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Input from hunters welcome / needed


muck
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First, I'm looking for a hunting rifle and have no idea where to begin. Can be new or used, don't really care. Am looking to be able to take anything from small game (rabbit), to foul (turkey / duck), to deer (or bigger). All else being equal, my preference is for something bigger than smaller; while shooting a rabbit with a bazooka won't leave much meat, it would be effective ... whereas shooting a bear with a pellet gun would not be effective in the slightest (if that analogy makes sense).

 

Second, I have a never-fired shotgun to trade / sell. I know Cabela's advertises that they buy guns, but don't know what to expect... Any thoughts on selling a nice gun?

 

Third, I would welcome input as to what ammo to buy (preferrably in bulk) and where to get it for my nice 12ga shotgun and the soon-to-be-acquired rifle. Obviously, different ammo is for different things ... so, I guess, your preferred shells for (i) small game, (ii) medium game, (iii) ducks, (iv) geese, (v) pheasant, (vi) deer, (vii) bigger than a deer...and, I'll get some of whatever would be appropriate...

 

Fourth, any 'must have' clothing / gear (like stuff that completely eliminates odor, great boots, site for the rifle, etc) that I would find helpful? I have (literally) nothing besides the two shotguns (the one I'm keeping and the one I'm looking to sell / trade)...

 

...I don't know where to start...all I know is that we have a ton of deer around here, and everytime I see one, I think about having a freezer full of venison sausage...also have lots of turkeys not far away...and my cousins are always inviting me to go pheasant hunting or turkey hunting...

 

...thanks...

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So...first the freezer...now weapons and hunting...

 

Is the market driving you off the grid? :D

 

Is the market driving me off the grid? :D No. :2cents:

 

Would I like to get off the grid for other reasons? No. :D:wacko::D

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First, I'm looking for a hunting rifle and have no idea where to begin. Can be new or used, don't really care. Am looking to be able to take anything from small game (rabbit), to foul (turkey / duck), to deer (or bigger). All else being equal, my preference is for something bigger than smaller; while shooting a rabbit with a bazooka won't leave much meat, it would be effective ... whereas shooting a bear with a pellet gun would not be effective in the slightest (if that analogy makes sense).

 

Second, I have a never-fired shotgun to trade / sell. I know Cabela's advertises that they buy guns, but don't know what to expect... Any thoughts on selling a nice gun?

 

Third, I would welcome input as to what ammo to buy (preferrably in bulk) and where to get it for my nice 12ga shotgun and the soon-to-be-acquired rifle. Obviously, different ammo is for different things ... so, I guess, your preferred shells for (i) small game, (ii) medium game, (iii) ducks, (iv) geese, (v) pheasant, (vi) deer, (vii) bigger than a deer...and, I'll get some of whatever would be appropriate...

 

Fourth, any 'must have' clothing / gear (like stuff that completely eliminates odor, great boots, site for the rifle, etc) that I would find helpful? I have (literally) nothing besides the two shotguns (the one I'm keeping and the one I'm looking to sell / trade)...

 

...I don't know where to start...all I know is that we have a ton of deer around here, and everytime I see one, I think about having a freezer full of venison sausage...also have lots of turkeys not far away...and my cousins are always inviting me to go pheasant hunting or turkey hunting...

 

...thanks...

 

I hunted growing up, and used a 12 guage for everything, from birdshot to slugs for deer. That was 25 years ago though, I have no idea what current gun options there are.

 

I believe an AR-15 (what the M-16 is based on) can be changed from .22 to 7.62 by changing the receiver, but I don't know if that is available in the open market... If you could get that type of a chameleon gun, that may work for you....

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For one general hunting rifle, I'd go with a Remington bolt gun in .308 Winchester or .30-06 Springfield. Both of these have the power you're looking for, some flexibility because of the ammo offerings available and are very common so obtaining ammo should be easier. I'd mount a quality scope ob it - pay at least as much for the scope as you do the rifle. I like Leupold glass, but there are other nice scopes on the market too. A 3-9 power variable optic is generally a good choice, but a 2 x 7 is often better in brushy country. If you are going to go hunting with your cousins, see what gear they suggest.

 

Selling your shotgun to a gun store is usually akin to trading in a car - you get ripped off. IMO, sell it yourself through a local paper or e-classified. If you want to tell me what kind of shotgun it is, I can help you with a value.

