Get a caliber you can find in the store. The .243 or .270 are very popular deer calibers and can be found just about anywhere, and the recoil is very light. As for the rifle, I'd suggest a Remington 700 ADL as a starter, they're easy to work and clean and very accurate. A second suggestion is the Marlin XL7/XS7, again a very accurate starter rifle. Finally I'd recommended a Savage Axis, good reliable budget rifle and a nail driver at that.
need help finding the right deer rifle for me.
- Thread starter jcHigginsgrl
- Start date
Uncommon calibers are not an issue to handloaders......
What? She can drive can't she? It ain't like it's rocket science..... hell, thousands of rednecks do it.......
That said, a 30/30 is not a bad choice, though I think there are better ones.....
My daughter likes her 30/30:
What? She can drive can't she? It ain't like it's rocket science..... hell, thousands of rednecks do it.......
That said, a 30/30 is not a bad choice, though I think there are better ones.....
My daughter likes her 30/30:
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My first deer rifle was a .243 M70 Pre 64 FWT. I bought it and a Bear Cub scope with money given me for graduation from college in 1957. Although I had, until recently, a fair battery of rifles, including .270, 7MM Mag, 300 Wby, 338/06 and .375 Mag, I never found one that did any better up to 300+ yards on mule deer and antelope.
I killed probably a dozen deer and antelope with the .243, and found that it with handloaded 100 gr bullets had a higher percentage of in the tracks kills than any other of my rifles. I think the bullets are designed for deer size game and with chest hits are like a lightning bolt.
I had a buddy who killed probably close to 50 mule deer through the years with a .243 and never saw a reason to change. Another had similar success with a 6MM Rem.
Unless you are going for elk the .243 is close to perfect for deer.
Regards,
Jerry
I killed probably a dozen deer and antelope with the .243, and found that it with handloaded 100 gr bullets had a higher percentage of in the tracks kills than any other of my rifles. I think the bullets are designed for deer size game and with chest hits are like a lightning bolt.
I had a buddy who killed probably close to 50 mule deer through the years with a .243 and never saw a reason to change. Another had similar success with a 6MM Rem.
Unless you are going for elk the .243 is close to perfect for deer.
Regards,
Jerry
okiewita40
New member
Since the OP is in northern MO. there are probably some farm fields and woods. Since she isn't much bigger than my 22 y/o daughter I would say a 243 would be about what she needs. IMHO.
jcHigginsgrl
Inactive
thanks again for the suggestions. I appreciate them all.
girl, it is a good question as to whether you will be farm/field hunting or woods hunting. Keep that in mind as you go through the posts. Down here, we have either option.
Wheat and soybean fields full of deer, or small forested areas. Look for something that can actually work out to 150-200 yards or so if you may hunt only fields or both.
Wheat and soybean fields full of deer, or small forested areas. Look for something that can actually work out to 150-200 yards or so if you may hunt only fields or both.
Orphanedcowboy
New member
Bought my daughter a Browning X-Bolt in 223 for her first rifle, she is right at 5' and 85lbs. I zeroed it for her with Fiocchi 55gr PSP and checked it with Barnes 55gr TSX:
The TSX wasn't as good as the Fiocchi, right at 1" but good enough for a doe this yr and possibly a buck if she keeps up her range work and proves to me she is ready. She is maintaining 1 1/2" 3 shot groups consistently, so I think she will be ready
The TSX wasn't as good as the Fiocchi, right at 1" but good enough for a doe this yr and possibly a buck if she keeps up her range work and proves to me she is ready. She is maintaining 1 1/2" 3 shot groups consistently, so I think she will be ready