Any Hunters in Here?

Having culled problem hogs for a a while at the family ranch my favorite daytime is a .243 with a possible second shot on a young hog confused after the first shot works well… low recoil and 100 grains of lead is lethal with even the biggest boars with shot placement…otherwise a single gun option would be a 30.06 or 308 with the latter better if sensitive to recoil…or like me would like a a fast second shot. Good luck with a .223 first round okay but once they start to scatter follow up’s are worthless unless it’s at night with optics or out of a helicopter that’s really spray and prey…
 
Ar10 in 6.5 creedmoor sounds about perfect for you. Shoots flat, laser accurate and light recoil for quick follow up shots.

My next rifle is going to be a piston ar10 in 6.5 so I can shoot it suppressed without ending up with gunk all over my face. I’ve shot plenty of hogs with 5.56 though and it’s fine for that purpose, and if you’re shooting it out of a 20 inch barrel it’s damn near flat shooting out to about 400 yards. lots cheaper too, and you can get more bang for your buck rifle wise.
 
Last edited:
Just a couple of data points I didn't see:

The difference between .30-06 and .308, and really any 30 caliber full power cartridge isn't anything significant. There's no need, IMHO, for any more power for deer than a .243, so any of the full sized 30's are fine. What I'm getting at with that is you will lose something measurable in terms of flatness in the lower powered 30's, like .30-30, 7.62x39.

If you pick a bolt gun, specifically 700, you will notice a difference between .308 and .30-06. The 308 I think is medium action length in that rifle, and that means that for many/most people you can cycle the action without lowering it from a firing position. When I try that in a 700 in 30-06, the bolt will hit my shooting glasses, so I have to drop the gun a bit. Not a big deal for deer, but less of a good thing for the hogs I suspect. Savage 110 used to be just one length action for both, so kinda annoying for me in 308. Had one and sold it.

Either 06 or 308 are more accurate than you need. But many people have found that 308 is just naturally accurate, or maybe easier to get to be accurate, with an out of the box setup. There is a reason that cartridge dominated 1000 yrd shooting for a long time. Yes, you can get 06 or the magnums to shoot well, but my experience is that there's more fiddling involved.

For both hogs and deer, probably 243 isn't a bad choice. It's a 308 necked down, and it's fast and flat. It isn't going to carry out to 1000 yrds, but it was never designed to. It may have a reputation as a bit of a "kids cartridge" in some places, but it has way more energy than a .223. I'd rather have a 243 than a 270...no matter what the gun writers say.
 
Most of my guns are for upland hunting mostly 20 gauges. But for big game I only really bowhunt. Totally different experience. One of these days I'd like to spear a hog. For you and the ranges you're talking about you really don't need anything crazy or exotic. .243, .270,.308... whatever is cheapest and most readily available. I had a helluva time finding shot shells for pheasant last year. Haven't even looked this year.
 

Attachments

  • imagejpeg_0_12.jpg
    imagejpeg_0_12.jpg
    234.1 KB · Views: 13
Timbeck2 said:
I’ve carried a .270 in various brands for 30 years. Currently a Tikka T-3 which I love. Great all around rifle. I’d suggest a .270 or 7mm. Both are flat shooters and light weight.
Click to expand...

This - for deer 270 is a great rifle. I love the flat trajectory of the 7mm over the 30-06. Bullet drop on the 06 gets ridiculous quickly.
 
jesse said:
Most likely there is not a round in the chamber. If the AR-15 is not cocked, the safety cannot be put into any position other than "Fire". If you want to activiate the safety , you must cock it. If I had a AR-15 (lost all my guns in a tragic airplane baggage door incident), it would be stored exactly like that. Loaded magazine in weapon, hammer not cocked, safety not activated. I don't keep rounds chambered in weapons with free-floating firing pins (like the AR-15). I also don't chamber a round in-doors with such a firing pin design, given the slam firing risk (albeit very low).

