Need more practice!

[JmmgBOWhunter]

After thousand of shots with my bow, I became pretty good. I have almost no rifle experience except 80 shots with a savage arms 300 win mag. To be honest I am a bad shot. The ammo is kind of pricey. I was wonder is the a beginner rifle caliber, on the cost efficient side, that can take down tx game. Any advice is appreciated .

 

[Odin]

I would suggest the 7mm-08.

 

[MThuntr]

As much as I'd like to agree with Odin with the 7mm-08 (I shoot that and it is a great round) but if you buy a 308 you can get Mil Spec (7.62x51) ammo and shoot on the cheap to get used to how the rifle feels and then before the season switch to the pricey hunting ammo and resight.

 

[JmmgBOWhunter]

Not to be greedy for info, but is ther a specific gun or even just manufacture.

 

[Odin]

Not to be greedy for info, but is ther a specific gun or even just manufacture.

Did you shoot anything before the 300 Win Mag?

Could you get by with a 243 down there due to price of ammo?

 

[JmmgBOWhunter]

A BB gun as a kid. Will a 243 be enough for whitetail, hog, and coyote. That is about all I would potentially hunt when I was proficient enough.

 

[Odin]

A BB gun as a kid. Will a 243 be enough for whitetail, hog, and coyote. That is about all I would potentially hunt when I was proficient enough.

It will do fine and have a lot less recoil. It will also cost less for ammo.

 

[Fire_9]

A .243 would be more than enough for what you want to hunt. I don't shoot many factory rifles anymore but a few manufactures to look at would be Remington, Savage, Ruger, and Tikka. I think they all make a pretty good rifle for relatively cheap.

 

[.280 Remington]

.243, 25-06, 7mm-08, 270 are all good choices.

If you're looking for a good value, check out the Tikka T3 ($600 range) or Ruger American ($350).

I would definitely ditch the .300 mag if I wanted to practice a lot though. I own one, but shoot in the off season with my smaller guns mostly.

 

[Muskeez]

I just bought a Ruger 10/22 for this same purpose for my kids and wife. They can rattle off a bunch of rounds without breaking the bank and can practice shooting from various positions and switching between and acquiring targets in a hurry. Plus it's a blast to shoot! IMO the more times you can pull the trigger on any rifle the better you will become. .22LR ammo is now getting easier to come by in our area.

 

[RobG]

I had a discussion here a few weeks ago about about this. The consensus was that a .243 was a good gun for deer. I was also considering a .223 ammo since the ammo is very cheap but there was disagreement on whether or not it was big enough for deer.

The Ruger American is a popular choice and the one I shot performed very well.

 

[JohnCushman]

I bought my wife a Ruger American .308 as her first rifle, as well as her 'all around' rifle. There is very little felt recoil on it and it shoots Federal factory loads very well. Hers shoots 150 grain Fusions beautifully. It will take down anything from antelope to elk. The rifle did not break the bank and I liked it so much I sold my Savage 30-06 and bought an American in 30-06 as a package with the Redfield scope, which I have been happy with so far. You don't NEED a big magnum rifle if you decide to hunt elk in the future. I killed my cow with my old 30-06 and she ended up just as dead as the one my buddy shot with his 300 win mag. But, while I was single I kinda went on a gun buying binge and bought a 300 win mag anyway, but I figured I might as well have one for a longer shot or for windy days to back up my 30-06...NOT to overcompensate for having a small penis like other people have said (I always take 2 rifles on a hunt, just in case because you never know when a scope is going to get bumped or whatnot)

 

[Bambistew]

Bolt action 223. Cheap to shoot and similar to a bg rifle.

 

[1_pointer]

I would suggest two rifles. In today's market, I'd suggest a Ruger American in .243 if deer/hogs are the biggest critter you'll be hunting for awhile and the second would be a Ruger American rimfire, preferably in 22LR. Though 22LR aren't as easy to find as they used to be they can still be found. Their price, low report, and recoil are great for learning to shoot a rifle. The fact that the trigger and safety manipulation is like the larger centerfire makes it all the better.

 

[maxx]

I would suggest a 22 also. You can really learn to just shoot.

We built Ruger 10/22 with a bull barrel and on AR platform. I built it for my kids but it is the single most fun gun I have to shoot. When I have a day with nothing to do I will sometime slip out there without my kids and shoot it.

I can shoot decent groups out to 100 yards.

 

[HighDesertSage]

30-06 ammo is cheap. So is 308 or 270.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I like the thought of practice with the 22lr. I've heard guys shooting heavy magnums use one every few hots to make sure they aren't flinching. After that I would think a .243 or .308 would really fit the bill. Bith would have cheaper ammo than a .260, .270, or 7mm-08 but all would be good. If you are a little shakey on accuracy I would suggest not going any lighter than a .243. A bad shot is still bad, but a I would feel better with more lead than less lead. As far as guns I think the ruger american may be your best bet. There are some other bargain rifles out there but this one sure has a loyal following. Also don't forget the scope. There are bargain guns that shoot exceptionally well but with optics you get what you pay for. I think I would look at a leupole vxI or vxII. Check out predator optics or message schmalts on here. He'll treat you right. Good luck.

 

[Mthuntinfool]

a ruger American in 243 would fit the bill for you. low recoil, and when you get good it will take any game you will find in Tx.

 

[JmmgBOWhunter]

I will just have to buy a hunting rifle later, probably a 308. I did get a Savage Mark ll and 800 rounds of ammo for under $300. Thank y'all for the advice. I am really happy with this gun