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Old August 31, 2012, 04:01 AM   #1
General_lee7
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Trying to choose the best rifle...

Hi guys i am new to this site and looking for some help. I am a relatively new hunter (30yrs old and have just got heavy into hunting the last 3yrs, never had anyone to teach me about it until then) but i am addicted to the sport and love it. I am going out to Montana this November and im trying to pick a rifle out of my collection to take. My choices are the following:

Ruger 77 Mark II 300 Win Mag
Browning BAR belgium grade II 300 Win Mag
Browning BAR belgium grade II 30-06
Winchester .270
Weatherby Vangaurd 7mm Mag

Please give me any input you guys have weather you have had good or bad experience with my options. Thanks in advance
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Old August 31, 2012, 04:13 AM   #2
General_lee7
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More info

Sorry forgot to specify i am going for Mule Deer
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Old August 31, 2012, 06:39 AM   #3
Mayor Al
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Knowing that the target will be Mule Deer makes this a case of, which gun performs the best for your shooting style. All of your list can do well in the longer distance of Montana's open country...and also in the Mountain areas. If you were going for Elk, I would lean towards the heavier caliber and longer gun....but you aren't.

All other things being equal, and I have not fired some of your selection candidates, I would choose one of the BAR's. I had a 30-06 many years ago and loved that rifle. So Personal preference would be my deciding factor.
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Old August 31, 2012, 07:32 AM   #4
Doyle
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I have yet to see a BAR that was accurate enough to be considered a viable long-range hunting rifle. "good enough" at 200 yes is not nearly good enough at 400. If you anticipate a long-range shot, go with the rifle that gives you the tightest group. All of those calibers are up to the task.
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Old August 31, 2012, 08:03 AM   #5
Art Eatman
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Any of those cartridges will work just fine. I suggest using the one with which you are most familiar, most comfortable--and the one with which you do best at hitting targets from field positions and not just from a benchrest.

If you expect to hunt in wide-open country, knowledge of the trajectory is very important (after 300 yards, anyway) and a laser rangefinder can be a Very Helpful Thing.
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Old August 31, 2012, 09:39 AM   #6
jmr40
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Any will work, but the magnums are not needed. When you start climbing the steep mountains in thin air you will wish you had picked the lightest rifle you can find. The BAR's and Vanguards are some of the heaviest rifles made. The Ruger and Winchester don't qualify as lightweights, especially in magnum chamberings. Of the options you list the 270 Winchester is the logical choice.
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Old August 31, 2012, 10:04 AM   #7
farmerboy
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Agree that magnums are not needed. I'd get the Winchester 270 or the Bar 30-06. Those guns can take any animal you want, and have. Most of the times magnums are so you can sit around the camp fire and tell everyone you can kill something 3 miles away. And then find yourself at the shooting bench, afraid to pull the trigger. Ammo is outrageous for magnums also.
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Old August 31, 2012, 10:27 AM   #8
jimbob86
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Whichever you pick, make sure you can practice with it from field positions till you can hit a vital zone sized target (say an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper) on demand, under time pressure, from those positions. Know how far you can do that from, and don't try to shoot farther than that.

That said, the gun with the least recoil will allow you to practice more.... I vote .270 WIN.

A military style sling will do wonders for stabilizing your rifle when there's nothing but sagebrush to rest the gun on, too:


http://carnival.saysuncle.com/001086.html

Some people like shooting sticks, too.

Learn to use any shooting aid quickly, as well, as Ol' Donkey Ears may stop and look at you for a few seconds before he resumes bouncing into the sunset, but he won't stand there forever......
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Old August 31, 2012, 10:30 AM   #9
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Quote:
Ammo is outrageous for magnums also.
Ammo is outrageous, period. It is easy to spend as much on practice ammo as you did on the rifle!

