deer rifle for under $700

[300zx_tt]

So this is really a two part thread, since all I hunt is paper and soup cans I didn't want to steer my buddy wrong, so Im asking for your guys'


My friend and I were discussing what his first rifle should be, he wants to do some hunting this year since he moved up to Hazelton for work. He's generally new to firearms, he's shot before but not a lot. He was telling me he wants a 308. I personally think a 308 is overkill for whitetail, my uncles that hunt all seem to use either .243's, .270's or 30-30's. anybody have some input or experience?

He was looking at the Browning AB3, Weatherby Vanguard, of course a Remington 700, Winchester XPR. He is basically wanting to spend ~$700 on a solid rifle and scope.

I told him to go for the savage 111 trophy hunter cabelas has, its 570 bucks and comes with the Nikon BDC scope. I have one in .270 and love it. He's not too keen on the savage name.

[F16vipers]

Savage axis .243 a $300 rifle that shoots more than adequate for hunting. 308 .270 are also good deer cartridges but the 243 also shoots flat which is generally better for newer shooters. I have a 270 and 22 250 axis and I love them both.

[F16vipers]

Savage in my experience is the best bang for the buck out of the box.

[theunrulychef]

308 will work great for both targets and deer - not overkill IMHO. All of the others you mentioned work great as well. I reload, so I'm not totally up on what these calibers are costing to shoot these days, but I have seen relatively cheap Perfecta 308 at Walmart. I think any of those rifles mentioned would work great, but rifle needs for deer hunting in PA isn't particularly demanding. I would consider the non-hunting activities he will be doing almost as much as the few days he'll spend in the woods with it. Target shooting at the range? Will he ever take it down south hog hunting?

The Remington 700 is of course a good one if he might ever want to trick the rifle out with a fancy chassis - lots of aftermarket parts available to modify them. I'm not a fan of the X Mark Pro trigger that comes in them currently though, but for deer it would be fine.

He should pick up each model to feel the balance & stock fit. I'm partial to a short "handy" style rifle for hunting. The extra few FPS people get out of those long barrels is completely unnecessary for whitetail IMHO. The shorter, lighter, easier to shoulder it is, the better.

[Gunowner99]

Not a hunter here, but is 30-06 a decent choice?

[Delkal]

I personally think that in modern times a .308 is perfect for deer. In the past they were shot with much lighter rounds like the 25-20 (and they usually worked too) but I think people hunted more too so a lost deer was no big deal. Today with shorter rifle seasons and many of us with jobs so we can't take off from.......give yourself a little insurance for the few days you can hunt.

Its been said the 30-30 took more deer than any other round. I have no reason to dispute it but I consider it a closer range cartridge. Its not readily available in an accurate bolt rifle and a little more power wouldn't hurt either. A .243 is just a necked down .308, Just shoots a lighter bullet and the energy is about the same. A .270 is a slightly necked down 30-06, By most accounts it is more powerful than a .308. I will agree you don't need MORE than a .308 (or 30-06) for whitetails in the East.

As for good bolt guns.......for a budget hunter go with a Savage or Remington (but lately they have been having issues). Or start looking at the used rack for some quality classics.

[pennlineman]

I like the Remington 700's best. Out to 300 hundred yards pick any reasonable cartridge chambered for a bolt action, sight it in 2.5-3 inches high at 100 hundred yards and you can aim dead on out to 300 yards. I don't think the .308 is overkill. My favorite is .30-06. Other I like are 6.5x55, 270, .308, and variety of 7mm. If you hunt the thick stuff and don't think you'll get long shots its hard to beat the .30-30, 35 Rem, 45-70 etc.

[God's Country]

I don't think he can go wrong with a Savage, especially for a first hunting rifle. The Axis is now available with the Accu-Trigger.
A .30-30 is always a good first hunting rifle. He can easily pick up a good used 336 for around $350.

[aubie515]

If your friend is looking for $700 with rifle and optic...the Savage package deal is a no brainer. I'm a big fan of Savage due to being about to DIY when funds become available.

PA Whitetail are thinned skinned game...that being said your friend may want to bear hunt or hunt larger game, so having a larger caliber may not be such a bad idea. That way he doesn't have to buy multiple rifles to hunt multiple game.

A 30-30 or 243 is plenty for PA Whitetail.

The Marlin XS7 line is another good choice since they use the same barrels as Savage if you want to upgrade down the line.

[F16vipers]

Not a hunter here, but is 30-06 a decent choice?

A 30-06 is a lot of firepower for a PA Whitetail. I know people that have had a 30-06 go straight through and the deer take off like nothing hit it. Of course shot placement is key but you want all the energy to be transferred into the animal for the highest probability of a clean kill. Of course the type of ammo you use plays a big part also. Personally I wouldn't go bigger than a .270 or .308 and I would recommend .243...very light recoil and shoots very flat. Plenty of power for a White tail.