I went the other day for the first time - now I'm hooked!!
I borrowed a Marlin 336 30.30 and really liked it. But, now I need to buy my own. Is the 30.30 what I'm looking for? Or a 270?
I need some suggestions - price range $600 and below (if possible) I would mainly be hunting in Oklahoma - but once and awhile have opportunities in Texas (if that helps with suggestions)

Thanks,
Kevin

For Oklahoma a 280,30-06 or 300 Win Mag would do because the deer are so much bigger.Here in Texas,243,25-06,270 Win or 30-06 is more than big enough.OR JUST GET A 300 Win Mag and that's good enough for both.Shot placement is more critical than caliber of rifle.

Both are good deer guns. The .30-30 is limited in range over the 270 but is a good woods gun for shots 200 yds. or less. The 270 will do either job and shines in more open country where longer shots are the general rule. It also has more energy when it gets there.

If you hunt up close the 336 is a great hunting rifle with plenty of power for deer sized animals.

270

Well.. you're just starting so you have a LOT to learn. The first thing to learn is what kind of rifle you like. Lever actions are a far second to bolt actions as far as popularity, so you might want to look around at a few of those. The Savage bolt actions are a darned good value for a good price, recently picked up one in 270 for under $400 that shot 3/4" groups right off the bat. Don't get a package rifle with a scope, the scopes are never very good.

Second thing to learn is that a good scope costs money and is worth two or three times what it costs. Budget about $230 minimum for that. Maybe a Leupold VX-I type, or a Burris Fullfield II.

Third thing is that the cartridge doesn't matter a whole lot. Deer die from 243's and 30-30's or 300 Win Mags. What matters more is your confidence and your skill with YOUR gun. Since you're new to this, I'd recommend something that doesn't kick overly much. Maybe a 308, 7mm08, or 270. You'll feel it a bit when shooting at the range, but won't feel anything when hunting. If you prefer lever actions, a 30-30 will kill deer just fine. And you can shoot it all day cheap, and it don't hurt the shoulder at all.

Good luck!

There are a lot of good choices for deer hunting out there. I would go out and handle a bunch of different guns and see what feels comfortable to you. For deer, cartidges like the 25-06, 260 Rem, 6.5x55, 270 win, 7mm-08 or 308 win would be great choices. For guns in your price range take a good look at the Savage rifles (one with a detachable magazine would be good), the Remington 700 SPS (stay away from the 770's) in new guns or look at used rifles. If you go for a used gun you can get advise on this forum on if it is a good gun or not.

If deer is all you are hunting, get a Remington Model 700 in .270. A Bushnell 3200 Elite 3-9X40 would be an excellent scope.

.270 and buy lots of factory ammo like Rem core-lokts, Win Powerpoints and shoot, shoot, shoot.

Mike

My personal opinion is that a .300 Win Mag is TOO much gun for the beginner.

Mr. bulbboy;
Please let me extend a welcome to the hunting family to you.

I have nowhere near the experience of some here, but I have been in the vicinity during the shooting of, or able to do a post mortem (help cut and wrap)for maybe 10 or 12 dozen deer sized animals. We�ve handled animals shot with rifles whose hole in the barrel went from .22 up to .37 if memory serves. The largest deer was shot with a .25 caliber 117gr bullet, so again, the size of hole isn�t the top thing I look for anymore, despite my .30 caliber handle.

Any of the gear I might suggest could be purchased used, sometimes at very reduced rates. If it is a brand I trust, I have no hesitation to buy scopes, rifles and even binoculars used.

The first thing I would buy is a decent binocular. Really, everything else for us is secondary, so if you don�t already own some, that is my advice for item number one.

For a rifle, I believe the best you could do would be to find a good gun shop you can trust and handle as many rifles as you are able to. Depending on a number of physical attributes, some will no doubt feel better to you. Find one that fits you well and the action type �makes sense� to you.

For instance I can�t get my head/body to work a pump action rifle with any consistency, but single shots are OK. Go figure, eh? You will doubtless be different with your likes, so go with what fits and makes sense to you.

Next I�d select a sighting device that fit me and my budget. I�m a dinosaur in that I can get along with a fixed 4X scope on many rifles and have even shot a couple things with 2.5X or 3X. We do have some fixed 6X and some variables too, so get what you like.

If you choose open sights, I shoot an aperture better than open sights, but again you might not. If you can handle or even better shoot a number of different rifles, it will be easier to see what feels best.

After you get your gear, find some hearing protection and a safe place to practice and shoot as often as you possibly can. By next season you will be ready.

Good luck in whichever way you decide.