 

For your keeper shotgun, I'd stock up on a variety of ammo. Slugs and buckshot have their purpose (deer and defense), as do #2 & #4 lead and steel shot for large birds. Steel or other non-toxic shot is required for legal waterfowl pursuit. Take a look at the keeper shotgun and make sure it has screw-in chokes or is not marked "Full" on the barrel. Full fixed choke guns can not be used with steel shot. If the need may arise for taking smaller birds and other small game, get plenty of #6 and #7 1/2 game loads too. I like #5s for pheasants, but they're getting harder to find. You can take the cheap route on shotshells and usually be OK, but I tend to buy better shells - high brass heavy game loads seldom fail. If you're looking to buy large quantities, an internet dealer like ammoman is a good bet to be cheaper than your local sporting goods store.

 

Clothing is an even tougher question. Good boots are a must, probably more than one pair. I like Danner, Irish Setter and Rocky boots. I suggest a pair of hiker style boots and a pair of cold weather 12-16" boots with 2000 grams of Thinsulate. Buy them both a size or two big and wear extra socks - two thin pair next to the skin and good wool over those. Keep extra wool socks with you in cold weather.

 

Coats are next and are a matter of preference. Check 'em out at Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop for a good selection. The Quad Parkas are nice, flexible pieces of equipment. I'd go camo with coats - you can wear a cheap piece of hunter orange over the top when required.

 

I don't get into the scent-lock stuff, but have heard mixed reviews on it. It's better to learn to just stay downwind from game, IMO.

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Jimmy gives good advice. For larger game you'd be hard pressed to go wrong with the .308 or .30-06. I shoot a bolt action Savage .30-06 myself, and I absolutely love the gun and can hit a quarter out to 200 yards with it. For the open country you will be hunting in KS a 3x9 or 4x9 scope is about all you'll need, like Jimmy says though, don't go cheap on the scope. The 12 guage you have will be sufficient for all the other game you listed you will just need different shot sizes for the different species of game you will be hunting. Jimmy listed those shot requirements and the need to be careful with lead vs. steel.

 

Need more info on the shotgun you are selling, but I would tend to sell in private. It never hurts to take it to a big name store and see what they would give you for it, but its most likely going to be quite a bit less than you'd get from a private sale of the item. There are a shiatt ton of sites such as this one that are related to hunting out there that also have classified sections for selling items or land that you could try.

 

As far as clothing goes it gets pretty pricey, you get what you pay for. I tend to buy the high end items and love the scent lok suits. I have a Savanna EXT warm weather suit for early bow season when it is still warm outside and a heavy scent lok suit for the cold hunting. You're going to need to invest in a good quality face mask for both turkey and deer (mesh style for turkey), as well as different styles of gloves for these two animals. You're going to need a hunter orange vest and hat for whitetail firearm season. A good backpack is a must. Now onto boots, I have always and always will wear rubber boots. With 360 acres I have multiple creeks and rough terrain to navigate and they do well with scent control.

 

Hunting is an expensive industry. In case you didn't know more money is spent and generated on a yearly basis than any other "sport" including football, baseball etc. Hunting is a serious passion for me and I am heavily involved in wildlife management on my property. I have recently applied to be on a pro staff and I am excited for my two boys who are starting to really get into it with my dad and I.

 

Turkey:

 

Shotgun

Good quality camo with a spring pattern

Boots

Camo mesh facemask and gloves

2-3 hen decoys

1 jake or tom decoy

Ground Blind (optional)

box, slate and mouth reed calls

backpack

etc

 

Whitetails:

 

Rifle or bow with accessories

Good quality camo with fall pattern

Boots

gloves

facemask

treestand or ground blind

backpack

calls, scents

etc

 

Contrary to popular belief deer are not color blind, they see blues and yellows while we see red, greens and blues. They have better vision when it comes to movement than we do though. They have what equates to a mirror in their eyes that blinds them in direct light. They also do not have superior hearing than we do, its just that they can cup their ears and move them to zone in on areas making them enhance a particular area so to speak. I am starting to get off topic so I better stop, but as you can tell there is alot more to hunting than a gun and clothes. Hopefully you're hunting buddies or relatives are willing to teach you and help you succeed and not shun you or putting you in the least desirable spot. I take friends and try to get as many people I know involved in hunting. It gives me greater pleasure to see someone else succeed than it actually does for myself. I've taken nearly 20 turkeys and 75 whitetails in my life so far and there is always something new to learn. Be a game manager and not a selective hunter. Aim to control the herd and population harvesting does and only mature bucks at LEAST 3.5 years old or older. A good hunter knows how to age a live animal. I am sure I am missing a ton of things here on these lists, but these are good starting points. I have hunted quail, geese and ducks too, but I mainly focus on the other two listed above. You're always welcome to PM me with any questions.

