How does a newbie pick a deer gun?

[chas0218]

35 minutes ago, Doewhacker said:

Yes, close to 18 years ago. I do not care for the newer ones in the looks department with the dull matte finish. Absolutely nothing wrong with a used gun.

 

They make 870's in lefty now, just the matte finish though. Mine came with a 30 inch full choked bird barrel, later on I got a 21 inch rifled sights barrel with screw in choke. I use that now for deer and turkey with their respective chokes. Love it.

The new 870 wingmasters are blued not matte, the 870 express magnums are the matte finish. The matte easily rusts compared to it's nicer counterpart.

[vcollaco]

Browning A-Bolt 30-06 is my choice.  Bullets are cheap and widely available, ballistics are incredible, considering you probably aren't shooting past 300 yds in NY.  Not much recoil, and will drop any animal in North America.  Try one with a thumbhole stock!

[Doewhacker]

18 minutes ago, chas0218 said:

The new 870 wingmasters are blued not matte, the 870 express magnums are the matte finish. The matte easily rusts compared to it's nicer counterpart.

https://www.remington.com/search/shotguns?productfamily=All&cartridge=All&barrellength=All&barreltype=All&stockmaterial=All&stockfinish=All&additionaloptions=Left-Hand&passion=All

 

I don't see them in left hand. 

[chas0218]

16 minutes ago, Doewhacker said:

https://www.remington.com/search/shotguns?productfamily=All&cartridge=All&barrellength=All&barreltype=All&stockmaterial=All&stockfinish=All&additionaloptions=Left-Hand&passion=All

 

I don't see them in left hand. 

I thought you were saying wingmasters in general.

[Buckmaster7600]

Tikka t3 hunters have a wood stock and come in a leftie.


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[Buckmaster7600]

Tikka t3 hunters have a wood stock and come in a leftie.


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[LJC]

5 hours ago, Doewhacker said:

Only one issue, Browning's AB3 Stalker doesn't come in wood stock and blued and left hand. You will want to see the X Bolt which does come in Left hand wood/blued.

 

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/72288/Browning+XBLT+Hunter+270+LH

I been hunting in places that only allow shotgun for deer lattly and I can tell you they do the job well even out to 100 with smoothbore 

If you want to no the best long range  deer gun in my opinion it would be the 257 wethereby mag  a super  flat high speed flying bullet  only bad thing getting ammo is a pain and expressive I can never find the stuff any more and have to order it pain in the ass 

 

Edited September 15, 2016 by LJC

[Buckmaster7600]

I have never owned a browning bolt rifle, closest I came is a browning abolt 12ga that I have never really liked. I think Browning makes great guns I see they have even smartened up and are making a carbine with a 20" barrel "although still to long" but it doesn't come in a leftie.

As far as Remington there quality has fell drastically from what I have saw. If you decide to buy a Remington I would look used for sure.


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[chas0218]

58 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

I have never owned a browning bolt rifle, closest I came is a browning abolt 12ga that I have never really liked. I think Browning makes great guns I see they have even smartened up and are making a carbine with a 20" barrel "although still to long" but it doesn't come in a leftie.

As far as Remington there quality has fell drastically from what I have saw. If you decide to buy a Remington I would look used for sure.


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I have to agree somewhat unless you are looking at a CDL or more expensive version 700s. The lower end are just that. I still say the best bang for the buck is the Tikka T3 hunter and in an readily available cartridge (.270 .243 30-06, .308, 25-06) Did I mention the Tikka utilizes the Sako barrel? Longevity wise you shouldn't be able to wear out that barrel and if you do, get a new one maybe even a new caliber.

 

I have heard good things about the Weatherby Vanguard as well. They actually have 2 different versions one that shoots MOA at 100 yards (1" group @ 100 yards) and one that is sub MOA (Less than 1" group @ 100 yards)

Edited September 15, 2016 by chas0218

[Pygmy]

2 hours ago, LJC said:

I been hunting in places that only allow shotgun for deer lattly and I can tell you they do the job well even out to 100 with smoothbore 

If you want to no the best long range  deer gun in my opinion it would be the 257 wethereby mag  a super  flat high speed flying bullet  only bad thing getting ammo is a pain and expressive I can never find the stuff any more and have to order it pain in the ass 

 

Cool video....Nothing against the .257 WM,   however, not knowing where the bullet struck the deer, it really doesn't prove anything about "knockdown power"..

