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New Hunter - First Hunting Rifle Suggestions

SolaBeard said:
Thanks for the input! Would you say the Bushnell scope on the Axis II XP is sufficient for starting out and upgrading to a better scope later on?
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I would say it should be. Spend some time on the range and make sure it holds zero. This is true with any scope...any of them can fail.
Also...Normashooting.com has great ammo, and has frequent sales...keep them in mind for ammo.
Im kind of in your area, feel free to PM me about possible places to hunt. Always happy to help out a newby... 😂
 
I cannot give suggestions on those options as far as manufacturer in the models you are asking about. Step up to a savage 110, and you likely have yourself an accurate out of the box rifle. For caliber either works, but in my experience i would suggest the .308.
 
backyardtndeer said:
I cannot give suggestions on those options as far as manufacturer in the models you are asking about. Step up to a savage 110, and you likely have yourself an accurate out of the box rifle. For caliber either works, but in my experience i would suggest the .308.
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Absolutely...for just a little more $$ he can be in a 110. And for what people are asking for the Americans on the used mkt, it would be a wash. Get the 110!!
 
You decided to begin hunting in the golden age of the $300-ish accurate bolt gun. Usually that price includes a serviceable scope.

And since, as you mention, you'll need to buy other gear (most importantly boots, non-cotton base layers, and some other good weather gear), I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Savage Axis or Ruger American. For ammo I recommend Federal PowerShok. It's relatively cheap, but it's plenty accurate, and basic soft points are ideal for deer around here. They create better, bigger wound channels to make tracking easier with more blood. At the ranges you'll hunt there's no concern about inadequate penetration with a soft point .308 bullet.

You'll be more likely to buy pricier bullets if you go for a .243 so you get better penetration on non-broadside shots. And even then you won't have as big of a blood trail unless the bullet smashes a bone just right and still exits.

I've been shooting a .308 since I was a 130 pound 13-year old. You'll be fine, recoil-wise.
 
SolaBeard said:
Hey guys! I'm a bit embarrassed to admit, but I'm in my 30s and have never been hunting, nor have I ever owned a rifle. I'm in East Tennessee, and the goal is to go hunting next season. I would like to go ahead and buy a rifle within a month or two (been wanting one for a while anyway).

With that being said, I've being doing a ton of research on rifles and calibers/cartridges, and while I'm not dead set on a caliber, I'm leaning toward a .308 or a .243.

So far, these are the rifles I'm considering:
- Savage Axis II
- Ruger American
- CVA Scout
- Henry Single Shot (H015)

A few things I'm contemplating:

1) I love the thought of a single shot rifle. I think a slow, methodical, picky style of hunting would be challenging, yet rewarding. I know this can still be the goal with a bolt action rifle, but there's something about a single shot I'm drawn towards.

2) I'd like to stick with a budget-friendly option considering other gear I'd need to buy.

I'd really appreciate any and all input you have about these guns or similar ones that I didn't mention. Looking forward to getting in the woods later this year!
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Bergara B14 Ridge
Excellent Barrel
Great trigger
Nice stock !
A 270 Win or 308 Win would be perfect ! In my early days I hunted everything from coast to coast to Alaska moose with a 270 Win.

Suggest good Warne 2 pcs Maxima Steel bases for scope and good Warne Mountain Tech rings low for Leupold 2.5x 8 VX3 matte
 
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Several like a 243. I owned one and I absolutely hated it. My son is a great shot. Killed several deer and the only deer we lost was with a 243. Sold it & never have lost another deer.
Go with a 270 , 308 , 30-06, or 30-30.
 
Urban_Hunter said:
Yes. I'm honestly surprised by the Ruger recommendations here. They're ok, but the Savage Axis II will get you an accutrigger. Outside of that they're practically the same design with similar quality expectations
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Agreed. I know the Ruger has quite the following, but in my opinion the savage will just out shoot it. I've had many rifles, many times the price of a savage...but never one that would out shoot them. They are just stupid accurate.
 
Sam Davis said:
Several like a 243. I owned one and I absolutely hated it. My son is a great shot. Killed several deer and the only deer we lost was with a 243. Sold it & never have lost another deer.
Go with a 270 , 308 , 30-06, or 30-30.
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I've killed many deer with a 243, but it's not something I would recommend to a new hunter/shooter. If recoil is an issue (and I can't believe I'm going to say this 😂) go with the 6.5 creedmoor. Should be decent ammo availability, and will perform well on deer....at longer ranges than any of the others mentioned.
 
