Choosing the Right Hunting Rifle

ASK YOURSELF SOME BASIC QUESTIONS:

1. WHAT IS THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR THE RIFLE?
2. WHAT IS MY BUDGET?
3. IS AMMUNITION READILY AVAILABLE AND WHAT DOES IT COST?
4. WILL IT ADEQUATELY PERFORM THE TASKS I NEED IT TO PERFORM?
5. WITHIN MY BUDGET, CAN I AFFORD A HIGH ENOUGH QUALITY FIREARM THAT I CAN BE ASSURED OF SAFETY AND LONG-TERM PERFORMANCE?

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What to Consider When Choosing a Hunting Rifle Action
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Pat_Mitchell]Pat Mitchell

Some questions to ask yourself before choosing which hunting rifle to buy is, which game animals will it be used for, at what range will it be used at, and how important are quick follow-up shots?

The bolt action is the most popular action available. It is the strongest and generally the most reliable, and comes in the most available chamberings. It's also the most inherently accurate action, so is best suited for hunting where long shots may present themselves. When fitted with a quality scope of moderate to high power, and chambered in a flat-shooting cartridge such as 25-06 Rem, 270 Win, 30-06 Springfield, or 300 Win Mag, a bolt action rifle can be used out to 300 yards and beyond, for game such as deer, pronghorns, elk, bear and mountain sheep. The bolt action also makes the most sense as a varmint hunting rifle. They will deliver the fine accuracy needed for these small targets, which are usually shot at long distances. Some fine varmint chamberings are 17 Rem, 204 Ruger, 223 Rem and 22-250 Rem.

The strength of the bolt action, makes it the best choice for hunters who intend to handload their own ammunition. When a hunter loads his own ammo, he is in-fact producing ammo tailor-made for the rifle it is being used in. The result is usually considerably more accurate and powerful loads, at a cheaper cost.

Some people may be quick to say that a bolt action is slow to fire for follow-up shots. The fact is that in the hands of a well-practiced bolt gun user, the difference in speed between it and other actions such as pump action, lever action and even semi auto, is slight. For quick shooting with a bolt action, the rifle should not be brought down from the shoulder between shots. Instead the action should be work immediately after the trigger is released and while the gun is still in recoil. When used this way, the bolt action is plenty fast for most situations.

The level action is most often chambered in larger caliber, slower moving cartridges, some of which are 30-30 Win, 444 Marlin, 450 Marlin and 45-70 Govnt. The accuracy, although good enough for their intended use, is usually not as good as a bolt action. The exception is Browning's BLR which is chambered in faster cartridges such as 270 WSM, 7mm Rem Mag and 300 Win Mag, and is capable of very good accuracy, often as good as a bolt action.

The lever action is a fine and reliable action generally best suited for close cover hunting where fast follow-up shots are often needed. They are available with short barrels, making them ideal for use in close quarters such as in thick brush. This type of hunting may include eastern deer and hog hunting or moose hunting up north, as well as grizzly and brown bear hunting. Many lever actions can be easily fitted with a scope sight, although many users of these rifles, and rightly so, prefer to use the supplied open sights.




The pump action as a hunting rifle is not as popular as the other actions although they can be very reliable. They are available in standard cartridges from 243 Rem to 30-06 and make an especially good choice for hunters who are used to using pump action shotguns for waterfowl. The accuracy are about as good as a lever gun and they are well suited for the same type of hunting as well. Remington has been manufacturing their model 7600 for many years and has a dedicated following.

The semi automatic is the king when it comes to fast followup shooting. They are ideal for hunting in close quarters for deer or moose while drive hunting, where shots at moving animals are traditionally taken. Available calibers range from 223 Rem on up to 300 WSM and 338 Win Mag, as in the Browning BAR. The accuracy can range from quite good to outstanding for ARs and semi custom guns. An advantage of the semi auto action is that they generally recoil less compared to other action types because some of the energy is used to work the action. Disadvantages are that they may be a little on the heavy side and can sometimes jam if not properly cleaned on a regular basis.



Whichever action you end up choosing, be sure to sight it in properly and do a lot of practice to become proficient with it. It will then reward you with many years of fulfilling hunting experiences.

Pat Mitchell has over 30 years of shooting and hunting experience. Visit his website http://www.laserboresighterstore.com for a [http://www.laserboresighterstore.com/Boresighters-c1.html]boresighter or other necessary shooting accessories for your new hunting rifle.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?What-to-Consider-When-Choosing-a-Hunting-Rifle-Action&id=4673588] What to Consider When Choosing a Hunting Rifle Action

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Choose Your Perfect Deer Hunting Rifle
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Donald_Borah]Donald Borah

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, I recommend.270 or larger caliber and at least a 120 grain bullet. 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 sit 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 farther!). 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.



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. How willing are you to lug around ten to twelve pounds long rifle across your hunting terrain.

Go to a local hunting rifle dealer and try many different models, types, sizes, and manufacturers of deer hunting rifles for feel. Whenever you can ask a successful hunters what type of rifle they use and why. Ask friends to let you hold and handle their rifles if you are interested in their type of firearm, and ask them what they like and dislike about their rifle.

Before you have made your final decision on what rifle to buy be sure to learn even more about deer hunting rifles and other advanced deer hunting tips by visiting our website here: [http://www.deer-huntingtips.com/deer-hunting-rifle/choosing-your-perfect-deer-hunting-rifle]Deer Hunting Rifle.

And I also invite you learn about deer calls, grunts and other sounds deer make by visiting our comprehensive resource on deer sounds here: [http://www.deer-huntingtips.com/deer-grunts-and-calls]Deer Calls.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Choose-Your-Perfect-Deer-Hunting-Rifle&id=3386419] Choose Your Perfect Deer Hunting Rifle

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