About 50 other cartridges would give the same results if the deer was hit in the CNS  ( brain or spine) or in the shoulders.

If the shot was a dead center double lung shot ( no CNS or major major skeletal damage)  it would indeed be impressive.

[Pygmy]

After watching the video a couple of times, it really looks to me like the deer was hit with a neck shot....Once again, nothing against the .257 WM, but with a hit like that, a 30-30 ( or even a .223) would have resulted in just as impressive a kill.

[LJC]

It was roy Weatherbys  favorite cartridge  that he designed he used it on cap Buffalo got a,kill with one shot  just to prove a point .

Nothing shoots as  flat as this cartridge 

That you would want to shoot 

[Pygmy]

I am not disputing the fact that the .257WM is an extremely flat shooter or the fact that it is a highly effective game killer.

I am just saying that most any centerfire rifle could make as impressive a kill as the one in the video with a CNS or shoulder shot.

The title of the video appeared to be touting the KNOCKDOWN power of the cartridge.. I am saying that a deer shot in the neck vertebrae with a .222 rem will go down just as fast one shot in the neck vertebrae with a .257WM.

[Buckmaster7600]

I am not disputing the fact that the .257WM is an extremely flat shooter or the fact that it is a highly effective game killer.

I am just saying that most any centerfire rifle could make as impressive a kill as the one in the video with a CNS or shoulder shot.

The title of the video appeared to be touting the KNOCKDOWN power of the cartridge.. I am saying that a deer shot in the neck vertebrae with a .222 rem will go down just as fast one shot in the neck vertebrae with a .257WM.

Pyg hit the nail on the head! Nockdown power doesn't exist it's not a real thing. A hit to CNS direct or via hydrostatic shock is the only way to instantly turn the lights out. If a direct strike a 22lr will have the same results as what ever wizbang magnum you can think of.

Yes a 257 wby mag is fast and flat. Does it kill better than any other popular deer cartridge? Not well enough to make it worth spending 3$ a shot on ammo that's hard to find.

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[Dinsdale]

All you gotta do is shout at the deer your shooting something that Roy' put his name on and they fall over from fear anyway.....

And you save the 3 bucks.

[wolc123]

If you do decide on a smoothbore shotgun for deer, an older Ithaca model 37 pump would be a good choice.  Bottom eject, so there are no left/right concerns.   There are lots of them around, so finding one in excellent condition should not be an issue.  My grandad gave me his 16 gauge, with a "deerslayer" barrel when I was 16.   I have also owned an older, 12 ga Remington 870 Wingmaster, and still have a newer Express and neither is as smooth as that old Ithaca.  My only issue with that Ithaca is that it kicks like mule.  It is a featherweight version, basically built on a 20 gauge frame, but the factory 16 ga ammo is loaded nearly as heavy as 12 gauge.   That adds up to a heck of a wallop on your shoulder, more even than a Ruger #1 rifle in .458 win magnum that I fired a few times.  I have killed more deer than I can remember with that old Ithaca, including my two largest-racked bucks, and I never noticed the recoil in a hunting situation.   On the range is a different story however, and I always use a thick, pin-on recoil pad when practicing with it.   That tames it down completely.    

For a rifle, I am pleased with my Ruger M77 30/06 and if I could only have one, that would be it.  It looks good too, with a Redfield, Low-profile 3-9 scope, blued barrel, and laminated wood stock.   More importantly, it has always gotten the job done for me, both on Western mule deer hunts and NY whitetails.   I don't think they make them like that anymore, and if I were to buy a single new rifle today, specifically for whitetails in NY, it would likely be a Ruger American in .308 caliber.  I will probably end up buying one of those in .243 caliber over the next few years.  It would make a good pair, with my M77, 30/06. The light weight would be nice on the Adirondack hunts I have been getting more into lately, and the composite stock would be an advantage in adverse weather conditions.   Everything I hear about them say's that they are amazingly accurate and reasonably priced.     

