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Lefty Looking for Guidance

2K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  Hunting Man 
#1 ·
Hey all,

Newbie here! I have an question that has been troubling me for a few days. I am left handed and have a hard time finding Deer rifles. I recently trading in my Browning A-Bolt Micro Hunter chambered in 7mm-08 that I bought when I was 16(11 years ago) for a Ruger Mark II M77 chambered in a 7mm Rem Mag. I hunt in western Wisconsin and am now concerned that I may have made a mistake and got too big of a rifle. The browning shot the same size bullet and had great results when I pulled the trigger, but as I get older I would like to hunt something besides deer ex:elk, moose or bear. Now I'm thinking of returning the 7mm and buying a new savage pro hunter xp in a 30-06. I know they are basically the same gun but I'm hoping being the 06 isnt a mag the meat lost on deer will be smaller and the variety in grain weight will give me the ability to shot whitetail to moose. Plus the 7mm is a hog of a gun and a lighter rifle even if only a pound will make the hikes easier, I am about 5'9'' and the 44.25" length seems big. Thoughts? Am I over thinking this? Anyone have a Savage? or had this same thought too?
 
#2 ·
Ballistically at the end of the bullets flight a deer won't know the difference between a 7mm Mag and a .30-06. Either one will take any of the game you listed with the right bullets and right weights. The advantage of the .30-06 is the ability to go a little heavier, say up to 220 grains. 7mm Mags top out best at around 175~180 grains. It the length seems "big", then have your length-of-pull measured and find the right stock that fits you best. Use the rifle that comes in that stock. And don't overthink caliber.
 
#3 ·
Barrel length, Barrel length

I hunt Deer in MN. If you are hunting in the woods then where we hunt looks about the same. A long shot where I hunt is probibly 75 yards, with most shots being around 50 yards. The 30-06 will usually have a 22 inch barrel, the 7mm Mag will usually have a 24 inch barrel. This makes a big difference in thick woods getting to where you are going to set up for your hunt. If you are hunting Wyoming Anelope at 350 yards I would say that it makes sense to carry the fast magnum. For mid west hunting I don't see the fast magnums having usable advantages. You also stated that this rifle is alot heavier than your last. A really smart writter once wrote this, and this has been often repeated "The single most thing we all do with our rifles is to carry them". I personally like my rifle to weight around 7 pounds before I place a scope on it. Then the total with rifle, scope mounts/rings, scope, sling, and full magazine is around 8 pounds. A little lighter is better just don't make it to light unless it is a light recoiling cartridge like your old 7mm-08. Most gun shops won't let you return your rifle for full credit, if yours does that is great. I know of one guy who took his family to Africa, his wife and younger son carried bolt actions in 7mm-08. They both took several plains animals each using their rifles and were not under guned.

Karl
 
#4 ·
I've owned a bunch of big game rifles and still own a bunch today, somewhere around 50. If you own a Ruger M77 and are thinking of trading it for a Savage, DO NOT DO IT! That Ruger is twice the quality rifle the Savage is, trust me on that. I sold my last Savage, one I had rebarreled to .338/06 and have NEVER regretted doing that. Today, I own about seven M77s and am very happy with their quality and accuracy. Trade your 7mag for a M77 in '06 for a slightly shorter rifle, but as already said, the performance is pretty much the same!
 
#5 · (Edited)
I might disagree if we are talking about a Savage 99 then I'd sell all the Ruger rifles, but I'm sure the subject rifles are newer Savage models. The only thing I hear are the triggers are pretty good and the accuracy is good especially for the $'s spent. Rifles are like cars everyone has a preference for one over another. Neither Ruger or Savage currently makes a product that makes me want to take a second look at. I do like the newer Browning rifles but mostly my money goes to the oldies like me. Selling the Browning for a Ruger would have been a sin in my book but to each their own. Nothing wrong with the 30-06 it's an all for everything except maybe the big bears bullet. Just my 2 cents worth. Go find a classic rifle of yesteryear and you'll appreciate the fit, feel, and understand what was once built with quality materials for the average hunter.
 
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