Need some ideas for a deer rifle.

[Lunchbox]

Looking to get into deer hunting. I'm looking for ideas to start researching a rifle. I want something, how we should say, different. I've got a couple of ideas but would like some more. I would like to shy away from .30-06 and the rounds that fall into "I use it cause grandpa did" category. I know there's a more to that thought process but I want something that'll put down Bambi with no issues as long as I do my part and just different. Price range of say up to $700ish.

The two I have right now:
Enfield no. 4 mk1 (restocked and a way to mount some glass)
Ruger .44 carbine this one is leading the pack after having a nice setup that shouldered really great and the glass took no time for me to pick up.

[Viseprints]

If you'd be OK with a bolt action, how about this one? http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/prod ... l+%26+Waln

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSu7EuQr ... ata_player

Reviews have been excellent, accuracy is very good, and ammo is plentiful for practice and time at the range. Besides that, you won't see one everyday. Whatever you choose, have fun.

[Lunchbox]

It's a CZ so I'll definitely give it some thought. Thanks.

The only issue, can a guy find 7.62x39 rounds that can be used for hunting?

[Rem700]

7mm Mag

[MnHornet]

I like your Ruger 44 mag deerslayer option. They are a great whitetail carbine. You could get a 450 bushmaster upper, my 16" is dead nuts at 100yds, lots of punch.

[photogpat]

Weird, you have the EXACT same hunting setup I did:

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=32327

I found a couple of sporterized Enfields that were offered both here and via Armslist...some in good condition (but ambitious on the price), others which would have required a significant effort to get back to good (and parts are getting harder to come by). I ended up with a newer Savage Model 110 in .30-06 that'll be my deer gun this year - but my budget wasn't quite as hgh as yours either!

Check Armslist, and/or put up an ad...you may have to wade through a variety of garbage emails the first day, but give it a few and you'll usually get a good response from someone.

Pat

[yuppiejr]

Looking to get into deer hunting. I'm looking for ideas to start researching a rifle. I want something, how we should say, different. I've got a couple of ideas but would like some more. I would like to shy away from .30-06 and the rounds that fall into "I use it cause grandpa did" category. I know there's a more to that thought process but I want something that'll put down Bambi with no issues as long as I do my part and just different. Price range of say up to $700ish.

The two I have right now:
Enfield no. 4 mk1 (restocked and a way to mount some glass)
Ruger .44 carbine this one is leading the pack after having a nice setup that shouldered really great and the glass took no time for me to pick up.

For a short range brush/woods gun I would have a hard time arguing against the Ruger 77/44, (5 shot, 5 pound 44 magnum bolt action carbine that is an unholy love child between a Model 77 bolt action rifle and the 10/22)... The 1 in 20 twist rate should be fine for any bullet weight you can throw at it with 2-3 MOA accuracy to 100 yards if you do your part... it's a great choice for short range hunting purposes and cost per round is cheaper than anything else you're going to find with this level of performance allowing more practice. If you intend to do longer range field shooting any of the common chamberings based on the short .308 action (.308, .243, 7mm 08) or 30-06 (30-06, 25-06, .270) will be fine.

As far as "just because grandpa did it"... there's a lot more to the popularity of a classic cartridge like the 30-06 than tradition, if you're looking for an all purpose hunting rifle for anything on 4 legs in North America that you can find ammo for in any small town/out of the way hardware store it's a great choice.

I'd plan on spending at least $200-$300 for your glass and base-rings so you're likely looking in the $400-$500 range for a bolt action rifle... Ruger American rifle, Stevens (Savage) Model 200, Marlin XS7 or XL7, used Remington 700/Savage 10 or 11 series, maybe even one of the Savage Axis kits on sale at Fleet Farm this week... Lots of deals on used bolt action hunting rifles in the racks lately that would make a fine deer hunter but demand will start picking up now that we're getting to the end of summer.

[rugersol]

I'll put in my vote fer the AR pistol route!

