[eborden1122]

Hey Everyone, I am mainly a 1911 handgun collector. But I have been asked to go deer hunting. Being from Louisana i have done just about everything in the swamps/woods. But i have only been deer hunting a few times, each time I borrowed a rifle. This time i would like to bring my own. All the times i have been before i used a 30-30 lever action. Can i get some opinions on what type of rifle(w/o allot of kick) and scope is best for deer hunting. Thank you for any help, Ed

[axxe55]

best choice will be defined as to where are you hunting. brushy and wodded area? open field and longer shots? if brushy wooded area, then the 30-30 would be a good choice. more open and maybe a longer possible shot, a 243, 25-06 or 7mm-08 could be good choices. if using a scope, go for a 1-4 or 2-7 power for shorter distances, and a 3-9 or 4-12 for longer distances. if you are not going to be hunting a lot, check out the gun stores and pawnshops for a good used rifle as to come out a little cheaper.

[JTJ]

If you are hunting in an area with short to medium range (150 yards), there is nothing wrong with a 30-30. I would use a Marlin lever with a low power scope. 2.5x fixed or 1.5-4x variable. I like the scopes designed for shotguns at short ranges. They have fast acquisition reticles and are parallaxed at 50-70 yards instead of 100 yards. The low power variables designed for the AR rifles are also good. You might also look into a red dot.

[eborden1122]

Originally Posted by axxe55

best choice will be defined as to where are you hunting. brushy and wodded area? open field and longer shots? if brushy wooded area, then the 30-30 would be a good choice. more open and maybe a longer possible shot, a 243, 25-06 or 7mm-08 could be good choices. if using a scope, go for a 1-4 or 2-7 power for shorter distances, and a 3-9 or 4-12 for longer distances. if you are not going to be hunting a lot, check out the gun stores and pawnshops for a good used rifle as to come out a little cheaper.

Thanks bro, that makes allot of sense. Oddly enough the rifle i was borrowing was a marlin. Is it a good rifle at a reasonable price or do you know of others that are "cheaper". I want a good deal but I dont want crap either.

[JTJ]

Very few 30-30 rifles are ever shot out. You could pick up a decent Marlin used and not worry too much. Just look for one that has not been abused or neglected. Prices vary by location. You can pick up a decent scope for $200 or less.

[c3shooter]

Agree with what has been said. The 2 most popular deer rifles in the US are the Winchester 94, and the Marlin 336, both in 30-30. Of the 2, marlin 336 is my favorite.

The Leverlution brand ammo will allow you to stretch your range a bit, and a 4 power or 3-9 variable power scope is good medicine. I DO have rifles with scopes over 20 power- but for target/ varmint. Put one of those bits of glass on a deer rifle, you will never find the deer in the scope.

If you want to go bolt action- Savage. .243. Very good rifle for the price, moderate recoil cartridge, very adequate for Eastern whitetailed deer if you do your part. You COULD go for a more powerful cartridge, with more recoil, but unless you plan to hunt Elk or Mulies, IMHO, overkill.

[eborden1122]

Originally Posted by JTJ

Very few 30-30 rifles are ever shot out. You could pick up a decent Marlin used and not worry too much. Just look for one that has not been abused or neglected. Prices vary by location. You can pick up a decent scope for $200 or less.

Thanks JTJ, that sounds about right for a rifle I may use 3-4 times a year. And that includes plinking. Ha....

[eborden1122]

Originally Posted by c3shooter

Agree with what has been said. The 2 most popular deer rifles in the US are the Winchester 94, and the Marlin 336, both in 30-30. Of the 2, marlin 336 is my favorite.

The Leverlution brand ammo will allow you to stretch your range a bit, and a 4 power or 3-9 variable power scope is good medicine. I DO have rifles with scopes over 20 power- but for target/ varmint. Put one of those bits of glass on a deer rifle, you will never find the deer in the scope.

If you want to go bolt action- Savage. .243. Very good rifle for the price, moderate recoil cartridge, very adequate for Eastern whitetailed deer if you do your part. You COULD go for a more powerful cartridge, with more recoil, but unless you plan to hunt Elk or Mulies, IMHO, overkill.

Thanks C3, it looks like the marlin 30-30 is probably going to do the trick. I could easily borrow another one again but I would lose the chance to add another to the collection. Marlins are inexpensive but it will be new and do the job. Thanks again, Ed

[CaptRickHiott]

Eborden,,,,If you have not bought your Marlin yet,,dont buy a new one unless you can check it out before you buy it. With Remington making them now, they have had a LOT of problems with the lever actions.
Like he said you can find a used one for a good price. The 336 shoots the best with Remington Core Lokt ammo.

The first time I used mine I killed three hogs in about 15 seconds. Its a GREAT gun!!

[Sniper03]

1112,

In the swamps of Louisiana the lever gun would be a good choice. I like the Marlin 336 very well. It is a well made gun! Also with the new 30-30 rounds that are available from folks like Hornady you can now shoot pointed nosed bullets in a rifle with a tube fed magazine and they are improved hunting rounds. Another avenue you may want to consider, is a good Bolt Action Rifle in 308 Cal Savage makes great rifles that are fairly priced as well as Yes! Mossberg. What a lot of people are not aware of is that Mossberg has been making rifle barrels for several other companies for years under the radar. Their rifles are very inexpensive and shoot well for the money. Might check them out! You can also get a good scope for what you are wanting for starting around $100.00 and up. What you need to consider is cover you are hunting in and range of the average shot! I would recommend a variable scope say 3X to 9X since you may be hunting in thicker cover in the swamps and the 3X would work well. And later if you went somewhere else that had some distance you could utilize up to the 9X. The scope would be completely versatile for future possible hunts. Good Luck on your selection!

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