Regards,
Dwayne

Welcome to the sport of long cold waits,bad camp food,snore filled cabins,comradarie,good times and funny anecdotes.
there are alot different rifles and calibers you can get to serve your needs and alot of people here will argue about them and you will get reams of good advice from knowledgeable hunters that are all fact and experience based.

If you were to purchase a bolt action rifle in 30-06 and put a good scope on it you will have a great deer rifle that wiil also allow you to hunt almost any big game animal in North America.

this is a statement of fact not an opinion

if you want my opinion get a Remington Model 7 in 308
small handy and good out to 200+ yds.

If your ranges will always be short a 30-30 will work fine. If you ever want to shoot longer a 270 is tough to beat. A 270 would be a capable rifle for groundhogs to moose if other game comes up. For just starting out I would pick a 30-30, 270, or a 30-06 due to cheaper ammo and cheaper practice. The 270 and 06 have plenty of factory loads available for other game as well.

Alot of good advice so far. The first thing is you need to find a good size gunshop and start by picking up and feeling all types of rifles. I have 2 passions for guns, Weatherby Bolt Actions and Marlin leveractions. The Marlin will serve you well if your shots are short to moderate and you like that type of rifle. The boltgun is usually more accurate, chambered for faster and flatter shooting rounds. Another good piece of advice is optics, buy the best you can. I am a fan of Leupold but others such as Burris, Nikon, Bushnell make nice scopes for the money.

If you are not a handloader, pick a round which is easy to come by as it will save you money and allow you to shoot more often. I would say the 30-30, 270, 30-06 and 308 Winchester are good to start with. You may also want to question the guys you hunt with and see what avg shot distances are and what they recommend.

Good values out there are the Marlin 336, Ruger 77(comes w/integral rings), Savage and some of the Remingtons. Buy what feels good in your hands, shoot as much as possible and enjoy.

Good luck

i suggest you visit a gun shop that carried many different brands of rifles. shoulder as many as you can and decide which "fits you" as in feels the best on your shoulder. savage, ruger, weatherby vanguard, remington 700 sps/cdl, to name a few. then i'd get a rifle in either 270 winchester or 30-06. you can find quality factory ammo anywhere. look through several different scopes and make a selection. optics are important so get the best scope you can afford. 3x9x40 is the top selling scope magnification in america. you are never wrong with a 30-06 topped with a 3x9x40. good luck on your quest.

I was shooting my 336 .30-30 with Williams peep sight yesterday. I would feel confident with shots too 100 yrds which is 30-35 yrds farther then I've ever killed a deer

Mike

Tikka T3 Stainless Lite, Pick a caliber.

308
25-06
30-06
270
280

One page so far?? Thats all??

I told you so

Mines bigger

As a suggestion.. since you're new to rifles, I'd stay away from used equipment for the first one. There's certain things to look for and you're not there yet, and many models to stay away from - especially in optics.

As suggested, get a feel for different guns. If your friend that took you has other guns, ask him to take you shooting (you buy the ammo) so you can get a REAL feel for them.

Go buy a nice .308. I like Kimber, Sako and Winchester, YMMV. Get a good scope. Leupold VX-III or better, or a Zeiss, Swarovski or similar. Then buy two cases of M80 ball ammunition, a couple targets and some earpro. Make sure you get good rings, and have everything installed properly, to include lapping rings if necessary.

When you've shot the 1,000 rounds of ball, you'll probably be about ready to buy some hunting ammo.

YMMV.

If the choice is 30-30 or .270 I would recommend the .270.

Maybe a Savage 111F with a 2x7 Leupold VX1 or better yet VX2.

The earlier suggestion about how important a set of binos can be is a good one.

Do yourself a favor and total enjoy killing with a 30-30 for as long as possible!!! If you hang hang out here and become a loonie your doomed!!

I miss my marlin and to be completely honest every animal I've killed in the last 27yrs eaisly could have died to the 30-30!! And several that didn't would have I'm sure of that!

Welcome aboard.

You have received some good advice here. The 270 would certainly fill the bill. But one question is begging to be asked. What is your recoil tolerance? Have you fired a .270 before? If so & you can tolerate the recoil go for it.

Being a new hunter I would heartily recommend a Ruger # 1 or another single shot. The reason for this it will teach you good habits right off the bat. If you only have one shot you will learn to stalk in closer & hold your shot until you are certain of a hit.

NEF doesn't list the .270 but has several interesting calibers & well within your budget.
NEF at HuntersDirect.com

Rossi does have a .270 also within your budget.
Rossi .270

There are so many choices that it is easy to get confused in trying to compare this cartridge,that rifle,that bullet,etc.Enough to give a brass monkey a case of the migrains and have your brain polluted by a bunch of irrelevant ballistic gak.

