Recommended caliber/rifle for a new hunter

[Alex]

I am 19 years old and have just recently gotten into hunting. I live in Georgia, so I will be hunting whitetail for the most part, and maybe go on the occasional hog hunt. We have a large piece of private land, consisting of both a field and thick woods. A shot in the field would be between 90-120 yards, in the woods shots will range 20-50, maybe a little longer. My friend who is helping get me into hunting has offered his opinion, but I felt it couldn't hurt to ask here. So, my range is $300-$400, I was looking at the Remington model 783 that comes in multiple calibers. it is $300 and comes with a 3-9x40 scope. The calibers available are .308 (22 in.), .270 (22 in.), .30-06 (22 in.), and 7mm rem mag (24 in.). Initially I thought the 7mm mag would be the go to, since it is a large, powerful round and comes with a longer barrel it might be more accurate. Once again, Im not really sure if i have the right idea. My friend says you can't go wrong with any of those. So, which of those calibers do you reccomend, or is there any other model/caliber i should look into? I do have shooting experience, but nothing really serious.
EDIT: For now i will be hunting behind a blind till I get used to everything

 

[Native Hunter]

Alex, A longer barrel doesn't translate to better accuracy. It's typical with gun manufacturers to put longer barrels on magnum calibers. They do this because theoretically, the powder charge is larger (and typically slower burning) than the other calibers you listed - hence, a longer barrel gives the powder more time to burn before the bullet exits the bore.

I would go with either the 30-06 or 308. One advantage of the 308 is a literal multitude of factory ammo choices - much more so than any of the other calibers you listed. The 30-06 is slightly faster, but when you look at what that means in actual field performance, it means very little. Also, even though you can get an accurate gun in any of those calibers, the 308 (in general) has the best reputation of any of them.

But, I agree with your friend - you can't really go wrong with any of those.... I've owned and shot them all.....

Best Wishes..................

 

[ncstewart]

All of those are fine. I personally shoot lighter recoiling rifles better as most ppl do. So I would pass on 7mm and 30-06.
For the woods hunting and ranges you are talking 308 would be my choice


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[dogdoc]

Like stated all of the above are great calibers. I shot a 30-06 for years but finally got tires of the recoil. Great round though and ammo is always easy to find but I have since dropped to a more "shoulder" forgiving caliber (25-06). So if I were in your shoes I also would go with the .308 or 270.

 

[E_308]

Out of the 4 the 7mm would be my last choice. For the conditions you describe the 308 would be perfect. I would also look at ruger and savage entry level rifles, seems like they get better reviews than the Rem.

 

[Hoseman]

This is a question like asking which is better Ford, Chevy, Dodge or Toyota for pickup trucks. Everyone will have a different opinion. I think all these calibers would be fine. I would lean towards the 270 myself as it is flat shooting, has mild recoil, easy to find ammo and is a deer killing machine. I would suggest checking out Savage rifles with the Accu-trigger. They have a $75 rebate right now on some models as well.

 

[blumsden]

Go cheaper with the gun, but don't skimp on your scope and scope mounts. Any of those calibers will be fine, maybe your friends can let you shoot some of their guns so you can decide instead of letting someone else decide. Your only as good as you optics. Along with quality mounts they are the most important thing.

 

[boot]

All of those guns will kill a deer, its about picking a rifle you like, that fits you well, so you can shoot it accurately and have great shot placement.

 

[W33kender]

Go cheaper with the gun, but don't skimp on your scope and scope mounts. Any of those calibers will be fine, maybe your friends can let you shoot some of their guns so you can decide instead of letting someone else decide. Your only as good as you optics. Along with quality mounts they are the most important thing.

Good advice right here.

 

[W33kender]

7mm shells are appreciably higher in cost from my experience, which I admit is limited, but I have bought for a relative of mine. Noticeably higher than my .270 rounds.

 

[Shack]

I have shot deer with a 308 and a 270. Both work just fine for killing deer size animals, but the mild recoil of my 25-06 has spoiled me to a point where that is about all I hunt with these days.

 

[JDunham]

Any of those will work. The 7 mag would be a distant fourth on my list for what you describe. Splitting hairs between the performance of the other three at those ranges.

