First Gun Purchase for new Hunter

Which caliber for first/only (current) rifle?


  • Total voters
    108
A 30-'06 AND a 22LR that he can handle and shoot daily. He is a NEW shooter right? Needs to get as familiar as possible with a rifle and shoot frequently, even if just a few shots a day.
 
If semi-auto is legal to use for him I would recommend taking a look at a Browning BAR in .308.

If not, Europtic has some good "close out" deals on bolt action Tikka T3x's in .308 right now.

If he has a South African hunt in his future the BAR would be out since they do not allow semi automatics in.
 
I think the caliber that would be the most practical and beneficial for a beginner adult would be a 30-06. I like the Winchester M70, Blaser R8 and Sako’s for bolt actions and K95 and Ruger No.1’s for single shots.
 
Ruger American Gen 2 in .308. While I am a traditional lever guy I have several gun nut friends who rave about those as a beginner rifle and their accuracy. IMO they look pretty sharp too, and they are inexpensive. .308 because it's versatile and common.
 
.270 Winchester is quite comfortable for novice hunters. As well as being perfectly adequate for all of the American deer species along with feral hogs.
 
No safe is full with one rifle…
I just returned from a tiny ten pursuit with a 6.5 creedmoor that included a kudu.
However, among your choices I chose 284. I have a Christiensen Arms in 7 mag and and a browning abolt in 7 mag. 7 mm Rem Mag and 7 PRC are solid from elk and eland on down. I am also a huge fan of suppressors which make recoil and hunting situations better.
 
7 posts in and only 1 mention of the 30-06. Not even a choice in the poll. Unbelievable :cool:
It seems the marketeers have decided to kill the old 30 aught 6. I reckon it is all about penny pinching. Short action rifles are cheaper to manufacture and long range is all the rage. So it's prc this and creedmore that. All offering what other calibres have done for 100 years. I would also avoid the newer calibres as I don't think the market can support so many calibres, I think some will dissappear.

I think 308, 30-06 and 300 win mag are where its at. I would use all of them on plainsgame short of eland. The 300 win mag is the only one of the 3 legal for eland here in Zimbabwe.
 
Are there any countries typically hunted in Africa where .308 is illegal to use since it is sometimes considered a military caliber?
 
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Now. If it is Africa only. A .375 H&H the 30/06 of Africa. Shot 150lb impala to 2,000lb eland with my old girl. If you learn how to shoot it its good to 300+yards.
 
It seems the marketeers have decided to kill the old 30 aught 6. I reckon it is all about penny pinching. Short action rifles are cheaper to manufacture and long range is all the rage. So it's prc this and creedmore that. All offering what other calibres have done for 100 years. I would also avoid the newer calibres as I don't think the market can support so many calibres, I think some will dissappear.

I think 308, 30-06 and 300 win mag are where its at. I would use all of them on plainsgame short of eland. The 300 win mag is the only one of the 3 legal for eland th
Learn to reload. I loaded all my ammo for 2 trips to Africa. And it was middle of velocity. Doesn't beat you up and I never had to fire a second shot but once. Damn blesbok
 
Any budget constraints? If the budget is low I would highly recommend a Winchester XPR. 3 lug action, short bolt throw, can be had with a wood stock, magazine style is near identical to a tikka and feeds flawlessly, it doesn’t have a 3 position safety but it does have a bolt lock, which has a release so you can cycle the action while still on safe.

For a slightly higher budget I’d go tikka or weatherby depending on synthetic vs wood stock preference.

For a bit more I think we can all safely recommend a good used or new but heavily looked over Winchester 70. (With recent quality control bring a bore scope to check the chamber for chatter and the throat for roughness, and the crown for damage)

Spending more you can get into Montana rifle company, spending more yet you can get into the full customs like granite mountain arms, Parkwest, rigby, etc etc sky is the limit.

When I am teaching a new hunter, I generally push them towards a Winchester XPR or Weatherby Vanguard (same safety design but 2 lug action) to have a cheap yet high quality rifle that will feed reliably and shoot well out of the box, but not be such a financial burden that they can’t afford to buy the other stuff that is often necessary. Such as ammo or reloading supplies, proper clothing and supplies to hunt with, optics, rings, etc.

Then if they get really into it they can sell that gun without too much of a loss and buy something they really want (now that they have some experience in knowing the pros cons and pitfalls of what they have)
My XPR ( 300 WSM) is boringly accurate. It will shoot >1in at 100 and carry on. I can't make a reload to make it better but its good enough
 
It seems the marketeers have decided to kill the old 30 aught 6. I reckon it is all about penny pinching. Short action rifles are cheaper to manufacture and long range is all the rage. So it's prc this and creedmore that. All offering what other calibres have done for 100 years. I would also avoid the newer calibres as I don't think the market can support so many calibres, I think some will dissappear.

