Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Favorite deer rifle

I know this has been covered a thousand times but it's nice to hear everyones perspective on this. Whats your favorite deer rifle for the way YOU hunt?

Most of my hunting is out of loc-on or climbing stands in areas where I can't see farther than about 50 yards. For that I think my Stainless Model 7 .260 is about perfect. It's topped with a VX-II 2-7x33. If I had more funds available I would have gone with a Vari-X III 2.5 - 8. Haven't drawn blood with it yet, hopefully this will be the week.

My first deer rifle and favorite is a 30/06 Ruger M77, with Leupold 2x7. I have been using it for 20 years. My other favorite is a Husky that has been rebarreled to 7x57 and it sports a Leupold 2 1/2x.

Timber-I'll take either my Ruger #1S with Burris 1.75-5x,or Browning High Wall with Williams FP reciever sight,both in 45/70.The Ruger is stoked with Hornady 350 grain RNs,the Browning with Remington 405 grain FNs,both going around 1900 FPS.

Open country-Either my Beglium made Browning Safari Grade Mauser 7mm Magnum with Redfield 3x9,or my German made Weatherby Mark V in 300 Weatherby Magnum with Leupold 3x9.

Have packed everything from a 218 Bee to a 458 in the field chasing deer,and will continue to-these four are the ones that go out the most though.

Brian.

Hey Bandit,My first choice and favorite is a Savage 16FSS stainless weather warrior in 7mm-08 with a Zeiss Conquest 3.5x10 that just replaced the 3x9 Leupold vari X ll.My back-up is a Savage 16FSS also in 300WSM with a 3.5x10 Leupold Vari X lll.Up here it goes from close in heavy cover shots to long range clear-cut and flowage shots.The 7mm-08 has an impressive string of one shot drop in their tracks kills on big northern whitetails with nosler paritions.


woods

I do my deer hunting from elevated stands in open country. My favorite rifle for such shooting has been a Remington Sendero in 25-06 with a 6.5 X 20 Leupold VX 3. This season I built my first custom rifle on a 700 action in a McMillan hunter stock, with a 24 inch #4 contour Pac-Nor stainless steel barrel in 7 Rem Mag. I think it is quickly becoming my "favorite rifle"

I hunt farmland. I usually set up an ambush between the bedding and feeding areas. I have been known to hike a little, but the patterning of movement and ambush gives me greater success.
I've used four different calibers. 22-250 once, 338WM six times, 30-06 nine or ten times, and my favorite 257Roberts at least 28 times.

i'll chime in on this for my first post...for stand hunting or hunting from a ground blind i'll use a ruger#1 topped with a weaver k6 in .308; for the brushy stuff i like my old marlin 1895 .45-70 with a williams receiver sight. glad to be here with fellow hunters/gun lovers. todd

the 7mm-08 ack. imp. is my favorite. It's a short action 7 mag with no recoil. I like to call it my pocket rocket. It shoots a 140grn barnes xlc xbt at 3185fps and knocks em dead the first time. Havent had to shoot one twice yet.

Whitetailsniper,

Sounds like a great rifle. 3185 fps is hauling ass for a 7/08 AI. How long a barrel are you shooting? Where are you located in LA and where do you hunt and shoot?

LSU,
I use a Marlin Mod. 336 in 35Rem with 3x9 scope, its light quickhandling and has great knockdown power, its by far my favorite.
BK

My two favorites are a Ruger #1 in 45/70 topped with a Leupold VARIX 3 1.75x6x32 scope.I use 300 grain handloads at around 2300 fps.My second favorite is a Ruger m77 in 257 Roberts topped with a Leupold varix II 3X9X40 scope.I shoot a handload containing 120 grain partitions or either 117 grain Hornady Interlocks at 2900 fps.

