Which rifle to buy

[gregarat]

Fabs, The G2 can use the old Contender barrels, and has the same chamberings still avalible. The G2 cant take theEncore barrels.

I got a G2 lastyear, I love the thing.

[Brithunter]

Hi All,

Jeez it just goes to show that these folks do not read posts here properly, the last post on page one of this thread I said :-

Quote,
My personel views are that you may be better off choosing a short/medium length action, left handed will limit your choie here. However have you considered a single shot rifle like the Ruger No1 or the Thompson G2 ? thses rifles and other single shots can be operated easily by both right and left handed people just as easily The G2 at least comes in Youth stocked models, not sure about the Ruger though .... "

Then finally some one of the past page mentions single shots

Vickjo,

I think that store you visited just had a small selection of 7-08 ammo. Remington at least lists a 120 grn Hp bullet in it's factory line up Federal load with 140Grn with 4 different types of bullets and the150 grn Speer Hot core bullet. Winchester load the 140 grn bullets with again 4 types to choose from. I just did a quick web search of these big three to find out was was available.

You seem to have it all under control though I really hope you find a rifle which you like and suits you and you desired purpose. Good luck.

[Stoked_C]

Being left handed and always loooking at the various options we have I decided to put my two cents in.

First off, I'd say that it is good that you already have a good amount of shooting experience under your belt. I currently shoot a left handed Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker chambered for .270 Win. The rifle+scope+shells is slightly under 8lbs. I tote a 30mm tube scope with target turrets etc so that ups the weight a fair amount, because the rifle itself is listed as 6lbs 11 oz.

Anyway, the A-Bolt is nice because it offers a tang safety and the stock with palm swell is for a left handed shooter. Detachable magazine, low bolt rise, and great accuracy are great too.

With all that said a budget is a good starting place, and you're on the right track with the savages, plus they offer the most left handed options and are accurate to boot!

I think you'd be well off choosing one of the savage stainless models or if you prefer wood/blue go with that. As far as a good all round cartridge. It's going to be hard to beat 7mm-08 or the .270 especially for versatility. I'm going to say that the .270 trumps the 7mm-08 in versatility if we are looking at factory ammunition. You can get Remington 100 gr loads that are definitely easy on the shoulder, and now Remington offers a 115gr load that is "managed recoil" so it is downloaded, but would be plenty effective on deer. The 100 gr come out smoking. Then you have a plethora of 130, 140, and 150 grain offerings from all the varoius companies that will cover deer and up. The more you shoot your gun the more you will get comfortable with it's feel and working up to heavier loads.

I love my Browning, but there's no flies on the Savage and the money you save can go towards your scope. I'd recommend a Leupold VX-II 3 to 9 or a VX-III 3.5 to 10, either with 40 mm obj. lens. Don't skimp on optics. Leupold has a life time warranty and they will fix it no matter what and in quick fashion. Another good thing about buying Leupold is that you might find a good deal on a used one in good shape and with the warranty they carry you can always get it fixed up if need be.

So in conclusion, establish a budget. Decide on a rifle model: Savage and Browning are tend to be the lightest, but a Rem model 7 wouldn't be bad, not easy to find sometimes though. Then I'd say pick between a 7mm-08 and .270...I lean towards the .270 for the large range of ammunition available. Then if it's in your budget get a Leupold, or maybe a 3-9 Zeiss conquest.

Let us know what you decide, we all love shopping for each other!
Conrad

[Hi Ball]

Vicky, when it comes to being small in stature, I know exactly where your coming from, the last thing your body needs, is to be smacked around by recoil from a rifle. Now that is NO FUN!

A person needs to be able to shoot at least 50 rounds a sitting in order to become reliable with a rifle and attain a certain amount of accuracy down range. If sitting down and shooting that rifle starts to hurt after 10 or 12 rounds, then you have to much gun starting out OK. You will develope what is known as a "flinch" and this is NOT what you want to have, trying to nail a big buck at 200 yards.

However, I believe that your going down the right road if you choose a caliber like the 257 Roberts or the 25-06 for the harvesting of whitetail deer, antelope or mule deer out west. Elk hunting Vicky is another subject all together and it takes more gun (larger caliber and more bullet weight) speaking frankly than a 1/4 bore (25-06) OK. Yes, I did shoot a bull elk this past season with my 25-06, however I did have all the ACES (proper conditions) in my hand before the shot was fired and that doesn't happen very often in the high country going after a bull elk. The perfect broadside presentation and no wind to deal with that day.

My wife target shoots with a model 70 caliber .243 for practice at the bench and field positions. The recoil on a caliber like this is a mere 8 to 10 pounds of recoil. A 270 Winchester will have as much as 16 to 22 pounds of recoil depending on the powder load and weight bullet shot. It has taken her a while but she is now shooting her 7mm magnum with a 160 grain bullet once again after 2 cancer operations. I would advise the 7mm magnum caliber for YOU as your elk hunting rifle. You just purchase a PAST RECOIL pad (wearing it over your shoulder) and it will take 50% of that recoil away, putting you very close to the recoil of the 25-06 at 10 to 12 pounds! Once you have done this and trust me, as both our kids growing up followed this routine and my daughter is not big at 115 pounds. She now shoots a model 70 in a 270 caliber for deer and antelope. She hasn't gone after elk as of yet. If she does, she will be using mother's 7mm mag and mom will by then be back to her .338 mag.

No matter what caliber you finally choose, that PAST RECOIL PAD is the ticket to getting rid of 50% of the recoil at a very cheap price, as it is only around $40 dollars. Stay away from the Muzzle Brakes as these are prone to cause you hearing loss as well as those around you. My wife before her operations, used to shoot a .338 Win mag off the back porch with 210 grain bullets, using the PAST RECOIL PAD......Amen. She is 5' 7" and tips the scales at 140lb her age I better not give........I don't like sleeping with the dogs LOL

[Cossack]

You're making the right choice in caliber, I think. I shoot one in Kimber, and while not inexpensive, it is fantastic.
Check out this sitetoo:
http://www.cz-usa.com/01.02.php
They advertise a left handed version in their Model 3 version at only $10 more (but it's in a short mag), see if they have what you want in one of their other models. They make an excellant product and it's a good guy.

[Hi Ball]

Vickyjo.......the bottom line is that with a PAST RECOIL PAD put over the shoulder area you can buy and shoot well, the 30-06 without missing a heartbeat!

Now the model 70 pre-64 action in the Classic featherweight is just the ticket in my humble opinion. It would be light to carry and when hunting elk would put a smile on your face using the 180 grain bullet.

[Cal Sibley]

I also have a PAST Recoil Shield but think installing a Pacymyer Decelerator Pad might be a better idea. It takes a lot of the bite out of the heavy kickers. I use the Recoil Shield mostly at the bench. It works well also plus has the benefit of not being gun specific. You can use it with everything you shoot whereas you'll need a Decelerator Pad for each rifle you shoot. Either way, both do a decent job. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[.243hunter]

243 - antelope yeah
deer yeah
elk maybe (shot placement is key)