If I had any pistols, they'd be stored fully loaded, with a round in the chamber and the hammer already ready to rock.

Try loading a firearm in a high stress situation and you will think twice about keeping your emergency defense weapons unloaded. Do a little competitive shooting with a timer running and you'll learn just how bad you are at quickly loading a gun.
Click to expand...
Thanks for setting me straight and filling my knowledge gaps. Same to @TCABM.

Before your unfortunate baggage door incident, would you transport it to the range in the same configuration or remove the magazine and use a chamber flag or some other method?
 
Arm3 said:
Thanks for setting me straight and filling my knowledge gaps. Same to @TCABM.

Before your unfortunate baggage door incident, would you transport it to the range in the same configuration or remove the magazine and use a chamber flag or some other method?
Click to expand...

I was the one with the baggage door incident, not Jesse. At my house none of my rifles are loaded and chambered but in each nightstand table I have a loaded and chambered safety off 40 cal pistol. My range is my backyard so technically yes I would carry them in whatever storage configuration I have to my backyard. If transporting to somewhere that requires the use of a motor vehicle I transferred I'm the same way that I store them at the house but I'm also a concealed permit holder which allows me to legally carry that way.

Well at least that's what I used to do before the boating accident.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Part of the issue is that since I'm not a rifle guy, I don't know what fits "best". 30-06, .270, .308/7.62 are all .30 caliber rounds with different charges.
Click to expand...

Not just different powders but different weight bullets. Really any of them will work just fine on pigs with bullets 100 grains and above that are not labeled "varmint" bullets. You want something that penetrates so go with one suitable for deer and such. I've killed them with the .243,.257 Roberts, 6.5x55 and .270 and dropped them in their tracks without a problem.

Any modern bolt action will work fine. I'm no fan of the Rem M700 due to it's historical trigger issues but lots like them. I'm a m70 guy when it comes to bolt actions (OK, and old Mausers)

Optics-wise remember most of your pig shots will be in low light so get a scope with good low-light characteristics. Most of my hunting rifles these days have a Leupold 6x42 on them but lots of good options out there from reasonable to "holy crap aviation is cheap"
 
I have a 6.5 creedmoor PSA AR-10 with Vortex optics. 300 yard shots all day long are easy. 270 or 243 are a great all around for a bolt gun, especially for lighter recoil. I love Tikka rifles. But if you have a Dunhams store near you, they sometimes have great deals on Ruger Americans. I picked one up last year in 350 legend and so far impressed with it.
 
Don't forget about Weatherby. Get above their Vanguard line, and I believe they are all made in the US (Sheridan, WY). I've listened to a few different podcasts where Adam Weatherby (and his wife a couple of times) was interviewed and they seem like good people. (He is a pilot - flies a 206 I believe). IIRC, they have a 60 degree throw bolt action on some of their models.
 
Arm3 said:
Thanks for setting me straight and filling my knowledge gaps. Same to @TCABM.

Before your unfortunate baggage door incident, would you transport it to the range in the same configuration or remove the magazine and use a chamber flag or some other method?
Click to expand...

What your asking is a biased question as you believe one method is less safe than any other method. If you’re comfortable (or more likely your range or league requires) mag out, chamber flag inserted, then there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. You’re also knowledgable enough to know until a round is in the chamber, it cannot leave the barrel. Riddle me this; since there is no loaded chamber indicator, how do you the rifle in the photo is hot? You don’t and you can’t, which is why I said your position that it was irresponsible assumes facts that are not in evidence.

Practical experience of 3 tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq carrying an M4 closed bolt, mag inserted, off safe was exactly zero discharges between me and all of the people in my units. My son’s a Ranger qualified Infantry company commander. Kist finished his second combat tour. First was Iraq as a PL in 2017, this one was in Syria. Every day he had about 200 soldiers carrying a rifle with loaded mag inserted on a closed bolt and amazingly there were zero negligent discharges for him or his unit, either.
 
