Hunting & Fishing Beginner setup?

[Coors]

Hey all,

First off I'm new to this forum. My name's Joseph. I'm not a sniper or anything like that. Just a guy who learned to shoot on Edson Range. I've always hunted game birds... duck, geese, pheasant, grouse...so I'm a shotgun guy mainly. I'm wanting to get into hunting larger game in N. America now. My experience behind a scoped rifle is next to nill. So that's me basically and my extent of rifle knowledge. With that said, I'm here to look around and learn a bit here and there.

Any advice on a good setup (rifle/caliber/scope) for a newby? I mainly want to hunt N. American game... deer, pigs, small bear, moose, elk, caribou.

Oh, and if I posted this in the wrong location, my appology ahead of time.

Thanks and nice to meet y'all.

P.S. Whatever setup I get, naturally I'll familiarize myself with the equipment, get instruction on optics use, and spend some good ole fashion time introducin' brass to paper, and learn up on the game I wanna hunt before I star prancin' through the wilderness.

 

[Coors]

Re: Beginner setup?

Oh, and I'm lookin to get something off the shelf as far as bolt action rifles are concerned. No fancy custom builds or changin stocks and all that. Just a good rifle to learn with and have around for some time. Who knows, maybe I'll give it to my son when he gets older and start him huntin too. Food for thought.

 

[tireys]

Re: Beginner setup?

Joseph,

There are alot of choices out there for scoped rifles. From single shot rifles, semi-auto to bolt guns. Bolt action rifles are traditionally known as the more accurate. There are a lot of determining factors in deciding what platform you want to use. I personally have more trigger time behind a bolt action platform other than a M-16 and AR's. You have to consider price, caliber and probably carry weight. I don't know where exactly you will be hunting so my opinion will be pretty general.

For caliber based on the game you mentioned I might suggest 7mm, .308, .30-06, up the .300 magnum calibers. Most people say to shoot the largest caliber you can shoot without being affected by recoil. Depending on the terrain you will be in and the style of hunting you are doing might determine the rifle as well. Typical Bolt action and Scope combo can weigh anywhere between 7.5lbs-12lbs+.

Price of Hunting rigs I would say the sky is the limit. If you have the money and a specific idea of what you want then a good smith/builder can make it a reality. On the flip side you can drop as little as $400 and get something that will kill your game. It all depends on what you want. Just as it is with a lot of things cars, bows, you name it and it sometimes picks you. Go to your local gun store/shop and pick up a few things and put it to your shoulder and ask the owner if you can dry fire. Don't ask any questions about the rifles you try. Make a list of rifles that stuck out to you and felt the best. Then go home and research the ones you chose. Go back to the store and start the process of elimination. The basics for each rifle will be virtually the same so it will be the details of the stock style or how the bolt cycles or whether the rifle has a 22" barrel or 26" barrel. Break it down to a pro's and con's list if you have to.

Optics for your rifle has a lot of variables also. Do you want a fixed power scope, Variable power scope? How much power? What reticle? How much do you want to spend? Optics are very important and I would suggest you get the best scope your money can buy. If you go with a cheaper rifle then spend more on the optics.

With all that said. I am shooting a Savage GXP3 .308Win. with Leupold 2pc. bases and Std. rings. with a Zeiss 3-9x40 Duplex reticle. The rifle new was $550 and scope was $360 second hand. I primarily hunt spot and stalk through Missouri hardwoods and sit in treestands. Typical shot for where I hunt is 60 yards to 175 yards. This is my Deer rifle. For a Coyote/Varmint rifle I just got a Rem 700VSS .22-250Rem. EGW picatinny rail with Seekins rings and a Vortex Viper 6.5-20x50mm. I hope this helps and good luck in your search and happy hunting.

 

[Cinch]

Re: Beginner setup?

For strictly a hunting rifle, I would suggest a Kimber Montana in 308 with a Leupold 3.5x10. It will easily kill anything in North America. It would be a nice light, packable, low recoiling, cheap to shoot rifle. If you are looking for something a little cheaper, look into the Remington700s, same caliber. You really don't need a high velocity magnum to hunt with. Shot placement always trumps caliber, velocity, and bullet selection.

 

[gopherslayer]

Re: Beginner setup?

Ruger Savage or Remington. 243 on up.

Unless you will live where bigger game is like bear, moose or elk the chances of hunting them will be slim. It is expensive to do.

Deer, pigs and vermin will be mostly everywhere. Get a good bolt action and go with it. 308 will be the most common or 30-06 depending on where you live. I have 22-250 on up to 7RM in many different setups. I mainly hunt with 260s.

Strictly for a solid hunting rig I would go Ruger. You can always go a different route if you want to go custom later on.

 

[Daps!]

Re: Beginner setup?

