Hunting Dopers, help me out

In My Humble Opinion
1

This is a request for advice from Dopers who hunt deer.
Fall’s coming fast, and I’m going to be hunting for the first time with some friends. We’ll be using rifles and going after whitetail deer (this is in Kentucky).

My question is, what scope and rifle should I buy? What caliber works the best, yet is inexpensive? Keep in mind that I’m on a rather small budget ($300 for rifle, scope, and ammunition). Currently I’m leaning toward an SKS with monte carlo stock, 3x9x32 scope, in 7.62x39mm hollow point. Is this a good setup?

Lastly, any other advice or tips would be appreciated.

  • Mythos
2

I don’t hunt, but I play a hunter on TV… really, I know a few hunters. One gives me venison on occasion, so he must know something. He likes his crossbow, but is not opposed the shooting a poor little Bambi now and again. As long as he floats a little meat my way, I’m not going to gripe.

When he does shoot, he goes in with a shotgun. (Also in (Northern)Kentucky. ) It blasts through the brush better, so I’ve heard. Not an authority myself, but I’ve always heard the pro-shotgun (with deer slugs, of course) argument.

Kentucky has such a variety of terrain, it depends on where in KY yer shootin’.
-Rue.

3

Checkin’ in from West Virginia! Be sure to check the Kentucky regulations for minimum calibers & such. Over here, we have a lot of luck with the old-fashioned 30-30’s, 30-06’s, 270’s, & similar set-ups. The variable scope is probably a good bet, tho’ plain 4x’s will get you by.
Hmmm, wouldn’t a big plate of tenderloin steaks medium well (sauteed in butter) taste REALLY good right now? Deer season starts when? . . . .augustseptemberoctobernoVEMBER! I’d better get busy!

4

Your question has too many variables to be easily answered. When I hunted in Colorado and New Mexico, I used a SMLE .303 that I got for $45 a long time ago. I paid a gunsmith to work it over a little ($75), and paid about $175 for a decent scope. The terrain where we hunted usually meant much longer range shots that where I’ve been in Oklahoma. Around here, I use a Marlin .30-30 with the same scope. My dad actually owns the Marlin and I think he got it for about $250 a couple of years ago. Prior to that I used to borrow a friend’s Ruger Mini-14, but don’t even think about trying to find one of those for under $300.

5

If you’re on that tight of a budget, then the only option I see is to buy a pre-owned set-up, else you’ll end up with a piece of junk. (Make sure you have an experienced firearms user with you during the purchase.) For best accuracy, get a bolt action. And stainless steel would be a plus.

You’ll want ammo that is cheap and readily available, so just get a “common” caliber such as .270, .308, 30-06, etc. I really love my Ruger .308.

BTW: Be fortunate you live in Kentucky! Here in Ohio it is illegal to hunt whitetail with a rifle.

6

I am partial to the Remington model 700 bolt action, or one of the variants. A good caliber is 30-06. This allows a wide selection of cartridges/loads for multiple uses.

Look for good used, if you can, for whatever you may decide on. Try talking to the people at the local sportman’s club or rifle range.

I would strongly suggest attending a Hunter’s Education course. Even the experienced hunters will probably learn something.

7

The problem with SKS’s is that its not easy to put a scope on them. Receiver cover mounts and gas tube mounts don’t stay zeroed. You’ll need to drill and tap the receiver, or possibly find a scope mount that attaches to the rear sight base.

Most SKS’s also have really poor triggers, although this can be fixed. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great guns, and I love my 1952 Russian. Lots of people do hunt with them, but they’re really not a precision instrument. Unless you like them just because they’re cool or because you NEED something super rugged, IMHO you’re better off looking for a used hunting rifle that’s meant to take a scope.

If you do get one that is unfired or almost unfired, and you can’t get the trigger reworked, fire or dryfire it a lot (don’t worry, it can take it) and the trigger will get a bit smoother (but it will still be long, creepy and heavy).

8

Sorry, I was a little rushed before (multitasking). Please let me add a few thoughts.

You may be able to borrow a rifle/shotgun for the season. Many of us gun owners have more than one, and if you are a reputable, responsible, known friend of the person they may extend a loan.

I am serious about the Hunter’s Education. Do it. It may in fact be required in your state to display a course certificate in order to purchase a license. I am a Hunter’s Education instructor, I tend to preach a lot but am also absolutely convinced in what I preach.

A shotgun with slugs can be quite practical for deer, if your expected shooting distance is fairly close range. More than 20 yards or so, go for a rifle. There are a number of common calibers, I had suggested the 30-06 but there are a dozen other ones that are reliable deer class calibers.

Whatever you get, practice with it before hunting season. This is necessary both to familiarize yourself with the weapon and to verify that the sights are accurate.

Hopefully you will get tips from others on the board, there are quite a few people knowledgeable about guns and hunting (review some of the gun control threads).

I Wisconsin, deer hunting is a part of the culture. 700,000 go to the woods each fall for gun hunting alone. The climate and specifics are going to be different from what you will be experiencing, of course, but the basics are the same.

For what it’s worth, I and the devils vacationed at Mammoth Cave National park this summer. Saw deer wandering through the park each day, in broad daylight.

Good luck. Be a safe hunter. Be an ethical hunter. Enjoy the experience.

9

Be sure to check the magazine capacity law in your area. Some places will let you put a wooden block in the mag to limit it to 5 rounds (or whatever the limit is), others might require you to buy a small magazine. You can get 5 rounders for the SKS.

10

It is? That could be why we have more of those bastards that we do squirrels. I’ve learned to hate whitetails.

11

Thanks, everyone, for the input.

Kalashnikov (cool handle, btw), the limit around here is 5 rounds, I was going to purchase a 5-rounder for the SKS. I was also going to use a mount that replaces the reciever cover. However, with the issues ya’ll raised, I may go with a M-48 Mauser 8mm, (or an M44 Mosin-Magant 7.62x54mm) for the accuracy and reliabilty.

A Friend of the Devil, I’d love a Remington 700, but I couldn’t get one, a scope, and ammo, for $300. I’ll ask around though, and see who has one used for sale.

Again, thanks, you guys!

12

This is Iowa. We can only use shotguns or muzzel loaders here.
But here is a pretty good site. http://www.huntchat.com/
Don’t be shy. Just jump in and ask your question.There are a lot of knowlegeble guys there.And lots of other neat stuff.

13

Personally when hunting for deer, whitetails or muleys, I prefer my .243 or .270. I was brought up to believe that calibers higher than a 7mm (.284) was too much for deer, however, some people prefer the larger calibers.

I do want to second A Friend of the Devil on the idea of Hunter Safety. It is a great course and around here, SD and WY, you need to have taken it before you can get a license.

One point that no one has brought up though, hollow points are not good ammunition for hunting big game. You’ll want to use soft tip ammunition for the expansion effect. Hollow point rounds tend to break up too much.