Last edited:
Pugs said:
Not just different powders but different weight bullets. Really any of them will work just fine on pigs with bullets 100 grains and above that are not labeled "varmint" bullets. You want something that penetrates so go with one suitable for deer and such. I've killed them with the .243,.257 Roberts, 6.5x55 and .270 and dropped them in their tracks without a problem.

Any modern bolt action will work fine. I'm no fan of the Rem M700 due to it's historical trigger issues but lots like them. I'm a m70 guy when it comes to bolt actions (OK, and old Mausers)

Optics-wise remember most of your pig shots will be in low light so get a scope with good low-light characteristics. Most of my hunting rifles these days have a Leupold 6x42 on them but lots of good options out there from reasonable to "holy crap aviation is cheap"
Click to expand...

Yeah, I quickly saw optics in my initial searches running up past $3K, not including the stuff that gets into thermal and night vision. Good point about the low-light functionality, I'll see what I can dig up for a few hundred that fits that bill. I'm sure a 4 or 6x40 range would be more than sufficient for my purposes.
 
JB1842 said:
I have a 6.5 creedmoor PSA AR-10 with Vortex optics. 300 yard shots all day long are easy. 270 or 243 are a great all around for a bolt gun, especially for lighter recoil. I love Tikka rifles. But if you have a Dunhams store near you, they sometimes have great deals on Ruger Americans. I picked one up last year in 350 legend and so far impressed with it.
Click to expand...

I looked at the Tikka T3 lineup, but at double the cost of the Ruger/Savage models I dismissed it. If I knew I was going to be getting really into hunting I'd probably make the jump where the quality of the Tikka would be realized. Not sure that the 10 shots I might take in a year with that rifle would be sufficient to even appreciate the difference. I bet the bolt action on the Tikka is buttery smooth though!
 
SoonerAviator said:
Yeah, I quickly saw optics in my initial searches running up past $3K, not including the stuff that gets into thermal and night vision. Good point about the low-light functionality, I'll see what I can dig up for a few hundred that fits that bill. I'm sure a 4 or 6x40 range would be more than sufficient for my purposes.
Click to expand...

Keep an eye out for Vortex sales. They usually have a few every year. They're a good scope and their 'no questions asked' warranty is pretty slick. I was running their entry level Crossfire II 3-9x40 and 3-9x40 on my guns before I lost them all in the river - perfect for the short/mid range shots in the woods around here. Dad had a Vortex Viper 4-16x50 on his 6.8 Western that I hunted with in Montana last year. Too bad that gun was destroyed in a freak accident on the way home.
 
SoonerAviator said:
I looked at the Tikka T3 lineup, but at double the cost of the Ruger/Savage models I dismissed it. If I knew I was going to be getting really into hunting I'd probably make the jump where the quality of the Tikka would be realized. Not sure that the 10 shots I might take in a year with that rifle would be sufficient to even appreciate the difference. I bet the bolt action on the Tikka is buttery smooth though!
Click to expand...
SoonerAviator said:
I looked at the Tikka T3 lineup, but at double the cost of the Ruger/Savage models I dismissed it. If I knew I was going to be getting really into hunting I'd probably make the jump where the quality of the Tikka would be realized. Not sure that the 10 shots I might take in a year with that rifle would be sufficient to even appreciate the difference. I bet the bolt action on the Tikka is buttery smooth though!
Click to expand...

The action and triggers are amazing. But I also bought my last Tikkas some 10 years ago before they got really popular and the price was around $600 NIB. One in 300 wsm in lefty for me. And one in 7mm-08 for my wife.
 
JB1842 said:
The action and triggers are amazing. But I also bought my last Tikkas some 10 years ago before they got really popular and the price was around $600 NIB. One in 300 wsm in lefty for me. And one in 7mm-08 for my wife.
Click to expand...

