# Recommend a good deer hunting gun for a beginner **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 28, 2011, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-deer-hunting-gun-for-a-beginner/590584 "2011-07-28T03:38:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-deer-hunting-gun-for-a-beginner/590584/21 "2011-08-02T00:29:37Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > \ > > One thing that has not been mentioned: Ask around about borrowing a rifle. The owner will most likely have it all sighted in and have a good handle on what loadings it shoots well. If you are youngish, then it might come from the dad or uncle of a friend. **Hunting is hard work and takes up a lot of time, so many men stop hunting when they hit their 40s or so** …and the cherished memories associated with a rifle are hard to part with, so mostly they don’t get sold off while the owner can still fog a mirror. \ (bolding mine) keep in mind that hunting also requires skill, if you’re a novice hunter go with somebody experience and good at it, and try to learn from them. I used to hunt every year. When I turned 18 Dad gave me a 7mm bolt action and single shot break action 20gauge shotgun and told me from now on I had to pay for my own hunting. I quit after a few years because I am an _awesome_ hunter, but suck at finding any game to bag. Money for gas, bringing lunch, hunting license and game tags, ammunition, adds up pretty quick for a walk in the wilds. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-deer-hunting-gun-for-a-beginner/590584/22 "2011-08-02T00:59:17Z")
I think a .30-06 is ideal for a beginner deer hunter, I’d go with a Winchester Model 70. I personally use a Remington Model 7 in 7mm Remington Ultra Mag, but would not recommend it for a beginner hunter. For one you do not need the range as a beginner hunter, as you should not take long shots if you are not supremely confident you can humanely kill the animal at great range. For two, last time I stocked up .30-06 was about 50% cheaper than 7mm UM. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-deer-hunting-gun-for-a-beginner/590584/23 "2011-08-03T17:28:21Z")
For a beginner, I’d hesitate to go with a full-up .30-06. It can be a bit of a beast in a lightweight rifle. The .308 Win has very similar terminal ballistics, while still being a lighter, handier round in general. You can take most north american game with a .308, and realistically, what are the odds he’ll be hunting brown bears, grizzlies, or bison? Anything less than will fall quite nicely to a .308. That said, I’d agree that .270 or similar load would also be just fine. Don’t much like the 7.62x39 as a hunting cartridge - it’s got balistics similar to the .30-30. Not entirely unsuitable, but not anywhere near my first choice. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-deer-hunting-gun-for-a-beginner/590584/24 "2011-08-03T20:50:46Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > I think a .30-06 is ideal for a beginner deer hunter, I’d go with a Winchester Model 70. > > I personally use a Remington Model 7 in 7mm Remington Ultra Mag, but would not recommend it for a beginner hunter. For one you do not need the range as a beginner hunter, as you should not take long shots if you are not supremely confident you can humanely kill the animal at great range. For two, last time I stocked up .30-06 was about 50% cheaper than 7mm UM. yeah, I agree. When I hunted, I started out at age 12 with a 7mm because thats what Dad had. I spent that summer target shooting a minimum of 20 rounds once a week just to get used to it and proficient with it before going out and actually hunting. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-deer-hunting-gun-for-a-beginner/590584/25 "2011-08-03T21:35:06Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I find this interesting because my experience with the M77 is completely to the contrary. I bought one probably 30 years ago in 22-250 and it’s been the standard against which I measure the accuracy and reliability of all my subsequent purchases. In short, it’s never been anything but perfect. I’ve had a dozen one shot kills on whitetail and antelope and have shot through the neck on a half dozen turks. At 150 yards 3 bullets will be within a dime and my hunting buds enviously curse the fact it’s me and not them that own the rifle. Bolt action is smooth and clean and this Ruger is why I also bought a Ruger #1 in 7mm mag. That’s strange that our experiences should be so disparate but I gotta throw a little love for it out there. It’s my most trusted and dependable rifle by a pretty fair margin. Yet another owner of a M-77, this one in .270 Win. My experiences fall between yours and **Crafter\_Man** ’s. I like the thing, and it’s taken a few deer, but I’m not in love with it. It does have noticeable recoil, but then again, so will anything sufficient to easily handle deer. Mine is not a tack driver—maybe 1.5 MOA?—but it is sufficient for deer at any range I have business shooting them at. It was improved by a glass bedding/stock re-finishing job, which is a bit more work than a new shooter may want to do. Though I know a .22-250 can take deer, I wouldn’t go lighter than a .243 Winchester. Personal preference. A nice thing about .270, and .308 and .-06 is that you can find ammo just about anywhere in the USA. Definitely go heavier than lighter. A flinch, if you get one, is a PITA to get rid of. (Guiltily raises hand). And how much walking are you going to do, anyway? It’s not like you’re elk hunting… ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-deer-hunting-gun-for-a-beginner/590584/26 "2011-08-04T00:34:10Z")
one grandpa across the street from my brother’s house owns three winchester pre-64 m-70 rifles, all in 30-06 and all in great shape (one with a lyman target sight, one in military peep and one with a weaver variable.) i suppose the degree of separation puts me far down the inheritance order. one, even just one! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-deer-hunting-gun-for-a-beginner/590584.md?page=1)