Beginning Hunting

[shaman]

Now , mind you, a 30-06 is not my top reccomendation. It's good, but I can also make the argument for 20 other good chamberings.

30-06 is a good all-around choice. However, 300 Savage is my favorite deer cartridge. I just mentioned the '06 because it is a good benchmark for recoil. If you find '06 to be too much, there are plenty of other ways to go, but '06 makes a good dividing line.

The key herre is to find out more about this man's tastes, the type of hunting he'll do,what is already available to him, etc. We can take it from there.

[kellory]

30-06 is a good overall choice, not because it is the best for distance or knock down,(it's not) but because the ammo has a lot of variety, and is available nearly anywhere you go to hunt. Some ammos are much harder to find. And it is a pretty good rifle for nearly any large game.

[shaman]

While we're all waiting for our illustrious newbie to fill in some details. . .

You're absolutely right. 30-06 is probably the best all-around cartridge you are going to find. However, as a whitetail deer getter, it is a bit of an overkill. I was testing out some software a number of years ago. I didn't have a good business-related project to use so I tried to figure out the best cartridge for whitetail deer based on a number of factors. I used the Hodgdon reloading database for a start and tried to figure out the best bang per pound of recoil out there.

30-06 did not make it.

6.5x55 did. So did 358 WIN. 300 Savage was in there. If I remember 7mm-08 was up there as well. The optimizing software I was using was taking a bunch of things into account. I don't remember all the particulars. You'd have to go back and find it in my weblog.

The point is, 30-06 is the best all-around, therefore it is never the best for any specific situation. Now, I'm splitting hairs , and as I'm pontificating here, you'll have to remember I have more '06 rifles than anything else. However there are good reasons to pick other chamberings.

300 Savage, my favorite, kills deer with much less recoil at the distances I encounter hunting out of treestands.
358 WIN or 35 Whelen packs a lot more whallop at a greater distance.
etc.

Besides if we all agree on 30-06 now, in March, what are we going to argue about until next November?

[rthomas4]

Okay, I'll toss in my 2 cents. I actually prefer a .308. I use Winchester power points in 150 grains in both my Ruger mod. 77 and my T/C Encore. Very little recoil, and for the type of deer hunting I do ( usually shots at 30 to 185 yards), I get instant knock down power and very little meat damage; but I mostly shoot 'em in the neck. My next suggestion would be the .7mm-08, like the Savage 110 that my boy uses. I own a couple of .270s and a .30-06, along with a .300 wsm, and use all of them for deer hunting, but I seem to always grab one of the .308s as my first choice. With that said, that's just my opinion based on my experiences with deer, 'yotes, fox, and bobcats.

[Jslotter]

I love the Marlin 30-30. I have taken all my deer with the 30-30 for almost 20 years now. I usually kill all my deer within 100 yards. So, I don't really need anything big. All I need is some good knock down power. The 30-30 does well at that. All the other calibers the fellas talked about are fine too.

[kellory]

While we're all waiting for our illustrious newbie to fill in some details. . .

You're absolutely right. 30-06 is probably the best all-around cartridge you are going to find. However, as a whitetail deer getter, it is a bit of an overkill. I was testing out some software a number of years ago. I didn't have a good business-related project to use so I tried to figure out the best cartridge for whitetail deer based on a number of factors. I used the Hodgdon reloading database for a start and tried to figure out the best bang per pound of recoil out there.

30-06 did not make it.

6.5x55 did. So did 358 WIN. 300 Savage was in there. If I remember 7mm-08 was up there as well. The optimizing software I was using was taking a bunch of things into account. I don't remember all the particulars. You'd have to go back and find it in my weblog.

The point is, 30-06 is the best all-around, therefore it is never the best for any specific situation. Now, I'm splitting hairs , and as I'm pontificating here, you'll have to remember I have more '06 rifles than anything else. However there are good reasons to pick other chamberings.

300 Savage, my favorite, kills deer with much less recoil at the distances I encounter hunting out of treestands.
358 WIN or 35 Whelen packs a lot more whallop at a greater distance.
etc.

Besides if we all agree on 30-06 now, in March, what are we going to argue about until next November?

I've never used any of those guns personally Shaman, other than the 30-06, And i defer to your knowledge there. (as I told the newbie) And what I've read of the .308 I like. However, you are mistaken. I do not come here, looking for an argument. I wouldn't run from one, but I don't enjoy them.

