|
In this thread, I am asking for firearms advice from fellow TL-goers who may be knowledgeable amateurs. If you're not interested, waste your time no longer. I understand that some of you prefer to read about other people's boring lives, in which case: read my last blog here: Shadow<3
Note: Please refrain from talking about how you feel about these things. I am the least threatening thing the world has ever known.
I wouldn't know where else to post this question, so blog it is. I'll be getting my firearms safety license and hunting license shortly because I'm 24 and I need new hobbies. A few of my friends are into hunting so I figured, might as well join them, seems like a good time. Since this forum has a bunch of 'mericans, there's probably somebody who can help me out. Edit: Of course I do understand that I could also discuss this on gun-related forums, but I prefer to ask people instead of enthusiasts who sometimes are a bit crazy. I also hope that this blog post will bring up interesting conversation topics, although it doesn't seem to have much success yet - oh well!
In a few months when I'll have all the paperwork done, I'll be looking to buy a bolt action rifle, scope, and all the necessary accessories which go with it (trigger lock, cleaning kit, etc). I'm thinking of paying about $1200-1500 at most for the entire setup. I intend to hunt deer, probably nothing bigger than that... But frankly I'll probably just ever shoot target. (I don't really care for a .22, though)
Currently, I've had a few models recommended to me. Many people have told me to get an entry level rifle such as the Savage Axis and such $300-500 rifles. However, I would rather pay more and get something fairly nice (not high end, just something nice). If possible, I would like the thing to last me a lifetime since I don't want a collection, I just want the one. I also would prefer a wood stock rather than composite or whatever.
The models I'm currently looking at are:
Browning X-bolt
Remington 700
Those two are just about at the top of my price range, anything higher end will typically be too expensive for me (I think). As for the scope, I don't know which one I would get yet, although I've heard good things about the Leupold VX-2.
Lastly, for the ammunition, I don't know what to do. I'm trying to strike a good balance between price, comfort (I don't want to bruise my shoulder, I need that thing), and the ability to hunt cleanly... From looking around, .270 looks pretty ideal to me for my purposes.
I want to add that I don't know very much about this. I have knowledgeable friends but I'd like additional inputs before making a decision. I like to research my stuff and get a bunch of opinions first. Thanks for any help.
  
|
Before you start on this new hobby, you need to understand the consequences. While I can recommend a couple things, I would definitely suggest you think a bit about this new hobby. Hunting is something a lot of people try and then find barbaric, or something people try and then can't sleep for a week afterwards. If you're hunting ducks, it's a bit different, but if you are hunting deer or small land game, you will understand what I mean when you stare into the face of the small to large sized animal you just ripped from the world. I'm not trying to be mellodromatic, because I'm serious about it. If you feel even remotely bad that you killed something like a squirrel in the street while driving unintentionally, then this is not gonna be for you, but you can try it for yourself. I know you said targets, but no one buys a bolt action rifle with the power of a sniper rifle to shoot targets for long  .
The case of a rifle, if you have any Dick's Sporting Goods or any Bass Pro Shops, start there. They will have everything you need and will make sure you have the rifle necessary for the job.
|
I should be good! That said, I don't know that nobody buys bolt action rifles for targets. I have a buddy who's thinking of buying a Remington 700 with a heavy barrel specifically to shooting targets, and he already has a lightweight .308 rifle for hunting.
|
Let me guess, your next blog is going to be about the convenient high-floor locations of Book Depositories in Washington?
|
On August 11 2013 02:05 wingpawn wrote:
Let me guess, your next blog is going to be about the convenient high-floor locations of Book Depositories in Washington?
Bet you thought it was clever until you pushed the Post button and now you know better. Call it a learning experience.
|
On August 11 2013 01:58 Djzapz wrote:
I should be good! That said, I don't know that nobody buys bolt action rifles for targets. I have a buddy who's thinking of buying a Remington 700 with a heavy barrel specifically to shooting targets, and he already has a lightweight .308 rifle for hunting.
I think you missed the point, people don't buy that powerful or rifles for target practice and then never use it for hunting. I'd advise you go a hunting trip with your friends before you invest a serious amount of time money and energy into purchasing your own gear. Watch them skin and gut a deer and then go from there.
|
On August 11 2013 02:07 Djzapz wrote:Show nested quote +On August 11 2013 02:05 wingpawn wrote:
Let me guess, your next blog is going to be about the convenient high-floor locations of Book Depositories in Washington? Bet you thought it was clever until you pushed the Post button and now you know better. Call it a learning experience.
