deer hunting rifle,millitary style or civilian?

stan_b8

I am thinking about buying a military style rifle to deer hunt and would like some input on whether this is practical. Also which would be best buys in military and civilian types of rifles in the $450 to $1000 price range.

jonk

A military rifle would be practical in that most (if in good condition) are well made and accurate. On the other hand, do you feel like lugging a 10 lb monstrosity around all day? I'd go with a civilian rifle, though I prefer military for range shooting. If you do go with a military rifle, for that kind of money, you could get a very nice one. If you want open sights, honestly, you could pick up a surplus 8mm Yugo Mauser in unfired condition that will shoot a 2" group at 100 yards for under $100. It will surely fit your needs. A bit more expensive, a U.S. Springfield or M1 Garand would also both fit the bill. Or you might want to see if you could find a carbineof some sort, such as a 94 Swedish Mauser or Mannlicher Schoenauer which would be pricey, but accurate, and finely made. For optics, there are some surplus Soviet Mosin Nagant sniper rifles out there, many with original sniping scope. Ditto on Surplus Swedish Mauser sniper rifles. Going a bit more modern, the M14 and AR15 would both work, though a .223 might be a bit light for many deer. Don't discount the AKs and SKSs which aren't as accurate, but in close quarter situations would be fine. In short, the choices are endless. Most any surplus gun in good shape would make a good hunting gun, or a sporterizing project if you can undertake it. For that matter, a sporterized military gun which someone else has already done would be the best of both worlds. It's really your choice.

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Wenn alles richtig ist, dann stimmt 'was nicht. -Nena (When everything is going right, something is bound to be wrong.)

idsman75

Go with the M1 Garand. It's a tough rifle in a potent caliber (.30-06 Spr). Depending on where you live, an AR-15 or an SKS might not be legal to use for hunting purposes. The Garand is a tough S.O.B. that will be up for just about anything you put it through.

RSLINTII

Ruger Mini 30 was my choise. Can use large capasity magazines and semi automatic. It can use a scope,flash supressor and folding stock. Best of all when in original configuration it is PC (Political Correct).It is light enough to carry all day and in stainless/synthic stock can weather well. Good for 150 yards which is about maximum for me. Many more accessories which are interchangable with Mini 14. Made in U.S.A.! Price is affordable ($400-$500)! Best, Robert

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"Endurance"

Dragunov7.62x54R

What size deer? Large Northern, or small southern.What terrain? Thick Brush, Wide open spacesShot Ranges? Under 100yds, Over 100ydsWeather? HumidityYour eyesight? Type of hunting? From stand, or stalkingHow much walking and how much weight do you want to carry?Recoil you want? Look you want? Military, Euro, American, ect.Other purposes you might use gun for?Are you going to handload your own ammo?Do you have any particular cartridges you'd like to stick to?

bfair

All great questions Dragunov7.62x54R,I have add the western blacktail (Mulie).Little more punch need there. When I hunted them in AZ I had sportized 17 Enfield w/Bushnell 3x9.Carried 220 gr for heavy cover and 180 gr for more open areas. Used the same rifle for varmints with a homebrew 110 gr.If you go military the 30-06 is the most versatile cartridge ever invented. Even more so when you roll your own ammo.

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Home of the Blue Angels, P'colaSemper Paratus

v35

If you need to use a military rifle.look at some of the lighter, handier military rifleslike the Lee Enfield Jungle carbine, Spanish Mauser 95 carbine, Mannlicher Steyr straight pull carbine and the Mosin Nagant carbine.They're are all inexpensive and will do the job. You could also put together a 6 1/2lb,6mmx45, AR15 that'll hit a deer in the eye at a hundred yards.

harrybob66

I hunt with a flat top ar15.223 for arkansas whitetails ,this is plenty for small deer

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arkgnsmith

leeblackman

I'd check out the 6.5mm like the .260rem or 6.5x55swedMaybe a Swedish Mauser M38 Carbine, very accurate, 6.5x55. Its one hell of a cartridge. You can sporterize it or whatever.Or you might look into getting a Springfield Armory M1A National Match or Springfield Armory Scout Carbine, custom ordered in .260rem.

YankeeClipper

I collect millitary firearms and have a rule, they all have to make a kill befor they can retire.There are a lot of good calibers out there.I read an artical that clamed the 65x55 swedish was the most accurate rifle of the bolt action era. I made a good clean kill of an antilope at 400 yards; can't complain. Try using one, what do you have to loose.Then next year go get another one.

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Nevada

If you like fooling around with the military rifles than go for it. MY choice would be a Swedish mauser with the M38 my first choice.However if you just want to hunt deer with a user friendly firearm, then I would recomend a good Boltaction Remington 700 or Winchester M70 Classic. Also if the range is not over 150yds or so, there are several good leveraction choices available.The old army rifles are OK but you can run into several problems with them that may need attention before you are ready to hunt. Lots of them shoot high with the factory sights, some of them are not headspaced correctly due to mismatched bolts etc. Look close for cracked stocks, rought chambers, bad bores etc. There are some cream puffs out there also but I have had plenty of lemmons that did not work right for one reason or another.