newbie to hunting

[bmanoftheyear]

i live in ohio but in about 2 months i am moving to arizona.I currently have a 9mm s&w sigma and a yugo sks 59/66.I would like to get into hunting since i heard there is alot of stuff to hunt in arizona.I am thinking just sell the 9 i have someone to buy it for $300 with about 500 rounds of ammo so i am really getting ripped off but i was thinking sell the 9 buy a rifle.I don't want to hunt with the sks becaus ewhat if something real big comes running at me i'd probably be undergunned.What do you suggest?should i use the sks or buy a new rifle and scope?I will only have $300 so i can buy a rifle then get a scope when it's about time to move.PLease tell me something good and does anyone here hunt in arizona?if so what animals do you take with what rifle

[Eghad]

I think that you could probably get by with something in .270 or 30.06 for Arizona. I own Hunting rifles in both those calibers. Im not familiar with the game in Arizona but I have the feeling those two calibers could cut the mustard...

You might want to check out used rifles after the hunting season....sometimes you can get a good rifle with a little wear that doesnt effect its performance for a good price.

If you want to start out cheaper How about a surplus Yugo 24/47 in 8mm?
J&G Sales has some in VG conditon for $129 plus $20 shipping + FFL trf fee. Mausers like these have been the basis for a good hunting rifle. You can get the bolt bent and buy a scope mount for the action.

[bmanoftheyear]

i'd rather buy something new that is in excellent shape and will last a long time.i know the milsurps have lasted this long but how much longer can they really last?i don't want to modify anything on it i'd rather have an original if i bought one

[Eghad]

Then check the gunshops after hunting season ends or before it starts.

[Wild Bill Bucks]

I just got through checking as many rifle manufacturers web-sites as I could find, and the cheapest rifle I found (NEW) was a Stevens for about 325.00.
Almost everything else was above $500.00 including the savages.
Bare in mind that these are sugg. retail from the factory, so I'm sure you will find them a little cheaper from the gunshops, but I still think you will have a hard time finding any kind of quality for $300.00.
If you know any pawn shop dealers, on a personal basis, best deal will be to find out if they have any good rifles that are going to come on the floor and put a hold payment on it, if they will let you. Then you can make a few payments on it, as you get it, and will pay it off shortly.

If you are going to be hunting, and you suspect that you might have a chance to confront an animal that could eat you, the last thing on your mind will be how long it took to pay for your rifle, or how much it cost.
Best bet is to buy Quality for a hunting rifle.

[Desertfox]

Arizona has a wide variety of species to hunt.
Whitetail, Muleys, Pronghorn and Elk being the majority of your hunting.

Varmint hunting is a different story all together. Tons of varmints are available.

You need to decide what you want your rifle to do for you. If you are going to hunt Elk for instance, you will want a larger round than if you are going to primarily hunt prarie dogs.

The terrain varies from close quarters in the mountains to long range shots in the rolling hills or flat tops.

A 300 yard shot on a muley is not uncommon. A 25 yard shot on an Elk is common also. It depends on what part of Arizona you are hunting.

You can buy a new lever action 30-30 for that money but you lose so much in distance. This rifle is not exactly the varmint rifle of anyone's dreams either, yet it is enough rifle to take any of the big game out to 175 yards or so.
A used 30-06 would be my choice for the money. Distance, size and availability are my determining factors for $300.
You will probably be hunting in areas where you see your game from a mile or so and try to stalk close enough for a quality shot. Good luck and have a good time at whatever you choose.

[fisherman66]

I would imagine that a NEF handy rifle in .308 would be about ideal for someone on a tight budget who wants a new gun to handle most all situations.

[bmanoftheyear]

i've got a 22lr scoped and a yugo sks that i can use for smaller stuff.It's just that i don't have faith in the 7.62x39 at a far distance

[remdude]

The 280 rem. is a great cartridge. Ammo is avalible in a wide varity of bullet weights to suite just about everything in AZ to about 250 yds. Even the biggest of elk with a fine placed shot. I have a rem 700 mtn rifle in .280 and 30\06 I have a battle over witch on to grab every time I go hunting. Good luck, and ENJOY!!!

[Jseime]

Buy a used winchester or marlin .30-30. Youll be very happy with that and for some extra range try the hew hornady leverevolution ammunition. youll be able to pick on up for cheap and can shoot with iron sights until youve got the cash together to buy a new scope.

