First Rifle

H

hopeisnotastrategy

New member
I have never hunted or owned a hunting rifle. I was in the US Army where I fired virtually everything they had, so I am not new to firearms.

I am looking to buy my first rifle and I want it to be relatively versatile, since I won't buy a second rifle for some time.

I live in Texas where I'll hunt mostly Whitetail and Mule Deer, but I have already been invited on a Black Bear hunt in Colorado this fall, so I would like the rifle to work for both.

After a ton of reading I think I have settled on the .270. I'm looking to either validate that decision or be convinced of a better option. 2 concerns I have, having never fired a .270, is if the recoil of the weapon will make the hours of practice I plan to put in between now and September unenjoyable, and whether the ammo for all that practice will be cost prohibitive.

Thanks so much for your feedback!
 
The 270 is fine, though I don't own one. I'd plan to put at least a mid+ quality scope on it, a Leupold VX-3 2.5-8 would be a solid choice. A Browning A-Bolt in 270(used or new) would be easy to find & would serve you well. Plenty of other options, what's the budget limit?
 
1. Recoil isn't bad if you have a nice comfy modern recoil pad on your .270. The one on my Remington 700 works well.
2. Remington Corelokt or Winchester Fusion aren't too expensive and do the job on deer and hogs. They're around $20 a box and are on sale prior to deer season. In fact the Corelokt was on sale at Academy when I was there yesterday. I haven't had good luck with Monarch .270 ammo from Academy - it seems to be very lightly loaded.
 
A 270 would do all you asked it for and more, there are other cartridges out there that will also, In the mid calibers like that there are so many right ones that none are wrong amoung them, just a matter of personal prefference. The 270 would be excellent from varmits to bear/elk. Its recoil and muzzle blast is mild, and shells ar moderate priced, you may find someone to reload them for you also. I hope this helps.
Bob
 
Good choice of caliber for first rifle. Can't go wrong with a 130 gr bullet in .270. Like apple pie and ice cream.

Which rifle are you looking at? I would like to suggest the T/C Venture in .270 topped off with a decent scope (ie, Zeiss Conquest) and you're set for a long time. Total package would be around $750 and save the rest for accessories, ammo and range time.

Good luck and let us know what you decide on getting.
 
Twins,

I am so new at this I had never even heard of T/C. I had narrowed my choices to the Browning A-Bolt, Remington 700, and Savage 114 Classic.

I'm more than open to suggestions or feedback there, although I suspect that should be a different thread.
 
Super pick of calibers, and the 130 gr. bullet is the preferred weight. The brand and action of rifle that will be unleashing those 130 grainers is the big decision. Several riflemakers have products in the .270 win chamber. So do yourself a favor and go handle some different brands. Savage is cool, but I have a nice Weatherby Vanguard, and the Howa,(made in same factory) is very nice also. Savage is splendid, Ruger's, etc. Good luck with whatever you choose man.
 
I am so new at this I had never even heard of T/C. I had narrowed my choices to the Browning A-Bolt, Remington 700, and Savage 114 Classic.

I'm more than open to suggestions or feedback there, although I suspect that should be a different thread.
Click to expand...

Hope,
T/C stands for Thompson Center. Maker of the Venture, one of the best bang for the buck rifle on the market today. The MOA accuracy guarantee with the lifetime warranty is hard to beat for a $450 rifle.

http://www.tcarms.com/firearms/venture.php
 
Technology is so advanced now that any of these models mentioned can work well. Other than some economy lines, most new rifles now are very reliable and plenty accurate for most deer and black bear applications. Really, its personal preference. Hold them and feel the fit and finish. Personally, I prefer Rem 700 and Win 70 because that's what I used when my dad and grandfathers taught me how to hunt. One of my buddies shoots a Browning A Bolt and loves it. It's lights out with Hornady ammo and has a nice trigger pull. Another buddy has a Savage and he is very satisfied with it. He doesn't like it as much as his dads Rem 700 but its all he was willing to pay for at the time and it can shoot an inch at 100 yards reliably. Hell man, get what model you like. Also- look into the 270 WSM. Neat little cartridge thats loaded hotter than the 270 Win. A lot of times it will run 200 fps faster. Pretty much a laser beam at normal hunting ranges. I had one for a season 3 years ago and loved the cartridge. Killed an axis and 4 whitetails with it. A buddy shot an 8 pointer with it straight through the front of its chest at about 125 yds and that buck acted like he was hit by lightning. I sold it and bought a model 700 action, a new barrel and stock because I didn't like that Weatherby very much. ...I will say with certainty, my heavy barreled 300 win mag has changed my life forever...
 
One of the better bargains is the Savage line of rifles, all accurate and priced well within your budget with enough room for a nice scope.

Jim
 
Jim243 said:
One of the better bargains is the Savage line of rifles, all accurate and priced well within your budget with enough room for a nice scope.

Jim
Click to expand...

Valuewise, you'd be hard pressed to beat a Savage rifle. Their out of the box accuracy is hard to beat, and the .270win cartridge is more than sufficient for what you want to hunt.

The .270 won't beat you up on the bench, and that alone will enable you to get comfy with the rifle and make the shots you need.

Have fun and be safe!
 
.270 Win is an awesome choice for deer and about anything else in the lower 48. Good choices on rifles, nothing wrong with any of them just find the one you like the feel of the best and you'll have your rifle picked out. Put a decent scope on it an go kill some deer.
 
Go to different gun stores and try what they have on for size.

Any of the three you mention will do fine. The Remington 700 would be what I'd choose.

One thing to remember is that the .270 likes longer barrels, 24" would be the minimum.
 
In my honest opinion, sans the budget. If you are only buying one rifle and you want to hunt white tail and blackbear and want controllable recoil.... Cheytac M200 Intervention in .408 is the clear choice. Go big or go home!

"May you lick the hand that feeds you, may your chains lay lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!"
 
Buzzcock - Thanks for that input. I was wondering about barrel length.

Prometheus - .408??? Is that for real? Doesn't a .408 have twice the recoil or more of a .270?
 
It wouldn't be my personal first choice specifically for a black bear hunt probably (actually a .41 Magnum revolver was), but, you ARE looking for one do-almost-all caliber. The right 85-100 gr. bullet, and that selection I think is very important, will bring down a black bear just as there are express .308's that'll stop a grizzly.

http://www.federalpremium.com/products/details/rifle.aspx?id=214

The .270 is basically a necked-down .30-06. Its .308 brother is the 7mm-08. The .243 is a further necked-down .308, kinda as the .25-06 is based on the .30-06.

Remember, the weaker .30-30 was the do-it all cartridge here once upon, and for a very long, time. That included black bear.

If I were truly focusing on medium game I'd probably go .270 as well... But there are so many other good things to shoot, just in Texas alone!

Gehr
 
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