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 Deer Hunting 
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 Post subject: Deer Hunting
PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 8:36 am 
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My wife would like to try deer hunting maybe this fall or next but first we need to take our firearms safety and find somewhere to hunt and how lol. But my question is this what is a good callibur gun to deer hunt with? Wich would be better for a new hunter a shotgun or rifle and why. Thanks for the help.


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:07 am 
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DNR website - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/firea ... index.html

As an adult, you can do an independent study. If you want to actually sit through a class, you can find scheduled classes at the DNR's website also.

What you hunt WITH depends on WHERE you to hunt. See MN Hunting Regs - that'll tell you what zones are for rifle and what are for shotgun.

I hunt southern MN with a 12 ga. (20 ga will work, too.) Shotgun obviously limits your distance. I took one from about 80 yards last year, but that's a stretch. 50 yd is generally my limit. Can't help you with rifle choice.


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 9:32 am 
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Yep - first decide which part of the state you will hunt. Of course, you can hunt with shotguns in both zones and be perfectly well equipped.

Which rifle caliber? That is something of a religious question.

For your wife, look into the 7mm-08. Great factory load selection, low recoil.

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:09 am 
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Quote:
what is a good callibur gun to deer hunt with?


That will get more answers than the auto/revolver question! :lol:

Because I grew up with .30-30 and 30-06 I prefer 30 caliber guns. Rifles come in different shapes and sizes just like handguns. When you or your wife find a manufacturer/style that fit then start considering calibers. I will give a breakdown of my preferences.
Winchester mod. 94 - .30-30. Lever action, Little recoil, open sites, moderately comfortable to carry, good short range gun. Lots of ammo.

Savage model (99?) .300 savage. Lever action, Little recoil, Rotary magazine, open sites, very comfortable to carry and shoot. limited ammo supply. (my personal favorite of less than 100 yard shooting)

Remington .30-06 pump action. 2x7 scope. My grandfathers gun. Still used as primary large critter gun. Lots of ammo options. For beginner shooters (or those of us who don't like recoil) this gun shoots very well with light loads of 125 grain boat-tails. I used to have them hand-loaded for me, but now you can get reduced recoil 125's off the shelf. I have shot 165 grain nosler partitions (federal premiums) and had lots of recoil, but the venison doesn't move.

The .308 is a rifle I wish I owned. Not as many over the counter rounds available as a 30-06, but what a option for styles of guns! Locally check out DPMS for an evil black rifle! or go simple with any manufacturer of bolt, pump, semi-auto, or single shot rifle in .308. This round is probably the best all around caliber. (But I don't own one :? ) I recommend the .308 all the time yet never buy one. I think it's only because when I do get one it will be more money than I should spend (kinda like waiting for buying the 1911)

Next major rifle purchase will be a .300 wsm. I reluctantly shot one last year. I was afraid I would experience the same recoil of a 300 mag. The BOSS system on the WSM was sweet! more push than crack, I think less recoil than the 30-06. Hearing protection is a must on all rifles but with the BOSS everyone needs ear protection.

just my .02

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:18 am 
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OPINION ALERT:

For a rifle you cannot go wrong with any of the short-actions based on the .308 Win. cartridge. (They are many!)

7mm-08 as DeanC suggested is an outstanding cartridge for any level of hunter.

.243 is usually the first recommendation for a first timer or woman hunter. I have shot them, very pleasant to shoot, but I have heard they are not as effective on the larger MN deer. (Like DeanC said, you will get all sorts of arguments for and against every possible cartridge and its variations.)

A rifle chambered in .308 can take most any animal in North America with the right cartridge choice. It is widely available in every rifle brand. Ammo is easily available and the new Low Recoil cartridges are nice for the same target audience as the .243 and you can also get High Energy cartridges for the other end of the power curve.

In a shotgun the Semi-autos generally have less felt recoil. If you get a rifled "deer barrel" you can shoot saboted slugs and be very effective in short to medium range shots.

This of course doesn't even scratch the surface. Figuring out where to start this journey is the toughest part. It is a fun journey of discovery however! But have no fear, it may be your first rifle or shotgun but not your last.

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:28 am 
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please do go on. I'm in fact considering this very topic and it's of great interest. I hope to hunt deer for the first time this season or next . My first precision rifle shots with anything other than a .22 were the other Day at Bill's with HammAr's .308. Went pretty well.

Now I'm into the how much hunting rifle can I afford and what all can I make it do for my money stage.

