Input needed on what guns to purchase for hunting:

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  • tallen702

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 3, 2012
    5,102
    In the boonies of MoCo
    So, a good buddy of mine who has hunted deer and turkey when he was much younger, and now pheasants and chukar recently, has decided he wants to get back into hunting, but needs to build up his firearms stock to do so. He's extremely wealthy, but doesn't go throwing money at things unwisely. He is willing to pay for quality and items that will hold their value, but is also willing to buy something that is an "everyman" item if it will do the job just as well as something more expensive.

    He's looking to for:

    A deer gun
    An upland gun
    A waterfowl gun
    A small game gun
    And potentially, a big-game (elk, moose, etc.) gun.

    I know what I would get in each of those categories, but I'm partial to the classics (eg, Rem Model 8, Ithaca NID, Rem 878, Browning A5, etc) vs the latest and greatest.

    So, with the caveats about paying for quality and durability (think: being able to pass along as an heirloom) if you could get two guns, one classic and one new-fangled, for each category listed above, what would they be, what caliber, and why?
     

    gwchem

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 18, 2014
    3,434
    SoMD
    Tikka t3 lite in .308, 30-06, 7mm mag or .300 win mag. There's your deer and elk/moose gun.

    Or the browning x-bolt. Those are very nice.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,884
    Deer gun , and Big Game can potentially overlap if so desired . Or could be an opportunity to take on two totally different flavors of gun . Throwing out there ; perhaps a levergun for deer in thick woods , and a 7mm mag to .300mag class bolt rifle for both bigger stuff , and for deliberately long shots at Bambi .

    What's your friend's basic preference in shotgun ? O/U and autoloaders both have strong , but largely seperate followings .

    Since you have a seperate catagory for Small Game , presumably you mean a .22lr rifle instead of multi tasking . Your responses will lean heavily to Ruger 10/ 22 and CZ 4XX .
     

    ohen cepel

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 2, 2011
    4,509
    Where they send me.
    I really like the Browning BPS Upland in 20GA but they stopped making them a few years ago. Worth a look. I would find one and pay for it if I was looking for one now.

    I would suggest a Ruger #1 for the hunting/big game ask. If he's getting recoils sensitivity maybe BAR. .308 for small and 300WM for bigger.
     

    tallen702

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 3, 2012
    5,102
    In the boonies of MoCo
    If he's as well off as you say he is, he should consider hiring a deer dragger too!
    :D

    Dude went from making $45k/year to over $150k/year overnight. He has no real bills or debts, and on top of that base pay he has a crap ton of vested stock in his employer which is currently trading at over $200/share and only keeps going up. Dude went from living in a converted bus next to the Shenandoah river to being worth north of a half-mil in just a year and a half.

    He's still incredibly humble though and donates tons of money and time to humanitarian aid in our home state (WV). One of the few genuinely nice guys I know. He'll drag his own deer.
     

    Virgil Co.C

    Active Member
    Aug 10, 2018
    615
    Beretta shotgun ( Extrema) ,upland / waterfowl. 12 gauge , Deer I have a few different but I really like my Thompson compass ,30/06 inexpensive but incredibly accurate and light .recoil is mild. Small game I like my 410 single shot & 22 marlin . The list could go on but this is my basic go to hunting stuff . Have a traditions in-line for muzzleloading .
     

    trickg

    Guns 'n Drums
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 22, 2008
    14,598
    Glen Burnie
    So, a good buddy of mine who has hunted deer and turkey when he was much younger, and now pheasants and chukar recently, has decided he wants to get back into hunting, but needs to build up his firearms stock to do so. He's extremely wealthy, but doesn't go throwing money at things unwisely. He is willing to pay for quality and items that will hold their value, but is also willing to buy something that is an "everyman" item if it will do the job just as well as something more expensive.

    He's looking to for:

    A deer gun
    An upland gun
    A waterfowl gun
    A small game gun
    And potentially, a big-game (elk, moose, etc.) gun.

    I know what I would get in each of those categories, but I'm partial to the classics (eg, Rem Model 8, Ithaca NID, Rem 878, Browning A5, etc) vs the latest and greatest.

    So, with the caveats about paying for quality and durability (think: being able to pass along as an heirloom) if you could get two guns, one classic and one new-fangled, for each category listed above, what would they be, what caliber, and why?
    Wow. What an open-ended request, and the truth is, is that it could run the gamut.

    This is what I have in my safe that would be adequate for the tasks at hand:

    Deer - Mauser 98 sporter, 25-06
    Upland - Remington 870 Wingmaster 12 ga, 2.75”, Full choke
    Waterfowl - don’t really have one, but an 870 in 12 ga with a longer shell and full choke would do it.
    Small game - 870 Wingmaster 20 ga, Improved Cylinder choke
    Elk/Moose - 1903A3 sporter, 35 Whelen (Think 35-06)

    That’s what I have and would use. FWIW, my Dad took a lot of ducks and geese with a Model 12 pump, 2.75” and a full choke.

