New To Hunting

[fingers80002]

Hey Evolution,

For what it's worth, I picked up a Remington 770 in .30-06 about 2 years at Walmart. At the time, just before Bear/Deer season, Remington was offering $30 rebates on all their rifles and I had a left over gift card from my sister in law for $50. That rifle only cost me $250 complete with a 3-9 Bushnell scope. It's anything but pretty. But after carrying it for two seasons for bear and deer (rifle season) and shooting it at the range a bit, I can't find one bad thing to say about it. The optics on it are fine. It's got good resolution. Not bad in low light. At 100 yards, I was getting reasonable groups. Any variation was due, most likely, to my shooting and NOT the rifle. I even managed to fill my freezer with it this year. My only real recommendation would be to spend a couple bucks and pick up a second clip for it and keep it stowed in your pack/pocket. That way if you drop, misplace, etc., your primary you won't have to use it as a club.

Don't scrimp on boots! Buy the best pair you can afford that fit you well. A good pair will last you for years. Try on many pairs of boots. If you like one that just doesn't feel quite right, ask for another pair the same size. I have never found two pairs to fit the same, even on high end boots. My wife learned long ago that when I need to buy boots, she takes the kids to her mothers for the weekend and leaves me be. Nothing will turn your hunt into a miserable hell faster than cold, wet, blistered, pinched, sore feet.

That should leave you with $1400. Spend half of that on the rest of your gear and the other half you can give to your better half to take to Atlantic City for a weekend with her friends. Once she's done that, she can't complain about the time you spend in the field hunting.

Why the hell would you send your better half into the PRNJ ?????????

[renegadephoenix]

No offense to Sandcut, but stay away from the lower end Remington line like the Model 710/770. they are the most Recalled firearms on the market todate. i was in the firearm buisness for a good long time to see the effects of these firearms and how many i had returned/recalled.

as my pappy always said "you can only polish a turd so much, but the fact remains that it is still a turd." Profanity left out.....

[knight0334]

Hitting this thread late...

For $2000, you could be outfitted like a rich safari hunter.

A $400 Savage/Stevens will work just fine for gun duties, same with a Rem700, Win70, Ruger77, Howa/Mossberg/S&W/WbyVanguard 1500 series. Depending on your area, even a good pump or levergun will do wonders. To hunt, you dont need a $mega-dollar rifle$. Sure, they are nice, but are absolutely unnecessary. Expect to get the gun banged up too, and expensive guns really hurts more to dent/scratch than a lessor expensive gun.

Then put about $150-200 into a scope. Base and rings $50. Sling $20

As mentioned by someone else in the thread, buy a few different makes of ammo($120-150 worth) to find which performs best - then zero to the best and stick with it.

Clothing, warm clothing is your best friend. Good boots and socks. Proper orange hat and vest/jacket. Gloves. Its easy to put a lot of money into decent clothes to stay warm.

An ambush stand, .....er...I mean tree stand, is helpful too for "beginners". Stalking isn't learned overnight, for someone just starting out a stand just off a busy deer path is probably the most productive way to go. Figure in appropriate safety gear if you intend to use a stand.

A half decent knife for gutting and a butt "puller" is handy. Big hunting/Rambo/Bowie knives are a joke.. A lock blade or moderately sized fixed blade knife with an optional hook is all you need for field duties. Rope for dragging the deer out.

A small first aid kit and survival pack is really smart to have. Whacking yourself with a knife as you cut open a deer happens more often than people think. A silent thermos is a good thing too. Warm soup/coffee helps a cold miserable hunt more tolerable.


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butchering...

One thing many folks dont think about... Will you butcher or will you take it someplace?

If you do it, you will need a sterile hacksaw. Skinning knife. A set of boning and butcher knives. A cleaver helps. Sharpening stones, honing tool, strap, etc..

A hock hook hanger and hoist is a God send.

Freezer paper. Ziplock bags. Possibly a meat grinder for the good scraps(venison burger is great). Canning supplies? Jerking supplies?

If you dont plan to butcher, expect to spend about $40-100 per deer to process it depending on your area and how you want it done.


Remember, do not touch the scent glands on the deer then touch the meat.

[2008jake]

My friend just picked up last weekend a remington 700 30-06 sps with a fullfield 2 burris on for 325.00. We shot it with some of my hand loads and it shot a 1" group at 100 yards. We can dial it in closer I think. There are some deals on deer hunting rifles now alot of people are sucking up hand guns and ar,ak,mini 14 like crazy maybee for a good reason too. But consider used just check it out close inspect everything dont jump at the first deal. My first rifle I bought 25 years ago it is still used for hunting and I have some great memories with it. Best of luck.

[Sandcut]

No offense taken, Renegadephoenix. I appreciate the heads up on the recalls. At least I know some of the more common things to watch out for to keep it in trim.

As far as turds go, maybe I was just born w/ a taste for 'em. My first car was an '80 Ford Pinto! Man, I hated that thing. Always kept me guessing' as to when it was going to die. It never did. I bought it used, ran it for 80K miles and sold it to a guy that ran it to over 160K before he scrapped it. You get what you can afford at the time and sometimes you get a peach that only looks like a turd. But I will watch for those recalls. Much obliged.