Your first deer rifle?

[Ringbill27]

Got gifted a Savage 110 in 243 when I was like 6 years old. Still got that gun and it’s one of the most trustworthy in the safe!

What’s you go to bullet?

 

[cnelk]

My dad gave me his Winchester M94 30-30 in 1977.
It was old then and it’s really old now, sitting in the back of the safe

Killed dozens and dozens of deer with it.

 

[Seak_angler]

Remington 700 243 & ruger m77 mark II 270

 

[Taudisio]

Belgium browning bar in 270 with a gunsmith radial brake (flush mounted and very well done). Dad wants me to take the rifle now for my kids.

My memories with it include, it was heavy as hell, semi-auto so it’s awesome, recoil wasn’t bad, and every time I shot a deer my ears would ring the rest of the day-sometimes two days.

 

[tater]

My Pops bought a brand new surplus M38 in 6.5x55 from Lever Arms and sporterized it for me as a Christmas present when i was 11. I remember the absolute amazement and surprise when i opened that box.
The image of the first buck i hunted and rattled in by myself a couple of years later standing there looking before the shot with that little rifle is indelible.

 

[sodaksooner]

Ist deer I shot was with my dad's model 94 in 30-30. 1979 I think. 2nd year I hunted with his M77 while my brother got the m94. I bought my own M77(tang safety) in 257 roberts in 81 or 82 at 14 or 15 yrs old. Parents got me a 3x Burris for xmas or birthday. I still have it. My son killed his first deer with it and still hunts with it. It now wears a vx3 3 x 9. Still a great looking rifle, and in very good condition. My dad still has the Model 94. It's a great timber rifle.

 

[jcaud]

What’s you go to bullet?

As a kid, dad always sent me out with the trusty Core-Lokt. Never had any issues with them. As I got into college and started reloading, I bought a pile of 87 gr Vmax, mostly for plinking but also for varmints and the hog hunt when I got south, and I’ve been impressed with them on everything I’ve used them on!

 

[cjdewese]

I had a hand me down sporterized Enfield 1917 that my dad traded for a chainsaw sometime in the 80's.

The base screws were drilled crooked and the scope I had on it didn't have enough adjustment to get it on paper. After shimming them some I was able to get it to shoot decent groups with lead but had a terrible time with anything copper. The 1 deer I shot with it was at less than 50 yards and was glad it wasn't any further.

This year I bought a Tikka 1:8 243 so I can actually feel confident in the accuracy of the rifle I have heading out into the woods.

 

[Cannonball]

Winchester M70 Classic Featherweight .30-06 Simmons 44mag scope. The scope was awful and lost zero all the time.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Tang saftey M77 in 243 with a redfield wide field scope and the stock shortened. Still trying to figure out how to put that rifle back into the rotation.

 

[Rich M]

Go from a light single shot 12 ga shooting slugs and a 742 is gravy.

Maybe for you,

I still flinch with 30-06. Uncle tried to talk my dad into having me shoot a 30-30 and it was 3006 or nothing. Missed a lot of deer with it and still do. If I can focus on the squeeze, it shoots an inch at 250 yards. Focus on a deer and jerk away. Why i shoot a 350 Legend now.

Used to hunt with a 20 ga at 5 yrs old, 30-06 at 8 and bought first 12 ga at about 10 then they started that BS stuff about needing to be 12 to get youth license - I already had an "adult license" for couple of years before that stupid law. Was hunting solo at 8 with 30-06 - sunup to sundown.

 

[Ringbill27]

This year I bought a Tikka 1:8 243 so I can actually feel confident in the accuracy of the rifle I have heading out into the woods.

Tang saftey M77 in 243 with a redfield wide field scope and the stock shortened. Still trying to figure out how to put that rifle back into the rotation.

Which bullets are you using?

 

[GSPHUNTER]

What was your very first deer rifle?

Mine was a mossberg 500 410ga with a smooth bore barrel and iron sights. It’s a great grouse gun but not a deer killer. 2 minute of deer isn’t really good for me.

My very first rifle was handed down to me from my grandfather, which was a Win 94 in 30WCF. Up until me receiving this rifle I’d been hunting 8-9years and had only shot a fawn. Within 3 days of owning it I shot two bucks.

I love that rifle but it’s become more of a safe queen these days. I’ve come up spicy load using the Hornady 140gr Monoflex and leverevolution that I’d like to try one of these days.

Love that rifle.

 

[jimh406]

1891 Argentine Mauser with Mannlicher stock in 7.65. Shot my first deer with it even though it shot about a 5 inch group at 50 yds. Note: 50 yds would have been a long shot. My first deer was only about 35 yds.

 

[LookinforDirt]

Mossberg Model 500 12g with a smooth bore iron sight extra barrel. Winchester Model 94 .307 was the first rifle that belonged to me. Now days if you don’t reload for it you probably aren’t shooting it.

 

[Ringbill27]

Love that rifle.

Thanks it’s a 1934. It’s in ridiculously good shape so I don’t carry it much anymore plus I struggle with iron sights that aren’t ghost rig or peep sights. Now that my grandpa has passed I’d really like to take a buck in his memory. But the superstition in me thinks he doesn’t want me carrying it anymore because I don’t see anything when carrying it.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Ruger Hawkeye MKII in 257 Roberts with a bushnell 3-9x40. Loved the gun and killed lots of animals with it despite it being less accurate than I truly wanted. Put a new barrel on it and now it’s a 257 Roberts AI with a leupold Vx5HD. Still a sweet gun

 

[cjdewese]

Which bullets are you using?

I am shooting 95g lrx since I have to shoot copper in CA. It's shooting awesome with those.

 

[Ringbill27]

I am shooting 95g lrx since I have to shoot copper in CA. It's shooting awesome with those.

Have you had good luck on deer? My wife and I both picked up a tikka t3x compact in 243 for $425 a piece. But they are the 1:10 twist so I’m pretty sure the LRX won’t stabilize. I run coppers but thinking the 80 TTSX or the 85 TSX.

 

[cjdewese]

Have you had good luck on deer? My wife and I both picked up a tikka t3x compact in 243 for $425 a piece. But they are the 1:10 twist so I’m pretty sure the LRX won’t stabilize. I run coppers but thinking the 80 TTSX or the 85 TSX.

This is my 1st year with it but I feel confident it will do just fine on Deer and under 400 that I should be shooting. I have heard great things about the 80g ttsx and almost went that route but the whole reason I got a 1:8 was to shoot as heavy as I could so I started with the 95 and had great results shooting groups so far.