IMO, one of the worst inventions in the shooting world is "see-through" rings. They put your head off the stock way too much, especially on a lever gun that in the opinion of many was never intended to be scoped to begin with. Buy good glass to and you can probably see through it when you can't see the irons. I here people tout see through rings as a back up for a scope failure. Once again, good glass will probably eliminate that unless you have an accident. If that happens, you can just take the scope off and go back to irons.
Deer rifle for a novice hunter
- Thread starter Toothpick
- Start date
What say we muddy the waters even more?
Was at the range yesterday to pattern a shotgun and brought this along.
Ruger Mini-30. 7.62x39 cartridge has ballistics very, very close to .30-30.
Much fun to shoot..ammunition is crazy cheap.
Very accurate with iron sights. Scope works well for longer ranges.
Perhaps a consideration.....
Was at the range yesterday to pattern a shotgun and brought this along.
Ruger Mini-30. 7.62x39 cartridge has ballistics very, very close to .30-30.
Much fun to shoot..ammunition is crazy cheap.
Very accurate with iron sights. Scope works well for longer ranges.
Perhaps a consideration.....
I totally agree, see through rings are an abomination. Quality QR rings and a quality compact low power scope, variable or fixed power, possibly a scout scope would be ideal IMHO.
Certainly viable if the right bullet is used.
All nice things aside, for a beginner I definitely do NOT recommend a lever action.
I'll just throw a link into the chat:
www.cabelas.com
.243 Winchester. On sale for less than $350
Great scope with a great field of view for not a lot of moolah.
Total cost will be well under $600 with ring mounts and a good amount of ammunition, and practice/zeroing targets.
I'll just throw a link into the chat:
Ruger American Rifle Standard Bolt-Action Rifle | Cabela's
The Ruger American Rifle® Standard is a bolt-action rifle built with innovative designs and modern materials to provide shooters with a practical and cost-effective firearm
.243 Winchester. On sale for less than $350
Nikon PROSTAFF® Riflescope : Cabela's
Built with the same image-enhancing technology used in higher-end Nikon scopes, the PROSTAFF series offers feature-loaded value and the highest light transmission levels in its class. These hardworking scopes also boast larger eyepieces which provide an extra-wide field of view.
www.cabelas.com
Great scope with a great field of view for not a lot of moolah.
Total cost will be well under $600 with ring mounts and a good amount of ammunition, and practice/zeroing targets.
You are NOT helping me, my friend! I've been studying that rifle. It is calling me by name!All nice things aside, for a beginner I definitely do NOT recommend a lever action.
I'll just throw a link into the chat:
Ruger American Rifle Standard Bolt-Action Rifle | Cabela's
The Ruger American Rifle® Standard is a bolt-action rifle built with innovative designs and modern materials to provide shooters with a practical and cost-effective firearm
.243 Winchester. On sale for less than $350
Nikon PROSTAFF® Riflescope : Cabela's
Built with the same image-enhancing technology used in higher-end Nikon scopes, the PROSTAFF series offers feature-loaded value and the highest light transmission levels in its class. These hardworking scopes also boast larger eyepieces which provide an extra-wide field of view.www.cabelas.com
Great scope with a great field of view for not a lot of moolah.
Total cost will be well under $600 with ring mounts and a good amount of ammunition, and practice/zeroing targets.
At least that's my excuse I plan to use with my lovely War Department....
And just what's wrong with a lever. That's what I started with when I was about 7 years old, and no problems. I will freely admit that they generally do not have as nice a trigger pull as a bolt action, nor are quite as accurate. I did learn marksmanship well enough from my father to make the ROTC small bore rifle team on first cut for tryouts though, and then learned the advantage of quality bolt action rifles. I still to this day shoot a lot of lever action rifles, and find them quite fine if used within their limitations. 300-400 rifles they generally are not, but stick to moderate to short ranges and absolutely nothing wrong with them. A good Marlin or Winchester is easy to carry, and with the half ****, and crossbolt safety on the newer models are quite safe, and easy to use. I think a newbie would be better off learning and using a lever than a semi auto. Learn marksmanship not spray and pray.
Spray and pray. Well put. You have not helped with my absolute NEED for a Henry in .357. Thank you my friend!
During the off season, some cast bullets and Unique powder turn a .30-30 lever gun into a fun plinker.
- Thread starter
- #131
Shot a Ruger yesterday in 220 Swift. Pretty much zero recoil. And I was a decent shot. I liked it!
Oh yes! I still have dad's old Marlin 336sc in 35 Remington. I make fun loads by putting 158 gr Keith semi wadcutters in it over a small charge of 2400. Dad never shot as much as I, so was more recoil sensitive but he enjoyed shooting those loads.
They are not for failure, they are in case you get a close quick moving shot in the woods. A lever action is built for speed in the brush. The scope becomes secondary for a longer shot on the gun. They work fine on longer shots for a lever gun. They would not work well on a long range rifle, but they are the only way to compromise on a brush gun. If you hunt brush with the occasional clearing it is a good combo. The scope extends your hunting time in the am and the pm regardless of the setting. Even if the see through mounts are not optimal, they are all there is if you only have a lever action brush gun like most younger hunters.
I'd rather have a low power scope with proper eye relief on a gun that fits me when shouldered for that quick shot.
A lot of places the law is like .230 or above or something. I haven't looked it up in a long time, but .223 is not legal for deer, as it's too small. I doubt .220 is legal.
- Thread starter
- #136
Any centerfire round is legal for deer in TN. The guy I was with has bagged many deer with his 220 Swift.
Any centerfire of .22 caliber or above is legal for taking deer in Louisiana. So technically, you could legally take a deer with a .22 Hornet, but it wouldn't be practical or ethical, but it wouldn't surprise me if it has been done!
Many a whitetail have fallen to a .223. A 69 gr. or 75 gr. bullet could be quite effective. But I wouldn't recommend it for a novice.
- Thread starter
- #139
I wouldn’t question anyones ethics if they were hunting legally. In some states it’s legal to bait deer. In others it is not. Some states regulate the caliber size for hunting. Some states are more loosey goosey. IMO if you are within the law it’s not an ethical/unethical situation.
Conversely...a .300 Win Mag or .45-70 Govt. for deer around here is, well....
a tad much. Or some folks may say.
a tad much. Or some folks may say.
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