From what I've seen on the big box stores, they're running $750+ these days. Still probably a good value for what it is though, from a quality standpoint at least.
 
SoonerAviator said:
From what I've seen on the big box stores, they're running $750+ these days. Still probably a good value for what it is though, from a quality standpoint at least.
Click to expand...

If you're going to buy one rifle to last you the rest of your life, paying the price for a Tikka is worth it. The only complaint is extra mags are a little pricey.
 
TCABM said:
What your asking is a biased question as you believe one method is less safe than any other method. If you’re comfortable (or more likely your range or league requires) mag out, chamber flag inserted, then there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. You’re also knowledgable enough to know until a round is in the chamber, it cannot leave the barrel. Riddle me this; since there is no loaded chamber indicator, how do you the rifle in the photo is hot? You don’t and you can’t, which is why I said your position that it was irresponsible assumes facts that are not in evidence.

Practical experience of 3 tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq carrying an M4 closed bolt, mag inserted, off safe was exactly zero discharges between me and all of the people in my units. My son’s a Ranger qualified Infantry company commander. Kist finished his second combat tour. First was Iraq as a PL in 2017, this one was in Syria. Every day he had about 200 soldiers carrying a rifle with loaded mag inserted on a closed bolt and amazingly there were zero negligent discharges for him or his unit, either.
Click to expand...
Cease fire, same team. I think you may have read sarcasm in my reply that I didn’t intend.

I did 7 trips to Iraq and Afghanistan and have a little less than 1,000 hours in a left hand orbit there providing top cover for those of you that did the tough and dangerous jobs. I only had an M-9 on my hip though and pilots didn’t get M-4 qualed so I’m no expert in the M-4/AR-15. I was serious when I said you filled my knowledge gaps.

My honest assumption when I saw the picture was there probably wasn’t a round in the chamber for a staged picture, but it looked weird/dumb to me. I was genuinely thankful for the explanation that you guys provided, it made sense. I’d change the way I keep my guns stored, if they hadn’t been lost in a lake.
 
The Savage Accu-trigger for an off the shelf trigger is about as nice as it gets. It's also adjustable for pull.
 
Mxfarm said:
The Savage Accu-trigger for an off the shelf trigger is about as nice as it gets. It's also adjustable for pull.
Click to expand...

Not always.

I have a model 25 and the action is, well, funky. I'd NEVER use that particular rifle hunting. I did managed to make it work perfectly fine as an offhand rifle for target shooting, but I have to hope that triggers on other guns are better.
 
kgruber said:
A pre-war Winchester Model 70 is still better than anything made today. Old school quality.
Click to expand...

I agree and have a few myself but you really need to know what you're looking at to get a good one for $800. The Tikka is almost always the right answer for an out of the box rifle, I would, of course, lose the magazine and end up with a single shot.

My elk from Idaho 5 years ago with my 1938 Winchester Model 70 Super Grade in 300 H&H.


f6ibz0j.jpg
 
The Mossberg Patriot series has a trigger superior to the Ruger and Savage.

They are all great, affordable rifles.

Don't take my word for it, though, since I don't own any of them... :rolleyes:
 
SoonerAviator said:
I looked at the Tikka T3 lineup, but at double the cost of the Ruger/Savage models I dismissed it. If I knew I was going to be getting really into hunting I'd probably make the jump where the quality of the Tikka would be realized. Not sure that the 10 shots I might take in a year with that rifle would be sufficient to even appreciate the difference. I bet the bolt action on the Tikka is buttery smooth though!
Click to expand...

It is indeed. Second point is the weight. If you’re just going to sit and wait, a heavier gun makes no difference but if you’re going to walk around, the 6 and 3/4 lbs plus scope of the Tikka is a godsend
 
Pre
kgruber said:
A pre-war Winchester Model 70 is still better than anything made today. Old school quality.
Click to expand...
Pre-war, or Pre-64? 1964 is when Winchester made a number of cost cutting design changes to the model 70. Pre-64’s are sought after-I’d not heard about pre-war being a thing…other than those would all be Pre-64s anyway.
 
