one of my neighbors knows I hunt elk, and occasionally a few deer, when I get the chance and he mentioned the fact that his sons looking to get his first deer/elk rifle , as he has several friends that live out in Wyoming that have invited him to go hunting next season.and ask me for some advice.
my first suggestion was to start exercising by running several miles a day on the local track, because once you get out into the higher elevations , having lived at sea level most of his life that lack of airs going to kick his butt!
then I suggested he look into getting a better job and start saving his cash because just the licenses and equipment , not even counting the rifle makes that first trip a bit expensive. now picking the best hunting rifle for someone else is similar in concept, and subject to the same basic flaws as trying to select a wife for someone else, your very likely to find the features they want and what you feel are important vary a great deal.
so I suggested he might want to arrange a few trips to the local range where I could allow the guys son to try a few rifles I have to get a better idea as to what he likes and wants in a hunting rifle.
personally I don,t think you can go wrong with a good 270 win or 30/06 and Ive always found the Remington 7600 and savage and Remington bolt actions a good basic hunting tool. but Id also still suggest he try several rifle to get a feel for what he likes.
I know from going thru this with my sons and my friends and the sons of my friends many times, that theres a vast difference in what different people find to be ideal.
my late elk hunting partner considered anything bigger than a BLR in caliber 358 win to be excessively powerful and not needed and he killed over a dozen elk on out 30 plus years of hunting elk in Colorado.
one other guy I hunt with has a 270 win that hes used for decades, his father uses a 257 roberts and thinks a 270 is to heavy, loud and kicks to much, and hes killed several elk so skill in placing shots obviously plays a huge part in what works.
Ive found a 340 wby and 375 H&H ideal, most people find the recoil excessive, but I like the results Ive gotten, and the way the rifles feel and they are very effective.
RELATED INFO
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my first suggestion was to start exercising by running several miles a day on the local track, because once you get out into the higher elevations , having lived at sea level most of his life that lack of airs going to kick his butt!
then I suggested he look into getting a better job and start saving his cash because just the licenses and equipment , not even counting the rifle makes that first trip a bit expensive. now picking the best hunting rifle for someone else is similar in concept, and subject to the same basic flaws as trying to select a wife for someone else, your very likely to find the features they want and what you feel are important vary a great deal.
so I suggested he might want to arrange a few trips to the local range where I could allow the guys son to try a few rifles I have to get a better idea as to what he likes and wants in a hunting rifle.
personally I don,t think you can go wrong with a good 270 win or 30/06 and Ive always found the Remington 7600 and savage and Remington bolt actions a good basic hunting tool. but Id also still suggest he try several rifle to get a feel for what he likes.
I know from going thru this with my sons and my friends and the sons of my friends many times, that theres a vast difference in what different people find to be ideal.
my late elk hunting partner considered anything bigger than a BLR in caliber 358 win to be excessively powerful and not needed and he killed over a dozen elk on out 30 plus years of hunting elk in Colorado.
one other guy I hunt with has a 270 win that hes used for decades, his father uses a 257 roberts and thinks a 270 is to heavy, loud and kicks to much, and hes killed several elk so skill in placing shots obviously plays a huge part in what works.
Ive found a 340 wby and 375 H&H ideal, most people find the recoil excessive, but I like the results Ive gotten, and the way the rifles feel and they are very effective.
RELATED INFO
viewtopic.php?f=92&t=6505
viewtopic.php?f=97&t=1095
viewtopic.php?f=92&t=3738
viewtopic.php?f=97&t=4560
viewtopic.php?f=97&t=7661
viewtopic.php?f=97&t=6671
viewtopic.php?f=92&t=1275