad bought and I'm not complaining. what I really like though is the ballistic crosshairs. Easy to aim and judge range quickly.

 

[Snowrun]

Hmmmm....I totally agree on the Rem 700 in 30-06 for a all around great rifle for any game in North America. You can find used 06's everywhere and since it's a NATO round, ammo is cheap and plentiful. John's list is good but he left out the Winchester Short Mags. Nearly identical ballistics to their long cased brothers but done in a short action rifle more efficiently. Mag's are over sold to the "bigger is best" crowd and few of them ever are used to make ethical long distance shots that they are designed for! Again, one long gun in the cabinet...30-06 is hard to beat! Scopes, I have to pull my punches as I once was but will never ever be a Leopold fan again. Customer service is the best out there but I would rather have a scope that doesn't need to get sent back! Nikon is my choice for medium priced optics. If they can hold up to what I shoot they can handle normal recoil!

I have had experiences with the Nikon scopes as well. In regards to Leupold I have managed to break a few var-x III scopes. The Mark 4 tactical scopes have been bullet proof.
I also agree that there are some great short magnum cases as well. In regards to Savage they are putting out some very accurate and reliable rifles. My preference toward Remington is because I am most familiar with them and there are a ton of great after market parts for them.
There are some 6.5 calibers I have been kicking around for my next bolt gun. From a bullet external ballistics stand point it is incredibly efficient. (super high BC vs bullet weight). I just can't decide which cartridge (6.5 Creedmoore, 260 Remington,6.5-284, etc) that is why I didn't throw it into the ring. Also they tend to be a bit on the small side for Elk but perfect for deer.

I don't own a Burris but I have heard good things about their upper end scopes. In regards to BDC(ballistic drop compensator) reticles and knobs I avoid them. They are calibrated to a single cartridge at a given velocity, altitude and atmospheric condition set. (yes I know the Marines issued them to some shooters in Iraq.) I you plan on using a reticle for holdovers I prefer to use some form of mil-reticle and calculate the hold over for the conditions I will likely be shooting in for that day. (You can get very powerful ballistics software for most smart phones these days). I like shooter for iphone and Applied Ballistics for Android.
I apologize for the info overload. (I really love rifles)

 

[MDH33]

What is he availability of ammo like for some of the less common calibers? Seems like a lot of the shelves are empty right now. I would hate to pick something up and not be able to get enough ammo for it to become familiar shooting it prior to the season.

 

[Snowrun]

What is he availability of ammo like for some of the less common calibers? Seems like a lot of the shelves are empty right now. I would hate to pick something up and not be able to get enough ammo for it to become familiar shooting it prior to the season.

Most of the local Walmarts still have 30-06 and 7mm in stock. I can still get 308 win but I have to usually order it online.

(www.gunbot.net) <<<<<<you can also find 5.56 and AR mags here. (for guys that are looking)(I use it to find 308)

To compare ammo prices here are a few other links
http://www.ammunitiontogo.com
http://www.luckygunner.com/

 

[AxleIke]

I have Remmington 700 30-06 with a Leupold scope. I got the fiberglass stock and stainless barrel just for ease of cleaning and care. It is a good gun.

Been dragged through the muck, snow, and dropped several times in bad falls in the steep timber. Pretty easy to clean, and doesn't show scratches easily.

My biggest complaint is the lack of a bolt lock. The bolt often gets popped open by pack straps.

10 years ago, the scope and rifle were around 750. I'm not sure what they are now.

IMO, the 30-06 is a great rifle, and ammo is cheap. 180 grain rounds do fine on even large bull elk.

FWIW, I have never had occasion to take a shot at more than 100 yards in about 10 years, but we hunt GMU's that are usually in very tree'd areas.

 

[Fishy]

IMO, the 30-06 is a great rifle, and ammo is cheap. 180 grain rounds do fine on even large bull elk.

FWIW, I have never had occasion to take a shot at more than 100 yards in about 10 years, but we hunt GMU's that are usually in very tree'd areas.

Agree with everyone else about the .30-06. There's a reason why .30-06 is so popular. It shoots easy and doesn't break your arm or wallet. Growing up in the North East, a 7MM mag is a little overkill for those whitetail, but still very popular. But, the mule deer out here are much bigger. I've seen a 7MM mag waste a lot of whitetail meat if the shot is just slightly misplaced. And, that thing barks pretty loud!

Shooting a few would really help. Some rifles fit better than others. Being able to shoot relaxed and and confident in any caliber (big or small) is always better than nervous and "flinchy". You'll shoot 2 boxes of .30-06 to every 7mm box and spend the same money. That's more practice for when your knees knock together and you scramble to find that monster in your scope!

 

[Corbet]

.30-06 for a one gun hunter in CO or North America for that matter IMO.

On a budget I'd buy a Savage 16/116 FHSS. I prefer a plastic stock in the field and a stainless barrel. Both offer advantages in bad weather. Savage is know for out of the box accuracy. They also have a unique trigger design.
http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

I hunt with a Browning, Stainless Stalker .30-06 that I like very much. If I would have had a couple hundred more to spend I would have got a Kimber Montana.

Pay attention to the safety designs of different models. Make sure you like that aspect of what ever you choose.

Scope, I'm a Leupold user and have no complaints. Nikon, Burris, and Vortex would be other companies I'd look at personally. You generally get what you pay for there. You want something with a 3-4 power low end as that is most likely the setting you'll take actual hunting shots with. Higher setting are nice at the range for sighting in. I'm not a fan of the fancy reticles personally. As a rule of thumb I'd plan to spend 50% of the cost of a rifle on the scope or more. Sight yourself in a 200yards and know how to adjust each way in the field based on ballistics of your hunting rounds.

All and all most guns shoot better than the hands they are in anyway.

You want to budget a good pair of binoculars too if you don't already have some.

 

[Corbet]

I will also add its hard to find another round that has more of a variety of factory loads available than .30-06. I like 180g for Elk personally. Smaller for deer. And for a large hunting caliber its a cheap as anything.

 

[Red_Chili]

As squishy said you really cannot beat Savage and Burris for really inexpensive but accurate shooting. .308 is very accurate though it drops more than a WSM. I personally do not care for. 30-06. There are fare more consistent and accurate yet reasonable rounds available... but the ought 6 has brought home meat.

Do NOT assume you won't shoot longer distances. Don't limit yourself right out of the gate. A Savage Accu-Trigger . 308 with a Burris 4.5-14 x 42 ballistic plex reticle scope will do it ALL and not kill the pocketbook. Savage builds the most accurate barrels and reliable actions to be found in inexpensive iron.