Not as clever as asking for an advice on an issue only a certified expert should answer you in eye-to-eye discussion.
|
On August 11 2013 02:08 CatNzHat wrote:Show nested quote +On August 11 2013 01:58 Djzapz wrote:
I should be good! That said, I don't know that nobody buys bolt action rifles for targets. I have a buddy who's thinking of buying a Remington 700 with a heavy barrel specifically to shooting targets, and he already has a lightweight .308 rifle for hunting. I think you missed the point, people don't buy that powerful or rifles for target practice and then never use it for hunting. I'd advise you go a hunting trip with your friends before you invest a serious amount of time money and energy into purchasing your own gear. Watch them skin and gut a deer and then go from there.
Well I didn't really miss the point though, because my response was that I have a friend who is actually buying a powerful rifle for target practice specifically. That said, I understand that from the way I've been writing, it sounds like I'm going about this on a whim, and perhaps I am. Like those dads who buy a high powered rifle for their sons because fuck it, sometimes you just do things.
Pretty sure I'm good to go though. I've already thought those concerns through. Odds are, in the 3-ish months it'll take me to get my possession and acquisition license, I would go out with buddies and hunt with borrowed gear.
On August 11 2013 02:10 wingpawn wrote:Show nested quote +On August 11 2013 02:07 Djzapz wrote:On August 11 2013 02:05 wingpawn wrote:
Let me guess, your next blog is going to be about the convenient high-floor locations of Book Depositories in Washington? Bet you thought it was clever until you pushed the Post button and now you know better. Call it a learning experience. Not as clever as asking for an advice on an issue only a certified expert should answer you in eye-to-eye discussion.
I didn't ask anything that requires an expert, let alone a certified one. People are giving me interesting things to think about already. At first I thought I'd post on a guns forum but I'd rather not be part of those communities. For gear advice and general advice, I'd rather stick to the good ole' folks of the world. They're more likely to be reasonable and down to earth with beginners, I would think.
I'm not here asking how to deal with a jammed gun with a screwdriver.
|
I found a range that will show you and let you shoot all types of guns sans license. Definitely going to look into that before I grab a license and potentially purchase firearms. If I do pursue such a thing, it'd mainly be for range use. I'd probably steer clear of rifles, and anything related to hunting (I don't really see the sport in it).
Hopefully you get some good advice and have fun with your new pursuit!
|
On August 11 2013 02:20 divito wrote:
I found a range that will show you and let you shoot all types of guns sans license. Definitely going to look into that before I grab a license and potentially purchase firearms. If I do pursue such a thing, it'd mainly be for range use. I'd probably steer clear of rifles, and anything related to hunting (I don't really see the sport in it).
Hopefully you get some good advice and have fun with your new pursuit!
The only range that's somewhat close to here requires every person to have their license and they don't have any firearms of their own unfortunately. That said, if I did target shooting, I would definitely want to do it with a rifle, even if it were a .22. It's pretty much the only "format" that interests me.
I would definitely get to borrow some friend's stuff though.
|
On August 11 2013 02:18 Djzapz wrote:Show nested quote +On August 11 2013 02:08 CatNzHat wrote:On August 11 2013 01:58 Djzapz wrote:
I should be good! That said, I don't know that nobody buys bolt action rifles for targets. I have a buddy who's thinking of buying a Remington 700 with a heavy barrel specifically to shooting targets, and he already has a lightweight .308 rifle for hunting. I think you missed the point, people don't buy that powerful or rifles for target practice and then never use it for hunting. I'd advise you go a hunting trip with your friends before you invest a serious amount of time money and energy into purchasing your own gear. Watch them skin and gut a deer and then go from there. Well I didn't really miss the point though, because my response was that I have a friend who is actually buying a powerful rifle for target practice specifically. That said, I understand that from the way I've been writing, it sounds like I'm going about this on a whim, and perhaps I am. Like those dads who buy a high powered rifle for their sons because fuck it, sometimes you just do things. Pretty sure I'm good to go though. I've already thought those concerns through. Odds are, in the 3-ish months it'll take me to get my possession and acquisition license, I would go out with buddies and hunt with borrowed gear. Show nested quote +On August 11 2013 02:10 wingpawn wrote:On August 11 2013 02:07 Djzapz wrote:On August 11 2013 02:05 wingpawn wrote:
Let me guess, your next blog is going to be about the convenient high-floor locations of Book Depositories in Washington? Bet you thought it was clever until you pushed the Post button and now you know better. Call it a learning experience. Not as clever as asking for an advice on an issue only a certified expert should answer you in eye-to-eye discussion. I didn't ask anything that requires an expert, let alone a certified one. People are giving me interesting things to think about already. At first I thought I'd post on a guns forum but I'd rather not be part of those communities. For gear advice and general advice, I'd rather stick to the good ole' folks of the world. They're more likely to be reasonable and down to earth with beginners, I would think. I'm not here asking how to deal with a jammed gun with a screwdriver.
