Rifle, what kind

[TCracin440ex]

i want to get me a rifle, but i dont know what brand.....i know remington and winchester is good guns, but i was wondering about a savage if they are any good...i can get a savage 30.06 for 300 dollars with a scope....i can get a remington model 700 with a scope for 450...which brand should i get

[Pappy]

Savage used to be lower on the scale of good rifles, but the past few years they have been producing higher quality etc

Remington also sells a slightly cheaper version, Model 710 that is in the same price range as the Savage if money is an issue.

[TCracin440ex]

the only thing i dont like about the savage i found is it had a synthetic stock...a gray synthetic stock at that...if i want a synthetic id rather have black

[trailwart]

gallery of guns is a good place for reviews and prices.when i buy a gun i buy for life. some guns are cheaply made with cheap stocks and bluing and will rust easier. if you plan on ever doin a back country fly in like alaska where the gun will see some harsh elements. i would recomend getting stainless or nickle. i dont buy anything but nickle or stainless for the fact of my brothers experiances in alaska and oregon. his alaska trip he was dropped off in a bush plane for 2 weeks and his gun with the salty rain and almost it rained all the time there, he did not have a problem with his gun, on the other hand his friend that had a remington that was blued was constantly getting rusty everyday. spend the extra money and get the best rifle you can.

[trailwart]

another thing to consider is caliber. some places ive been dont carry many calibers of ammo. 30-06 is almost carried everywhere. just something to think about

[jrm03]

That caliber will beat the hell out of you, but like said before is widely available. Go with the Savage. The quality of their rifles have greatly improved, and the accu trigger is sweet.

[Pappy]

Originally posted by jrm03
That caliber will beat the hell out of you,

LOL, not me:p If recoil bothers you or anyone, any of the BOSS or similiar systems greatly cut back on it. Cody shoots a Browing A-Bolt in 30-06 all the time. he started shooting it when he was 7!

[redlineranger]

how much money are you looking to spend? are you looking for a bolt action or an automatic.

if bolt, i recommed the Browning A-bolt... damn good gun in any caliber, we have one in 7mm-08 and its one of the best guns in the cabinet. i have a savage model 110 series bolt .270 and would take the A-bolt 7mm-08 to the woods any day over the savage (but i cant cus its my brothers)

if your wanting an automatic, i recommend the Browning BAR. theres 2 versions, long trac, and short trac. my dad has the BAR short trac in .243 caliber, and its a bada** gun. i guess you can tell were browning people, but they make quality stuff, and every browning we have has proved itself. both guns are on the $700-$750+ range, but you get what you pay for.

as for scopes, i recommed Zeiss or Me-Opta(newer brand, and every gun store i've went to, the guys have said they would put it up against a Swarovski or a Kahles any day)

all of this just depends on what kind of money your looking to spend. with what i have mentioned, your looking at a $1,500+ rifle and scope combo, but like i said, you get what you pay for.

another thing to look at, is what are you gonna be shooting at? if you will be white tail deer hunting, you dont need anything more than a .270... i dont see why people shoot deer with calibers like 300 mags, or 7 mags. all it does is destroy the meat. anything along the line of a .243, .270, or 7mm-08 is all you need for deer.

[Pappy]

maybe a 243 or 7mm08 works well on Bama deer, but tie into one of the northern deer that weigh well over 200 and you will be wishing for a tad bit more gun:p

[redlineranger]

Originally posted by Pappy
maybe a 243 or 7mm08 works well on Bama deer, but tie into one of the northern deer that weigh well over 200 and you will be wishing for a tad bit more gun:p

lol 200 pound deer are killed plentiful down here trust me. friend of mine killed a 215 pound 7 point last year at 200 yards with a 243 (dropped him in his tracks i might add). but he's not the only one that kill deer well over 200 pounds down here i promise you. there are plenty of them down here in south alabama.

[Pappy]

I dont doubt there are, but dropping a deer consistantly is the goal. Ive seen way to many deer take a solid hit from a .243 or even the necked down .308(7mm-08) and were lost. No doubt the deer died, but a good blood trail is needed if they dont drop.

The 6 and 7mm class of cartridge lack the frontal area and bullet weight to do the job consistantly. I watched 3 deer hit under 100 yards with a .243 this year that all required damn near 3 Indians and a bloodhound to find. All 3 solid double lung shots. Luckily I switch my boys to a Nosler Partion bullet and we are seeing better wound channels but they still are not dropping on the spot or leaving a good blood trail to follow.

Ive been reloading, shooting competively and hunting for almost 25 years, I am not telling you that you are incorrect, but i am telling you what all the expierence has shown me.

Here is the wonderful 243's exit wound that filled with fat and left almost NO blood trail. 2 hours and 2 hundred yards later i found her.