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Just to add to what Jimy is saying (I think the .308/30-06 is a good place to start, ballistically speaking. .270 Winchester and 7mm Remington Magnum are also good choices)

 

one rifle will really not do what you are saying.

 

JMO....

 

Buy the rifle Jimmy is recommending, or something similar. Bolt action is going to give you your best accuracy, and the mechanism is very simple to deal with.

 

Keep the shotgun. For fowl it is what you want to use.

 

Buy a rifle in .22LR in addition to the other rifle. It will make a fine varminter for things smaller than coyote (racoon, rabbit, etc.), AND if you want to practice shooting it will pay for itself in no time. Ammo for a .22LR is less han 1/10 most centerfire rifle ammo.

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Pretty much what Jimmy said. Go with a bolt action. I favor the .30-06 over the .308, but both are great all around rounds. Don't go cheap on optics, you will regret it. Boots are very important and I'm a big fan of Rocky boots, as the last 4 pair of hunting boots I've owned have been Rocky. I'm not that sold on scents or scent blockers. You can usually get camo at the end of season fairly cheap. What type of scatter gun are you getting rid of?

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Lots of good advice in this thread.

 

I used bolt-action .308's from the time I was 12 until switching 100% to muzzle loading a few years back. It is a great caliber, and mine accounted for inumerable antelope and deer and my fair share of elk. Your 12 gauge should cover turkeys, waterfowl, and upland birds, especially if it has interchangeable chokes. The suggestion to get a .22 for small game is a good one. They are fun to shoot, and a used .22 in good shape can be bought at any pawn shop dirt cheap.

 

Clothes, boots, and other equipment are pretty much a personal choice affected a lot by the terrain you will be hunting. My highest priority is typically my boots, and I don't skimp in that area. I usually wear uninsulated Danner Pronghorns during the early seasons and switch to my Schnee's packs went the tempurature drops and the snow mounts.

 

If you ever have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.

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All the above advice is spot-on. I must second the suggestion to get a second arm in .22LR or .17HMR. Honestly, I might recommend a .22LR pistol with a good "red-dot" sight on it if your eyes are good. I have an old Ruger MkII that I hunt small game regularly with and I'm fine out to 100 yards, and a .22 isn't good for much past that anyway.

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Most of my fellow hunters here will disagree with my assessements on guns for your neds but there are some snobs here. I will give you the list of the best guns for the money on the market today.

 

Mossberg atr with scope in .308 from walmart is 275. It is an incredibly accurate and low maintenenace gun and .308 is the perfrct caliber for anything short of grizzly. Any centerfire rifle is going to be too destructive for small game. Basically you can't have anything something that will effectively kill deer that wont ruin squirrel/rabbit.

 

Marlin 22lr automatic is about 140 at wallymart. It is a great gun and will fill the gap for small game.

 

Dont get rid of your shotgun. If it is a 12 gauge it will cover your needs on turkey and birds dependng on the choke.

 

If you want to spend an additional 250 buy a mossberg 835 12 gauge shotgun. It is the best shotgun ever made for the money. I routinely stomp on $3k berettas dove hunting.

 

There ar emore op[inions on guns than fantasy football. What I have given you is exactly what I would buy if I were in your shoes.

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Most of my fellow hunters here will disagree with my assessements on guns for your neds but there are some snobs here. I will give you the list of the best guns for the money on the market today.

 

Mossberg atr with scope in .308 from walmart is 275. It is an incredibly accurate and low maintenenace gun and .308 is the perfrct caliber for anything short of grizzly. Any centerfire rifle is going to be too destructive for small game. Basically you can't have anything something that will effectively kill deer that wont ruin squirrel/rabbit.

 

Marlin 22lr automatic is about 140 at wallymart. It is a great gun and will fill the gap for small game.

 

Dont get rid of your shotgun. If it is a 12 gauge it will cover your needs on turkey and birds dependng on the choke.