[SemperKnight]

I personally would just keep the 9mm and use the SKS. Get a scope pack for it and set it for 100yrds. I have been killing whitetail with mine for years. As a matter of fact my SKS was my primary hunting rifle for several seasons because I was to broke to buy something better. I have killed deer with mine at ranges exceeding 250yrds and that being done with the iron sites.Also the farthest I have had a 1 deer run is 20 feet before dropping dead. All the rest dropped dead on the spot. The largest buck I ever killed was 218 pounds with a 22" spread and got him on the run from about a 100 yrds out.That also was done with iron sites in the 2001 season.
I just added a scope to it a couple years ago and haven't used for hunting yet since I have other rifles now and would rather stalk these days with a pistol.
The 7.62 x 39 is a very deadly round especially if you use the hollow point or soft nose rounds, and I for one would feel confident shooting at game as far as 400yrds with a decent scope.

[shureshot0471]

Gow with the .270 it will be your best all around hunting caliber for anything

[2ndchance]

Great post guys. Can I expand on this? I'm not new to Arizona but am new to hunting. I also tend to put the cart before the horse, as I have already purchased and built two rifles for hunting, varminting, and long range shooting.

My current interest is in prarie dogs. Where's a good place to go and shoot doggies? I live in Glendale and would prefer to drive south towards Tucson vs driving north towards Seligman.

I hear that Seligman is a great place, but the best is the private lands. How do you get permission to hunt on private land? I wouldn't mind going to Seligman but hate the thought of getting turned away from private land and have to drive all the way back.

Any advice on where to go?

[Turkeyhead]

bman, which part of Arizona are you moving to? I'm not TOO familiar with it, but I know that places like Flagstaff have more trees/forests, while the rest of it is pretty much open. Before you try to pick a rifle, pick a caliber that will suit your needs, and THEN choose a rifle around that. Once you know the caliber, finding a rifle becomes that much easier. Just for something in an all-around caliber, something like a .270 or .30-06 like others have mentioned should do just fine. As for rifles, look into the Howa or Stevens, and I know Bud's Gun Shop has new Weatherby Vanguard synthetics for $386. If you want to look at some of them, go to www.budsgunshop.com and see what fits your budget. Good luck with it all.

[azredhawk44]

Arizona has a wide variety of species to hunt.
Whitetail, Muleys, Pronghorn and Elk being the majority of your hunting.

Varmint hunting is a different story all together. Tons of varmints are available.

You need to decide what you want your rifle to do for you. If you are going to hunt Elk for instance, you will want a larger round than if you are going to primarily hunt prarie dogs.

The terrain varies from close quarters in the mountains to long range shots in the rolling hills or flat tops.

A 300 yard shot on a muley is not uncommon. A 25 yard shot on an Elk is common also. It depends on what part of Arizona you are hunting.

You can buy a new lever action 30-30 for that money but you lose so much in distance. This rifle is not exactly the varmint rifle of anyone's dreams either, yet it is enough rifle to take any of the big game out to 175 yards or so.
A used 30-06 would be my choice for the money. Distance, size and availability are my determining factors for $300.
You will probably be hunting in areas where you see your game from a mile or so and try to stalk close enough for a quality shot. Good luck and have a good time at whatever you choose.

Excellent advice here.

I'm a novice AZ hunter. Every time I get drawn for game I go up to my particular hunt region and scout it out months ahead of the hunt. I see my target species then, but never during the actual hunt. I think they check in to the Holiday Inn during hunting season.

Anyways... .308/.30-06/.270 are great rifles. There are a few places in the state with some large, sprawling plains and rolling empty hills that you might want something towards the flatter shooting end of the spectrum if your skills are up to par for a 400+ yard shot on game.

I think the ideal AZ rifle is a 7mm Remington Magnum of some sort. It has the range and wind-bucking attributes for the long range antelope shots without doing too much damage to the meat, along with the power and weight to handle elk or black bear.

To be honest though, if you come here with your SKS, load it up with 150gr soft points and go deer hunting. You'll be fine as long as you keep your shots inside of whatever range you feel you can hit humanely.

I'm saving up for a 7mmRemMag right now. My two rifles are a scoped M1A in .308, limited to 165gr bullets for deer and antelope, and a Mosin Nagant 91/30 in 7.62x54R, standard iron sights and limited to about 150 yards, shooting 180gr softpoints for elk. If I get drawn for both antelope and elk this year, that 7mm will be bought the next day. .270 and .25-06 are also good choices.

[azredhawk44]

Oops. Holy old thread, Batman!