[Blue250X]

The 'ol .270 dropped a doe last year, shot through the back bone (it was running in my defense) and another smaller doe in the as this year (this was running even faster! lol)

[Pappy]

30-06.....almost the perfect round:p

[Blue250X]

Originally posted by Pappy
30-06.....almost the perfect round:p

Pappy, you musta scared it to death, I don't see any bullet holes from the imfamous 30-06:D

[fatkid400]

I've gotta side with pappy on this, A 243 is abit light for deer. Dont get us wrong they'll do the job but if its knock down power your looking for grab the 30.06 or 270. I use a 243 on coyote and that'll knock to the ground hard but a 30.06 will throw'em to the ground roll'em for a while then smeer them just for spite:D

[redlineranger]

Originally posted by Pappy
I dont doubt there are, but dropping a deer consistantly is the goal. Ive seen way to many deer take a solid hit from a .243 or even the necked down .308(7mm-08) and were lost. No doubt the deer died, but a good blood trail is needed if they dont drop.

The 6 and 7mm class of cartridge lack the frontal area and bullet weight to do the job consistantly. I watched 3 deer hit under 100 yards with a .243 this year that all required damn near 3 Indians and a bloodhound to find. All 3 solid double lung shots. Luckily I switch my boys to a Nosler Partion bullet and we are seeing better wound channels but they still are not dropping on the spot or leaving a good blood trail to follow.

Ive been reloading, shooting competively and hunting for almost 25 years, I am not telling you that you are incorrect, but i am telling you what all the expierence has shown me.

Here is the wonderful 243's exit wound that filled with fat and left almost NO blood trail. 2 hours and 2 hundred yards later i found her.

pappy, in no way, shape, or fashion am i arguing with you, or trying to prove a point, im just stating what i know from experience, and what i've seen from experience. but given you have alot of more huntin years on you so i know you know alot more than me, im just stating what i've seen. me personally i shoot a savage 270 now, and have dropped 2 deer in there tracks with it. i started off with a 243 but never seen a deer to shoot the years i hunted with it.

i guess i was kind of downing the bigger calibers because i dont like them. not saying there was anything wrong with them, im just fond of the 243 and 270 (and now 7mm-08's after shooting my brothers)

as far as shells go, i used to shoot federal premium ballistic tips in my 270, 150 grains.... but i hated them i shot a doe one time and there was almost no reasonable meat left besides the back hams. and it didnt leave no sort of blood trail either because all it did was blow up inside the deer. i now shoot 130 grain remington core-lokts, and it mushrooms through and leave's a nice sized hole on the backside of the deer:D

[redlineranger]

Originally posted by fatkid400
I've gotta side with pappy on this, A 243 is abit light for deer. Dont get us wrong they'll do the job but if its knock down power your looking for grab the 30.06 or 270. I use a 243 on coyote and that'll knock to the ground hard but a 30.06 will throw'em to the ground roll'em for a while then smeer them just for spite:D

like i was telling pappy, im not arguing with anyone when they say a 243 wont drop a deer. or if you think its too light. but im tellin you i've seen many a deer dropped with them.

shoot the other day we were standing around shooting the breeze by this clear cut with some other members of our club, and some one came across the CB saying a dog was runnin a big ol doe are way. this guy breaks out his browning BAR 243, and at about 175 yards cut that deer a flip and when ever it landed it didnt go no further. they do bucks at my club the same way.

i know i keep saying it, but i'm not arguing with either of you. but like i keep saying i see deer dropped on a regular basis with the small calibers.

[Pappy]

Trust me, hearing a big rifle go off, and off again, and off again makes me shutter:p I used to watch guys show up at the range with the latest and greatest thumper and flinch so bad from either the recoil or the sheer noise that thier new $1500 rifle was pretty much worthless unless making the deer go deaf was thier goal!

One fellow (speaking of Savage) couldnt get his 300 to stay on target, He knew I was a shooter so he asked if I could look the firearm over and fire a few round through it. After 3 or 4 rounds down range to see what he had, I stood up, fired 5 rounds all withing a 4 inch circle offhand. I handed him back his rifle and told him to either learn to shoot a big caliber or to trade it inf or something lighter. He was so recoil shy that holding on target was next to impossible.

This is not anything at all to be ashamed of! When I was working up loads for a friends 300 Ultra mag, in a very light 6 1/2 pound rifle, I used my 870 with slugs to get ready for the heavy recoil I knew was coming. By the time came to actually sight in the 300, I was as comfortable with the recoil as I was with a .22. I think most folks think that bigger is better and I do not always follow that theology.

No matter what you feel is the best rifle or cartridge, killing your game quickly is job#1, and no matter what you use you WILL have times when this doesnt happen!