 

If you want to spend an additional 250 buy a mossberg 835 12 gauge shotgun. It is the best shotgun ever made for the money. I routinely stomp on $3k berettas dove hunting.

 

There ar emore op[inions on guns than fantasy football. What I have given you is exactly what I would buy if I were in your shoes.

 

I would recommend the Savage rifle over the Mossberg, but otherwise Polkies firearms recommendations are good, serviceable tools. The Mossy shotguns just won't quit. There's nothing refined about them, but they just flat work.

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Pansies. You have everything you'll ever need without buying anything. Your two bare hands to choke the life out of the creature, your legs and stamina to catch the beast and your insatiable desire to hunt him down. You may pick up a sharp, pointy stick from the ground as a last resort.

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Pansies. You have everything you'll ever need without buying anything. Your two bare hands to choke the life out of the creature, your legs and stamina to catch the beast and your insatiable desire to hunt him down. You may pick up a sharp, pointy stick from the ground as a last resort.

 

Don't forget, you can make a gun out of bamboo, saltpeter, charcoal and big-ass diamond. At least that's the way REAL men do it. :wacko:

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the resident investment expert getting ready for anarchy........ :wacko:

 

Naw ... I take a dump every morning when I wake up. Several mornings, I see several deer (some days, as many as nine).

 

So, I was thinking about pinching a loaf while squeezing off a round into Bambi. Pretty efficient use of my time.

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Naw ... I take a dump every morning when I wake up. Several mornings, I see several deer (some days, as many as nine).

 

So, I was thinking about pinching a loaf while squeezing off a round into Bambi. Pretty efficient use of my time.

 

Nice.

 

I did once drop a pheasant while I was peeing. :wacko: My dog took a loooooong time to work out a trail and flushed a rooster mid-stream. Thankfully I had been paying attention and had my shotgun in my right hand and my johnson in the left. I'd have never hit it left handed. :D

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Selling your shotgun to a gun store is usually akin to trading in a car - you get ripped off. IMO, sell it yourself through a local paper or e-classified. If you want to tell me what kind of shotgun it is, I can help you with a value.

 

This is the shotgun I'm thinking of selling or trading. ... thanks for any input on selling / trading this one ...

 

This is the shotgun I'm definately keeping.

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For one general hunting rifle, I'd go with a Remington bolt gun in .308 Winchester or .30-06 Springfield. Both of these have the power you're looking for, some flexibility because of the ammo offerings available and are very common so obtaining ammo should be easier.

 

From what I've been able to find on the internet, the .308 is a slightly smaller bullet (therefore, less 'punch') but it more accurate. Is that a fair statement? Also, from the sounds of things, because I'm not planning on doing any moose hunting (pretty much deer and smaller) a .308 should be sufficient.

 

Related to this, I'm guessing that a smaller bullett would be (generally) less expensive than it's larger bretheren, the .30-06, right?

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From what I've been able to find on the internet, the .308 is a slightly smaller bullet (therefore, less 'punch') but it more accurate. Is that a fair statement? Also, from the sounds of things, because I'm not planning on doing any moose hunting (pretty much deer and smaller) a .308 should be sufficient.

 

Related to this, I'm guessing that a smaller bullett would be (generally) less expensive than it's larger brethren, the .30-06, right?

 

a bullet is a projectile and a cartridge is all of the components which propel as well as the bullet itself.

 

Cartridge size is barely correlated to cost. The main factor in cost is popularity. The 30-06 and .308 are among the most popular calibres on the planet. While the -06 has slightly more power (+-5%) it has a lot more recoil (20-30%) more. Recoil is a large facotr in accuracy and since bullet placement is by far the most important factor in killing the 308 is considered my most to be equally deadly as an -06 while being a lot more fun to shoot. This argument is mostly acedemic as both perform equally on everything up to grizzly where the -06 takes a clear advantage. Do not underestimate the 308's power. I have shoot close to a dozen deer with it and only one made it out of his tracks. He made it less than 10 feet. I wouldn't hesitate to take a mosse with it at under a quarter of a mile. It is an extreme little round.

 

Do some research on long range calibers and specifically google for deer calibers paying close attention to chuckhawks.com when it comes up.

 

I wouldn't get rid of the shiny gun, it is the perfect home defence weapon and it really cool looking.

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