I think 308, 30-06 and 300 win mag are where its at. I would use all of them on plainsgame short of eland. The 300 win mag is the only one of the 3 legal for eland here in Zimbabwe.
I did not know that. I was about to reply that I’ve done it (taken eland with 30-06) twice without any comment from the PH. But a quick look back tells me I’ve taken eland in Botswana and Moz. Never in Zim.
 
If he has a South African hunt in his future the BAR would be out since they do not allow semi automatics in.
I have on two occasions borrowed my brother's 300 Win BAR. A horribly out of balance heavy gun that's an absolute bear to carry in my hands while stalking deer. But it works. And the BOSS gizmo on the end of the barrel is an eardrum busting abomination. Mike says it's accurate out to 500 yards but I don't see the need for that. This buck was dropped at sixty yards in the gully behind the gunsight formation in this photo of my old Marlin 40-60 wall hanger. The stalk required most of the afternoon. By the time it was over every muscle from the base of my skull down to my left shoulder blade was aching from carrying that BAR beast.
1118180848.jpg
Marlin2.JPG
 
Depends, a bit. The choice of a rifle is probably more important than caliber, as long as you avoid extremes. The Tikka is an excellent choice, but so is a Model 70 Winchester. If he has plenty of funds and plans on something that will be generational, a Blaser isn't a bad idea. I also like Kimbers and an accurized 700 Rem isn't a bad choice. The Tikkas I've used bug me a bit with the plastic detachable magazine, but they also seem to be 1/2 MOA shooters, so I forgive them. For the price, I doubt you can do better.

As far as calibers, it depends. If it's going to be used primarily for Africa (or elk/moose), I'd be starting at .300 something. The .30-06 is an excellent choice, but the .300 WM is also fantastic on any continent (especially if suppressed). The .308 is also fine, especially if you learn to shoot it. Not much it can't do inside of 300 yards.

If it's destined to be a deer rifle with the occasional need for Africa, you're probably better in the 6.5-7mm category. I favor the .260 Rem (especially AI), but it's better for handloaders. Nothing wrong with the good old 7mm Rem. I'd probably go with the .280 AI, as it's in perfectly big enough for Africa, but not so big it won't be fun to shoot.

Above all, pick something reliable, safe, durable, and a caliber that is fun enough to shoot. Some trigger time with quality shooting instruction will help tremendously. Plan on 500 rounds, minimum, to be up to speed, and I'd try to do that within 6 or 12 months.

As others have said, don't skimp on glass. I have many rigs where the the scope is more than half of the value. Can't hit what you can't see.......

Good idea to pick up a bolt gun in .223 too. Good "trainer".
 
Sorry, but I would NEVER give a kid a 375 H&H as a starter rifle. Oof! Too much recoil. If he decides to go back to Africa for dangerous game he can borrow a DGR cannon (maybe dad's?).
 
It’s a grown man. Not a kid. At least that’s how I read it.
 
It’s a grown man. Not a kid. At least that’s how I read it.
Hard to say. You may be correct. Anyway, not sure I would start an adult on a 375. I do own a 404 DGR thumper ... the last two years ... just for the fun of building it ... which is not fun to shoot ... at all.
 
My XPR ( 300 WSM) is boringly accurate. It will shoot >1in at 100 and carry on. I can't make a reload to make it better but its good enough
Same experience with almost every XPR I've experienced (owned 2 myself, 350 legend and 243) and all the people I've recommended it have had similar experiences except for 1. There was one in 308 that just wouldn't shoot. I took it apart and didnt really see any obvious issues but put it back together and torqued it down properly and then it started shooting well lol. Guessing over torqued at factory, but it was an easy fix.
 
For a new shooter the #1 criteria should be on high volume practice - especially from the sticks. A Tikka T1X in 22 RF plus something medium sized with a threaded barrel and brake or supressor for recoil control. Think 2k RF and 1 to 2 k centerfire the first year.

The Tikka Roughtech comes with a threaded barrel in most if not all your listed calibers.

My choice would be the Roughtech 7mm PRC with the Barnes 160 gr LRX for Africa. It has a 1x8 twist which is needed for the long 160 grain Barnes or conventional / bonded 175 grain bullets. For lower cost practice ammo the 308W or 6.5 CM win.
 

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Francois R wrote on Lance Hopper's profile.
Hi Lance, Hope you well. I collect Mauser rifles and they are very much part of my cultural history in Africa. Would you consider selling the rifle now a year on ? I'd like to place it in my collection of Mauser rifles. Many thx
Cooper65 wrote on Rockwall205's profile.
I saw where you hunted elephant with backcountry safaris in Zimbabwe.
Was looking to book an elephant hunt and wanted to know how your hunt went
and if you would recommend them.

Thanks
Mike
hi, do you know about lions hunters, leopard hunters, and crocodiles hunters of years 1930s-1950s
 
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