 

[ChrisPBrown]

I would recommend looking at used guns. You can find some beautiful older guns and in some cases true classics at good prices if you look around enough. I am a firm believer in the old saying that they just don't make them like they used to. My two rifles were both manufactured at least 10 years before I was born. To me a scratch here or there is simply proof that the rifle has been loved and used for what it was made for.
Having said that, I would recommend .308. It is a great caliber, the ammo is reasonable, and it is easy to find. I agree that possibly more important than the rifle is the sights. I love my Redfield scopes. You get Leupold quality without the price and a life time guarantee to boot. Good luck to you in whatever you choose.

 

[Tenured Student]

I would recommend looking at used guns. You can find some beautiful older guns and in some cases true classics at good prices if you look around enough. I am a firm believer in the old saying that they just don't make them like they used to. My two rifles were both manufactured at least 10 years before I was born. To me a scratch here or there is simply proof that the rifle has been loved and used for what it was made for.
Having said that, I would recommend .308. It is a great caliber, the ammo is reasonable, and it is easy to find. I agree that possibly more important than the rifle is the sights. I love my Redfield scopes. You get Leupold quality without the price and a life time guarantee to boot. Good luck to you in whatever you choose.

X2.

Great quailty used guns can be found with a little effort. I have a rifle in .270 & .308 and love both rounds. For the SE , either are fine. My a gun that fits well and buy the best scope you can afford. Good glass buys time.



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[Chestnut Valley Farms]

Couldn't agree more on the 308. Have shot allot of deer with 308. Seems to dump allot of the energy into the animal resulting in quick recoveries.
In that price range I would buy a Ruger American 308 and top it with a budget Burris or Nikon scope. 3-9 power is all a guy needs for hunting

 

[Ducksoup]

My friend just shot his first deer with a Remington 783 in .308. I have to say i was very impressed with this rifle. Using factory ammo he easily got 1-1/2" groups. For a beginning rifle shooter that was plenty accurate enough for deer and he practised enough during the spring and summer to be confident of hitting his target out to at least 300 yards. He shot his deer at about 75 yards and it worked perfectly. He was using Winchester 150 grain soft point ammo.

 

[dogghr]

Good choices you have and good luck with your new addiction. I personally am a 270 caliber person. I like all those but have shot the 270 to 300 yds with virtually no adjustment in aim. I have for severely years now shot a Remington 700 series short mag 270 that is a tack driver out of the box. But for a new hunter I would have to suggest one of my favs, the 243. I've shot more deer and most have dropped on the spot with that caliber than any other. Easty recoil and good out to 200 yds with ease. Don't matter, you will buy more over the years if you are like most of us. Have fun. BTW, my first deer rifle in my poor, hand me down days was a British 303 that weighed a hundred pounds and a full barrel stock. Had a flip up, fix sites for shooting out to 1000+ yds!!!! Not sure how many men it had killed in the War, before I inherited it from my Grandfather.

 

[ChrisPBrown]

For many years I shot my dad's old 6mm Remington 600 and the younger kids I take hunting still do. I hand load for it and with 80 grain Hornady GMX's it is a tack driver. The GMX's really make the small caliber shine. I had previously shot factory soft point rounds and I was not impressed with the performance, but since I have switched to the GMX's every deer that has been hit has dropped in its tracks. Now days I usually take my Winchester model 88 in .308, but from time to time I still tote the 600 since it is so light and handy.
Long story short, I am also a fan of the .24 caliber rifles but I think they are on the bottom end of calibers that are capable of killing deer efficiently. For an adult beginner I would go bigger, though recommend against falling into the magnum rifle trap.

 

[Bigcypress]

I would buy the 3006 and a box of 150, 165, and 180 grain ammo in your choice of brand then shoot some 5 shot groups with each weight to determine which weight the rifle likes. Then sight that ammo in dead on at 25 yards then go hunting. You will cleanly kill deer and hogs out to 200+ yards.

 

[Btaylor]

I wouldn't rule out a 50 cal black powder rifle. It will certainly handle any of the scenarios you mentioned and you gain an extra season with one gun. Just a thought...