Suggestions for first hunting rifle

[Snemetchek]

Hey everyone. I am writing my firearm license in a week and looking at my options for my first hunting rifle. I live in a small town near calgary so I would be doing mainly deer hunting. I have looked into remington or savage. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[BackPackHunter]

270win

[CanuckShooter]

There is an old unused [as new] Parker Hale 30-06 for sale on here...buy that one, I had one just like it and they are very good, far better than any Savage or Remington in my books!!

[north american hunter]

Don't do the remigton route, I would go with a wichester model 70 in .270, or better yet a 300 H&H!

[Grizzly_Chris86]

it all comes down to what feels best in your hand and how much money you have to spend, personally i like weatherby, tikka, sako, and ruger. as far as caliber goes 30-06 or 300 win mag are both really good all round calibers, but it also comes down to preference

[Snemetchek]

What about tikka. .. anyone have good experiences with them?? Trying to find a decent and affordable first rifle.

[north american hunter]

I don't like tikka t3 lites, the stock seems very cheap to me, I would much rather go for a model 70 in my opinion.

[Snemetchek]

That is good to know. Thanks!

[Snemetchek]

You can get the Savage® 11/111 Trophy Hunter XP Rifle with Scope Combo for 550. Does anyone have history with this gun and scope? Does it work well?

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Snemetchek

What about tikka. .. anyone have good experiences with them?? Trying to find a decent and affordable first rifle.

Tikka is a good rifle, for a reasonable price. They have a good trigger, and tend to be quite accurate.

[north american hunter]

Originally Posted by Snemetchek

You can get the Savage® 11/111 Trophy Hunter XP Rifle with Scope Combo for 550. Does anyone have history with this gun and scope? Does it work well?

There is alot of savage haters on here, personally I like savages, but I would stay away from package rifles.

[purgatory.sv]

Originally Posted by Snemetchek

You can get the Savage® 11/111 Trophy Hunter XP Rifle with Scope Combo for 550. Does anyone have history with this gun and scope? Does it work well?

Yes the weakest part will be the rings than the scope. They usually come with weaver type bases which will work. The scope will have to be proven by using it.
If this is your first hunting rifle it would be a good start.
30.06 would be the cartridge to go to.

[huntinalberta]

Originally Posted by Snemetchek

What about tikka. .. anyone have good experiences with them?? Trying to find a decent and affordable first rifle.

I have a t3 light and it has the smoothest action. But the stock is mostly plastic wich isn't the biggest problem. But overall I love that gun.

[nelsonob1]

Originally Posted by Snemetchek

What about tikka. .. anyone have good experiences with them?? Trying to find a decent and affordable first rifle.

Tikka have an incredible positive reputation amongst hunters but every time I pick one up I just don't like the cheaper feel to the rifle. BUT ...... there is no disputing the reputation.

I wouldn't fret too much about which rifle, focus more on calibre. If you get that right, and the rifle fits well in your hands, you will be happy. Just stop reading hunting forum discussions on the best rifle and calibre, they raise issues and concerns that you would never think of your self.

[Iceman4]

Look at the Vanguard line from Weatherby. Affordable, adjustable triggers, and guaranteed accuracy. I have one in 300WSM I bought roughly 8 years ago and it's never let me down.

[north american hunter]

Originally Posted by Iceman4

Look at the Vanguard line from Weatherby. Affordable, adjustable triggers, and guaranteed accuracy. I have one in 300WSM I bought roughly 8 years ago and it's never let me down.

That's true! Sub moa accuracy garentee but they are heavy but worth it if i were to get another I would get a .257 wby!

[Buckhead]

Tikka would be a good choice. 30-06.

I like their tupperware stocks. Can bang them, scratch them, etc.

A good working rifle.

You can always upgrade the stock later if you choose.

They also have a laminated stock model - but more $$$.

[C & C]

As a first time hunter I would not hesitate on the savage combo gun. You have no idea if you will enjoy the sport and it wont break the bank. If it turns out well you can slowly upgrade (scope/rings, stock) over time and have a great gun.

There have been some interesting suggestions on here so far for cal but I would also recommend a 243 win. You can find ammo almost anywhere, you can take it out and practise all day and won't have any fatigue. Also despite what others may say you can hunt pretty much anything you want with it. Just YouTube 243 elk, moose, bear, deer or w/e you want.

Worst thing you could do is go too big and develop a flinch or spend a ton and not really like the sport.