[Pappy]

Originally posted by Blue250X
Pappy, you musta scared it to death, I don't see any bullet holes from the imfamous 30-06:D

The shot went in on his left side (pictured) and exited behind the shoulder on the other side. It never touched a rib and made about a 1/2 inch exit hole. The buck dropped in its tracks. I prefer to load my rounds to run at about 2700 fps and let them dump all the energy they can when they enter the deer.

My brother shoots a 06 with 165 grain loads I load for him. He has a picture of an exit wound on a buck he shot that has my fist sticking through it:p

[redlineranger]

Originally posted by Pappy
Trust me, hearing a big rifle go off, and off again, and off again makes me shutter:p I used to watch guys show up at the range with the latest and greatest thumper and flinch so bad from either the recoil or the sheer noise that thier new $1500 rifle was pretty much worthless unless making the deer go deaf was thier goal!

One fellow (speaking of Savage) couldnt get his 300 to stay on target, He knew I was a shooter so he asked if I could look the firearm over and fire a few round through it. After 3 or 4 rounds down range to see what he had, I stood up, fired 5 rounds all withing a 4 inch circle offhand. I handed him back his rifle and told him to either learn to shoot a big caliber or to trade it inf or something lighter. He was so recoil shy that holding on target was next to impossible.

This is not anything at all to be ashamed of! When I was working up loads for a friends 300 Ultra mag, in a very light 6 1/2 pound rifle, I used my 870 with slugs to get ready for the heavy recoil I knew was coming. By the time came to actually sight in the 300, I was as comfortable with the recoil as I was with a .22. I think most folks think that bigger is better and I do not always follow that theology.

No matter what you feel is the best rifle or cartridge, killing your game quickly is job#1, and no matter what you use you WILL have times when this doesnt happen!


of course killing the deer quickly is my #1 goal. and i know that im not always going to drop it in its track, or unfortunately might even miss it. i know, its a huntin thing. but i agree with you on "most folks think bigger is better and i dont always follow that theology". thats pretty much what i tell some of my friends that think you need these damn cod-rocket 300 mags or 7 mags. im by no means scared of recoil, so thats not a reason i dont like the big calibers.

but anyways, it all comes down to what you like. to each his own.

Originally posted by Pappy

My brother shoots a 06 with 165 grain loads I load for him. He has a picture of an exit wound on a buck he shot that has my fist sticking through it:p

I wanna see that for myself pappy...or I wont believe it...:eek:

[Family Guy]

I am going to disagree with what seems to be the common idea in this thread. I have a whole lot of shooting, killing and hunting experience, and have hunted with and killed with most popular calibers. I am a huge fan of.243 I killed my first Wyoming elk with it. If it can drop a bull elk at 200 yards it will drop a white tail just as easy. Shot placement and proper loads make the difference. Love the bigger cal. I shoot a .300wsm now but can get it done with a .243

[gotwarrior]

I shoot a savage .270 short mag.. And it has some good knock down power..

[gotwarrior]

I shoot a savage .270 short mag.. And it has some good knock down power..

[Pappy]

Originally posted by the_440_kid
I wanna see that for myself pappy...or I wont believe it...:eek:

i will see if i can get it from him




Family Guy, I agree, however most folks do not make good shots:p Review the picture i posted above, thats is a double lung shot at 50 yards. She would not have taken a step if she was hit with my 06:blah:

[Family Guy]

OK Pappy I will buy that for a nickel. But we know there are always exceptions.

[TheIceMan]

IMO,I'd opt for Remington,Winchester (used),or Weatherby Vangard deluxe,or a MarkV if ya wanna cha-ching ;)
I own both a Savage116 .338 win mag and Winchester70,in 300 win.mag for elk.Try shooting different makes/calibers if you can.
As for optics......Leuopold should have you covered there.



No matter what you feel is the best rifle or cartridge, killing your game quickly is job#1, and no matter what you use you WILL have times when this doesnt happen!

Pappy,that is the truth right there.

[Joe400ex]

pappy when i saw this thread i justg new u were gonna be in it, just gtting all technical. hahaha:D

[Pappy]

technical is as technical does:p

[Shift_450R]

weatherby 7mm;)

[suck my pipe]

i have a savage 7mm remington mag and I love it deers drop right where they stand or not far from it. I sighted the gun in at 100 yards and then took a shot at 300 yards and the bullet didnt drop an inch, lots of power i love and recomend this caliber.

[Pappy]

Originally posted by suck my pipe
I sighted the gun in at 100 yards and then took a shot at 300 yards and the bullet didnt drop an inch, lots of power i love and recomend this caliber.

Hang on to that rifle, it defy's the laws of gravity:p