[benjames1285]

Hey guys I'm sorry for the late response, I responded yesterday but I guess it didn't post. But I wanted to ask... Is 30-06 a type of rifle or just the ammunition. As I stated previously.. I don't really know much about guns :/ its embarrassing but thats why I want to learn. But I have a co worker who has been hunting for about 25 years and he was actually a hunter safety instructor for about 10 years and he told me that I should consider getting a shotgun and using a slug barrel and using slug shots for hunting possibly with a scope on my shotgun. With that in mind I was thinking of buying a Remmington 870 from Wal Mart this weekend, that way I can go trap shooting and hunt.

[xmatax]

Hey guys I'm sorry for the late response, I responded yesterday but I guess it didn't post. But I wanted to ask... Is 30-06 a type of rifle or just the ammunition. As I stated previously.. I don't really know much about guns :/ its embarrassing but thats why I want to learn. But I have a co worker who has been hunting for about 25 years and he was actually a hunter safety instructor for about 10 years and he told me that I should consider getting a shotgun and using a slug barrel and using slug shots for hunting possibly with a scope on my shotgun. With that in mind I was thinking of buying a Remmington 870 from Wal Mart this weekend, that way I can go trap shooting and hunt.

30-06 is a type of rifle and is made by many manufacturers. As far as a "utility" weapon a shotgun with a slug barrel and a regular barrel for shooting small game may be a good bet for you. After all, you're just getting into hunting and sometimes money does play a big part as the apparel can be expensive in itself. I haven't had the experience with a slug gun because I've always been fortunate enough to use a rifle (.270). All of the rifles mentioned are excellent for hunting deer and it's a matter of preference. You need to test before you buy. In my opinion the same as buying a car/truck. You don't just go on word of mouth and buy the first thing in the dealership, you test drive a couple makes/models.

If you are looking to get into all aspects of hunting, small game, turkey, whitetail and are on a budget, then perhaps a shotgun with the different barrels will be your best option. You will probably shell out about as much, if not more in clothing as you do for a gun if you don't have any to start with or can't get some hand-me-downs. If you're looking for just deer then a rifle, in my opinion, would be your best option. Again, test out various makes/models/calibers to find which one you like best. If you're looking to get into all aspects of hunting and can't afford everything all at once, then yeah I do not see why a shotgun with different barrels wouldn't be a bad choice to start out with either. The Remington 870 is a pretty solid shotgun for all levels of hunters. It may not be top notch in any one single category, but overall it's a pretty good gun at a pretty good price.

[kellory]

Hey guys I'm sorry for the late response, I responded yesterday but I guess it didn't post. But I wanted to ask... Is 30-06 a type of rifle or just the ammunition. As I stated previously.. I don't really know much about guns :/ its embarrassing but thats why I want to learn. But I have a co worker who has been hunting for about 25 years and he was actually a hunter safety instructor for about 10 years and he told me that I should consider getting a shotgun and using a slug barrel and using slug shots for hunting possibly with a scope on my shotgun. With that in mind I was thinking of buying a Remmington 870 from Wal Mart this weekend, that way I can go trap shooting and hunt.

That is an excellent choice, IF you have checked and verified that you are in a shotgun state for deer, as I am in Ohio. Some states are rifle states, and others are shotgun states. Off the top of my head, I am not aware of any state that allows a choice. i use a mossberg 500, myself with interchangeable barrels. Smooth bore for shot shells and rifled slugs, and a sabot barrel for sabot slugs (they are more expensive, but a bit more accurate, and make a bigger hole.)

[shaman]

30-06, 308 WIN, 7mm-08 are all chamberings. Each rifle has a chamber into which the ammo goes. The fit is pretty tight. The ammo and the rifle chambering have to match. It's a little like 12 GA, 16 GA, .410 in shotguns.

Someone from WI can chime in on this, but my guess is that if rifles are allowed for deer hunting, then shotguns will be allowed as well. I was raised in Ohio, and like Kellory, I was raised on shotgun hunting for deer. Now that I am hunting mostly in Kentucky, I primarily use rifle, but I still try and set aside a day or so to kick it up old-style with my Rem 1100. Of the two I have to say that I prefer rifle, and I would recommend it if both are available.

In general, you can usually find a good matching load for a rifle easier and cheaper than a shotgun. Rifle ammo is cheaper than shotgun. Shotguns are far more picky on what they will shoot accurately. Both will get you shooting offhand out to 50 yards without much trouble or expense, but as you stretch out to 100 or 200 yards, the rifle will get you there faster and cheaper. To get out that far, you will also find yourself dealing with more recoil with a shotgun, because the projectiles are heavier. I can shoot my deer rifle all day and not feel it. A half-dozen rounds through one of my shotguns, and I know it the next morning.

I will go back to what I said earlier: in order to best guide you, it would be helpful to know what sort of land you will be hunting and how you intend to hunt the deer. Stand hunting in the woods is a lot different than stand hunting over a bean field and much different than stalking or still-hunting.