My favorite is my custom 600 in 25-284 with a Leupold 6x 42mm. Havn't whacked anything with it yet, but enjoy packing it more than any other rifle I have.
I hunt western Oregon brush country. Lots of vine-maple and 2nd growth fir.
VB

I like my 70's era Remington 700 ADL in 25/06 I put a Brown precision stock on it that I finished and bedded, then topped it with a 4X12 scope. Shoots like a house on fire and all but one deer have gone down with one shot.
Bill

I killed six this season here in Tennessee--
2 with my .308 -28" Pac-Nor #7 in a McMillan A2 w/ Leu LR M1
2 with my .243 AI- 24" Pac-Nor #5 /HS Sporter w/ Leu 4.5-14 LR Tact.
2 with my .300 Tomahawk- 30" Hart Max HV/ Holland HV Stock/ Leu 8.5-25 LR
I cant pick a favorite--I have two or three I haven't gotten to hunt with yet....The season is too short.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

For the farmland I hunt in New York my first choice is my Rem 7600 in 308. Took 2 doe and a 5 point with it this year. My backup is my Win 70 in 270.

Last year I took four deer with two different .35 caliber rifles. Two with a 35 Rem using factory ammo and 2 with a Whelen and 225 BTs. After years of shooting 30s and under I was impressed.

I ordered a Mod. 20 from New Ultra Light Arms in 35 Remington. Took a doe and a nice buck with it this year. The neat thing about the 35 Rem in a strong bolt gun is that you can make it a 35 Super! 200 grainers at 2300+ and 225 BTS at 2200 fps.

I rarely have to shot over 100 yards here in the mountains and dont want to shoot must past 250 anywhere. The NULA with a 4X Leupold is riaght at six pounds, its a joy to carry and you have to try to make it shoot bad.

I'm sold on 35s and NULA rifles. Just gotta save up for one in 257 now.

An old Bear Whitetail II compound bow shooting beman carbon arrows & 100 gr spitfire broadheads. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Ok, Ok ... Actually it was an old Rem 700 in .270. I don't have that one anymore but it was my old favorite growing up. Actually it was nothing to look at, worn, scratched stock & kind of beat up, but it shot pretty well and really did a number on the deer.

I vacilate on my favorites. When I scouting the desert, or tracking the big desert muleys (o.h.eremicus !), I usually pack my M70 Win. Featherweight. It wears a McMillian FWT stock in ADL style, a set of Micheal's flush mounts, that's three sling swivels ala Jeff Cooper's CW system, and a 4X Leupold on Leo. Dual Dovetail mounts. Or, I pack my custom .25-284. 600 Rem. action, Pac-Nor Lt. Mtn. SS Super Match, McM Rem Mtn Rifle stock, with the above CW system, and a 3-9X33 Leupold Compact with a target elevation knob on Gentry SS mounts. The .308 weighs 7.5 lbs., the .25-284 goes 7 1/8 lbs.
My heavy cover rifle is a custom .280. It's built on a Ruger tang safety action, A McM Ruger stock with the CW set up, and another Pac-Nor SS Super Match, but in the No.1 contour. It wears a 6X42 Leo with a target style elevation knob, and a euro 4a reticle. It weighs 8.5 lbs.
Over the years I've killed them , or seen them killed, with all kinds of rounds. The .22 LR, the .220 Swift, the .243, the .240 Weatherby, the .25-06, the 7X57, the .280 Rem. the 7 mm Rem Mag., the .30-30, the .300 Savage, the .308, the 30'06, the .300 Win Mag., the .35 Rem. come to mind.
They all work, if the hunter does his part. The best bullets, help alot. Give me nothing that won't shoot through. Then give me something that opens fast.
To me, rifles and bullet selection, are much more important than cartriage selection. Give me a fast handling, light rifle. Don't even try to give one that is muzzle light, or won't take a shooting sling. You can't run fast enough. Don't even try to give me one with a big, klumpy scope mounted so poorly I have to hunt the image. And if I can't have a first class trigger, it is not going to be around any longer than I can be sure nothing can be done for it. E

My favorite Deer Rifle is my Ruger M77 MKII Stainless in 270 Winchester scoped with a Leupold 3.5X10X50 VariXIII. Next to this it is an old Pre-64 Model 70 308 Featherweight that belonged to my mentor and best hunting buddy. He left this rifle to me when he went to the big Elk camp in the sky. Hunting with it just brings back so many memories.

When after deer, I reach for my Ruger S/S in 308 Win. topped with a Bausch & Lomb 3-9x40.-KT28