Rifle Opinions - Upcoming Deer hunt (Pics)

[herb]

Looking for rifle opinions for an upcoming deer hunt later in the year. I have shortlisted the following 3 rifles from my gun safe. All 3 would do the job nicely. The expected shootng distance will be between 100-250 yds.

1. Savage 11 .308 Win with 20" barrel. Very handy, low recoil and no hassles in bad weather.
2. CZ 550 7mm Rem Mag. 23.6" barrel, handles like a dream, old world craftmanship in wood and blued metal.
3. Sako 30-06 Spg, 24" barrel. Excellent caliber, a little heavy but it translates to low recoil, detachable magazine.




















All 3 are accurate for the intended purpose. I am leaning towards the Savage as the .308 in a short action rifle with 20" barrels makes it very handy in a deer stand.

.308 is a very efficient round, works in a short action and does not lose velocity like the magnums from a carbine length barrels. Also a wide range of bullet choices from 140gn to 180 gn.

What do you folks think? What would be your choice?

Herb

[Hammerhead]

Depends, Where you plan to hunt. South Ontario or North. I would go for Sako. I stay around 130 to 165 gr for most of bullets. Never really liked shooting 7mm, no offense to the people who shoot.

[timmy]

I'd carry the Savage, myself. Being short, it would work in the brush, and it has more than enough power to do the job. I agree, 7mm Mag has never interested me and it seems a bit overpowered for deer, unless you are fairly certain of being faced with the longer shots. The Savage's plastic stock is a big advantage for an already very accurate rifle, too. The other two rifles are certainly beauties -- why marr them up in the bushes? Leave them in the case at home and let people drool, while the Savage gets dirty and wet and does the heavy lifting.

[dr.jayakumar]

if it was me i'll take all three and use one for a day...!!won't let those beauties live alone.
regards
dr.jk

[Mark]

I'd pick the gun you shoot best at the furthest range you plan on shooting, so let's say that is 250 yards. If they all shoot the same for you, my pick would probably be your savage as it is the handiest of the bunch, which makes a difference in the woods.

[herb]

Hammerhead - I am planning to hunt in the SW Ontario region.

Hammerhead, Timmy - Agree about the 7mm, it has its place and I would personally reach for a 7mm Rem Mag if 400+yard shots are a possibility. It also needs a long barrel to reach its full potential. Shots over 250 yards are out of my comfort zone but may take it from a solid rest if that is the only option and conditions like wind are favorable. I have Winchester Model 70 .300 Win Mag topped with a 2.5-16x Bushnell Elite 6500 for that.

dr.jayakimar - Carrying all the 3 rifles is tempting but the logistics of carrying 3 rifles with different calibers of ammo etc. will be a nightmare as I will not be travelling from home each day. I will be away from home for a couple of days and will not be comfortable leaving the guns in the camp or truck each day.

Glad to see more people are leaning towards the Savage. This particular savage may not win any beauty contests but is a very practical rifle and will take down any North American game with proper bullets weights and sensible distances.

[StampMaster]

I feel 308 is the best for the game. Its small and handy to carry. Short length barrel are my favorites

7mm is something special for me. Its very good at 400-800 yards. Bullet drop is very low at long distance. Important fact about 7mm is the cartridge exit is not devastating so it does not leave a big exit hole. If your hunt runs away after being shot, the blood trial left might be low so it would be difficult to track down.

30-06 is my personal favorite as its widely used and the ammo is available in plenty across the globe. Best alternative for 7mm for long range.

[shooter]

I would go for the savage. Good rifle in a good calibre. However dont get too fussed. The choice wont make a differene to the result of your hunt. So take rifle that needs to be 'bloodied' and hasnt seen 'action' yet

[Vikram]

I am leaning more towards the Sako .30-06. Just a personal preference and noting else. I am sure the other two would do the job as well.

Best-
Vikram

[herb]

The Savage likes 150 gn power shoks. Here are 2 targets from my range trip earlier today...

Distance 100 yds
Ammo - Federal Power Shok
Bullet - 150 grain Soft point
Muzzle Velocity - 2820 ft/sec

3 shots group .75 inches


4 shots group .9 inches


Here is the Federal power shok .308 with the 30-06 for comparison, 30-06 case capacity is higher and had an advantage.


The new Hornady superformance adds about 100-200 fps to the performance and brings it at par to the traditional .30-06 loads. They claim that it can do this short barrels too, before long 26" & 28" barrels may be redundant for hunting.


Federal power shok performance with 150 grain bullet.


Hornady superformance with 165 grain bullet.

[timmy]

Herb, the purists may cry in their beer over the passing of the good old days, and I cannot disagree, the aesthetics of the old Mausers with British sporting or German toothpick stocks are lovely things. Furthermore, the glorious wood used on the old time guns could be quite wonderful, as well.

But these new, mass produced plastic wonders will shoot, shoot, and shoot, no matter the weather, and in real money terms, are a great bargain considering their accuracy.

Your targets look great!

[herb]

Tim - Agree, the purist in me loves something like this but the savage is more practical.

[winnie_the_pooh]

Show off Nice rifles Herb.Take the Ugly Betty. Which variety of deer do you plan to hunt?

[timmy]

Herb: how could anyone look at that and hate guns?!?! What a jewel, you lucky fellow!

I have a Finn M39 that I love. Often, especially when I watch boxing, I will sit with that gun in my lap, because it feels so good just to touch and hold it, and between rounds when there is a commercial, to work the bolt.

With a rifle like that, I could not be separated from it! I would need to have it in my hands all the time.

[xl_target]

100-250 yds?
While any of the rifles could fill the role, the .308 will be more than adequate for that range.
A synthetic stock and a short barrel. What more do you need out in the field but a light handy rifle like that?
The Savage in .308 will do the job all day and it would be my choice of the three for this hunt. Also as Timmy mentions, the Savage will be least affected if the conditions turn... umm.. savage.

My choice of ammo would be the Hornady Superformance with the SST bullet. The SST is an excellent, proven bullet on deer.
I load a boat-tailed Interlock (BTSP) for my deer rifle, which is basically the same thing as the SST except it doesn't have the polymer tip. I would use the SST except that when I developed my loads (in the 1980's), the SST wasn't available and I have a ton of Interlocks to use up first. The only issue I have with the Interlocks is that the tips of the bullets in the magazine tend to distort from recoil. The SST would not have that problem.

Best of luck on the hunt. Take lots of photos and write us a post on the hunt, please.