I'm looking for a new deer rifle I want a rifle I can sight in at 100yards and never have to worry about missing ever again. 400yards is a max I'd ever try to shoot but I prob wouldn't take that shot it be around 300 I got a ruger 308 in layaway at Walmart but I want the most accurate rifle I can get what do y'all think I should get?
New deer rifle
- Thread starter Swann28
- Start date
- Status
You don't sound very familiar with rifles so let me give you one piece of advise. If you expect to shoot at 100 yds but want to reserve the ability to shoot out to 400 or so then don't sight in at 100.
Here is why. A .308 using a 150 gr factory bullet sighted in at 100 yds would be 32.5" low at 400 yds. That is WAY too much to be guessing at with holdover.
However, if you sight that same round in at 250 yds you would only be 20.3" low at 400 (something you at least have a chance at when estimating holdover). You would be 3" high at 100 yds.
Here is why. A .308 using a 150 gr factory bullet sighted in at 100 yds would be 32.5" low at 400 yds. That is WAY too much to be guessing at with holdover.
However, if you sight that same round in at 250 yds you would only be 20.3" low at 400 (something you at least have a chance at when estimating holdover). You would be 3" high at 100 yds.
Last edited:
Lucas McCain
New member
They don't make a rifle that once you sight it in you need not do it again! sorry about The bad news
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
If you're going to shoot at 400 yards at a target that matters, you need to stop guessing hold-over and range.
You need a range finder and a scope with good repeatable adjustments and you need to shoot at that range and know how to read wind and make the shot.
You need a range finder and a scope with good repeatable adjustments and you need to shoot at that range and know how to read wind and make the shot.
Practice makes perfect and in my "perfect world", I tend to practice at ever given chance with the rifle I'm hunting with from multiple positions, with multiple bullet powder combos.
There's no excuse for a bad shot on an animal.
So when it comes time to take the shot, all the practice comes into play.
I also like Taylorce1, like your choice of .308 for the ranges and type of hunting your doing.. It's all good, just practice.
There's no excuse for a bad shot on an animal.
So when it comes time to take the shot, all the practice comes into play.
I also like Taylorce1, like your choice of .308 for the ranges and type of hunting your doing.. It's all good, just practice.
Because the greatest variable in the equation is not the gun, nor the scope, but the shooter, I think you should get a handloading set-up and as much components as you can afford to buy.
You have an adequate rifle. Scrimp on the scope (the glass on my deer rifle can be had on E-bay for less than 50 bucks!), splurge a bit on a good leather shooting sling and spend every penny you can on maximizing trigger time.
At the point you can shoot your rifle from field positions, under time pressure, as well as you can from a bench, then and only then, think about upgrading the scope or stock or trigger or whatever.
Last edited:
G-town Hunter
New member
Ruger American or M77?
ChasingWhitetail91
New member
I'd stick with the .308, but if you just want something new maybe try a .270
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
A fixed 4X scope fulfills "need" for deer hunting. Variables basically indicate a somewhat fatter billfold. And Weaver mounts have worked well for me for over sixty years.
Good used scopes do just as well as brand new from a store.
Good used reloading equipment works as well as brand new from a store. For the .308, most any good used reloading manual will do as well as any other.
For most "deer cartridges", sighting in for two inches high at 100 yards means right at dead on at 200. Around five to seven inches low at 300 and in the vicinity of 20 to 24 inches low at 400.
Nice to work up to a skill level to be able to reliably hit targets "way out there"; I recommend it. But the vast majority of all deer kills occur inside of 200 yards.
Good used scopes do just as well as brand new from a store.
Good used reloading equipment works as well as brand new from a store. For the .308, most any good used reloading manual will do as well as any other.
For most "deer cartridges", sighting in for two inches high at 100 yards means right at dead on at 200. Around five to seven inches low at 300 and in the vicinity of 20 to 24 inches low at 400.
Nice to work up to a skill level to be able to reliably hit targets "way out there"; I recommend it. But the vast majority of all deer kills occur inside of 200 yards.
Cheapshooter
New member
The rifle you mentioned having in layaway at Walmart will do just fine. Just don't get a scope for It in a blister pack hanging on the shelf! And while you're there stock up on a couple hundred rounds of ammo (that may be your biggest challange!)
With good optics the Ruger, and the 308 Winchester cartridge will do what you want. If you do your part!
With good optics the Ruger, and the 308 Winchester cartridge will do what you want. If you do your part!
Same scope I have.
Has worked since the 1980's ...... "Good" enough.
Any scope that will hold zero (not broken) will likely be good enough, and a new shooter could not do noticably better with a scope costing 10X as much. Save the money and use it for practice ammo, or better yet, get set up to roll your own (and make 2-3X as much ammo for the same $$$.
That is the part of the system most subject to improvement by spending money ...... but also requires time and effort.
Proficiency can be bought, just not with dollars alone.
Last edited:
allaroundhunter
New member
Get yourself a Redfield 3-9x40 or a Leupold Rifleman 3-9x40 and be done with it. Both run less than $210.
Good luck with that. I missed one at 60 yards last year, standing broadside cropping grass. Such an easy shot no one could miss. Couldn't blame it on buck fever, cause she was an old meat doe. Took me an hour of trailing to convince myself I hadn't hit her then went back and looked at the shot again Found a bullet hit in a tree behind where she was standing. It looks like I shot about a foot over her back.
The day before I had made a great shot at 150 yards, bang-flop. When you believe that you're not going to miss, re-check everything.
- Status