Idiot's Guide To Deer Rifles??

[DT Guy]

I'm just going hunting for the first time next month. I've been shooting for my whole life (I'm 41), but I've never hunted before. And I'm shocked to find that, with all the guns I own, none are really suited to hunting deer. So I have to go gun-shopping

Here's my dilemna-we're going to Missiouri, where the ranges will be short and any centerfire rifle or pistol is legal. I live near Chicago, so finding gun shops just plain SUCKS, thanks to Mayor D-Duh-Daley driving the shops out of business. So my selection is somewhat limited.

I've been told that a 30-06 with a nice low power scope would be the most versatile and most logical choice for a hunting rifle. It'll work on pretty much anything I can picture myself hunting in the foreseeable future, and I can get a nice Savage for $400 or so.

The problem is that I REALLY have the hots for a Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70. The short version really seems like a cool little gun, and I think it'd be a hoot to shoot a 45-70 out of such a light gun.

So my dilemna-get the 'logical' choice, which really doesn't interest me much (never been into bolt guns, I guess) or get a lever gun for an off-beat cartridge with much less intrinsic range and accuracy?

Is there something to dissuade me from the Guide Gun? Something that will make the bolt gun a slam dunk? Something that will help me be less indecisive....

Somebody help!

Larry

 

[saands]

Sounds like you've already made up your mind .... and that you are letting some external noise into your head ... GET THE 45-70 !!!!!!!! It'll certainly handle anything you run across and if you aren't taking 200+ yd shots, then don't worry. While I take 400 yd shots at paper targets whenever I get the chance, I ALWAYS pass on 400yd shots on game ... I just don't trust myself to make a clean, humane kill.

Saands

 

[mete]

"off beat cartridge " ????? The 45-70 has been around for 125 years ,long outliving many 'modern ' cartridges.It is suitable, with proper ammo, for anything in north america !! Accurate enough for target shooting .My fancy 45-70 is good for 1/2" groups ,my plain jane 1885 Browning good for 1" groups, a Marlin good for 1 1/2". It's criticized for poor trajectory yet that's only a problem beyond 150 yds....For those conditions get a 1x4 scope to find openings in the brush. Don't pay any attention to comments about "brush "busting" cartridges , they all can be deflected.

 

[FirstFreedom]

Get the 45-70 - its darn near perfect for the thick woods that it sounds like you're going to. It's a brush buster - if you hit a leaf or small twig, the trajectory is not thrown off much. Yes they can all be deflected, and you shouldn't take a shot if there's anything more than mere leafs or tiny twigs blocking the way, but at close ranges, since the a big-honkin 260 or 300 grainer will be thrown off LESS, you might just feel comfortable taking such a shot -but no, not through a lot of brush - in that case you likely cant even clearly see the kill zone, so a shot wouldn't be ethical anyway. Use light loads for whitetail. I've got a 1.24-4x24mm scope on my Marlin .45-70 (not the guide gun - the 22" version). It's very well suited for deer hunting like you describe IMO. Great out to about 120-140 yards (PBR), which is way more distance than I need where I hunt. The Marlin does NOT have less instrinsic accuracy. It does have less range. But it can be very accurate. You just aim dead on within your PBR (point blank range). If you don't understand this concept thoroughly, then I'd recommend doing a search on PBR or asking more here. Or to take a shortcut, just zero it for 100 yards, then don't take any shots past 125 yards. Aim dead on. Good luck!

 

[DT Guy]

Well, thanks for all the replies.

I still want the Guide Gun, if for no other reason than to pop things at the range. ("Reasons? We don't need no stinking REASONS to buy another gun..!")

But I looked at a 1970 Winchester Model 70 that a friend's dad was selling, and as soon as I put it to my shoulder I knew I was going to buy it.

I'm not much into rifles, but I DO know that I didn't have that feeling with any of the synthetic stocked rifles I looked at. And even though it's the least desirable model 70 as far as production years, I really, really like it. Hard to describe why, but it felt 'right.'

So how's that for logic, huh? In the end, it's always easier to buy something you like rather than something that makes sense. I just needed to find the bolt gun I liked.

Now to save up for the Guide Gun...!


Larry