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Which rifle to buy????

Mike in TN
I would like to buy my son (age 22, Sr. in college) a rifle to deer hunt with this season. He will mostly use this rifle in south and southeastern states. I would like to get a rifle that will get the job done deer hunting, but also is fun to shoot and accurate at the range. He will be using "off the shelf ammo" since we don't reload. Please suggest brands of rifles and calibers that would make him a gun he will enjoy shooting for years to come.

Thanks
Mike in TN

Topic edited: BTW, I would prefer a bolt-action model - Thanks
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Comments

14 comments

Date Votes
  • I.Shute
    Buy him a Ruger bolt action in .30-06 or .308.
    If he's like the rest of us, he'll never get rid of it and he'll soon have a whole closet full of rifles and shotguns.
    You just can't go wrong with whatever you buy.

    Welcome to GB Forums.
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  • rldowns3
    Remington 700, .30-06. Savage is a good choice too. So is Winchester.

    ______________________________________________________________
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  • Rembrandt
    Get him an all steel & walnut piece of history.....a classic pre-64 Winchester model 70 in 30-06 or 270. Price's will only keep going up. Sure to be an heirloom to pass onto the grandkids.
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  • gap1916
    My vote is for the Savage Model 99. This is a very fine lever action rifle that also has a piece of history. I would choose the 300Savage or the .308 calibur. My 2 cents [8D] PS Welcome to GB

    Greg
    Former Marine
    2nd A N G L I C O
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  • ern98
    Howa, Savage, Ruger, CZ, Winchester, Reminton, Weatheby & Sako all make fine shooting rifles in various length actions. Depending on weather you want wood or plastic, stainless or blue, and on your budget is where you will have to decide on which suits you best. They are all great rifles. As for caliber, .308 offers the best deal in plinking ammo because of all the cheap surplus available. For hunting the south you probably really don't need a 30cal, but it wouldn't hurt either. Still if your son is at all recoil shy then consider 243, 260rem and 7mm-08. If you have bean fields to hunt then also add 25-06, 270win & 280rem. All are surpurb cartridges for both the field and range. But their ammo will cost more then the .308 would because there is no surplus in these calibers.
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  • mpolans
    Howa or CZ in .308 or .30-06. Best quality for the money with either brand and the two calibers where you'll always be able to find cheap surplus ammo.
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  • Hunter375
    IMHO, the best bang for the BUck will be a Ruger M77 in standard trim (wood/blue). They have very nice blueing. In standard chamberings, they run just under $500 and come with scope rings. Every Ruger I have owned will shoot MOA or slightly better with the right ammo.

    When we went to get my sister her deer/elk rifle, it ended up being a Ruger M77 stainless/synthetic .280 with a Nikon Prostaff 3-9x, harris bi-pod and good leather sling. Total package was 778.28 out the door with two boxes of ammo. We handload for it now, and using Winchester nickel brass, winchester primers, IMR4350 and 150 gr. Gamekings it averages .88 MOA with an average MV of 3049 FPS.

    Save the seals-club a liberal instead.
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  • cloop
    You dont state if the cost of the gun or ammo will be a factor, or if he might want it for combat matches or bullseye matches, or maybe for shtf survival, or varmint hunting, or at what ranges he is likely to be firing? A $150 sks, if you use Corbon's 2300 fps, 150 gr softpoint, is a good choice ,to maybe 150 yds, and the practice ammo is $80 per 1000 rds. The semiauto functioning is a big help for combat type firing, and is a blast (pun intended) at the shooting range. Bolt actions are pretty limited, but if you choose one, consider a $50 Nagant-mosin Russian, with its cheap milsurp ammo,or a 308, for the same low cost ammo reason.

    I'd much rather have a used, $500, alloy framed version of the BAR (Browning's sporting autoloaded) in 308 than any bolt action ever made. It's 7 lbs, plenty accurate and powerful enough for elk, moose, bears, as well as deer or pronghorn. Since it's an autoloader, it's also useful for the rapidfire stuff, whereas no bolt action is.
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  • Frogbert
    http://www.remington.com/firearms/centerfire/700sps_ss.htm

    http://www.savagearms.com/116fcss.htm

    Frog.

    RiBBButt...You can't rollerskate in a buffalo herd, but you can be happy if you've a mind to. -Roger Miller
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  • cody45
    Give him a piece of history, an American classic-pre-64 Winchester model 70 in 270 or 30-06. Because these calibers were so common the prices are very reasonable. $600 or so. You can't go wrong with the combination of investment quality/utility, accuracy, ammo available everywhere, and classic tradition.
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  • bperdue21
    remington 700 bdl 270 or 30-06. you can get some real deals on a used one.

    I'm not an expert, but i did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
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  • CHGOTHNDER
    Hate to recommend it but go to wally world and buy one of the package deals they have.

    PJ

    editorialcolor.bmp
    If nobody seen you do it, how could you have done it. NRA PATRON-LIFE Member, AF&AM, Shriner Life Member, A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois "Chicago Chapter" Founding Member & Board Member
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  • hslaterpryce
    .243 Win in a Ruger 77 will do great om any game in the south or SE. Accureate at the range as well and a more comfprtable recoil than the 30 calibers mentioned above. Live in the south for 30 years and a .243 will get it done... Good luck as there are so many good rifles and calibers to choose from - all great and fun to shoot. He will eventually end up like the rest of us with a safe full of great guns!!!!
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  • reddnek
    I bought a ruger model 77 last year in .257 roberts love it!!!!! comes in many other calibers if 257's not what you want
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