IMHO a 300 magnum is a very bad choice for a beginner(and many veterans as well) because it generates a lot of recoil and is measurably more difficult to apply precisely;and generally does not kill any deer,anywhere, any better than more moderate rounds.

At the end of the day,or the beginning, Swampman is right.....grab a light Remington 700 in 270 Winchester,a good quality 2-7 or 3-9 variable(don't skimp on the scope),practice a lot,and if you don't kill effectively with that combo,you have issues.

And while you're at it,look at the deer rifle as "two" rifles;when you can afford it, get a similar rifle chambered for 223 for lots of high volume,low cost/low recoil practice.Trajectory to 300 yards is similar to a 270. The 270 will kill your deer, but the 223 will make a rifleman out of you.

Even if you don't "end up" there because your brain becomes addled by the rifle-looney affliction, you will grudgingly admit years down the road that very few things work much better than a 270 Winchester,and a Remington 700.....or Ruger Hawkeye....or M70 Winchester

Tough to beat what I like to call the "three wise men"; 30-06, 270, 308. Lotsa immitations but I don't believe you can beat any of the three for availability and use.

Two good ones are the WBY Vanguard or Tikka in 270Win.Also wouldn't overlook a Ruger in 280 or 25-06 Rem either.

How is a guy who doesn't handload going to afford to practice with those calibers?

1) A bolt action rifle is a must, IMO, either in a 22" or 24" barrel.
2) Look for the following rifle makes (they are all good choices): Tikka, Weatherby Vanguard, Savage 110, Remington (many models to choose from), Ruger. Prices will range from $400-$700.
2) Caliber should be a 25-06, .270 Win, .280 Rem, or .30-06. They are perfect for all deer hunting applications (270 & 280 could be used for elk & moose and .30-06 can be used for elk, moose and some big bears). A magnum is NOT needed, but if you desire one knock yourself out.
3) Select a nice wood stocked or synthetic stocked rifle. Which ever you prefer is fine.
4) Purchase a Nikon Pro Staff or Burris Full Field II scope in a 3-9X40. They are execellent scopes considering the price ($165-$200). If you want to spend more $$$ then look Zeiss, Leupold or Khales.

Now if you prefer a lever action I would suggest a Browning BLR chambered in a .308 Win or 7mm-08. Good rifle, good calibers that can be used for many different hunting situations as mentioned above.

Good luck and enjoy.

Marlin just introduced a new bolt action rifle the XL 7 that has a suggested MSRP HALF of your budget figure! It borrows liberally from existing designs to cut productions costs and is getting very good reviews in the gun rags. If I were starting over (and didn't handlaod some 18 different chamberings)I'd go with the 30/06. Widest range of bullet choice available; Hornaday list bullets ranging from 86 grns to 220. Loaded ammo can be found anywhere. You can use it to hunt anything on this continent; even press it into service for big bears with the 200 grn premium bullet like Barnes TSX.

.280 rem covers a lot of bases

Not like a guy needs a co-signer for a box of shells.

Well, here is what you do, buy yourself a 308 or a 7mm 08, either one is just about perfect. As for the rifle, Ruger M-77 is a good no BS gun. Comes with rings and its gone of the strongest going. Mount a good fixed 4 x scope. Learn to shoot and learn to hunt. The 308 Winchester will serve you well, plenty of ammo around, The 270 is a good choice as well, Its not so much a question as to what cartridge, most anything will work and work well on White Tails, some better than others but it will be splitting hairs. The Rifle has to fit you well, in order to shoot well. Then there is the sights, the better you are able to see the better you are going to be able to shoot. Season is about over in most places, spend your winter looking and pick one in the spring and start shooting and getting ready for fall. Do some reading on the subject. Start with "Shots at White Tails by Larry Koller.

There is a reason I'm pushing .308. You can buy hardball from $13 a box. The cheapest .270 ammunition you're going to find is more like $20. To shoot that in the quantities required to become proficient gets spendy fast.

"Tough to beat what I like to call the "three wise men"; 30-06, 270, 308. Lotsa immitations [sic] but I don't believe you can beat any of the three for availability and use."


I"ll second that. In a good bolt action rifle.

If you realy liked that Marlin 30-30 consider staying with that class of rifle. If your hunting mostly around Tulsa it's fairly wooded so the 30-30's range would not be too limiting. Marlin lever actions are handy, reasonably priced, fun to shoot, and frequently, suprisingly accurate.

You will probably want to get a 30-06,.270 or .308 class rifle eventually, but the Marlin would still have a place as a spare, and fun gun. You might consider a Marlin in .35 Remington: similar trajectories, even more fun to shoot, they are identical to the 30-30, and maybe even a slightly better killer. Forget any magnums for deer.