Good affordable first hunting rifle and caliber recommendations?

[calebp]

Hey guys,

I've decided this is the year I am going to start hunting things larger than squirrels and need some advice. I am totally in the dark on hunting rifles and the calibers they come in. I would really like to stay right around $500 for rifle and optic but if there is an extremely compelling reason I could go up to $500 and pick up the scope down the road before deer season. I'd like something I could use on other game too if the opportunity to hunt something else presented itself.

So far I have been looking at the savage axis, the weatherby vanguard s2, and the slightly higher savage that comes with accutrigger. What would you guys recommend, one of these or something else? Ideally I would like to also be able to occasionally hit one of the outdoor ranges with the long range shoots and do that as well. I really like the idea of .308 but have also looked at 7mm and .270.

Wide open for suggestions and advice. Really don't want to sink a ton of money into a setup until I decide it's something I want to pursue pretty hard.

Thanks guys!
Caleb

 

[brettd308]

The Ruger Americans seem to be getting good reviews. This one comes with a Refield scope.
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/91078

 

[Horsehat]

.308 is plenty for deer, a great caliber and common enough that ammo is both available and reasonable. My advice would be to buy a good used rifle as reasonable as possible and spend more than you had perhaps planned on the scope. If I had $500 to spend I would either find a combo with a nice scope or buy a $200 rifle and the best scope I could find with the rest. I wouldn't really get that hung up on caliber, there are probably 30 calibers that reasonable people could argue are "the best" deer rifle caliber, look for a deal, especially with a nice scope.

 

[white]

Just buy my 30-06.
Just kidding. Out of the calibers you mentioned I would chose the 308 but any of them will get the job done. I have also heard good things about the Ruger American but have not shot one yet.

 

[karlvv30]

You cant go wrong with a good lever action 30-30. I think more deer have been killed with one of these than any other gun.

 

[Corelokt]

I'd go with a Savage with the accu-trigger, awesome shooter right out the box.
My Trophy Hunter XP model 11 came from the factory with a Nikon 3-9x40, mine's chambered in 270wsm and cost a little over 500, I'm sure a regular 270 / 308 would be less.
As far as caliber, everyone's gonna throw out their favorite, mine is 270, it's fast, flat shooting, and is devastating on whitetail.
There is nothing in North America I would be scared to take on a hunt with a 270 and proper bullet selection.

 

[hikingthehills]

For deer I have a 30.06 and a .270. Both are awesome guns. The way I have my .270 set up it has become my favorite so I may end up selling my 30.06 just so I can get a back up .270 to take with me to the hunting camp.

 

[harrycalahan]

Good used marlin 336 would get you in the game cheap.

 

[biker_bill]

You cant go wrong with a good lever action 30-30. I think more deer have been killed with one of these than any other gun.

There's a lot of truth to that and the .30-30 is a good round for deer, I've shot many with it.

But I've killed more deer with a .50 muzzle loader than everything else combined.
And you're guaranteed to get a shot, since it's the only safe way to unload it. lol

Keep the scope off the .30-30, if your eyes are still good.
It really changes they way it feels.

 

[Swab]

I wanted something compact and light that I wasn't worried about getting scraped and dinged up so I picked up a Ruger American compact 308 almost new from here for $300 and waited for a Vortex to go on sale. Total was $515 OTD and I love the thing. Super accurate and light.