A newbe with some basic questions

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TorontoShooter

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Hi! I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. Lately I have been attracted to hunting because of some new friends who are very active in the sport.

I don't know how and where to start, what kind of weapon/weapons to have and what kind of investment am I looking at, I will be doing it only once in a while and just for the fun of it. Will appreciate any guidence. Thanks in advance.
 
Hi! I'm new to this forum and this is my first post. Lately I have been attracted to hunting because of some new friends who are very active in the sport.

I don't know how and where to start, what kind of weapon/weapons to have and what kind of investment am I looking at, I will be doing it only once in a while and just for the fun of it. Will appreciate any guidence. Thanks in advance.
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Wow, that maybe the most open ended question i've seen here. Lot of questions before you get answers. What are you hunting for starters? Are you looking for one do-all gun? Rifle or Pistol or Shotgun hunting? Do you have any shooting experience to start with? I could give a glib tongue in cheek answer, but if your sincere about getting "into" hunting, i need to know more about what your trying to get "out" of hunting. Basically we need to know more about your goals in order to give you any type of relevant advise.

-Keith
 
22 for close little critters and cans
223 for little to 200 lb and water bottles
30 cal bottle neck for little bit bigger
Shotgun for flying critters and
milk jugs full of pudding.


General answer for general question

Start by tell what animals and where u want to hunt....there's a lotta members willing to help .....welcome to the forum and thanks for your interest.
 
Let's see..... Your in Canada, and assuming somewhere near Toronto. You will probably hunt deer, moose and possibly caribou? Just guessing as you left a big chunk of information out. You can get a rifle and scope that will last a lifetime for around $1200 U.S. Add binoculars for around $200-400. Or you can shop the used market and spend less. Look at the Thompson Center Venture or Icon models, Remington 700, Winchester 70. All are bolt action and will give fairly good accuracy for around $ 400-$700 U.S. I recommend a bolt action for two reasons; accurate and dependable. There are many other choices available, talk to your friends and see what they reccomend/use.

For scopes Burris, Leopold, Ziess, Vortex. Check their websites and see what options you like. All of the mentioned will be good value and have warranties. Expect to spend $250-600 for a good scope. The more you spend the better the quality should be.

What cartridge is a very broad topic and many here will give their opinion on the "best thing to kill anything". For deer and black bear and caribou I recomend the 30-06 or 308 win.
For elk, moose and the larger bears 300 win mag or 338 win mag. Many people believe the 7mm mag is the end all be all magnum but I never caught that bug. If you are new to shooting you should start with a cartridge with less recoil. It will help you develope our shooting skills without the flinch that magnums can cause. Your choice of bullets will help make your gun more versitile and is another topic to investigate.

Let us know what you will be hunting for and at what range you will likely be shooting game at. Then we can be specific on bullets and cartridges that will work best for you.:)
 
You can get a new rifle and scope that will last a lifetime for around $1200 U.S.
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There, fixed it for ya ......

If you do a bit of looking, and have cash in hand, you can get a good used set-up for considerably less. There was a guy on here today telling how he passed up a used Ruger M77 w/ scope fpr $550 because he thought the caliber (7WSM) was too expensive. For another couple hundred bucks, he could have had a reloading kit and components to put together 100 rounds ..... thereafter, he could reload the brass for about 60 cents a pop.

Look around, and you should be able to find a good deal on a good centerfire bolt action rifle. It may not be pretty, or new, but if it is in good shape, it will work.
 
If your going after big game get any one of these rifles in 30-06 springfield.
http://www.savagearms.com/
You dont need a super magnum elephent killler to take big game. If your hunting deer get a 150 grain soft point and if your hunting elk or moose get some 180 grain silver tips.

Top it with a nikon, leupold, or redfield. And make sure you get good bases too.

As for binoculars I used these for years now and they work just fine. I have the 10x50's and can see just fine.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Bushnell174-Perma-Focus-Binoculars/720463.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dperma%2Bfocus%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=perma+focus&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

And if you want to hunt other kinds of game tell us and we can give you better suggestions.
 
Hey! Thank you all for your time and responses, as I said I am totally new, just attracted by listening to some intresting stories from a friend of mine and watching some of the clips he shot during his trips.

To answer a few questions, I am in Toronto. I have some range shooting experinece with handguns mostly 9mm and .22LR rifle (Baikal MP-161K) but no real bore rifle. I would probably start with deer in or around Ontario, but would like a rifle/caliber which can be used for deer as well as bigger game like moose or bear. I can spend about $2000 for the rifle and scope, my friend would let me have one of his spare binos for free.

My only consideration at this time is to get a decent rifle which can be used for different size game at short to medium ranges (I don't know whats the norm but let's just say 100~400 meters). Are bolt actions better or semis for ppl like me?

Thank you in advance for your time and help..
 
Before these guys send you after a $2,000 rifle, I want to say one thing:

If you plan to mount a scope on that rifle, I generally feel that a scope should cost 70% or more of the cost of the rifle. And it's sometimes justifiable to spend more money on optics, than the rifle - especially a "do-all" rifle.



However... as a "starter" rifle, you should be able to get set up nicely for $900-1,300 (US dollars), depending on quality level.
 
A .30-06 would be the only rifle I would look for if deer were my smaller target. On up to grizzly and polar bears... a .30-06 is a heart stoppin' round in any north american game critters.