I chrono'd 160gr FTX from my 9.5in .300 BLK at almost 1,800fps ... I expect to get over 1,900fps with some 150 SST's I jest picked up! ... with the .415 B.C., at 1,900fps, with a 200yd zero, I'd be high 5in at 100yd, and low 19in at 300yd ... and still goin' 1,421fps with 673 ft/lbs at 300yd ... 1,567fps and 818 ft/lbs at 200yd! (that's 83 ft/lbs MORE than a standard 240gr .44 mag pistol, at the muzzle!)

Comparatively, the 225gr .44 FTX has a .150 B.C. ... even if ya could get 1,900fps m/v, with a 200yd zero, at 300yd ya'd be 34in low, and 7.7in high at 100yd ... at 300yd, only 968fps and 468 ft/lbs ... at 200yd, 1,135fps and 644 ft/lbs (still less than the .300 BLK at 300yd)!

With the pistol, yer GTG in all of MN! (otherwise, yer limited to north of 95 and east of 10, IIRC)

With a longer bbl, ya'll get another 100 - 200fps! With 6.8, ya can get more ft/lbs with the same length bbl!

Almost zero recoil!

I'd guess mine weighs less than 6 lbs!

$700'd be tight ... but if ya can a bbl closer to $200, I'd say it's doable!

[yuppiejr]

Looking to get into deer hunting. I'm looking for ideas to start researching a rifle. I want something, how we should say, different. I've got a couple of ideas but would like some more. I would like to shy away from .30-06 and the rounds that fall into "I use it cause grandpa did" category. I know there's a more to that thought process but I want something that'll put down Bambi with no issues as long as I do my part and just different. Price range of say up to $700ish.

The two I have right now:
Enfield no. 4 mk1 (restocked and a way to mount some glass)
Ruger .44 carbine this one is leading the pack after having a nice setup that shouldered really great and the glass took no time for me to pick up.

Where do you hunt and/or what kind of terrain - heavy trees/woods/scrub brush or open fields, etc..?

[Lunchbox]

Where do you hunt and/or what kind of terrain - heavy trees/woods/scrub brush or open fields, etc..?

Worst case scenario I know I can go hunting with friends around Mora. On a push it'll be some rather thick stuff, in a stand looking at shots up to the 150 yard mark.

Weird, you have the EXACT same hunting setup I did: ...[snip]...

Pat

I came up with the enfield route shortly after the deer season last fall. If I were to go that way. I'd be the one to sporterize it, if you can really call it that. The rifle and a new stock add some glass = good enough to get started.

I like your Ruger 44 mag deerslayer option. They are a great whitetail carbine. You could get a 450 bushmaster upper, my 16" is dead nuts at 100yds, lots of punch.

I am one of the few people on the board that doesn't have an ar. I'd like to steer away from those due to the fact a they can eat up more money then I'd have to throw at it (I know, a guy has to have self-control but still).

[Lunchbox]

As far as "just because grandpa did it"... there's a lot more to the popularity of a classic cartridge like the 30-06 than tradition, if you're looking for an all purpose hunting rifle for anything on 4 legs in North America that you can find ammo for in any small town/out of the way hardware store it's a great choice.

I know. I was just using that as an example to kind of my point across of something different. I don't want a cookie cutter gun. I know they work and they work well but there's other options. I'm looking for the other options.

The suggested pistol option is out for the time being. First deer season and all. Would like out my bugs before I move on to that route, if I make that switch. Just saying not my thing right now.

[yuppiejr]

I'd stick with the Ruger 44/77 if your longest shot is 150-200 yards...