Well, ultimately, guns were made to kill stuff that lives. I was just pointing out that on such serious business as this, you should seek for professional solutions rather than anonymous and unverifiable online advices.
Other than that, my only advice is to choose a gun that is really newbie-friendly. It's not like your ambition is to wrestle bears like Vladimir Putin does, so the most important thing will be to make sure the aiming will be convenient and the recoil won't kick your ass. After all, in any business like this, starting slow is the key to success.
But I can imagine this sport being even more frustraiting than spending 6 hours fishing in almost empty pond. Unless Canada's woods are indeed so full of unwary stock as they were 100 years ago.
|
EDIT: Sorry, double post.
|
On August 11 2013 02:51 wingpawn wrote:Show nested quote +On August 11 2013 02:18 Djzapz wrote:On August 11 2013 02:08 CatNzHat wrote:On August 11 2013 01:58 Djzapz wrote:
I should be good! That said, I don't know that nobody buys bolt action rifles for targets. I have a buddy who's thinking of buying a Remington 700 with a heavy barrel specifically to shooting targets, and he already has a lightweight .308 rifle for hunting. I think you missed the point, people don't buy that powerful or rifles for target practice and then never use it for hunting. I'd advise you go a hunting trip with your friends before you invest a serious amount of time money and energy into purchasing your own gear. Watch them skin and gut a deer and then go from there. Well I didn't really miss the point though, because my response was that I have a friend who is actually buying a powerful rifle for target practice specifically. That said, I understand that from the way I've been writing, it sounds like I'm going about this on a whim, and perhaps I am. Like those dads who buy a high powered rifle for their sons because fuck it, sometimes you just do things. Pretty sure I'm good to go though. I've already thought those concerns through. Odds are, in the 3-ish months it'll take me to get my possession and acquisition license, I would go out with buddies and hunt with borrowed gear. On August 11 2013 02:10 wingpawn wrote:On August 11 2013 02:07 Djzapz wrote:On August 11 2013 02:05 wingpawn wrote:
Let me guess, your next blog is going to be about the convenient high-floor locations of Book Depositories in Washington? Bet you thought it was clever until you pushed the Post button and now you know better. Call it a learning experience. Not as clever as asking for an advice on an issue only a certified expert should answer you in eye-to-eye discussion. I didn't ask anything that requires an expert, let alone a certified one. People are giving me interesting things to think about already. At first I thought I'd post on a guns forum but I'd rather not be part of those communities. For gear advice and general advice, I'd rather stick to the good ole' folks of the world. They're more likely to be reasonable and down to earth with beginners, I would think. I'm not here asking how to deal with a jammed gun with a screwdriver. Well, ultimately, guns were made to kill stuff that lives. I was just pointing out that on such serious business as this, you should seek for professional solutions rather than just anonymous and unverifiable online advices. Other than that, my only advice is to choose a gun that is really newbie-friendly. It's not like your ambition is to wrestle bears like Vladimir Putin does, so the most important thing will be to make sure the aiming will be convenient and the recoil won't kick your ass. After all, in any business like this, starting slow is the key to success. But I can imagine this sport being even more frustraiting than spending 6 hours fishing in almost empty pond. Unless Canada's woods are indeed so full of unwary stock as in was 100 years ago.
Well if anybody gave me questionable advice that could possibly be threatening to anybody's security, I would most certainly be sure to double check with reputable people. Hell, the whole point of this blog is to cross reference info which I've gotten elsewhere, and possibly get additional advice which I haven't had already from reading around. If I posted this on a guns forum, nobody would have been concerned about my ability to hunt. They'd already be telling me I need more bigger guns.
But yes I fully intend to get a rifle which is newbie-friendly. My understanding is that the Browning X-bolt is very safe and simple to operate. Also, I have absolutely no interest in anything which is not bolt action (semi-automatic, etc) and thus potentially more dangerous.
Also I wouldn't mind the "frustrating" parts of hunting, I recognize that it requires patience and other personality traits.
|
I've always wanted to go hunting! i'm so jelly.