Brent
 
Spend as much time as you can outdoors away from towns. Even a large city park is better than a back yard. :)

From right at daylight until an hour or so past sunup and then in the late afternoon until dark is commonly the best time to see animals if you're sitting quietly, just watching to see what moves. Animals instantly notice motion, so learn how to imitate a stump or rock.

Learning how to walk quietly is also very important. Avoid being rhythmic; animals are not. What works for me is to glance at the ground to see where I'll put my feet for the next two to four steps and then repeat. "Sneaky snaking", I call it. :)

Don't be in a hurry to buy anything. Money goes out much faster than it comes in. Spend some time in a gun store, just looking and listening. Talk to your friends, learning what they have learned from past experience.

For big game, any cartridge similar in performance to the .308 or .30-'06 will work just fine. Almost any bolt-action rifle is about as good as any other; the most important thing is that it fits your body's dimensions. Gun store people can help you with that aspect.
 
I would like to follow up on Art's comments.

Fit, pointability and function are the most important elements of selecting a rifle.

I have about 2 inch drop in my right shoulder. Most rifle stocks are two straight for me and therefore don't fall naturally to a shooting position. I have to scrunch around to obtain a good sight picture. That is why I own a Model 70 in 338 winchester. The rifle fits me. For smaller game I down load to 160 grain bullets. The other rifle which fits me is a 303 SMLE with vernier sights. Don't laugh, my son took a 6 point whitetail buch in West Va at 175 yards.

Select your caliber, probably 270 or larger is adequate. I would avoid the big belted mags.

Go to several gun shops and try numerous rifles. Bring the rifle up to your shooting position, close your eyes, lower the rifle, bring it back into position, open your eyes and see if the rifle is lined up.

When you find the one that fits buy it. A proper fit will save you a lot of agrivation, be a pleasure to shoot and put more game on the ground.

Remember the ultra expensive shotguns are sold without the stock. Stocks are purchased separately and generally tailored to the shooter at the factory. Its like buying a good suit.
 
I am assuming "deer hunting".... in my opinion, your best choice is a bolt action rifle in the 270, 308, 30-06 caliber area. You should be able to hunt everything except the largest bear with that (essentially the ones that might eat you). A larger caliber may perhaps be a bit more flexible in terms of quarry, but you pay a big price in recoil and for most, that means you won't really want to shoot it much.

Spend time in the woods and outdoors hiking. You are looking for a place to hunt where there is game. After you find such a place, when you first start out is to find a place (hunting location) that acts as somewhat of a funnel and hunt there where you can see sufficiently to make a reasonable shot, 75-100 yds or 50 yds minimum. If hunting a field, you will likely be able to see further.

A reasonable pair of binoculars would be a good investment. The Nikon Monarchs are a good middle of the road choice with good optics, that are like night and day better than the $50 binoculars you might see in a Walmart type store.

You will be thinking about things like... is this the best spot? I'm not seeing any game. I hear shooting over in that direction, maybe I need to move that way. All normal and you will generally just find your own way unless a more experienced hunter takes an interest and helps you make some of the choices. It always helps, but you will still have the same questions running though you mind when you are hunting. You just have to plunge in and start.

Read articles in magazines about hunting. They tend to fall along similar lines of thinking.

Pay attention to the wind. Ideally the wind should be blowing toward you rather than blowing in the dirction you think an animal might appear. But the wind changes and you do the best you can. Be as still as you can be when you are hunting. If you are walking, "still hunting", move very slowly... like... step (look around)... another step (look around)... etc.

Wear Blaze orange. Take a hunter safety class which should help you learn the basics. If you are bird hunting (turkey, duck, etc), they can see color which is why you see all the hunters wearing camo for this type of hunting.

Plus you are talking shotgun versus rifle more than likely. Your basic 12 ga pump shotgun will suffice for most things small game. Read the hunting regs for your province that you intend to hunt in. That's important.
 
Woa, I said WOOOOAAAAA!Toronto said he's new to the forum, We welcome you first and foremost!!!:) It's cool because all the diverse opinions and parts of this beautiful country we live in, are well represented to the fullest degree here..... AS A NEW HUNTER SHOULD: Find out how to FIRST go through a certified HUNTERS SAFETY COURSE!!!! And only then could we all welcome you to the hunting fraternity that we all love so dearly........ Then study and read about the animals you would like to hunt, and go from there..... There are so many guns and rifles and handguns, that will do the "work" but take your time to find out which one fits you best...... Don't let it get too overwhelming,,, Good Luck and happy shootin dude!!!!:)
 
How about checking with your friends and see what they use/recommend. It would more likely cover what you'll be doing. It may or may not be the same as what we do and need here in Wyoming or Texas.
 
Thank you very much every one for your time and sincere advice. I have developed this habit of doing some reaserch before buying any gadget or equipment, and the most valuable feedback comes from the experienced end users. like yourselves. I am not in a hurry and I have learned some very useful tips from your replies and will surely keep them in mind.
 
I have developed this habit of doing some reaserch before buying any gadget or equipment, and the most valuable feedback comes from the experienced end users.
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It took me 3 months to buy an HDTV for my wife, when she wanted it NOW! I understand the research. It's a very good thing, in this case. It'll save you money and frustration, in the long run.
 
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