I think a model 70 in .300wsm would serve you well. It'll take down anything in N America. But it's really a matter of what you want.

 

[Coors]

Re: Beginner setup?

Last night I thought back to the time I picked up a friend's Winchester Model 70.... great feelin walnut and nice action as I cycled the bolt.... nice throw up to the eye and a comfortable fit in my hand and shoulder.... just felt like an all around good fit for my body.

So, with that said I'm gonna get a new Model 70.... most likely a Featherweight.

Lookin at calibers and narrowin down my options based on what I wanna hunt, I'm findin myself at a standstill between .308win and 30.06, but leanin toward the classic 30.06 round.

Guess the question now is 2 part.
1.) short action vs. long action.... what're the pros/cons of short vs. long action in a huntin rig?
2.) 30.06 vs .308.... which is a more versatile round for huntin game across N. America?

After choosin caliber I'll go ahead and start narrowin down a scope. Researchin Nikon, Leupold, and Sightron stuff now.

 

[Cinch]

Re: Beginner setup?

Either one is gonna be fine for what you're doing. 308 will probably be cheaper to shoot and less recoil. I really don't think long/short action is much of a +/- either way...

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: Beginner setup?

After browsing the Winchester website and their featherweight line I would pick 308 or 7mm-08 in a short action or 30-06 or 270 in the long action.

There is nothing wrong with a 300wsm, I own one, but I am not sure I would recommend one for a do it all rifle when it weights in at 7pounds with out a recoil arrestor or brake of some kind… and then there is the draw back that those create.

In the long run the 308 will be easier on your wallet to all others as you can feed it surplus ammo for general practice if you so choose and hunting ammo tends to be a tiny bit cheaper too.


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Coors</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> 2.) 30.06 vs .308.... which is a more versatile round for huntin game across N. America? </div></div>


When your buying factory ammo there is very little difference between them. It's when you reload the 30-06 that it really begins to shine. Just something to consider down the road with todays ammo prices what they are.

Optics are a very personal affair. That said I would look closely at Leupold’s VX-III line in 3.5-10x or 4.5-14x and/or Nikon's Monarch Gold line which is limited to 1.5-6x and 2.5-10x with 30mm tubes.

As for mounting hard ware I have had great success with Burris signature products and also Warne, which tend to be a little more substantial/heavy duty but look and feel better in every respect, in my opinion.

 

[scottishtornado]

Re: Beginner setup?

Theres a winchester in 270 for sale in the rifles for sale section and I know the seller and he is good to go.

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2295162#Post2295162

Mac

 

[HathcockProtege]

Re: Beginner setup?

Most Savages will shoot better than you are capable of driving them if you're new to this stuff. On the cheap side, Stevens 200 or the Savage Edge are both fine, if completely unrefined. If you like pretty wood and glossy finishes, look somewhere else. Most of us should quite worrying so much about what we have and more about how much time we put in behind the trigger.

Guns hold value quite well and re-selling them is relatively easy; don't be afraid to buy and upgrade/switch later if you find it doesn't suit your preferences.

A decent 3-9x40mm hunting scope can be picked up for around a hundred dollars or less. I highly recommend the Nikon Prohunter series if you're willing to spend a few more dollars on your glass. Think I payed 155 for the last one I purchased. Most people do not need or even appreciate the extra performance of a high-dollar scope.


As someone else already said...buy a decent .22 LR and shoot about 20k rounds through it. I recommend getting the same glass you have on your hunting rig if possible. Familiarity is invaluable.

If your serious about hunting, get off the bench once you have a good zero. Shooting from your hind legs is best practice there is for hunting scenarios, IMHO. Once you're consistently hitting a paper plate @ 100 yards off hand with the .22 LR,go chase some red squirrels. If you can hit these buggers regularly, big game will seem almost too easy. (Long range hunting is another ballgame altogether...)

EDITED TO SAY:
I recommend .308 over 30-06 for most hunters because they don't shoot at distances where it makes any difference, especially with factory loads.

But aside from that, my main reason is recoil. I have met Way too many guys that had a flinch so bad they were incapable of hunting accuracy even from the bench but refused to admit they were scared of their rifle...after all, it's "only a 30-06", right? In order to be a responsible hunter, you're going to have to put at least a few boxes of shells through the rifle(or some rifle) every year. Not trying to put you down, but I get sick of seeing guys come to the range every fall and then flinch their way through half a box and call it quits. I strongly recommend you try out a few different guns before you buy and then buy what you can shoot reasonable comfortably. Who knows, maybe you'll be one of those guys that just doesn't give a rip about recoil. Right now I am teaching a young man that just seems impervious to recoil; even the 12 Ga with magnum 1 oz slugs just made him grin and ask for more.

Good luck and welcome to the sport!