The 300 grain Hornady XTP with a B/C of .245 and SD of .232 9 (HITS value of 754 @ 100 yards) I came up with the following (100 yard zero):

Your Input Variables
Ballistic Coefficient .245 Velocity (ft/s) 1435 Weight (grains) 300
Maximum Range (yds) 300 Interval (yds) 50 Drag Function G1
Sight Height (inches) 1.5 Shooting Angle (degrees) 0 Zero Range (yds) 100
Wind Speed (mph) 0 Wind Angle (degrees) 90 Altitude (ft) 0
Pressure (hg) 29.53 Temperature (F) 59 Humidity (%) 0.78
Ballistics Results - 44 Mag 300 gr

Range (yards) / Velocity (fps) /Energy (ft.-lb.) / Trajectory (in) /Come UP in MOA

Muzzle 1435 / 1372 -1.5 0.0
50 1323 / 1165 1.8 -3.3
100 1225 / 999 0.0 0.0
150 1143 / 870 -7.5 4.8
200 1078 / 774 -21.7 10.4

An AR pistol in any caliber is still a PISTOL, held with two hands likely with the aid of a sling but still highly dependent on muscles versus steady hold factors around a solid stock firmly planted in your shoulder making long distance shots questionable regardless of what the ballistics calculator tells you. A 10 MOA holdover is about 1.5x the width of the front sight @ 200 yards so while it sounds like a ton of adjustment to deal with a 21" drop out of your rifle it really isn't that extreme even if you are shooting iron sights.

Am I assuming correctly that this is the newer Ruger 77/44 with the faster twist rate versus the autoloader .44 they made for a while?

[Shipyard]

whole thread is pointless really.

you allrady own 2 guns more than addequate for Mn deer hunting. i also have a ruger 44 mag carbine - probably one of the BEST brush guns ever made. enfield will have zero difficulty dropping a MN woodland critter.

unless you have some fantastic specialized perfect setup you ain't takin a shot over 100 yds. argue with me if you want, my family and i have been hunting many many years and 50-75 is the VAST majority of all kills. i dont' even have a place i can SEE 100 straight yards when i've been mn huting.

FWIW - YMMV

if you want something new, pick an action: bolt/lever/semi and a short action cartridge and go fondle some rigs at cabelas.

and yes, 7.62x39 "hunting cartridges" - brown bear soft point, remington core lokt, fed blue box, are all readily availible at any fleet farm or cabelas. probably wal mart too.

i'm more than happy to elaborate over a beer sometime duder. perhaps friday if you make it out

[Shipyard]

I'd plan on spending at least $200-$300 for your glass and base-rings so you're likely looking in the $400-$500 range for a bolt action rifle... Ruger American rifle, Stevens (Savage) Model 200, Marlin XS7 or XL7, used Remington 700/Savage 10 or 11 series, maybe even one of the Savage Axis kits on sale at Fleet Farm this week... Lots of deals on used bolt action hunting rifles in the racks lately that would make a fine deer hunter but demand will start picking up now that we're getting to the end of summer.

i recommend goign the used route (deer guns typically get shot very little). i know every year cabelas runs specials ont eh savage bottom end with scope packages for $350-$375 range NIB.

if you get a lever, get a 30-30.

bolt guns i recommend the savage/marlin lower price guns. the quality on them for the price is a really good value. .308/.243 is always a good choice. up to you really what your preference is.

STAY AWAY FROM THE REM 770'S - TOTAL PIECES OF CRAP. funny how they'res always a few on the used rack at rock bottom prices

and really - for deer hunting, a $150-$200 redfield, nikon buckmaster, leupt rifleman series scope is more than addequate. you're not going tactical and taking 300 yd head shots on al queda

[yuppiejr]

As far as "just because grandpa did it"... there's a lot more to the popularity of a classic cartridge like the 30-06 than tradition, if you're looking for an all purpose hunting rifle for anything on 4 legs in North America that you can find ammo for in any small town/out of the way hardware store it's a great choice.

I know. I was just using that as an example to kind of my point across of something different. I don't want a cookie cutter gun. I know they work and they work well but there's other options. I'm looking for the other options.

The suggested pistol option is out for the time being. First deer season and all. Would like out my bugs before I move on to that route, if I make that switch. Just saying not my thing right now.

The Ruger Gunsite Scout bolt action rifle is a somewhat less traditional approach that is going to be a lot like your Enfield sporter project (if you can find an export model there are some out there with 18" barrels and no flash hider) but within your budget.

Fleet Farm has the Savage Axis in a variety of calibers (.270 and .243 were both in stock in Blaine) with a basic Bushnell scope for $280 + tax this week.