For pigs? Get an AR-10. It'll work on most big game in North America. If pigs are the priority and your state allows, add a suppressor. If deer are the priority? Hard to beat a 270. For hunting deer, elk, and moose my 270 is my choice. If bear encounters are expected I step up to 300 Weatherby. I have a 338 and 375, too, but they're too heavy to carry and not necessary unless big bears are the target.
 
JB1842 said:
You won't go wrong with this. Don't know the scope, though. I've bought from this auction house a few times. They won't sell junk or misrepresent items. The Sako that they also have listed with no bids would also be a great pickup; they make Tikkas.

https://hibid.com/lot/122645283/pre-64-winchester-featherweight-model-70-rifle?ref=lot-list
Click to expand...

I was looking at gunbroker a bit as well, just to get an idea what the market was on some of the used stuff. Some NIB stuff there as well, which seems to be a bit less in cost than many of the bigger stores.
 
SoonerAviator said:
This whole exercise may have me with 2 or 3 rifles, lol.
Click to expand...


SWMBO once asked me how many guns I needed, anyway. I told her one of each; I'm collecting the entire set.

Shame about them all falling off the boat into the Mariana Trench....
 
Radar Contact said:
If you’re going to have one rifle I’d suggest a Remington 700 30-06. The 700 is a great time tested rifle. The army uses is as their standard sniper rifle since the 80’s I think.

30-06 allows you to use lower grain bullets for whitetail and heavier grain for bigger game.

Throw a good scope on it and it will serve you well for many years.
Click to expand...
I have one of those, never any issues, a true brick of a gun.
 
EdFred said:
At my house none of my rifles are loaded and chambered but in each nightstand table I have a loaded and chambered safety off 40 cal pistol.
Click to expand...

One of my firearms instructors taught me that any caliber you use for personal protection should start with a "4" ... :D
 
I'm amazed at all these guns lost in boating accidents and open baggage doors. If I had money for firearms I'd like to think they would be safer in a vault buried in the back 40 ... ;)
 
SoonerAviator said:
I was looking at gunbroker a bit as well, just to get an idea what the market was on some of the used stuff. Some NIB stuff there as well, which seems to be a bit less in cost than many of the bigger stores.
Click to expand...

I haven't looked at gunbroker in a long time. Seemed more inflated than the aircraft market the past few years. And they started collecting sales tax this past year, on top of the auction fees, unlike other auction sites. Sort of turned me off to them. Plus a lot of morons who don't understand FLLs and interstate shipping laws, etc. Buy local if you can, or large auction house that specializes in firearms if you go that route.

And you always need more than 1. You need one for long range, short range, brush gun, varmint gun, big game, plinking, no reason but I want to buy one, etc, etc, etc....
 
JB1842 said:
Multiple 4's will get me to the more/bigger stuff if needed.
Click to expand...

LOL! I had a police officer explain to me that the one on the hip is used to get to the better stuff in the trunk while he radios for backup ... :D
 
Daleandee said:
LOL! I had a police officer explain to me that the one on the hip is used to get to the better stuff in the trunk while he radios for backup ... :D
Click to expand...

Yep. The only purpose for a handgun is to allow you to get to the rifle. People talk about their handguns in the nightstand.

That’s cute; I have a two stamp AR in 458 SOCOM in mine.
 
Daleandee said:
LOL! I had a police officer explain to me that the one on the hip is used to get to the better stuff in the trunk while he radios for backup ... :D
Click to expand...

As a retired police officer myself, most cops are better off throwing an empty gun at someone. You would be surprised how bad many are at hitting a target. Put them in a stressful situation, all bets are off. Shooting is a perishable skill, and most departments/officers don't want to put in the time and money to keep the skills up. Just like flying.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top