    As for the wish list...

    I’m not up on shotguns at all, but for rifles, Tikka, CZ, Remington, Ruger, Kimber, Winchester...all would be good.

    I’d use 270 for deer, 300 Win Mag for Elk. There’s no need to complicate it past that IMO - they’ll get the job done nicely, and there are plenty of ammo options for both.

    Scopes - No need IMO to look any further than Leupold, Burris, Vortex...you “can” spend more, but I’d venture to guess that there are lots of really classy first rate guns and glass out there that are miles better than the guys shooting them.

    That Mauser sporter I mentioned is dead nuts at 100 yards, and it’s sporting an old Redfield scope with a simple fine crosshair that was probably mounted on it in the late 60s or early 70s. There’s fancy, and there’s functional - even if money wasn’t a consideration I’m not sure I’d blow money on more gun than I could properly use.

    I’m curious to see some of the other responses.
     

    DaemonAssassin

    Why should we Free BSD?
    Jun 14, 2012
    23,970
    Political refugee in WV
    Dude went from making $45k/year to over $150k/year overnight. He has no real bills or debts, and on top of that base pay he has a crap ton of vested stock in his employer which is currently trading at over $200/share and only keeps going up. Dude went from living in a converted bus next to the Shenandoah river to being worth north of a half-mil in just a year and a half.

    He's still incredibly humble though and donates tons of money and time to humanitarian aid in our home state (WV). One of the few genuinely nice guys I know. He'll drag his own deer.

    Pass this along to him from me.

    Karma has come around to him for getting to where he is and his humanitarian aid work for WV.

    If he wants a AR15 or AR10, all he has to do is get all the parts for one, and I'll put it together for him, with him in attendance and teach him how to do it too. Or if he would rather do the building on his own with guidance, that is ok by me too. My workbench is free, so that way good karma of some sort can go back to him.

    All I ask for doing this, should he take me up on my offer, is to pay it forward one day.
     

    Antarctica

    YEEEEEHAWWW!!!!
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 29, 2012
    1,728
    Southern Anne Arundel
    Picking working man's guns here, not the very best...

    A deer gun:

    Classic - Rem 700 or Ruger 77
    Latest - Tikka T3
    Partial to 30-06 in either

    An upland gun
    Classic or latest: Browning Citori in 20

    A waterfowl gun:
    Classic - Browning A5 in 12
    Latest - Benelli in 12

    A small game gun:
    Latest - Ruger 10-22
    'Classic' (not really) - Marlin XT .17HMR bolt gun


    big-game (elk, moose, etc.) gun:
    Classic: Some old high dollar Weatherby in some odd ball caliber
    Latest - Probably the same Tikka for Deer (in 30-06)

    Those are more just the guns I like(though don't necessarily own), or what I think of as classic, latests, etc.., and I know there are better ones out there
     

    JamesDong

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Aug 13, 2020
    3,260
    Duffield, Va
    Tough but easy call.......... opinions are like as.........s you know. Nicest rifle I ever owned but swapped it off was a Browning BAR in 06 there's your big game/deer right there. Don't rule out a Sako, Win 70, Rem 700 or Savage 110 bolts all in 06 just to name a few. These are chambered for many cartridges but remember the 06 has been around 114 years and you can find ammo ANYWHERE and its probably taken more big game than any other in the US.

    Remington 870 WINGMASTER in 12 ga... NOT the express.
    Those two will do anything you ask

    22 auto just for cheap fun.

    You want to fine tune and get more specific, great but whats in your wallet?
     

    tallen702

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 3, 2012
    5,102
    In the boonies of MoCo
    Thank you, everyone, for your input and especially DaemonAssasin for the generous offer.

    More than anything I was looking to broaden my horizons for my search for him instead of just putting the old blinders on and going only with what I know.

    You've given me some great stuff to look at further. I'll update with some narrowing down as time goes on. My buddy is getting ready to move to GA next week (he can work from anywhere that has high-speed internet, and there's a girl down there whom he has loved for over half his life, but thought he had missed his chance with that seems to feel the same way about him) so his process of building his collection should be easier.

    I've never really looked at Tikka or Sako myself outside of the military counterparts, so this is definitely good to have seen them mentioned.

    Anyone else looking to put in their $0.02 in the meantime, please do!

    Thanks again!
     

    Dantheman

    Active Member
    Jan 26, 2011
    325
    He's looking to for:

    A deer gun
    An upland gun
    A waterfowl gun
    A small game gun
    And potentially, a big-game (elk, moose, etc.) gun.

    I know what I would get in each of those categories, but I'm partial to the classics (eg, Rem Model 8, Ithaca NID, Rem 878, Browning A5, etc) vs the latest and greatest.

    if you could get two guns, one classic and one new-fangled, for each category listed above, what would they be, what caliber, and why?

