Any rifle owners or hunters here?

[XLjedi]

I'm looking into buying a hunting rifle...

Just wondering if we have any experienced animal hunters among the silent hunters.

[Happy Times]

Originally Posted by aaronblood

I'm looking into buying a hunting rifle...

Just wondering if we have any experienced animal hunters among the silent hunters.

What are you going to hunt?

[XLjedi]

Originally Posted by Happy Times

What are you going to hunt?

Logical question...

Figured I'd wait to see if there were any hunters before going into more detail.

I'll mostly be hunting deer and boar... with possibility of larger game in the north at a later time. I think mostly deer though. I might try for an Elk like once. I believe I've already zeroed in on the right caliber. Based on discussions I've already had with other hunters, I think a 30-06 is the chambering I need.

What I've been bouncing back and forth over is: Bolt Action or Semi-Auto?

My current top pick for a bolt action:
Browning "X-Bolt"
(don't know if I should be looking at the A-Bolt instead though)

My Top Picks for a SAR:
Browning BAR "Mk II Longtrac"
(not sure if the "Lightweight" would be better?)

Benelli R1
(interchangeable barrels sounds good, but the Benelli's seem a tad scarce)



My Issues:

From what I've researched, it seems as though the bolt actions are more accurate for longer distances (200+ yds) but will have more kick, and if a second shot is required I might have a harder time reaquiring after cycling the bolt. Bolt action might be easier to clean and maintain due to the simpler design.

The SAR's have reduced accuracy at distance and possibly some loss of inertia due to some gasses being directed at the reload mechanism. The big plus I see with the SAR is 1) reduced kick and 2) easier to reaquire the target. Minuses... more moving parts, harder to clean, possibly being scoffed at by old hacks who don't like SAR's.

Granted, I've seen it repeatedly said, "you only need to be taking one shot to put an animal down" which is, of course, what I would strive for. On the other hand, with the larger 30-06 caliber, and being a new hunter, I'm also weary of developing a "flinch". In which case, although a SAR might be less accurate, I might be more accurate with it. I've also heard the BAR's can be scary accurate both with and without that BOSS system. :hmm:

I've also been leaning toward a stainless steel finish with a composite stock. ...although I haven't been able to find any SAR's in stainless. This will be a "working rifle" rather than a show piece.



Other Factors:

• Price is not really an issue.
• We can talk scopes after I've picked the right rifle.
• Why not ask on a hunting forum? ...eh, I'll get around to it.
• Very irritated that the manufacturers don't have better info on their sites!

[Happy Times]

30-06 is ok. I would recommend you take the time and learn to shoot with a bolt action rifle. If you want a synthetic stainless rifle and money isnt an issue this is what i would buy.
http://www.berettausa.com/product/sp...FIRSTGROUP.cfm

http://www.sako.fi/

http://www.sako.fi/pdf/specs/85SyntheticSS.pdf

For sights i would go for Zeiss, Swarovski or maybe Schmidt & Bender.

[Sailor Steve]

I have a classic 1903 Springfield, actually built by Remington in September 1942. Got it at a gun show for $60. Bolt action, five shots, fun as all get-out to shoot. I use the original iron sights; wouldn't have it any other way.

The only difference I can see in recoil between bolt and semi-auto is that the latter is heavier. They use the same cartridge. I also don't see why one would be more accurate than the other.

My advice would be to ask around the local stores and see what people say, and see if you can try out everything you're interested in at a shooting range. While I love the Springfield my friend has a heavier M-1 Garand that he swears by. Of course my experience is with the older guns, but I think you'll find that the same is true of modern weapons. The best gun, like the best anything, is the one that suits you; and the only way to find that is try as many as you can.

[XLjedi]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

The only difference I can see in recoil between bolt and semi-auto is that the latter is heavier. They use the same cartridge. I also don't see why one would be more accurate than the other.

My advice would be to ask around the local stores and see what people say, and see if you can try out everything you're interested in at a shooting range.

The only difference with regard to accuracy that I could think of was reduced muzzle velocity. Higher velocity maybe fires flatter over long distance? ...seemed logical to me anyway.

Yeah, I'm asking around the forums just to see what folks have to say.

Thanks for the input. If you don't think the recoil difference is an issue; that's useful info.

[les green01]

really depends what your most comfort with and where your hunting at,for deer i ussual hunt in the woods so my 30-30 is use for that.for long range i use a 30-06 or my british 303 but if your hunting in the woods you be better off without a scope or least make sure you can still use your sight with the scope

[antikristuseke]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

The only difference I can see in recoil between bolt and semi-auto is that the latter is heavier. They use the same cartridge. I also don't see why one would be more accurate than the other.

