Rifle Help-- BEGINNER :/

what kind of deer and javelinas do you have down there that require a .300 mag?
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It's not how big but how far. A close shot is 300 yds. Most of the guys build a box that you can only look one way to hunt out of. It's pretty much a benchrest table with an adjustable rifle rest. They'll usually put out wind flags at the various yardages. Depending on the hunter, the flags start at 300 yds and out to 800 yds. They hunt the pipelines mostly. Most load the 125gr TNT bullets in their 300 mags and at the long yardages, the bullet performs like a game bullet. A game bullet will not reliably expand at the long range.

Feral hogs here run from about 350 lbs to over 500lbs. Javelinas- who cares as long as they're dead. They serve no purpose except to destroy valuable grazing land and a few crops. But they are good at spreading disease. Texas is a Swine quarantine state which means you cannot transport a swine from county to county without documentation from a vet in each county.
 
Clifford L. Hughes

Dcramirez55:

For a hunting rifle you can't go wrong choosing any of the major manufacture's rifles: Remington, Winchester, Savage, Ruger and many others. To determine the weight and caliber you must answer these qustions. What is the longest most likely range that I'll be shooting? Will I be on a stand or will I be hunting in brush or hunting in open country? Will the riflle be used for both varmit and deer? In most cases magnum calibers are unneeded for shots under 300 yards even though many hunters prefer them for everything. For practice shooting at running deer I used my .308 Norma magnum shooting at running jackrabbits. As for calibers, any of the calibers based on the 30/06 case or the 308 case is fine. Your choice should be based on you tolerance for recoil. Remember that the lighter the rifle, the heaver the bullet and the heaver the power charge the heaver the recol. Go to a well stocked sporting goods store and handle several rifles and then choose one the is comfortable to you. Factory stocks are adequate for the rifle that they are suppplied with; however, sprucing a rifle up with an exotic stock is half the fun of shooting.

Semper Fi.

Gunnery Sergeant
Clifford L. Hughes
USMC Retired
 
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Loader, a new shooter still doesn't "need" a 300 mag because a new shooter has no business shooting at deer from that far away. For that matter, most supposedly experienced shooters have no business trying to shoot deer from that far either.
 
publius said:
Plain ole Savage model 10 or Remington 700BDL in .308. No fluting, fancy stocks, etc. For godness sakes don't paint or Duracoat a new rifle. Don't be a cheapskate on the scope, it's every bit as important as the rifle you're putting it on.
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I agree 100%. I would say forget the .243. It's more of a kids or woman's deer gun to me. You should be able to find a wider variety of ammo for the .308 as well. The .270 or 30.06 would be a good choice but the short action of the .308 is nice and keeps the gun lighter.

As far as scopes I recommend a nikon buckmaster or monarch. To me they are one of the best deals for the money. Also pick up some all steel bases and rings. Leopold one piece bases are nice and not a arm and a leg!
 
I'd like to point out that "It is a rare rifleman that can shoot up to his rifle."

Caliber is unimportant other than "Does it have the range and terminal energy necessary for the task at hand, at a price that the shooter can afford to practice extensively." Most any modern centerfire bolt gun in .243 or larger will work as a deer rifle. I'm a fan of .270 WIN, myself, but just about any other cartridge between .243 and 30-06 will do the trick...... some more efficiently than others.

My advice is to buy a used rifle, put a good scope and mounts on it, and learn to handload for it: you'll save a lot of money with a used gun, and handloading will let you practice 2 or 3 times as much for the same money.

Practice in field positions, under time pressure (unless you will hunt tame deer from a shooting bench), until your rifle becomes an extension of your eyesight.....

Good hunting!
 
Interesting list of wants. If you just want a Texas deer rifle, any 243 or 308 win will do. I would go 308 because of the slightly better and larger variety of ammo available.

For 308's, I would look at a Savage model 10 or 12. A model 10 will be handier and a 12 will be more accurate. Both are fine for normal 0-300 yd deer rifle. To shoot longer, then you might think about reloading first and gunsmithing second. My stock, bedded, 12 BVSS will shoot .600 - .750" @ 100yd groups regularly.

A Rem 700 is a gunsmith's friend as it has some fundamental design flaws which have brought a lot of bacon to gunsmiths over the years. Still, many will put 5 shots under 1.000" @ 100 yards which is damn fine.

Now, $50 scopes will not regularly shoot like that. To see real accuracy, I would plan on spending the same or more than the rifle price on scope and rings. Hunting requires a good scope, especially when twisting turrets.
 
>>I agree 100%. I would say forget the .243. It's more of a kids or woman's deer gun to me. You should be able to find a wider variety of ammo for the .308 as well.

Huh? They use the same casing and nearly the same powder charge. Why do you believe it's a "woman's gun"?

I've always used a .270, however .243 is fine for white tail.
 
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