    If I was in his position, I'd go straight to a custom rifle maker here in the US. Tikka, Weatherby, Winchester, Bergara and Browning are all putting out some very high quality rifles but they're manufactured overseas. Buying a rifle made here in the US means something to me. That being said, if I was to choose a rifle by one of the aforementioned manufacturers, it would be a toss up between Weatherby and Browning.

    For caliber, I'd go 30-06 because again, my rifle would be custom made and having it chambered in 30-06 would give me the ability to take all the big game in North America and all of the African plains game with the same rifle. And then at the end of my life, after I've trekked around the world and killed all those big game animals, they can toss the rifle in my casket with me.

    For a shotgun I'd go with some semi-automatic Beretta.

    For small game I'd get a .22 cal Marlin Model 60 because it's a great gun and I'm partial.
     

    Sarfs1

    Member
    Mar 20, 2020
    66
    My two cents

    A deer gun -

    Pick any bolt gun that you like from these guys. 7mm-08 is perfect

    https://christensenarms.com/bolt-rifles/

    An upland gun

    Benelli Montefeltro 20ga for auto or https://gueriniusa.com/shotguns/ for double barrel (also in MD)

    A waterfowl gun

    great gun and US operation is here in MD. https://www.retayusa.com/airking

    A small game gun

    Ruger 10/22

    And potentially, a big-game (elk, moose, etc.) gun.

    Cant go wrong here 338 and up

    https://www.ruger.com/products/Hawkeye/overview.html
     

    dink

    Member
    Mar 30, 2014
    63
    Oooh, this is like sitting around talking about what you'd buy with your lottery winnings, hahaha! This is fun, more thoughts for you....

    Deer and big game: Calibers 6.5CM and 30-06. I'm partial to non-magnums unless you're shooting 500+yds or at huge game (brown bears, buffaloes, etc...). I think 6.5CM will displace 243 as the standby do-it-mostly-all mild cartridge, and for all the other hoopla, 30-06 always has and always will do the job. Remember, for end result, it's more about the ammo, and there's tons of ammo selections to do whatever you want/need. Bolt rifles... Browning X-bolt for higher end, Tikka medium, Savage Axis inexpensive. Pick your stock flavor...all really great guns. If you're going to really spend money and get pretty, then get a Cooper.

    An upland gun: Gotta be a classic over/under or side by side. Personal preference.... High dollar Beretta or Browning. Working gun CZ all the way. Pick your gauge.

    A waterfowl gun: Benelli's are still priced like their patent hasn't expired. Inertia or gas, again personal preference. I like inertia for the slim factor and less maintenance. CZ again makes a great one (1012). You can pay more for a Retay, but it's the same gun.

    A small game gun: 10/22 for semi-auto fun/cool factor, CZ or Savage for classic bolt.

    And potentially, a big-game (elk, moose, etc.) gun: If need more than an 06, then 338 or 375.

    And we should throw a lever gun in there for posterity. Classic 30-30 or maybe something in a pistol caliber to mix it up. Winchester or Marlin. Might be good to see what Ruger puts out in the future now that they own the Marlin brand.
     

    GutPile

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 4, 2016
    3,218
    "He's extremely wealthy'
    Then he can get a safe full of them. Maybe 1 safe per caliber.
     

    GutPile

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 4, 2016
    3,218
    Oooh, this is like sitting around talking about what you'd buy with your lottery winnings, hahaha! This is fun, more thoughts for you....

    Deer and big game: Calibers 6.5CM and 30-06. I'm partial to non-magnums unless you're shooting 500+yds or at huge game (brown bears, buffaloes, etc...). I think 6.5CM will displace 243 as the standby do-it-mostly-all mild cartridge, and for all the other hoopla, 30-06 always has and always will do the job. Remember, for end result, it's more about the ammo, and there's tons of ammo selections to do whatever you want/need. Bolt rifles... Browning X-bolt for higher end, Tikka medium, Savage Axis inexpensive. Pick your stock flavor...all really great guns. If you're going to really spend money and get pretty, then get a Cooper.

    An upland gun: Gotta be a classic over/under or side by side. Personal preference.... High dollar Beretta or Browning. Working gun CZ all the way. Pick your gauge.

    A waterfowl gun: Benelli's are still priced like their patent hasn't expired. Inertia or gas, again personal preference. I like inertia for the slim factor and less maintenance. CZ again makes a great one (1012). You can pay more for a Retay, but it's the same gun.

    A small game gun: 10/22 for semi-auto fun/cool factor, CZ or Savage for classic bolt.

    And potentially, a big-game (elk, moose, etc.) gun: If need more than an 06, then 338 or 375.

    And we should throw a lever gun in there for posterity. Classic 30-30 or maybe something in a pistol caliber to mix it up. Winchester or Marlin. Might be good to see what Ruger puts out in the future now that they own the Marlin brand.

    some of the 6.5 bolt guns are coming in as light as most compound bows. If you are huffing it out west every pound counts and the euros have been killing big game w that round for a long time. Def look into a 6.5 bolt if money is no object.
     

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