Rifle advice needed

[TimBobCom]

Re: Rifle advice needed

Lots of great rifles mentioned here. If overall size is a concern look at something like the Henry Big Boy in .44 Mag. I wouldn't use it for hunting, but in a defensive situation against a bear you don't need 300 yard accuracy. Plus, it just looks cool.

http://www.henryrepeating.com/h006_bigboy.cfm

 

[Pony]

Re: Rifle advice needed

I have a Browning .30-06 and a 300 Win Mag. I love both guns......haven't missed with the Browning yet (knock on wood). The 300 Win Mag is more fun to shoot, but it damages more meat

 

[18ft3hull]

Re: Rifle advice needed

given that you have a choice of the 270 or the 7 mag i would have to say the 7 mag is the choice to make i hunt with a savage 7 mag and have killed a number of deer with it and that gun still has enough energy at 200 yards to take you out of your shoes and remember a bears heart beats less than half as fast as ours so it takes his brain more than twice as long to realize he is dead

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Rifle advice needed

given that you have a choice of the 270 or the 7 mag i would have to say the 7 mag is the choice to make i hunt with a savage 7 mag and have killed a number of deer with it and that gun still has enough energy at 200 yards to take you out of your shoes and remember a bears heart beats less than half as fast as ours so it takes his brain more than twice as long to realize he is dead

OFF TOPIC..... Hey you are close to me! I'm in West Rutland VT!

 

[ilmostro99]

Re: Rifle advice needed

One thing is for certain...... seems as if everyone is advising for a 30 caliber of one type or brand from the .308.... .303.... 7.62X54 or we have suggested slugs and 12 Ga in the big bore arena 45-70.

We all agree on ease of use AND 2nd shot capability.

Basically whatever fits your budget and will suit your needs. A 12 ga pump can later be choked for birds and small game until you can afford something else.

Please let us know what you decide on.

Well, the decision is that I am going to pick up the 7 mag next time I go down to see the old man, and maybe if I'm nice enough he'll throw in the 270 also (keeping my fingers crossed). Going in next week to buy a nice 12 gauge and load it alternately with slugs and shot. As soon as finances are in order, I'll be looking for a rifle with a little more oomph. No decisions yet if it will be the '06 or the 300 mag. Either will do the job for me, and it just depends on which is the nicer gun for the price.
I really appreciate all of the advice and responses I received here. A lot of great info. I'm not exactly a gun novice, but haven't been in the market for quite a while and I'm dealing with critters here that I haven't dealt with before, i.e., I just talked with a "neighbor" (2 miles away) who saw photos of a 145 lbs. cougar taken off the front porch of a different neighbor, on the next ridge over. Thanks to all for the advice.
Erik

 

[sunaj]

Re: Rifle advice needed

I own ( and love) my 300 win mag, keep in mind the cost of ammo is substantially more than say 30-06. I recently bought brass for reloading, paid more than twice the cost for 300 wm

 

[norm1057]

Re: Rifle advice needed

.270 in a Rem 700 BDL!

 

[JustJason]

Re: Rifle advice needed

3 words......

Bar

Browning Automatic Rifle.......

 

[xxturbowesxx]

Re: Rifle advice needed

i think i may be conservative with my weapon choice but some of you are nuts.. most people couldnt hit the broad side of a barn with a b.a.r and thats without a bear coming for you after your nerves are shot you would be screwed.. id take my a/r 15 a3 because i know i could hit it multiple times before it got to me.. id take a .22 over a bar at least i could shoot it lol..but im sure some of you guys are the crazy b.a.r wielding types lol. i see where your coming from with the stopping power but i would think about 4-5 .223 rounds would have some effect.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Rifle advice needed

i think i may be conservative with my weapon choice but some of you are nuts.. most people couldnt hit the broad side of a barn with a b.a.r and thats without a bear coming for you after your nerves are shot you would be screwed.. id take my a/r 15 a3 because i know i could hit it multiple times before it got to me.. id take a .22 over a bar at least i could shoot it lol..but im sure some of you guys are the crazy b.a.r wielding types lol. i see where your coming from with the stopping power but i would think about 4-5 .223 rounds would have some effect.

I think I mentioned this earlier but a .223 on any animal is NOT a predicable wound path. I have shot a deer with one and the bullet made a 90 degree right then a 90 degree left about a foot later. The intent of the design was originally to allow soldiers to carry more ammunition and produce wounds. A wounded enemy is better than a dead one.....

I have a match grade AR but I would still opt for my 45-70 to drop a big animal.

The BAR (commercial) is actually pleasant to shoot.

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: Rifle advice needed

I assumed that since we were talking about hunting rifles, the poster that said BAR, meant the hunting rifles. If so, none for me thank you. I'll Keep my Remingtons.

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/family.asp?webflag_=002B

At any rate, I wouldn't want to rely on a a .223 to stop a charging bear, even with 5 good hits. My money says, he'd maul you before he died. Heck, the last "bad guy" I know of that was shot with a .223, got a full zipper up his torso before he went down. He was taking hits and still shooting back.

 

[xxturbowesxx]

Re: Rifle advice needed

im no expert so thanks for the info.. ive noticed that a .223 round fragments more so than most and thought that would do more damage.