Deer Hunting Rifle
Choosing and setting up your deer rifle is one of the most important hunting decisions you can make. Picking a firearm that has the ballistics, style, action, sighting, and size to match your hunting terrain and personal abilities is the key to completing your mission once a suitable prey in hunted and found. Your final success is dependent on having a deer hunting rifle that matches all these criteria.
The Importance of Where You Will Be Hunting
There are two predominant types of deer hunting environments; deep wood/ dense brush country and open range country. Some areas contain a mixture of both environments. Each environment requires different shooting styles and different rifle characteristics.
Deep Woods/Dense Brush Deer Hunting Rifles
Good woods and brush hunting rifles should excel in short to medium range shooting. The average distance you will be shooting in this environment runs from twenty-five to two hundred yards. It is to your advantage that your deep woods deer hunting rifle be relatively light (less than nine pounds with the scope), and be relatively short in length with a barrel length of twenty-two inches or shorter. Portability is important when moving in dense brush. Deer hunting rifles that offer the ability to reload quickly, such as automatics and lever actions are recommended in rough country deer hunting as quick follow shots are often required. Heavy bulleted cartridges to penetrate brush are required, .270 or larger caliber and at least a 120-grain bullet is recommended. Calibers/cartridges that travel at over 2200 feet per second are not recommended to minimize bullet deflection by the brush. Scopes of four power or variable scopes which go down to 3X are recommended, and if your hunting terrain only permits shots of fifty yards or less then you might prefer open sights. Experiment at the rifle range to see whether open set shooting agrees with you.
Open Range Deer Hunting Rifles
Deer rifles that work well in open areas are optimized for longer range shooting, up to three hundred yards (or further!). Rifle portability is of less importance than accuracy and velocity in long shot environments, rifles tend to be heavier and of longer barrel length than deep woods rifles. Flat shooting high-velocity rifle calibers and cartridges are required here. Calibers in the 6MM (.243) caliber range or higher will be OK, and bullets from 100 grain and heavier will work. Typically the larger the caliber the heavier the bullet you need to use for optimum ballistic accuracy. Scopes with a 6 x 9 variable power are the minimum requirement for most shooters.
We wanted to provide some options for popular deer hunting rifles so you would have a starting point when you get ready to start shopping around. Remember, to purchase a high-quality rifle does not automatically mean paying a fortune. By taking time to look at rifles through a variety of resources and considering several options, you can end up with an outstanding rifle for your next deer hunting season.
• Ruger Model 77Mk.11 RSI - This is one of the more compact of deer hunting rifles being sold, which for many people is the ideal choice. As a.308 rifle, it can handle long shots, often more than 300 yards. Many hunters feel this rifle is among the best calibers for whitetail deer hunting. The rifle comes with a 207x32 scope, making it perfect when needing to be covert while stalking deer. The barrel is only 18.5 inches long, causing some extra muzzle blast, but overall it is an exceptional option.
• Ruger 1A Light Sporter - Another of the top hunting rifles has a nice balance and while similar to the 270 Winchester RSI, hunters feel it offers a few more advantages. This single shot rifle is another good, all-around choice but it is important to choose the appropriate scope.
• Browning BAR Grade II - For this rifle in 30-06, it fits a 2-7x33 scope, offers great shots, and the beautiful walnut stock with its honey color gives the rifle character even when out in deep woods hunting.
• Winchester 70 - Although there are many different deer hunting rifles under the Winchester brand, those made prior to 1964 in 30-06 are actually exceptional. Although going with an older rifle such as this might mean searching for missing parts or having the rifle repaired, when out hunting deer with it, you will quickly see why it has become a popular choice.
• Marlin 336ER - This comes in a.356, which handles well. The balance is one of the best for all deer hunting rifles used and although its appearance is very similar to a 30-30 or Remington.35, the magazine is two-thirds longer. The one thing about this deer rifle is that it has power and in fact, some hunters say it has more power than needed. For this reason, we recommend it for seasoned hunters.
• Winchester Model 70 Featherweight Classic - This deer hunting rifle comes in 7mm/08 and the styling is definitely one of the best ever made. The stock is classic, it holds a Leupold Vari-X 11 scope, it is lightweight, compact and a great caliber for hunting deer. Hunters who use this particular rifle agree that no matter the scenario or environment this Winchester is well worth buying.
• Browning BLR - The last of the popular deer hunting rifles that we wanted to mention is this, which is a.358 Winchester. The performance and handling is great, it easily holds a Weaver Classic scope and the design and weight make the rifle easy to carry.
Personal Preferences
When choosing a deer hunting rifle take the recommendations above as they apply best to your hunting environment and then Consider your ability to maintain a comfortable shooting manner when shooting high caliber or magnum caliber rifles.