Newbie question

V

VTGrad

Inactive
Newbie here so I apologize if my question(s) are ridiculous.

I've been considering purchasing my first rifle, and first gun, in near future but need a little help in determining the best caliber. I've talked to a good friend about it and he says to start off with a .22, which is completely fine with me.

I'm also seriously considering taking up hunting for whitetail since I've recently moved to Vermont and a number of my friends and co-worker in the area are willing to take me out.

My question is whether there are any drawbacks from purchasing a .270 caliber rifle as my first rather than a .22. I've shot my friend's .22 a number of times along with various handguns.

Thoughts?
 
One more thing

The only reason I mentioned a .270 is because it was recommend to me as a very versatile caliber.
 
The .22 LR is the classic 'starter caliber' but there's no need to really start there, especially since you have some experience. The .270 is a good caliber for hunting in your neck of the woods and there's no good reason not to start with a deer rifle (there are also other great calibers in that same class). In fact, I think you'll serve yourself better if you spend a bit more on a deer rifle now, rather than first buying a .22 and then later needing to buy a 2nd gun (unless you want 2 guns, then welcome to the party!!) In firearms, while it is not universally true that you get what you pay for, it's a fair starting assumption.
 
mes227- Thanks for the reply. You're right, if there's no big difference I'd rather spend a little extra now on one riffle rather than spending a whole lot more on two rifles. Also, since you mentioned price doesn't necessarily correlate to quality can you recommend anything in the 300 - 400 dollar range. I don't know if this amount is high or low in the total scheme of things but it's within my budget, which can always be change with the right amount of intrapersonal rationalization :)

I was considering a Marlin XL7-270
 
I don't have experience with that Marlin, but I had a Marlin 30-30 for almost 30 years and now it's my son's and it's still going strong!

At your price range you might consider a good used gun - I think you'll find you have some good options (I'm not suggesting at all that the Marlin is not). I just checked GunBroker.com for .270 calibers and there are these with current bid prices of under $450 (and near the completion of the auction):
...Remington 770 with scope & models
...Remingtons 715 & 700 without scopes (the Rem 700 is a classic - you can't go wrong with this one)
...Weatherby Vanguard (I was handling this exact gun at a Wal-mart recently, has a good, solid feel but otherwise I know little about it).
...Savage Mod. 111
...HOWA Mod 1500

And the list was much longer.

Check out the rifles section of TFL and you'll find a lot of great advise on what to look for in a used firearm.
 
I’ve got my best deals at local dealers.

I usually buy used in good condition.

If the dealer knows you’re a local he has an interest in keeping you as a customer.

Now, to your question:

I have never regretted buying better than needed but have always regretted trying to get by on the cheap.

Also, I won’t buy used until I’ve seen it and held it and given a thorough inspection.
 
I'd study as well the Vermont hunting regulations, to find out what is legal to hunt with. Some places you can go as small as the .223 Rem and still be legal to hunt deer. A good place to start before purchasing your first rifle would be to attend a hunters education course.

Here is the short list of rifles I avoid, Mossberg ATR/4X4, Remington 710/715/770, and the Savage Axis/Edge rifles. I'd add the T/C Venture to your list of rifles to possibly consider buying. I'd look as well at other cartridges in addition to the .270 Win, mainly .243 Win, .308 Win and .30-06. For what you want to do they will work just as well as the .270 Win.

In your price range, I'd start hitting the used gun racks at the local stores and pawn shops. Since this is your first rifle for deer hunting I'd recommend the .243 Win as it will be the lightest recoiling of all the cartridges mentiond and this is coming from a diehard .270 fanatic. The .243 will be the most pleasurable for you to shoot at the range, and the one least likely to cause bad habits.
 
I agree about local gun shops and seeing the gun, especially if used. I should have been clearer - I was referencing GunBroker just as a price check and a way to get a feel Goethe options in his price range.
 
AS long as you get some range time with your new rifle you'll be fine.Been seeing the T/C Venture here with good deals in several calibers they are pretty nice.look for your deal Iwould'nt just stick on 270. Like the other guys say 243,308,7mmo8 are all good deer rounds good luck.
 
Both! You can get a brand new .22lr Marlin 795 semi-auto for $100(after a $25 rebate) or a used Marlin 60 for about the same. It will also drastically extend your range time as you will be able to fire much more ammo after the .270 runs out.
 
I have 5 rifles in .22LR along with 2 in .223, 1 in .22-250, 1 in .270, 3 in .308 and 1 in .30-06.

If you are going hunting for more than varmints, a .270, .308 or .30-06 are all good calibers and legal for deer in most states that don't limit centerfire rifles.
Some states will allow .223 and .22-250 for deer, but not in my area of the country.

There are lots more choices in ammo for the .308 and .30-06 than for .270 so if you don't hand load, you may find that 130 to 150 grain bullets might be too limiting.

I love my .270, but I shoot my .223, .22-250 and one .308 bolt action more than anything else because they have heavy varmint barrels and don't heat up. I take the .270 and .30-06 hunting because they have hunting barrels and are lighter to carry around.
 
I have a 17HMR, 22lr(2), .223, .243, .270(2), .308 plus a number of military surplus rifles. All of them in bolt action and I use them from varmits to deer. I believe semi-auto's tend to lead to bad habits. Nothing wrong with them, I just beleive a bolt action leads to better marksmanship. I'd say get a 22lr with a low powered scope for practice and a .270 for hunting with. It way cheaper to practice with a 22lr than a .270. I also use the mil-surplus rifle just to feel the power on my shoulder. Can help with breaking yourself of flinching if you're not used to high powered rifles.

1. Make sure rifles are legal in Vermont to hunt with. You may find you need a shotgun.
2. 22lr, Savage, Marlin make some inexpensive rifles that are pretty accurate.
3. .270, Savage 110 series, Remington 700 ADL series. I'd stay away from package guns with scopes as the scopes and rings are the bottom of the line. Before long you'll wish you had spent just a little more for a much nicer scope/ring combo.
4. Maybe a mil-surplus, as they are cheap to shoot.

My son and I bang away about once a month with our Mosin Nagant's or Mauser's and practice once or twice a month with our 22's. About every other month or so we take the hunting/varmit rifles out to shoot just to stay current so to speak. With the .270/308's might only shoot 10 rounds but with the .223's 50-100 rounds and .243 we'll shoot 20-40 rounds. Yea, I reload, otherwise I couldn't afford the ammo bill! lol
 
IMHO the .22 would be a better starter rifle, because it allows you to fine tune the mechanics of shooting without high recoil or much noise.

That being said, the first rifle I ever fired was my father's 300 WM, and that thing kicks like a mule and will blow an eardrum without hearing protection. It helped me develop a flinch that took years to get under control enough to be accurate at distance. Start small, develop some marksmanship skills, and then move to a larger caliber with a bigger bang.
 
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