SolaBeard said:
That's cool to hear! Would you recommend a single shot rifle for someone first starting out? Or are you glad you waited until you were more of a seasoned hunter?
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Started all 3 of grandsons out with single shots when they were young & believed that it made them better hunters. Two out of 3 have moved on to bolt guns but hardly even need the extra rounds.
 
I think you need to start with a budget, where you will be hunting (blind, ground, tree, etc), expected ranges. (I think you said 75-100 yards, but will you ever hunt an open field?), open sights or scope (budget again), what all you will be hunting (deer, ground hogs, crows, etc), other requirements, eg, if this rifle may also be used for self defense.
 
A few thoughts, some not exactly related to your specific question

Have you taken the Hunters Safety course yet? If not, I think that it's helpful to anyone that doesn't have experience in hunting and is great to get you to a baseline of knowledge

If you're not experienced in shooting, I'd first buy a decent 22 bolt action. It's cheap to shoot and you can match it as an understudy rifle to your eventual centerfire. Buy a compact model and your kids can learn to shoot also. Buy a bunch of ammo now while it's available. You can squirrel hunt into mid March this winter and figure out where you want to hunt deer next fall.

If your kids will hunt, the 243 could be a good starter cartridge for all of you. You hunt with it a few years, and if you want something different, the kids or your dad can use it. Anytime you see a box of ammo it likes, buy it. 243 got a bit scarce at times in the past couple years. I like to have a minimum of 100 rounds for any of my main centerfire rifles

Ruger makes nice 22 and centerfires in the American line. I'd buy one of each.

Don't overlook buying a muzzleloader either. For pure deer hunting in TN, an inline scoped muzzleloader at the ranges you mention is a great weapon and end of season close outs are cheap to buy this time of year. You can hunt both ML and rifle season with it and have more doe tags to boot.
 
For barely a little bit more money, check out the CVA Cascade. I think it probably has to be one of the best budget rifles. If your max distance is only gonna be 100 yards, look at a 350 legend. Ammo is easy to find and recoil is low. Otherwise…. I would just recommend Barnes vor-tx TTSX in any caliber you choose.
 
David Sapp said:
A few thoughts, some not exactly related to your specific question

Have you taken the Hunters Safety course yet? If not, I think that it's helpful to anyone that doesn't have experience in hunting and is great to get you to a baseline of knowledge

If you're not experienced in shooting, I'd first buy a decent 22 bolt action. It's cheap to shoot and you can match it as an understudy rifle to your eventual centerfire. Buy a compact model and your kids can learn to shoot also. Buy a bunch of ammo now while it's available. You can squirrel hunt into mid March this winter and figure out where you want to hunt deer next fall.

If your kids will hunt, the 243 could be a good starter cartridge for all of you. You hunt with it a few years, and if you want something different, the kids or your dad can use it. Anytime you see a box of ammo it likes, buy it. 243 got a bit scarce at times in the past couple years. I like to have a minimum of 100 rounds for any of my main centerfire rifles

Ruger makes nice 22 and centerfires in the American line. I'd buy one of each.

Don't overlook buying a muzzleloader either. For pure deer hunting in TN, an inline scoped muzzleloader at the ranges you mention is a great weapon and end of season close outs are cheap to buy this time of year. You can hunt both ML and rifle season with it and have more doe tags to boot.
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The hunter safety course is not only a great suggestion, but required by law. (According to his age..mid 30s)
 
Tenntrapper said:
Agreed. I know the Ruger has quite the following, but in my opinion the savage will just out shoot it. I've had many rifles, many times the price of a savage...but never one that would out shoot them. They are just stupid accurate.
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Just want to clarify, are you specifically talking about the Axis/Axis II when you mention Savage, or Savage as a whole?
 
skipperbrown said:
I think you need to start with a budget, where you will be hunting (blind, ground, tree, etc), expected ranges. (I think you said 75-100 yards, but will you ever hunt an open field?), open sights or scope (budget again), what all you will be hunting (deer, ground hogs, crows, etc), other requirements, eg, if this rifle may also be used for self defense.
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Great things to consider. Thanks!
 

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