I've been shooting a semi-auto reminton 30-06 now for as long as I have been deer hunting but I want to get a different gun that is both worthy of deer hunting but good for varmit. Mostly Coyotes but maybe for plunking a few gophers in the thinker as well. I am thinkinng perhaps ruger 243 with a leupold scope. Out here in Nodak we can take some pretty long shots!
This may seem a little unorthadox but I would consider an "assult" style hunting rifle. You can get them in pretty much any caliber from 9mm to .450. Personaly I would go with the .308 hunting modle from bushmaster. it has plenty of power to take down any big game, it has the ballistics to shot dogs at over a mile with the right setup, and being an "assult" style weapon you can shoot it all day long at praire dogs and not wear out your arm. The other cool thing about that style is they are so veristal. I mean from laser sights to adjustable stocks. It is just a fun gun to shoot. But if you go traditional I would say the browning synergy in a 243 cal.
ReplyDeleteDepending on your price, I think you get a rifle for deer and then a seperate one for varmints. I think you could look for a little more pop then a .243 for deer hunting. I have been shooting a winchester 270 short mag hunting deer for the past five years and have taken down two 150 bucks, and 3 other 130-140's. I hunt out of a tower and most shots have been 300+ and it is always seemed to have solid knock down power. Last year I tried out my dad's rifle, http://www.weatherby.com/product/rifles/markv/accumark this thing is an absolute beast,
ReplyDeletefeels like your carrying around a sniper rifle, but yet very light.
For gophers, muskrats, and rabbits I use a Savage 17 hmr. I love using this gun. It also seems to help my overall shooting in general.
Finding a combo gun obviously cuts down on ammo and just overall keeping track of clips, ammo, etc.
It is difficult to say what would be the best road to take on this one, I like the idea of having the ideal rifle for each situation but ponying up and dishing out the money is another story right now. Shooting assault rifles is a ton of fun. My only problem with that is possible going through too many rounds shooting for fun, but if Im not shooting it then what the hell would be the point of using it. So For now I'm thinking assault rifle but would really like to increase my assortment of guns.
ReplyDeleteIf you already have the 30-06 your set for deer hunting so why not get a rifle specific for yotes and dogs? My personal choice would be a Savage model 12 BTCSS in 22-250. The rifle looks badass and the accu trigger is the original and the best blade style trigger. The trajectory of a 22-250 is pretty flat so long shots are a bit easier however nodak is notorious for the wind so you may want to step it up to 223. On the other hand if your not going to save the hides you could save a bunch of cash and shoot them with the 30-06. And if your looking for a small critter specific rifle check out the 17 hmr, super flat trajectory for long shots. Its essentially a 22 magnum necked down to 17 caliber.
ReplyDeleteThe Savage isn't a cheap option at around $1100 however it is the best their is. A bit more manageable option would be the Remington 700 sps varmint, also a great yote shooter at a reasonable $500. Most importantly though, save enough to buy a top of the line scope because they make a world of difference on those low light/night shots.
Chad and Kale make good points, if you already have the deer rife a varmit only gun could be a good road, and I also agree that a 243 may not have the power you want at anything over 250 yards for deer, I am sure that is pretty typic in the N dakota flats. In the big woods of MN you probably could get away with a 243 by keeping your shots within 200 yards though. if you ended up getting the larger cal. assult style like the 308 you would just need to use three seperate ammos, one that expands fast for deer and praire dogs, a full jacket shot that would just punch through yotes without tearing up the coat, and whaterver is the cheapest to just go and shoot for the fun! and like Chad said you need to be certin to budget for a high qualtlity scope, what is the point of having a bad ass gun if you cant hit anything?
ReplyDeleteIm a fan of a 25-06. I would buy one if i knew i was going to do more varmint hunting, but I already have a good deer rifle so I dont really need it. It will put a 75 gr slug at about 3700 fps and does well on long distance shots. Plus you can get heavier loads for deer (120gr- 3100fps) Its a necked down 30-06 and all these 30 cal mods are reliable rounds. price range for the synthetic is 400-600 buh, so not too bad for a guy still on school.
ReplyDeleteOk guys I can't disagree with any of your comments I checked out a few of these guns at Cabelas today and liked all of them but I can't help but think how bad ass it is to have an assault rifle. Plus they are a ton of fun with all the different mods you can put on them. Bad part is they are spendy
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, consider your self warned... They are a money suck! But like you said they are bad ass!
ReplyDeleteI could imagine just the cost from all the shells you would blast through alone with an assault rifle will get expensive fast but they are just so damn fun!
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