[LJC]

18 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

After watching the video a couple of times, it really looks to me like the deer was hit with a neck shot....Once again, nothing against the .257 WM, but with a hit like that, a 30-30 ( or even a .223) would have resulted in just as impressive a kill.

I shot one with the deer directly facing me one time at  about 60 maybe 75  yards in the chest .  And almost like this video the deer dropped there  Alot of the meat got destroy my cousin said who butchered it for me .in fact when I bought the gun the guy in the store told me for close range  On deer they  destroy Alot of meat  I was thinking of getting the 7mm or 300 Weatherby mag . But he said those are rediculus for deer under 100 yards  to much meat damage 

AND the 257 shoots the flatist  with less kick which usally means you will shoot better.    lattly been just using 3 inch mag 12ga  slugs in smoothbore shotgun with clamp on  iron sites  where I hunt you cant use rifle and you cant really see more then say 75 yards  perfect for shotguning . But having gotten use to that set up I probably use it any place else in the state anyways unless I no I'm going to be hunting a open corn field or something  or mountain top. 

[Buckmaster7600]

It was roy Weatherbys  favorite cartridge  that he designed he used it on cap Buffalo got a,kill with one shot  just to prove a point .

Nothing shoots as  flat as this cartridge 

That you would want to shoot 

The 26 nosler shoots about 100ft/s faster and flatter than the 257 throughout the bullet weights.


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[LJC]

19 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

 

 

The 26 nosler shoots about 100ft/s faster and flatter than the 257 throughout the bullet weights.


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That's a new one it came out in 2013  I got my Weatherby 257 mag back in the 90s  

26 nosler 

The high velocity of the cartridge has raised concerns about excessive barrel wear, potentially wearing down barrels at a rate faster than that of the similar .264 Winchester Magnum, which itself has a reputation for being a "barrel burner".^[4]

In 2015, Nosler introduced a 28 caliber version based on this cartridge called the .28 Nosler and then in 2016, Nosler introduced a 30 caliber version called the .30 Nosler.

Edited September 16, 2016 by LJC

[Rattler]

A bullet that goes 100 fps faster than another isn't going to be any worse for the barrel than the former one is.  A 100 fps difference is a minuscule amount when talking about muzzle velocities exceeding 3000 fps.

Besides, this thread was about a rifle for a newbie.  The .257 Wby and .26 Nosler, as well as any other "exotic" round rifle, would not be a good one to recommend to any newbie.  A novice is best served by an all around rifle, in an all around chambering, where ammo is practical for the expected applications, easily available and not expensive.  These other exotic rounds are specialty rounds for the hunter that requires specialized tools, for a specific type of hunting.  The novice may move on to such exotic rounds and rifles later on, but in the beginning they are best served by standard versatility. 

[chas0218]

 

15 hours ago, Pygmy said:

I am not disputing the fact that the .257WM is an extremely flat shooter or the fact that it is a highly effective game killer.

I am just saying that most any centerfire rifle could make as impressive a kill as the one in the video with a CNS or shoulder shot.

The title of the video appeared to be touting the KNOCKDOWN power of the cartridge.. I am saying that a deer shot in the neck vertebrae with a .222 rem will go down just as fast one shot in the neck vertebrae with a .257WM.

I have to agree, the .257 is an impressive round but for what the OP is looking for it doesn't fit the bill.

 

[chas0218]

Personally I wouldn't own a nosler 26. I talked to one of the reps and he said you would be lucky to 300 rounds out of the barrel. By my standard that is unacceptable for any average Joe but there was a niche and they filled it with that gun and cartridge.

[Rattler]

43 minutes ago, chas0218 said:

Personally I wouldn't own a nosler 26. I talked to one of the reps and he said you would be lucky to 300 rounds out of the barrel. By my standard that is unacceptable for any average Joe but there was a niche and they filled it with that gun and cartridge.

I don't know who you talked to, but he doesn't know crap about barrel erosion.  No modern rifle or round is going to wear out that fast.  You'd have to have loads so hot, they would blow the rifle up first.

[chas0218]

It was the nosler rep at the nosler booth at the harrisburg sportsman show. He did say the .30 was much better barrel life and to expect about 1000 rounds.

[Rattler]

That man should be fired from that position then.