anyone here hunt?

[americasteam]

curious to hear some stories

i'm also looking to buy my first rifle so if anyone has any tips/pointers they would be helpful

[jwmaryvillecrg]

What kind of rifle are you looking for? and what are you going to hunt?

[OnePimpTiger]

There are quite a few on here, we had a pretty long thread going not too long ago. I hunt deer mostly, take the .22 Mag out for squirrels every once in a while when I just want to get out in the woods. Last year got a beautiful 8-point, biggest deer I've ever got...I was pretty proud of that.

There are some guys on here that know a lot more about guns than I do, but I've always been real happy with my Kimber 6.5.

[jwmaryvillecrg]

I use an old 1955 Remington fieldmaster. I really only go bird and squirrel hunting. It is a .22 also. Typically I suggest starting out small and working your way to bigger things as you get better.

[Oxxon]

If you are going to get your first rifle I would get a 22LR (long rifle). Why a 22LR? Well, it will help you in the long run. Find a 22LR in your price range and get a bulk box of 22LR ammo. Go to a firing range and shoot like there is no tomorrow. Shoot at the 50 yard target. Don't worry about group size or anything like that for now. In the meantime start to think of what you are going to hunt. Once you know what critter(s) you are going to hunt check with your state. Some states have laws about what kind of caliber you need to use on some critters. When you know what you are going to hunt and what caliber you need then you can move up to a larger rifle. Then the fun really starts. But like I said get a 22LR to start with and your shoulder will thank you later.

[americasteam]

thanks for a ll the tips so far guys.

i'm looking to hunt deer and possibly small mammals (woodchuck/coyote/fisher) this fall/winter so i want to start looking for a rifle and shooting pretty soon.

i live in New Hampshire Live Free Or Die! so our guns laws are pretty lax

i've only fired a .22 and i definitely dont know much about guns right now (hopefully that will change) but i dont think it has the type of power that i would want/need to bring down a buck

i'm thinking of buying a used rifle as my first but i'm a little suspicious that i would be easy prey for a store owner to rip me off

[melo4mvp]

ar-15 would be good, i have a smith and wesson m&p15. You can get a deer down if you hit it right, and perfect gun for coyote hunting, i use it with snowmobiles here in south dakota.

[Oxxon]

Never use a .22 on a deer. If deer is what you plan to hunt then buy at least a .243. The .243 will also work on the other critters you plan to hunt. Buy a rifle with a scope already on it. What else have you fired besides a .22?

Here is a pic of the last hog I shot with a 6.5x55. The boar was about 80 yards away under the feeder.

[Alfordron]

It sounds to me like you need a .243 or a 6mm. That is what I would get for your first HP rifle...I use a BAR .270 for most of my deer and hog hunting, but I do have a Rem 6mm Model 7 that I use at times..I use a Remington Speedmaster .22 for squirrels and small game.

[americasteam]

oxxon: thats a sick shot from 80 yards man!

alfordron: looks like you had a good day too


i'll definitely make sure i check out a .243

do you think a store would let me test fire?