I'm gonna get this pair soon, for hunting people:
+ Show Spoiler +Nerf N-Strike Longshot cs-6 and Nerf N-Strike Longstrike cs-6 ![[image loading]](http://nerfguns.net/images/longshot-vs-longstrike.JPG)
Currently have this:
+ Show Spoiler +Nerf N-Strike Rayven - Semi-automatic with decent range ![[image loading]](http://geekstronomy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/rayven-cs-18.jpg)
|
|
|
The .270 is an excellent choice for deer hunting, good range not much kick and is rather cheap as far as ammo goes. The downside is if you botch your shot "which let me tell you is a very easy thing to do shooting from a tree-stand or the like" the animal is likely to be maimed and not die for quite sometime. So if you do hit low on your deer "gut shot" than the damage from the .270 round leaves you looking in the woods well into the night following a blood trail that might never lead you to your intended target. Often times in that situation the animals intestines block the holes and even cause the trail to dry up completely or get so small you'll never follow. That's the only real down side to a .270.. so if you don't push your luck and only take shots at deer from responsible ranges(under 150 yards) and their positioning is broad side than you should be fine. So a story to explain things better..
My round of choice is the .300 ultra mag, some people might consider it overkill but I'd disagree. From my personal experience it's the most humane and (mostly)prevents the above mentioned problems.. last season I gut shot a 220 pound 9 pointer at around 160 yards out. Needless to say the shot was bad for a number of reasons... not a good shooting rail in my stand, and I was very excited and nervous considering it was a deer I saw earlier that morning that was out of range (220-250 yards)on the same stand. After waiting the usual half hour the old man showed up and we proceeded to check out the blood trail. He immediately noticed corn/acorns in the tissue that remained on the ground at the shot location confirming my bad shot. So we turn to follow the blood trail which was for the first 30-50 yards a constant pour from the wounds so very easy to follow. Then at that spot there was what seemed to be a spot where the animal fell or stumbled and from there after the trail literally turned into a trickle.. so with that we marked the location and headed back to the hunting camp. We did this to let the animal lay down where it was and to not jump it up and make it run even further. To make an already long story shorter we returned with help and followed the almost nonexistent trail gingerly with flashlights and sharp eyes sometimes only catching a single drop of blood split on a pine needle with another such drop only found 5 yards+ away! Following the trail like this another 150 yards we eventually hit nothing. So we fanned out and searched for what seemed like and hour finding nothing until eventually someone heard something move around 200 yards off down towards a bottom. (Which is a low area in the woods usually a dry creek or perhaps a briar patch) That type of area is exactly where deer run to lay down once shot if it's a long trail. So we all move towards that direction finding out that it was indeed a briar patch in a bottom and we soon find a huge trail of blood (to everyone's excitement) and the location where the deer was at. He was backed against a tree in the middle of the patch still alive although breathing very heavily. We quickly shined lights directly on his eyes so that he is blinded and cannot see which helps calm the animal. And as humanely as possible we ended the animals suffering. So as you can see even with a higher caliber round you can run into a situation which is sub optimal for harvesting an animal. Had I used a round with less hitting power the animal would have run much much farther would more than likely died a much slower and painful death having never been found.
So with all that said, there is nothing wrong with a .270 it's fantastic, but I recommend using something of a higher caliber maybe a 30-30 or 30-06 especially if your deer are over the 200 pound range. And that's a very important factor.
Updated to better clarify the situation, also I apologize for poor writing.. it's been a while since I've posted on a forum.
|
On August 11 2013 04:33 Abstraction wrote:
The .270 is an excellent choice for deer hunting, good range not much kick and is rather cheap as far as ammo goes. The downside is if you botch your shot "which let me tell you is a very easy thing to do shooting from a tree-stand or the like" the animal is likely to be maimed and not die for quite sometime. So if you do hit low on your deer "gut shot" than the damage from the .270 round leaves you looking in the woods well into the night following a blood trail that might never lead you to your intended target. Often times in that situation the animals intestines block the holes and even cause the trail to dry up completely or get so small you'll never follow. That's the only real down side to a .270.. so if you don't push your luck and only take shots at deer from responsible ranges(under 150 yards) and their positioning is broad side than you should be fine.
That doesn't sound good, although I would certainly get a lot of practice so that hopefully won't happen. I mean, I'm aware of the possibility but I want to do what I can to avoid it. Would .308 do that much better in that situation though? I'd assume it could but not necessarily.
|
I will say, that my first rifle was a .243 and I shot quite a few smaller bucks and doe's when I was younger with little to no problems. So then the size of your deer and the range that you will be shooting them at is the primary indicator of what round you should be using.
|
Thanks for the info and the story.
|
On August 11 2013 03:38 Chairman Ray wrote:I've always wanted to go hunting! i'm so jelly. I'm gonna get this pair soon, for hunting people: + Show Spoiler +Nerf N-Strike Longshot cs-6 and Nerf N-Strike Longstrike cs-6 Currently have this: + Show Spoiler +Nerf N-Strike Rayven - Semi-automatic with decent range
My college roommate had the top one of those. It was really baller. You could shoot down the length of the whole dorm hallway with it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/EYjrLJl.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/jCFxwMl.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/FiQJtbf.jpg)
