[30/30 sniper]

I want to take a poll, what do you guys think is the best deer hunting rifle. Choosing by calibur, accuracy, and most importantly where your hunting, how far shots your gonna get. I love the gun i use its a Marlin 336 model bolt action 30/30 with a gold ring louepold scope on it with 2-7 ajustment its pefect for where i hunt im not gonna get a shot more that 100 yards. I have a draw that goes back 50 yards to my left and in front of me i have a creek and behind that i have a grass field im in a tree line and to the right of me I have a hill leading right down to my stand I love it. We've harvested two nice buck from that stand had a miss fire with a black powder on another:wallbash: and shot a maybe ten point but one side of the rack was messed up.

 

[ronn]

huh?! always thought the 336 was a lever action.

 

[onehorse]

If you've been on this site for a while, or any other hunting site for that matter, you'll see this questions comes up from time to time. This question often generates a lot of responses and opinions, even a friendly argument or two. My answer always is that my rifle is the best..... for me. The best gun for deer hunting, or anything else, for you is the gun that YOU shoot best. Of course, the caliber must be adequate for the size of the game animal and the normal shooting ranges that are encountered, and, of course, it has to be a legal caliber. Other than that, I don't believe there is any one caliber or action that is the "best" in an absolute sense. Some relatively small calibers have killed some mighty big animals over the years, and the action doesn't matter that much if you get that first shot where it belongs. The most important thing is that the hunter is confident with the gun he or she is holding, and that comes from experience at the range and in the field.

 

[Hunting Man]

amend to that onehorse and ronn I think you caught something.

 

[cullbuck]

My favorite is the one I have in my hands from time I take the shot to the time I kill the next deer. Shot placement is everything......although I like to make excuses to buy guns for different situations. I've killed most of my deer with 00 buckshot, a few with a 300 Win Mag, a few with a 7mm-08, and a few with a 270 Win. I've have also killed the odd deer with a 12 gauge slug, a 22 LR (head or neck shot), someone elses 30-06 and 22-250. However, I'm having a fetish for a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington.

 

[timberghost]

My answer always is that my rifle is the best..... for me. The best gun for deer hunting, or anything else, for you is the gun that YOU shoot best. Of course, the caliber must be adequate for the size of the game animal and the normal shooting ranges that are encountered, and, of course, it has to be a legal caliber. The most important thing is that the hunter is confident with the gun he or she is holding, and that comes from experience at the range and in the field.

Right on the nose Mr. Onehorse. All I use is a Rem 710 3006 and it is very good to me. But to some others it may be a clunker of a rifle. I love my clunker.

 

[Id0ntlikeyou]

Right on the nose Mr. Onehorse. All I use is a Rem 710 3006 and it is very good to me. But to some others it may be a clunker of a rifle. I love my clunker.

No more of a clunker than my Mosin Nagant! :lol: I do so love that $85 rifle.

 

[BruceBruce1959]

huh?! always thought the 336 was a lever action.

Im thinking the same as you ronn, I've never seen a 336 that wasn't lever actioned.

 

[sum0902]

I'm with ronn. I've never seen a 336 that wasn't a lever action. By the way it is a great gun in a 35 Remington.

 

[buckslayer30/06]

If you've been on this site for a while, or any other hunting site for that matter, you'll see this questions comes up from time to time. This question often generates a lot of responses and opinions, even a friendly argument or two. My answer always is that my rifle is the best..... for me. The best gun for deer hunting, or anything else, for you is the gun that YOU shoot best. Of course, the caliber must be adequate for the size of the game animal and the normal shooting ranges that are encountered, and, of course, it has to be a legal caliber. Other than that, I don't believe there is any one caliber or action that is the "best" in an absolute sense. Some relatively small calibers have killed some mighty big animals over the years, and the action doesn't matter that much if you get that first shot where it belongs. The most important thing is that the hunter is confident with the gun he or she is holding, and that comes from experience at the range and in the field.

im with onehorse 100 percent on this one i wouldnt trade my ruger m77 30/06 for anything to me thats the best gun anyone could buy

 

[ronn]

you mean couldn't buy? I feel the same about my 03A3 bored out to .338 win mag. best rifle you couldn't buy.

 

[Hunting Man]

whatever gun I pick for that hunt is my favorite. They all shoot straight all I have to do is hit what I aim at.

 

[ronn]

i'm a guns are for buying, not selling guy. but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[GUITARGABE10]

I use a remington 710 .270 and it has never failed. This is one of those questions that's just a matter of personal opinion.

 

[NightbirdX]

The first gun I went hunting with was when I was hunting for muley, when I lived in California. My dad has a beautiful 30-06 Semi Remington with a nice Leupold 3-9 on it, and then he has the gun he let me use... I used the 1964 Winchester Model 94...WITH the metal butt plate. And of course not really knowing a ton about hunting, I thought that bigger was better and ended up getting the 180 grain rounds. Needless to say that thing kicked liked a raped ape, and I had perfect indentions where the aforementioned metal buttplate was driving into the fleshe between my shoulder and upper chest... I went out very little that year...

For Michigan, you can not use a rifle below the 43 parallel or something like that, so I have gotten used to my Model 1300 Winchester Pump with a 2-7x36 Bushnell Banner on it. Its good to 125 and really around here, at least where I hunt you won't get a shot much further than that. It is very accurate and every deer I have shot with it, it has dropped them in their tracks. Works good enough for me. :wink:

I have a crazy Vietnam Vet uncle who lives off the land essentially in California, and he has always killed his deer with his .30 Carbine, and wouldn't want to change guns if he had the chance to. He loves that gun. I have another buddy who swears by his .243 and drops them with one well placed shot on big muleys...

Essentially like the others said, it is what you like and what feels good to you.

 

[OzarkBen]

There are countless deer rifles that will do the job adaquately. I have taken deer with a dozan or so calibers. During my hunting years I have called several the best during the period I used it. But I have settled on a .243 for several reasons. It has little recoil and is extremely accurate. With it I can place the bullet where I elect on the deers body and the range is great up to 300 yards. I don't shoot at running deer or at deer beyond 300 yards. I do believe that all good deer rifles must have a good trigger and a level of recoil that permits the shooter to put that bullet where they want it. Ozarkben

 

[ronn]

well stated.

 

[Hunting Man]

I agree also, shoot whats comfortable and you shoot well. Right now I enjoy my savage 99 in 300 sav, tomorrow who knows. I have a good friend who shoots a win 38-55, I have one too but haven't shot it. Shooting some of the older rifles and bullets adds an additional measure of enjoyment to the hunt. I sold a 375 win and a marlin 444, should have kept both of those!

 

[Huntsman]

Best deer gun

For me it's my Win. 88/.308. then my Encore 209x50..but it's awful close:wink: