First rifle

[EKYHunter]

Congrats on your new rifle. I’ve got an Axis II in 6.5 CM and it’s a shooter. For Christmas last year, I purchased a new Rem Arms 700 ADL in .308 so I’m interested in all the recommendations your getting. I’ve killed some elk and deer with a .308 TC Encore so I’m not new to the caliber. I’ve had success using the Barnes TTSX loads, Hornady American Whitetail, and Nosler Accubond. Good luck with your rifle and take the time to enjoy the sighting in and load finding process.

 

[Don Fischer]

Seems like a lot of stuff for a first rifle. I'd say the 308 will work fine but you might not care for the recoil unless of course you've already tried one. My though on a first rifle would be in either 260 Rem or 6.5 Creedmoor, maybe 7mm-08 but first go I'd say a 6.5. Can't help on factory ammo as I haven't shot any in a lot of years. And then that would probably elminate the 260 Rem, just not that popular. But I'd think there's plenty of ammo around for the 6.5 Creedmoor and 7mm-08, both very popular. As for bullet's, in the 6.5 CM I'd start with 130gr and try 140gr and see which one I shot best. In the 7mm-08 I'd start at 140gr and 150gr. For a rifle, if you like hunting or simply shooting, I'd start with lower cost rifles till you get a feel for what you want to do. You can always up grade. The entry level Savage is supposed to be a good rifle but I've never shot one. sure a lot of people singing the praise for it though. Same thing with the Ruger entry level. I have two Mossberg Patriot's I tried just for grins and really can't complain about it. Great shooting rifle's! There is a thing that bother's me with them but at this point it's not worth mention as it would involve re-bedding and you ain't there yet. They have an adjustable trigger and both came from the factory set at 2 1/2#, they are very nice. Whatever you decide on I would not go with a custom trigger at this point. Learn trigger control and you can fire most any rifle well. Custom adjustable trigger's won't do anything for you you'll recognize for awhile but they will set you back another $100+! I have never felt the need for a custom trigger. On my Rem 700's I have the trigger's set to 3# and most people that have fired them think they are lighter. My Mossberg trigger's will get the same thought's should anyone ever fire them. Something with the light custom triggers, early on with what ever you choose you will probably develope a bit of flinch. All that noise and little shove and it's normal. That is why I say first learn trigger control. Awful easy to jerk off a shot with a light trigger! As for stocks, that pretty much a personnal choice I think. There can be no doubt that the plastic stocks work and in many cases well but I am a wood stock guy. I got a Rem 700 ADL for christmas one year had a plastic stock, worst shooting rifle I ever saw. But I got the stock off and completely re-bedded it and turned it into a real shooter, much better than needed. Today even though I got it going it has a wood stock, my own preference. My 243 Mossberg came with a plastic stock and I shot it very little as I ordered a wood stock when I got it home. With the plastic stock it went well under an inch with test loads, much more than required for a hunting rifle. Keep in mind that most shooter's, especially handloader's scoff at a rifle that only shoots 1" groups but the taget on a deer runs about 8" depending on the target you choose. Therefore a 1" rifle is more than adequate. Also how well the rifle might shoot is going to depend a lot on you! Nothing replaces good shooting habits! I have this feeling about rifles these days, with handloads I strongly suspect any good andloader can make a facroty rifle shoot close to 1" groups right out of the box, even the inexpensive ones! Rifles have come a long way, even inexpensive ones. Which brand is best is another personnal choice. I like Rem 700 ADL's, I get along really well with them. Have had three Sako's years ago but these days I simply can't afford them. have had a couple Winchester's. and my only complaint is I don't have enough experience re-bedding anything but round actions. My present Model 70 Featherweight I paid about $750 brand new for and the only thing I've done with it it adjust the trigger to 5#! it came at about 7#. Thing shoot's right at 1" groups and just a bit over right out of the box. I could not blame a poor shot on that rifle! keep something in mind looking at new rifles, you can always find a rifle that will cost you more but you may never find one that shoot's better than what you have. Aside from how it shoot's, which you won't know till after you fire it, looks are really important the me and feel just holding it and aiming it. Find a rifle that looks good to you and feels good holding it. Don't ask what feels good feels like, you'll learn in time they all seem to have a feel that will appeal to you or not. I think the Browning rifles are beautiful rifles and report's are they shoot very well. But I can't stand the bolt on them and wouldn't get one for no other reason. Now an older browning on a mauser action would be a different story for me but can't afford one.