Soon I need to start being REAL nice to all my friends that hunt :-)


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:28 am 
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My wife has taken a few deer, more than me actually.
She started with 12ga with scoped slug barrel.
Then we bought her her own Mossberg 500 20ga youth combo. 3" sabot slugs...........equals deer in the freezer and an 11 point rack on the wall fall '06. 8)


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:39 am 
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plblark wrote:
please do go on. I'm in fact considering this very topic and it's of great interest. I hope to hunt deer for the first time this season or next . My first precision rifle shots with anything other than a .22 were the other Day at Bill's with HammAr's .308. Went pretty well.

Now I'm into the how much hunting rifle can I afford and what all can I make it do for my money stage.

Soon I need to start being REAL nice to all my friends that hunt :-)


IMHO the absolute best value in a rifle is the Stevens line from Savage. They are identical to the Savage line except they do not have the Accu-Trigger. (I do not own one but if I were to get a second rifle in a given caliber for my wife or as a backup rifle on a hunting trip, I think it would be a great way to go.)
I do have a Savage in .308 (with Accu-Trigger) and it is a delight.

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Last edited by KonaSeven on Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:41 am 
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White Horseradish has been talking my ear off about Stevens. How much is the Accu-Trigger and is it worth the difference in rifle cost to get it?


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:42 am 
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A Brit in MN wrote:
My wife has taken a few deer, more than me actually.
She started with 12ga with scoped slug barrel.
Then we bought her her own Mossberg 500 20ga youth combo. 3" sabot slugs...........equals deer in the freezer and an 11 point rack on the wall fall '06. 8)


Brit makes an excellent point, when picking up and trying long guns in the store, do not be afraid to have your wife try selections geared toward youth. (There is often a section devoted for this.) Those setups are the only rifles/shotguns my wife can hold correctly.

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:43 am 
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I will say that despite my recommendation of the 7mm-08 above, I am a .30 cal snob. But, I try not to let it show.

I also am allergic to the .243 caliber. I have seen (well actually not seen because we never found them) too many deer escape because some jackass is using varmint bullets for deer hunting.

Of course, a different jackass took a 200 yard shot with his 30-06 and clipped a deer that got away.

Know what your rifle can do and practice with it. Use good ammo that is up to the task. Hunt with the same ammo you sight in with. Same bullet weight, same brand. Shoot it at different ranges 50, 100, 200, maybe even 300 yards. Just so you know.

Jeff Cooper recommends putting 200 rounds through your hunting rifle a year. That is a lot and I don't put that many through my rifle. But you darn well should be shooting more than one box a year between openers. I see too many guys who buy one box that lasts them for 3 years and they only buy a new box because their shells are turning green. :roll:

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:51 am 
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plblark wrote:
White Horseradish has been talking my ear off about Stevens. How much is the Accu-Trigger and is it worth the difference in rifle cost to get it?


Accu-Trigger and the stock choices are the main differences. Stevens is available in blued only, but many still prefer that look. I would get the Stevens in the caliber you want and then go shopping for an aftermarket adjustable trigger. Such as those at http://www.sharpshootersupply.com/ $85.00 for an excellent trigger upgrade.

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:03 am 
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I think the Stevens are also only available in long-action calibers. But they are fine rifles. <Edit> That used to be the case. I see they have short-action calibers now. I wonder if they actually use a short-action receiver or not. They are listed as being an inch shorter, so they might. Disappointingly, Tikka does not. They have their .308's and 300 wsm's in the same length receiver as their 30-06's and 300 wm's.

The Accutrigger is worth every single penny.

Dream deer rifle for me: Savage Scout in .308 with Accutrigger (or maybe a Remington Model 7 in .308, but I really want a detachable box mag). I'm also intrigued by the new takedown BLR (Browning Lever Rifle).

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:29 am 
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DeanC wrote:
For your wife, look into the 7mm-08. Great factory load selection, low recoil.
Chuck Hawks (if I remember correctly), in one of his articles, said that many people start youth and women with a .243 for the low recoil. He thought that the .243 was on the light side, particularly with new shooters, whose placement may not be the best. He thought a .260 Remington (basically a .308 necked to 6.5 mm) or a 7-08 (basically a .308 necked to 7 mm) would be a better choice.

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:58 am 
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DeanC wrote:
The Accutrigger is worth every single penny.

Dream deer rifle for me: Savage Scout in .308 with Accutrigger...
Well... what are you waiting for? Got mine 2 years ago! Left-handed even!

Completely agree on the Accu-Trigger.

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