Born to hunt,
Big Daddy has some of the best advise I've ever seen on a hunting forum. I agree with him on almost everything he said. I think the Remington and Winchesters are both excellent choices. Stay away from the Savages. I just got my first Ruger (in 25-06) and I got it on a trade so I don't have much of an opinion on them yet other that most people I know aren't huge Ruger fans.
Quality optics are imperative for a quality hunting gun. If you are going to buy a new rifle make sure you allow yourself enough money for a good scope! No Tascos, Bushnells, Simmons and high quality rings and bases are a must. I recently borrowed a friends Remington 222 Mohawk with a 16X Leopold for a prarie dog hunt. He has a $500 rifle with a $500 scope and cheap $20 rings and bases....what a joke! Buy the good stuff and you wont be sorry!
For varmit rifles I would suggest a 22-250, 220 swift, 223 or even a 243. The 243 could double as a deer gun (or back up deer gun) but I personally wouldn't suggest this round for deer because I think it is a little light. We all know that a well placed bullet means everything in the deer woods and a 243 CAN kill deer but if you want a deer rifle get something a little bigger. If you have children or a wife/girlfriend that likes to hunt then the 243 might be a good varmit gun for you and a good deer gun for them.
For a deer/ elk gun I also would suggest the 30-06 or the 270 with the 270 being my top pick. If you want a magnum then I would suggest the 300 Win mag. I have a 300 Win mag and a 300 wby mag and the the 300 win is much cheaper to shoot if you don't reload and ammo is easier to find at retail stores. Big daddy is correct in saying that magnum loads aren't much fun to shoot becasue they pound the hell out of your shoulder. If you were primarily wanting an elk gun I would suggest that you go with a magnum caliber. It's always nice to have the extra knock down power of the magnums if you are planning on doing long range shooting which can often be the case on an elk hunt. I hope this info helps.
Whatever you choose, good luck and good shooting!
Charlie
Big Daddy has some of the best advise I've ever seen on a hunting forum. I agree with him on almost everything he said. I think the Remington and Winchesters are both excellent choices. Stay away from the Savages. I just got my first Ruger (in 25-06) and I got it on a trade so I don't have much of an opinion on them yet other that most people I know aren't huge Ruger fans.
Quality optics are imperative for a quality hunting gun. If you are going to buy a new rifle make sure you allow yourself enough money for a good scope! No Tascos, Bushnells, Simmons and high quality rings and bases are a must. I recently borrowed a friends Remington 222 Mohawk with a 16X Leopold for a prarie dog hunt. He has a $500 rifle with a $500 scope and cheap $20 rings and bases....what a joke! Buy the good stuff and you wont be sorry!
For varmit rifles I would suggest a 22-250, 220 swift, 223 or even a 243. The 243 could double as a deer gun (or back up deer gun) but I personally wouldn't suggest this round for deer because I think it is a little light. We all know that a well placed bullet means everything in the deer woods and a 243 CAN kill deer but if you want a deer rifle get something a little bigger. If you have children or a wife/girlfriend that likes to hunt then the 243 might be a good varmit gun for you and a good deer gun for them.
For a deer/ elk gun I also would suggest the 30-06 or the 270 with the 270 being my top pick. If you want a magnum then I would suggest the 300 Win mag. I have a 300 Win mag and a 300 wby mag and the the 300 win is much cheaper to shoot if you don't reload and ammo is easier to find at retail stores. Big daddy is correct in saying that magnum loads aren't much fun to shoot becasue they pound the hell out of your shoulder. If you were primarily wanting an elk gun I would suggest that you go with a magnum caliber. It's always nice to have the extra knock down power of the magnums if you are planning on doing long range shooting which can often be the case on an elk hunt. I hope this info helps.
Whatever you choose, good luck and good shooting!
Charlie