Handloading helps, but primers are up to near 4 cents apiece, and premium bullets are high, as well.....
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Old August 31, 2012, 10:49 AM   #10
farmerboy
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I hear ya. Yep things are going up. And reloading does help. I just got given to me about 30 lbs powder (assorted), about 40,000 primers (assorted) and about 10000 assorted bullets. Not to mention his press, about 20 sets RCBS dies, so on and so on. My best friend recently died and his wife knew we handloaded together for last 15 or so years so she wanted me to have it. Nice gift for sure just a bad deal to lose my best friend for it. He will surely be missed but ammo will still be cranked out and shot until I'm called Home. So hopefully I won't have to purchase anything for years. Plus everything I already had!
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Old August 31, 2012, 12:29 PM   #11
jimbob86
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Sorry about your friend, farmer, but that is certainly a very nice gift!
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Old August 31, 2012, 03:04 PM   #12
AllenJ
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jmr40 wrote:

Quote:
When you start climbing the steep mountains in thin air you will wish you had picked the lightest rifle you can find.
This is the deciding factor if it were me. All of the cartridges you have listed are more than capable of taking a mule deer. It comes down to what type of hunting you plan on doing. If hiking long distances and packing your kill out are involved you'd be wise to choose the lightest rifle of the group. If on the other hand you're using horses and walks are short, take the rifle you feel most confident with.
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Old August 31, 2012, 03:28 PM   #13
doofus47
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I have a 30-06 and my buddy has a .270 and we have both shot mulies equally dead.
Since the magnums are even more powerful, I suspect they will do just as well as our cartridges over longer distances.
I'd try to find a rifle that works for you (easy to carry, quick to shoulder, easy to aim, recoil doesn't kill you, etc) and then decide.
If you spend most of your practice time firing a .22 to save ammo, the ammo cost doesn't become a major factor.

Good luck this year and ongoing!
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Old August 31, 2012, 05:48 PM   #14
General_lee7
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Thanks everybody for all the info. I am goung to be shooting a few tomarrow and going to try and pick which one seems to fit the best. I appreciate all of the feedback and will let you guys know which one seems to be the most accurate and best fit for me.
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Old September 1, 2012, 06:57 AM   #15
Jack O'Conner
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Mule deer are not armor-plated at all. I've had good luck with 30-30 and .308 rifles. 270 is very popular and ammo is is easy to locate, anywhere.

Jack

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Old September 1, 2012, 01:25 PM   #16
math teacher
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As Jack stated, he has had good luck with the 30-30 which means he was able to get fairly close. Forget the videos showing 600 yard shots on mule deer. That is just a stunt and unnessary. Even at 300 yards a deer looks awfully small at 9 power. Follow the excellent advice from above and the 270 is plenty of rifle for mule deer.
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Old September 1, 2012, 01:35 PM   #17
BillM
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270 or the 7mm, whichever one is lighter or has better optics. Just
my opinion.
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Old September 1, 2012, 04:27 PM   #18
Sure Shot Mc Gee
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With the size of deer here MN. And the distance shooting over pasture land I do. I'm kind of partial to the 270 myself. 30-06 I'm not that fond of. Although others here are. Keep in mind when using a Mag. Those rifles are usually heavier in weight. Spotting and stalking while carrying a scoped Mag all over the terrain can be a very long and exhausting day for an average hunter. Two tips: Consider the cartridge for the game intended. Again, Consider the weight of a scoped weapon you are going to enjoy carrying. Enjoy your hunting and be careful._
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Old September 1, 2012, 04:38 PM   #19
jwrowland77
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I have a Remington 700 7mm Rem Mag and love it. It kicks like a mule but it is a wonderfully shooting gun.

Luckily I am reloading for it so I will be able to get in a lot more shooting with it. With ammo that ranges anywhere from $40-$60 for a box of 20, reloading is the only way to go with big caliber.
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Old September 2, 2012, 09:25 AM   #20
General_lee7
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Shot both the ruger 77 mark II 300 win mag and the Browning BAR 300 win mag yesterday. Definatley impressed with the BAR accurate and doesnt kick half as bad.
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Old September 3, 2012, 11:05 AM   #21
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Winchester or the Weatherby should handle the job, if you can.
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Old September 3, 2012, 11:37 AM   #22
rightside
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Another vote for the 270 if the package is reasonably lite. Just a personal favorite.
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Old September 3, 2012, 11:50 AM   #23
603Country
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My Dad and I both had BAR's, and we both finally went for something lighter. My BAR was very accurate with my handloads, but the older I got the heavier the BAR got. Dad went with a Ruger 77 Ultralight, and kept that till he could no longer hunt. If you could find a used Ultralight in 270, or one of the Remington Mountain Rifles they made at one time (and maybe still make?), those would do just fine for hunting the mountains.
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Old September 3, 2012, 09:05 PM   #24
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If you've got to hump up and down hills, choose the lightest one you've got. I suspect the Win70 in 270 would be the one and it will kill Mulies as far as you would responsibly want to shoot.
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