Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles All around budget rifle elk included for young man

I'm different I guess but I still prefer a Remington 700. Get him a used one and have a Timney Sporter Trigger put on it. find a good 3-9x40 scope like a used Nikon of some flavor. I'd get it in .308, .270, or 06. I like .243 too. Get him plenty of ammo and let him go shoot it until he's comfortable with no flinch.

For what it’s worth I really like my Tikka T3 in .270 with a new Redfield 3-9X - have taken two elk and one mountain caribou with it thus far. But it could have been a .308, .30-06, 7mm Mag and/or a .300 Win Mag and done the same thing. Let the young man try some different rifles if that’s an option and see what he likes. It’s good of you to help out a new shooter/hunter - we need more of those these days!!

PennDog

Bingo!

I think a 30-06, 308, or 270 is a good starter rifle for any new hunter. Maybe a Howa, Vanguard S2, Ruger m77, TIka. Lots's of used 30-06's on the market out there. He needs to spend some time shooting. Confidence in your rifle, goes a long ways, to accuracy. Buy a used scope in the classifieds, he's good to go.

To Mr. specneeds, the OP,
Regarding your original question, I join with the majority in suggesting you guide your protégé towards a decent used 30-06 that fits him well. And the Burris 3x9 FFII Ballistic Plex is a tremendous scope for the money. As far as I'm concerned, this concludes the discussion about which you originally inquired.
I'd also like to congratulate you on the manner with which you've conducted yourself through this thread. Many have been ungentlemanly to you and I think you have been decent in response.
And I concur with your assessment of the loss of toughness in the recent generations. I am sure it was hard for you to give your honest assessment of yourself, compared to your predecessors, and of your descendants compared to you, as it is for me, though my observations mirror yours.

Cheers,
Rex

remington 700 ADL in .308.

ammo is cheap for practice. (fmj)

federal bluebox 150 gr for deer, 180 gr for elk.

leupold 3x9 scope , never look back

I'd jump on that as well.

7mm Rm, .30-06 or .300WM are all great choices, regardless of the naysayers.

Used rifles are a great place to look for bargains, Half mine were previously used and shoot just as well as those I purchased new.

My sons in law got .30-06 rifles for wedding presents. One got a 7mm RM because he already had a .300WSM.

30.06, .270, .308

All are powerful enough, and ammunition is plentiful and cheap enough, recoil low enough...... to practice lots

I Agree with everything above , but I’ll add the 6.5 CM to it.
They simply shoot and shoot well and ammo is just as available as the other 3 mentioned.
Practice a lot for a lot less will pay off huge in the field.