Deer Hunting Rifle Recommendation

[Eaglelord17]

Also if your looking for a cheap effective hunting rifle, don't discount old sporterized military rifles. Some can be done up quite nicely for hunting and be fairly cheap (100-300$). Just pay attention to what the caliber is (i.e. go for something that can be found on the shelf like .303 or 8mm Mauser). They aren't going to be as accurate as even a Savage axis (firearm manufacturing technology has come a long way), but provided they are in good condition they will do the job more than adequately.

 

[Halifax Tar]

More deer have been killed by a .30-30, I would hazard a guess, than any other caliber.

Especially in NS, as its pretty rare that your taking a shot over 75-100 yards.

.30-.30 and .303Br have probably culled more game in Canada than any other round I would bet.  But I think .308 and 30-06 are catching up fast as 30-30 and .303Br become less and less used.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

More deer have been killed by a .30-30, I would hazard a guess, than any other caliber.

Especially in NS, as its pretty rare that your taking a shot over 75-100 yards.

The 30-30 is an anemic cartridge. It lacks good hard hitting. There are more deer killed with it, because everyone wanted the lever gun and there are hundreds of thousands of them. Any shots outside the 25-50 yards that most deer are taken at, in woodlots, and you're pushing the limits of the cartridge. I would be hard pressed to use a 30-30 at 100 yards and over. It's an outdated cartridge, suitable only for close in work.

.303 British has killed more deer in Canada, because everyone had a surplus rifle chambered in that cartridge. Similar to the States where the 30-06 (.30 Browning) was the king cartridge, because that what hunters used when they returned from the wars. Surplus guns. It's more a matter of available platform, than cartridge characteristics.

 

[Nuggs]

Apologies my above post should have said deer not game. And while I agree a pile of Enfields entered circulation post war, far more 30-30 existed in civilian hands prior to that.

I can't think of a farmer that I knew in NS that didn't have a pre-64 1894, and even the ones that had Enfields preferred the 30-30 on whitetail. Especially as a 1894 trapper was a 33" gun weighing 6lbs. Far far easier to maneuver as a bush gun than a 9lb 44" enfield.

In my personal opinion you need 1000 ft⋅lbf for white tail. With 150gr out of a 30-30 at a max of 100 yards, your still over 1200, more at closer ranges, which we agree is where your white tail kills in NS will be. Sure a 180gr @ 1800 ft⋅lbf will kill whitetail, but in my opinion its overkill, especially for the extra 3 lbs and 10" in thick NS underbrush.

Remember too that a 30-30 is 20% more energy at 100 yards than 7.62x39 but I don't see anyone calling sks anemic on deer.

Now if we were talking moose very different story.

Regardless 30-30, .303, 7.62x39, .308, 30-06 all solid deer guns.

 

[Lumber]

Regardless 30-30, .303, 7.62x39, .308, 30-06 all solid deer guns.

What's your opinion on the .270 recommended early by HB?

 

[Nuggs]

Compared to the similar 30-06 the .270 produces less recoil and has a flatter trajectory, so purely as a deer cartridge I’d take .270.

It's a great range cartridge due to the flatter trajectory, excellent for mountain game.

I'd suggest 30-06 is better for elk, and definitely better for moose and bear. The .30-06 with a 180-grain bullet it’s a hard hitter for larger game.


What is your use case?
IE tramping through the bush, or sitting in a blind at the edge of a field.

And budget?

 

[Nuggs]

I don't think anyone mentioned .243Win either.

Very very solid whitetail round.


Edit... 7mm-08 as well

 

[AbdullahD]

I don't think anyone mentioned .243Win either.

Very very solid whitetail round.

I love the .243 but he wanted a hard hitter from what I understood.. but if he is open to options I'd preach .243 all day long.

Bought my wife a mossberg patriot, came with a 3x9 entry level scope in .243. Barely any kick at all and amazingly accurate.