Im not usre that someone else has answered this allready, but here goes. It is to do with the barrel harmonics. Every time a shot is fired the barrel vibrates, the less touching it the better since it will allways vibrate the same way giving your bullets a more predictable path, thats why a free floating (barrel only comes into contact with anything at the breach) barrel is preferable for sharpshooting. With gas operated semi automatic rifles this is not possible since there is need for a gas take off point to cycle the action and in some rifles the actiopn begins to cycle before the first roun has left the barrel causing more vibration possibly altering the course of the round.

[XLjedi]

Originally Posted by Happy Times

30-06 is ok. I would recommend you take the time and learn to shoot with a bolt action rifle. If you want a synthetic stainless rifle and money isnt an issue this is what i would buy.
http://www.berettausa.com/product/sp...FIRSTGROUP.cfm

http://www.sako.fi/

http://www.sako.fi/pdf/specs/85SyntheticSS.pdf

For sights i would go for Zeiss, Swarovski or maybe Schmidt & Bender.

Interesting, why do you recommend learning to shoot with the bolt action? ...better feel or somfin?

Thanks for the links. I'll have to checkout those when I get home (they firewall anything firearm related at my office. Hmmm... wonder why?).

I was looking at a 3-9 40mm Zeiss Conquest with that Z-system sight thing or whatever they call it.

[Happy Times]

Originally Posted by aaronblood

Interesting, why do you recommend learning to shoot with the bolt action? ...better feel or somfin?

Thanks for the links. I'll have to checkout those when I get home (they firewall anything firearm related at my office. Hmmm... wonder why?).

I was looking at a 3-9 40mm Zeiss Conquest with that Z-system sight thing or whatever they call it.

Z-point. Those sound very good, if you put them on top of the SAKO you have a very good package.

[Letum]

Yup, until recently.

Just game birds, rabbits and foxes tho. No big game round here.

I don't have a firearms certificate anymore, but I occasionaly take the air rifle for some
rabbits to cook up.

Are you looking for rifle recomendations?

[Radtgaeb]

Hmmm...Remington 700: Always a good decision.

I personally own:
1-Yugoslavian SKS...by far my best and favorite.
2-Yugo. K98...It's actually a different designation, but the name escapes me.
3-New England Arms Pardoner 12g shotgun, for home defense.
4-Hi-point 9mm carbine. A fine home-defense gun, if I do say so.
5-A Black powder/20g Shotgun interchangable Rossi. It's...not the greatest. Then again, muzzleloaders are a b!tch to clean.
6-Mosin/Nagant M44. Just a damn reliable weapon. It'll shoot and shoot and shoot....not awfully accurate, but not so inaccurate that it detracts from it (wear earplugs, though!)
7-Romanian .22 training rifle...my first gun. Still use it to shoot wild tomcats....God knows that the last thing we need in our neighborhood is more cats...

I'm working on assembling an AR-15 as a summer project...

[Hitman]

I own a lot shotguns and two rifles. My father loved to hunt and inherited all shotguns from his relatives -whose sons or daughters didn't like to hunt- so I inherited them all myself I used to hunt with him years ago, but due to not following his hint -learn shotgun first, rifle later- I became proficient only with rifle, and am quite bad with the shotgun

My .22 rifle is good for hunting rabbits and I even managed to kill a savage dog with it some years ago (My master shot of all times: Straight between the eyes from 150 metres and standing up will never be able to repeat that ).

My 30 06 (7.62 mm) has seen way less use, since it is too powerful to shoot at anything else but deers and such, which I don't like to hunt.

If you are planning to have a polivalent weapon, get something with low caliber

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Hitman

My 30 06 (7.62 mm) has seen way less use, since it is too powerful to shoot at anything else but deers and such, which I don't like to hunt.

:rotfl:

I once lived in a converted shop behind a house. One of the guys who lived in the house saw my .30-06 and asked "If you get a burglar, are you going to shoot him with that?" I said "No, that's what the pistol's for. If I shot him with this, it could go through him, through the wall, through your wall, through you, out the other wall and maybe kill someone across the street!"

A bit of an exageration, but not worth finding out how close to the truth it might be.

[danurve]

Originally Posted by aaronblood

I'm looking into buying a hunting rifle...

Just wondering if we have any experienced animal hunters among the silent hunters.

What is your intended game?
If you plan to hunt deer/varmint then a .243 or maybe quarter-bore `06 is your ticket for Florida. Factory ammo is not created equal, and consider availability when selecting a cal. The .270 is an excellent cal. I like the .308 myself but that could be a preference for short action bolts.
My shotguns see more field time, I'm into Turkey hunting. I also took the 2006 county opener record whitetail with a plain old smoothbore 12 ga. All Im saying is it doesn't have to get that fancy. If you got silly money then that is another story. Funny thing with the exception of my VLS I spent more money on my PSE then I did on any firearm.