Hunting Rifle

[Richard Clark]

Hey Guys,

I own a r700 SPS 20" in .308 - I love it. I got it help practice marksmanship before I head off to LTC.

However, my extended family wants to take me hunting and I need a rifle to shoot smaller deer and small game - will my .308 obliterate small game? For some reason my extended family is jaded towards the .308 so I'm looking to get a gun more suited for this job.

I can borrow one of their rifles when I go shooting, but I want to 'know' my weapon (hope that makes sense).

So before I go looking in a pawn shop for a gun and talk to a salesman who is gonna lie to me I thought I'd ask for help from the pro's. So what I need is some questions answered.

What weight is a good walk around rifle?
What is an appropriate barrel length?
What is a good caliber for small game?

Or do you have any reccomendations for a rifle? I am looking to spend lest than $800 on the rifle.


One last question I had, in case I stick with the .308. Is it bad to rest the stock on a branch for support before shooting? Will it effect my shot? I have this stock http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire/model-700/model-700-sps-tactical.aspx

I haven't done it because I have a bipod and primarily shoot from a bench.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[maladat]

Re: Hunting Rifle

What kind of "small game" are they talking about? .308 is perfectly acceptable for deer. If they are going rabbit or squirrel hunting or something, you might want a .22 LR or .22 WMR (or a shotgun, depending on how your family hunts). Basically any high-velocity centerfire round can obliterate small game.

As far as improvised rests, if you rest the stock directly against a hard surface, the gun will "jump" away from the surface... so put your hand or a pad or something between the stock and any branch you choose to use. That said, there's no reason not to use a bipod hunting.

Someone may come along in a minute and tell you I'm an idiot, but I've spent a lot of time hunting and that has been my experience.

 

[Richard Clark]

Re: Hunting Rifle

Hehe thanks, but I doubt somebody on the internet would intentionally be a jerk

 

[THUNDERBOLT68]

Re: Hunting Rifle

You have a great guy there in Id to ask. Seekins!!!!

 

[okiefired]

Re: Hunting Rifle

About any deer rifle is gonna be pretty hard on small game if you're talking about the likes of squirrels and rabbits. Even a .223 would really tear them up. As far as weight goes I'd think any bolt action with a hunting weight barrel frm 20 to 26 in. would suffice. One cartraige for both those tasks is gonna be tough though.

okie

 

[Pete E]

Re: Hunting Rifle

Somebody mention .308win and small deer?

My Howa and a yearling Muntjac I shot last year

Yearling Muntjac doe taken with the same rifle, with a pair of bino's for scale

And couple of Roe doe's I took with my old .308win before it was rebarreled to a .260Rem

 

[Paul West]

Re: Hunting Rifle

We have pathetic little coastal deer in CA. The 308 works great, but avoid any tipped bullets like Nosler BT's and the like. The Nosler BT's are, in my opinion, a terrible hunting bullet, because of the MASSIVE meat damage. If you use a Partition or basic spitzer you should be OK. Also, remember if the deer are small they will look really far away. I made this mistake on a deer which was 319 yards. My party was thinking 500. I shot the deer high and broke it's back, but almost missed the darn thing completely. I took the shot because 10 guys had not seen deer for days... Good hunting.

 

[Richard Clark]

Re: Hunting Rifle

Ok well I use FMJs is that ok?

 

[patriotoutlaw]

Re: Hunting Rifle

FMJ's are probably illegal for deer in your state. They are in Missouri. Barnes TSX, Sierra Gamekings, Hornady SST's, etc...

 

[Ebby]

Re: Hunting Rifle

Yeah, FMJ's are not what you want. You can shoot 125 or 130 grain bullets in it if the animals are smaller than deer. The .308 in any configuration is absolutely a fantastic deer cartridge. Use 150 or 165 gr bullets. No FMJ's but just about anything else will work. Rabbits, squirrels, and the such you probably want a .22
Lee

 

[Sendero_Man]

Re: Hunting Rifle

22 or .17 HMR for small game. ie. wabbits and tree rats

308 is fine for coyotes and larger.

 

[Richard Clark]

Re: Hunting Rifle

Sweet guys, thanks much.

I picked up a lil' Ruger 10-22 and a POS scope. Should do fine for the smaller critters.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[jp_colt]

Re: Hunting Rifle

try a lever action 30-30

 

[Snakum]

Re: Hunting Rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jp_colt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">try a lever action 30-30</div></div>

I read in a magazine somewhere that based on surveys by state and Federal game officials, and sales figures from the 1950s onward, in North America more game has been taken with a 30-30 lever gun and with CoreLokt bullets than all the other rifle actions and hunting bullets, combined.

May be an urban myth, but it seems everyone and his dog here in NC uses a Win 94 or Marlin 336 with Remington CoreLokts or Federal PowerShoks.

 

[Longshot38]

Re: Hunting Rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Snakum</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jp_colt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">try a lever action 30-30</div></div>

I read in a magazine somewhere that based on surveys by state and Federal game officials, and sales figures from the 1950s onward, in North America more game has been taken with a 30-30 lever gun and with CoreLokt bullets than all the other rifle actions and hunting bullets, combined.

May be an urban myth, but it seems everyone and his dog here in NC uses a Win 94 or Marlin 336 with Remington CoreLokts or Federal PowerShoks. </div></div>

The 30-30 has been around forever and probably has been responsible for more dead critters in North America then any other cartridge. And in the thick woods of the south it is an awesome round. My 30-30 is without a doubt my favorite brush gun.

 

[lovain1932]

Re: Hunting Rifle

308 will be great for deer and 22lr is so fun to rabbit hunt with. I have a bull barrel savage 22 and it will peg them in the head out to about a 100 yards that way you don't lose any meat

 

[athanasios23]

Re: Hunting Rifle

.243 is a great small to medium size game rifle...

 

[persistant7500]

Re: Hunting Rifle

I have exactly the same rifle, and plan to take it cous deer hunting here in AZ this fall. I have been tuning it up with 150 grain soft points and I can tell you that it will knock a coyote on it's butt at 425 and leave it pretty intact. The rifle is heavier than some hunting sticks, but who cares, shoot what you got (beware the man who has one rifle, he probably knows how to shoot it). Having lived in Alaska I have seem as many big critters fall to the .308 as I have seen fall to the .375 H&H mag. Besides if you are practicing with your rifle you are most likely miles ahead of the typical hunter. Jeff

 

[mavrick10_2000]

Re: Hunting Rifle

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Snakum</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jp_colt</div><div class="ubbcode-body">try a lever action 30-30</div></div>

I read in a magazine somewhere that based on surveys by state and Federal game officials, and sales figures from the 1950s onward, in North America more game has been taken with a 30-30 lever gun and with CoreLokt bullets than all the other rifle actions and hunting bullets, combined.

May be an urban myth, but it seems everyone and his dog here in NC uses a Win 94 or Marlin 336 with Remington CoreLokts or Federal PowerShoks. </div></div>

Because for most hunting areas/distances those work very well. Wide open spaces with few trees are obviously excluded from this.

Anything I've hit with my .35 Rem and 200 gr Corelokts hasn't gone more than 20 feet from the shot.

 

[MER0828]

Re: Hunting Rifle

I purchased a little Rem Model 7 XCR .243 for my wife, she loves it. Great caliber for our florida deer, pigs and anything smaller.