I think what your gonna find is that few rifles have any huge advantage over another. All will shoot well enough for hunting rifles even if you wish it would shoot better. In time you just may learn how to make them shoot better but that's seem's to me a tall order for a first rifle! You could go the custom route if you can afford it and doing that other than finish you'll never realize just how little you really got for your money if all you want is a hunting rifle. Think about this in shotguns. I have a brand new CZ Bobwhite in 28ga SxS with double trigger's. Cost me about $500 brand new. If I had the money I could have got a brand new Purdey in 28ga, SxS and brand new about $100,000 and I understand a one year waiting period. You know what the Purdy will do for me the CZ won't? Bragging rights, not one other thing!

Spend your money wisely in the beginning, might surprise you how well you can do and if your not happy, you can always spend more on the next one! Before trading out parts from origional factory parts, learn to shoot the factory rifle. Down the road you'll probably figure out what YOU want and won't have to ask! We are all different and have different ideas onwhat makes a good rifle but I'd almost be willing to bet that the vast maajority of hunter's in this country shoot a factory rifle and what worse, if they have been using it long, swear by it!

One more thing about factory parts and it's trigger's. Savage earned a huge ruputation for accurate rifle's with their early model 110's. Thay had the worst trigger i have ever seen on any rifle but people learned to shoot them and they were super accurate! The most sucessful thing you can improve on any rifle, is the shooter!

 

[buffybr]

If I had just bought my first rifle, I would be totally overwhelmed by many of the resposes here.

I believe that in today's world most rifles are just fine "out of the box" for most hunters.

Twenty some years ago I was going through a VERY NASTY divorce and couldn't get to my guns to go on my first hunt in South Africa, so I borrowed a pawn shop Remington 700 ADL in 7 mm Rem mag from one on the guys that I went with on that trip, and I easily killed my first 9 African animals. That rifle and scope were right off the shelf in my friend's pawn shop and all I did was check the zero of the scope.

I'm a DIY guy and I have done most, if not more, of just about all of the suggestions presented in this thread to most of my rifles and a number of my pistols. Were these modifications necessary? Maybe. Yes. And no. But they gave me something to do and probably in the end, they help me to shoot better, but's that's for me, and I'm far from a first time rifle buyer and shooter.

Outside of my time in the military, I've lived my whole life in Colorado and Montana. Since the mid '60s firearms, gun tinkering, shooting, and hunting have been a major part of my life.

When I still lived in Colorado I bought my first wife a Ruger model 77 rifle in .308 Win for her. I loaded 150 grain Sierra and Hornady bullets for her to hunt deer and antelope, and 180 grain Sierras for elk. I forget what scope I put on it but it probably was a straight 4 power and I sighted it in 2 1/2" high at 100 yards which gave her a piont blank range of about 250 yards. Keep it simple.

Now, 40 some years later, I no longer have that wife or her rifle, but I do have two rifles chambered in .308 Win. Both of these rifles like a variety of 150 and 155 grain Sierra, Nosler, and Hornady bullets. I enjoy practice shooting them almost every week at the steel gongs that our range has set out to 430 yards.

I hunt exclusively with Barnes TSX or TTSX bullets in two of my rifles, but I probably shoot 50 to 100 practice bullets through each of my hunting rifles for every bullet that I shoot hunting. My practice bullets are whatever Sierra, Hornady, Nosler, etc cup and core bullet that shoots well in my rifles.

Individual rifles often "like" some bullets better than others. Since the OP apparently lives in CA, I would suggest that he buys a box of 150 or 155 grain copper bullets from two or three of the major cartridge manufacturers and see which one shoots the best out of his rifle at 100 yards from a solid bench rest. Sight them in 2 1/2" high at 100 yards, then shoot them at targets at 200 and 300 yards to verify where they hit at those ranges.

Then buy several boxes of 150 or 155 grain lead core bullets for practice and again shoot them off a bench to see which one your rifle likes and that will be your practice bullet. Again check the bullet impact at 200 and 300 yards.

Then buy as many boxes of those cartridges as you can and shoot as often as you can. And in your practicing, don't just shoot from a bench. Shoot from field positions, prone, sitting, off sticks, standing, etc. Shoot as often as you can. The more that you practice, the easier it will be when that big buck is in your scope.

 

[rke]

My oldest saved and bought the same gun for his first rifle. This ammo works well, he shot a muley last season at 297yds and it died about 10yds from where it was hit.