Cheap rifle for deer hunting?

New: I would look at a Savage. Used: A nice Winchester Model 70 Push feed.
Any standard caliber will do like 7mm-08, 270, 280, 308, 30-06. If your recoil sensitive a 243 is hard to beat.
 
Your biggest concern may be which optic you go with to stay close to budget. You're definitely limited to $175ish there, so your rifle selection needs to include scope base for sure, perhaps even rings.

My experience, the Nikon Prostaff line is a good start and some package guns use this very model.

I'm a lefty too, always used right handed bolt guns just for the resale prospects, plus they were more readily available 20 years ago. Resale is something to think about. We lefties are only 15% of the population, or so I'm told.
 
Another vote for the Ruger American, $350ish at our LGS and throw a good Nikon 3-9x40 on it and your still under $500. That rifle will always resale even in a lefty version. I would get the 30-06 just because if you only have one rifle it can do all you need it to do under 400yds maybe even 500yds
 
I'm a right handed shooter, so I can't identify with that, but my sweetie and I three lever rifles between us, A Marlin in .357, a pre-safety Winchester 94, in .30-30, and an 1895 Marlin classic in .45-70. As far as I can tell, you should be able to use a lever rifle with no problem. If your buddies have a problem from "traditional" grounds, there is not too much that is more traditional than a model 94 Winchester.
Brie
 
A .450 Bushmaster upper for your AR would be my first thought. That ought to be ethical enough for your hunting buddies.
The .300 Blackout has NOT impressed me. From what I have seen, the .223 hits harder.
 
If ranges are less than 100 yards or so a $100 Mosen Nagant would do fine... Get some good soft points for hunting.

Then you could rag on your friends about the ethicacy of using scopes.
 
SKS carbines are still available at affordable prices. This is a Soviet designed semi-auto battle rifle built by a number of countries. It fires the 7.62X39 cartridge which is a deadly deer cartridge. I suggest buy Winchester Power Point soft tip ammo for hunting.

Jack
 
If ranges are less than 100 yards or so a $100 Mosen Nagant would do fine..

So my budget is around $400-500 including optic. Bolt or lever dont matter. I just need a left handed one and a caliber that is reasonably priced and easy to find.
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Yup, those scoped, left handed Mosins are amazing!:eek: Plus the shelves at Wally World everywhere are stocked with piles of soft point 7.62X54R Russian.
:D:D:D

Any of the previously mentioned package deals would be fine. Or as mentioned, something from the used rack. Something in 270, 30-06, or 308 would be a good all around choice.
Don't fret the optics either, a more economical brand today, manufactured with modern automated equipment is every bit as good as some of the most expensive scopes of years ago. I have recently purchased $50-$75 scopes that are every bit as sharp, and accurate as scopes I paid over $300 for when the dollar was worth much more. Modern computer manufacturing has really improved the low to mid priced optics.
 
It's Christmas, not April Fools Day. I marvel at many of the suggestions. Must be jokes, certainly not helpful to the situation. A lever action or left-handed bolt is mostly where we should be pointing.
Merry Christmas.
 
As a left handed shooter myself, I can verify that you don't NEED a left handed rifle. I can make any reasonable shot with a right handed Remington 700. Left handed rifles tend to cost more and they can be hard to find. Only benefit I can see in left handed rifles is speed, which is not usually necessary while hunting
 
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