Any rate I love the cartridge and for a deer rifle I think it cant be beat.. but if one wants a sore shoulder it is not one I would recommend for that lol

 

[Kat Stevens]

I have a savage axis in .243 that came with a semi decent piece of glass. Got rid of the flexi stock in favour of a Boyd's laminate stock ($110 delivered to my doorstep), and a bolt on bipod. It can knock down deer, and has put a dent in the local coyote population, all for under about $500.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I've  taken a fair amount of deer with a Parker Hale Safari in .243.  Hell on groundhogs and yotes.

 

[X Royal]

I have a Ruger M77 in 25.06.
Excellent deer cartridge.

 

[Will M]

Good suggestions for the 270, 30-30, .308 etc. Shot placement is more important. Sourcing guns such as auctions, you need to know what to look for or have someone look at what you like so you get a rifle that does not require repair. New firearms are more accurate than in the past with the use of cnc machining. A $500 rifle can shoot an inch group at 100 yards if you can.
Make a list of must have, ie: ability  to mount a scope, type of action, bolt, lever, single shot, semi auto.
Most hunters I know and that includes me want the ability of quick follow up shots so a semi and lever fit. Now add a scope so a lever tends to be difficult for a scope but a semi works well with one. Next what are you allowed to shoot in your hunting zone? If rifle a semi with a scope works, if restricted to shotgun/muzzleloader then a semi shotgun with rifled barrel works. A 20 ga is best, shoots flatter and less recoil and weight then a 12 ga. I have a 20 ga Remington with rifled barrel capable 0f 200+ yard shots. Very accurate for a shotgun and puts down deer quickly.
If you decide rifle the new type cartridges that cost 4x more do not take a deer any better than the 100+ year old 30-30, 30-06 etc.
New expensive chamberings are mostly marketing with negligible differences in ballistics for hunting purposes.
Buy first what you need with the features you like and make sure you can shoulder it with your hunting coat on. Don't want a stock too long or short.

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Well its been many moons since I've done any hunting, but my rifle was a Browning BLR in .308 with a 4X Leopold scope. Nice and light if you are doing lots of walking and short in length which makes it idea when moving through bush.

 

[6point5screedmoor]

I would go with a savage, probably a model 10 because you can upgrade the riffle as you want. It's cheap and you can expect about half MOA with the right ammo/handloads. I know your eager to kick Buble gum and chew ass but I would stick to something short action like 308 or even better 6.5creedmore. the ballistics at range of those two are excellent, with 6.5 winning in my mind because it shoots flat, and shooting flat allows you a larger margin of error if you call the distance to target a bit off. either way, go to a store and ask to hold some riffles because the feel of the riffle in your hands is a hugely underrated factor people often forget about.

 

[Cloud Cover]

I've  taken a fair amount of deer with a Parker Hale Safari in .243.  Hell on groundhogs and yotes.

My father transferred his to me, it was my first love. We also put lead through coyotes from snout to ass in a head on profile shots with it.

 

[TimneyTime]

I have a Browning X-Bolt Hell's Canyon Long Range in 6.5 Creedmoor with a 5.5-22x56 Nightforce on top.  It'll get me out to 1000 yards no problem.  It's a dream to shoot medium to long range. 

I added a picatinny rail, and mounted the NF on a bracketed mount so I could swap it out with my Leupold VX 2 4x.

If it were any higher caliber it would really make a mess up close, especially with the Hornady ELD-X rounds I find best for it.

The tradeoff on that round is the expansion helps at longer ranges, but really tends to bungle things up close range.

It comes default with a free floated barrel, and a muzzle brake, which really reduces kick, and allows for less hassle on subsequent shots.

If you wanted to upgrade a Remington 700 at a Gunsmith, it'd cost more than buying the browning stock.  I debated buying a Remington 700 Sendero for a long time, because it's basically the Cadillac...  But I went with the Browning anyhow.  I had the liberty of trying a friend's 700 in 300 win mag, but it was a funny setup with an ATN Thor-HD 384 on top.

I gotta say, the number of options aftermarket for the 700 is amazing.  So if you want something you can customize all day long without buying 10 different rifles, I'd go with the Remington 700.

I was just going to use mine for specifically hunting White Tail, and maybe some random varmints occasionally, and it's perfect for that.