[Zuludog]

Pick a rifle that fits you in an all around caliber. 270, 308, 30-06, 7-08 will all do the job. Most rifles built today are more than accurate enough for most shooters. If you read this article it will show you that CZ, Savage, Sako, Tikka and others all make accurate rifles.

http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/minu...ut-of-the-box/

Fit and personal preference will be the deciding factors most likely. Ask yourself the following questions:

Do you want a wood stock or composite?
Stainless or blued barrel?
Light rifle or heavier? What type of hunting do you do?
Hinged floor plate or detachable magazine?
How much do you want to spend?
Do you want to carry a beautiful rifle but worry about it or do you see your gun as more of an utilitarian object and don't mind if it gets dinged or scratched?

Once you find the features that you want (or think you want ) narrowind down your choices "should" be easier.

Good luck with your decision. NOW have fun picking out a scope. lol You probably should upgrade your glass if you buy a package scope from a retailer.

[bdub]

If you are a fairly new shooter I would stay away from the magnums until you have more shooting experience. Pick a common cartridge with a little less recoil, maybe a 270, 308, or a 30-06 type of thing. Spend lots of time practicing and getting good with your rifle.

[bsmitty27]

.

Id buy a little bolt rimfire 22. Right away. Use it for practice, and get someone to take you out gopher shooting. It will get you hooked, then come August buy your centerfire. You can have 2000 rounds practicing for the price of 80-100 centerfire. Then a couple boxes getting ready for deer season.

I'd pick 243, 7mm08, 308 for first centerfire. Take the summer to save up, hold and shoot as many different rifles and cals as possible. See what YOU like.
My 2c
Brad

[Flight01]

I have a T3 lite in 7 mm rem mag. Many deer , moose , one bear and one bull elk .... Oh yeah and one coyote fell to my tikka. Very smooth action. For just deer I'd say 270 win or even 308 or 6.5x55. If you see yourself stepping up to elk or moose I'd say 7 mag, 300 win mag, 30-06, and many other capable chamberings. Test drive if you can. I'm nowhere near cow town so I can't help you on that . Good luck

[unclebuck]

Browning X bolt in 25.06.

[sevenmil]

Don't overlook Ruger. Don't bother with the Ruger American, but look into
the Hawkeye. I am not a fan of the plastic stocks that come on the stainless models, but you could always replace it with an after market stock from McMillan. The actions on those Rugers are very dependable and feed very well. In my opinion, the best rifle for the money if you are looking at strength and reliability. My choice is based on function, but I also like the looks of the Ruger M77 action. Do some research on Bill Ruger and his development of this action. I read an article years ago comparing the Ruger action against others makes in regard to strength and the Rugers came out on top. Things may have changed since then but then again maybe not.

[RobF]

sks. cheap and effective

[heybert]

Go to the big gun show at the BMO on the Easter long weekend. Handle as many rifles as you can to see what fits right. Ask a lot of questions. Once you found a rifle that you feel good with, get it in 30-06 or 270.

[Hunter1602]

Originally Posted by BackPackHunter

270win

X2

[260 Rem]

If I were restricted to one rifle for both big game and targets at the range, I would choose a 308. To moderate ranges, it is capable of taking anything that you can eat or that can eat you! It also remains popular among target shooters. Brass is plentiful. Loaded ammo is available in almost any store stocking ammo. Recoil is moderate.
If I were purchasing a rifle in the $700 range, I would look seriously at a Tikka. Actions are smooth, they feed clean. Note: Some cannot be top loaded easily if they have a single stack magazine.

[Speckle55]

5000000 shooters can't be wrong get a Rem 700

I choose this rifle over 30 years ago in the 7mm Mag

http://www.remington.com/products/fi...l-700-bdl.aspx

cost of bullets $27 any store has them

kick is very manageable

straight shooter and very good at long ranges

can take a coyote to a Bull Moose

get a scope with a BDC for the cartridge you choose to shoot

have fun

David

[twofifty]

Whatever big game rifle you get,
spare some money for a 22LR rifle with scope - and shoot it all summer long.

22LR is cheap shooting, fun, great for gophers, and teaches you a lot about sight acquisition, shooting form, trigger press, trajectory.

Every rifleman has at least one 22.

edit: and don't listen to anyone who suggests a magnum for your first rifle.
Those guys are probably superhuman natural-born talents and are assuming that you are too.

7mmRM is a great cartridge, but it takes experience to get the full benefit out of it which is taking game past 350 yards. Why: because at long distance magnums have a bit less bullet drop and hit a bit harder. The penalty is recoil and cost.

Consider that most game is taken at under 200yds, where regular calibers shine because they're: easier to shoot accurately in the field, cheaper, just as deadly.