[Frank T]

I had an uncle pass away recently and he was an avid hunter and gun collector. Not so much old guns, but guns you would use for anything and everything from Elk and Bear to Skeet and plinking. He was always looking for something that would shoot better than what he had. Anyway, I know almost nothing about guns and only own two rifles (Gamo single shot pellet and a Semi auto 22 with a 10-shot clip). When I go hunting I usually borrow a gun from whoever Im going with, Im usually just walking and flushing stuff out for them anyway.

Id like to get a shotgun for small game (turkey, rabbits, squirrels, ground hogs…) and a rifle for whitetail deer hunting. I have about 75 acres of woods in PA I can hunt.
Im looking for something easy to shoot, easy to maintain, with ammo that’s easy to get.
My question is:
what should I look for in a beginner shotgun and deer rifle?
Brand? Gauge? Caliber? semi auto? single shot?
What guns do you guys have that you like? and don’t like?
When you buy a gun whats most important to you? Brand? Style? Looks?
Anyone have a go-to website they use for gun advice?

Thanks
Frank T

[Bob Dillon]

Can't go wrong with a Remington 870 (pump action) or 1100 (semi-auto) for a shotgun. 12 gauge is the most all-around useful, IMHO, or 20 gauge if you're recoil-sensitive.



As to a deer rifle, any of the popular bolt actions, Winchester, Remington, Savage, or like that. 30-06 is my go-to caliber, as everyone will have ammunition, along with a nice Leupold scope. I have the 3-9, but a 4 power works fine.



Have fun. Join the NRA and make sure to get a hunting license.

[indymanjoe]

Love my Remington 870's ! the combo 12gauge will get you 2 barrels one rifled for deer and the other for bird's. I use my 20 gauge for birds because its a little lighter to carry around all day. A gun is only as good as the trigger puller.
Practice with different store bought shells, they all shoot different. then you can find what load ya like and the one the gun likes also.
Be safe and have fun.

[tom s]

I like Bob used to shoot a 1100,they are not made anymore and the best auto on the market now IMO is the Beretta A400,soft shooting and will shoot all loads from 2 3/4 1 oz too 3 in 1 3/4.Removable chokes,avail in wood or synthetic stocks,the last shotgun you will ever need.Tom

[carbking]

Do a bit of homework:

Determine gauge (shotgun) and caliber (rifle) you think may be best for your needs.

For rifle I prefer 30-06.

For shotgun, recoil may/may not be important to you. If you plan to kill ground hogs with the shotgun, I would suggest a 12 gauge. They are REALLY difficult to kill.

Once you have this determined, go to a GOOD shop that has a wide selection of firearms. (In this area, Bass-Pro is THE shop).

Find a salesperson, and hold several different guns in a shooting position. Check how they feel against your shoulder, work the safety and see how it feels; in other words, find a weapon that fits YOU.

Personally, I like the recommendations above; all of my firearms are Remington.

Jon.

[The Champ]

For the limited hunting you do, a Remington 870 12 gauge with the standard barrel for birds and a slug barrel for deer would be all you need (as indymanjoe said).

A rifle is not needed to hunt deer if you're patient enough to let the deer come to you (range is an issue with a shotgun). I hunted for years in an area in Wisconsin (western bluff area on the Mississippi River) that was shotgun only, so I had to use my 870. I got at least one deer every year and got my trophy deer (13 pointer with triple brow tines) with that 870. Range was between 25 and 80 yards for all my deer. Most of them were down with 1 shot.

[61-63]

Shotgun get a model 1100 Remington 12 gauge. They are plentiful used and if something goes wrong, which is highly unlikely, any gun shop will have or can get the parts needed to fix it.

Rifle if you want to save money get a Ruger American in 30-06 or 308 if you don't mind a little kick or 243 or 6.5 Creedmore if you want mild recoil. You can spend a lot more for a rifle but the Ruger American, on sale right now for $279 at Cabelas, is as accurate as any of them. As someone said get a Leupold scope. 4-12 would be good IMO.

[The Champ]

A scope might be necessary for long distance shots in some parts of the country. I've never needed a scope to drop a deer in MN or WI.

Patience is a virtue - let the deer come to you.

[OCMDGTO]

You will get a million different answers based on preference. For shotguns I would definitely get a 12ga and Berretta is top notch like Tom said. Remington 1100s are 2 3/4 shells only I believe. I've been using Dad's old Remington 11-87(3") for almost 20 yrs and it is a great gun also. 870s are hard to top if you're on a budget. As for deer, check your hunting regs to see whats legal where you hunt. For example, Md is a mix of rifle and shotgun counties, Delaware is all shotgun no rifle but both states just recently made straight wall cartridges legal. I would get a bolt gun in a common caliber like .270 or 30-06. LOTS of manufactureres make affordable great shooting guns without breaking the bank. I personally love my Browning Abolt 300 short mag and wouldn't trade it for anything. As far as scopes I like Leupold 3x9 w duplex reticle or check out Nikons for a great bang for the buck scope.

[jjenkins]

Good advice so far, if you are looking for inexpensive but reliable shotgun the Remington 870 is a proven work horse. If you are looking for an automatic the Beretta A400 is an excellent choice.there are so many rifle choices it will make your head spin I have been shooting a Tika Whitetail Hunter in 308 for about 15 years and have killed a pile of deer and hogs with it.good luck with your search and I hope you find something that suits your needs.

[61-63]

Just got a BassPro/Cabelas fall hunting sales pamphlet in the mail. Lots of sale prices on both shotguns and rifles. I'm not much on shotguns but they have a Browning AB3 in five calibers with a Leupold Marksman 3-9x40 scope for $599.97 with rebate, Savage Apex Hunter with Vortex Crossfire 3-9x40 for $549.97, and Savage Axis XP with Weaver 3-9x40 for $249.97 with rebate. Plus many others. Cabelas' stores have something called Gun Libraries in them that have used high dollar custom guns if your taste runs that way.

[Bob Dillon]

Originally Posted by 61-63

Just got a BassPro/Cabelas fall hunting sales pamphlet in the mail.

I got one too, and attention: Frank T. The Ruger American rifle is on sale for $279.95. Fantastic price for an entry-level high-powered rifle! I might pick one up just for sh!ts and giggles.



Read the reviews online and on youtube-owners love them, and they are apparently quite accurate.

[cdrookie]

Right now ammo is extremely hard to find. Someone recently posted that Cabelas in Hamburg has hardly any. If you plan to do a lot of walking while hunting, an Ithaca Model 37 might interest you. They are light weight, reliable, easily available used, and relatively inexpensive. If you go the cheaper route with an Axis or American get the model with an accutrigger. I have a Ruger American Predator in .204, it's accurate, lightweight, functions fine, but doesn't have the solid feel of the older wood/blued guns. The Cabelas flyer I have doesn't have a Ruger Americal for $280, they start at $396, the 10/22 is $270. They have a Savage Axis XP in 350 Legend for $250 with a Weaver 3-9x40 scope, mounted and bore sighted. PA has tons of local gun shops, go see what they have in stock, new and used, how they feel, and if they are in your budget.,

[OCMDGTO]

I have a Ruger American Rancher(short barrel) in .450 Bushmaster to take advantage of the straight wall requirements in De. Great accuracy, great trigger, but the only things I don't like are the bolt doesn't lock shut when the safety is on and the safety makes a loud click when going from fire to safe. In other words the bolt can open while walking if you brush up against something. It's no Browning but it is a great bang for the buck.

[61-63]

Originally Posted by Bob Dillon

I got one too, and attention: Frank T. The Ruger American rifle is on sale for $279.95. Fantastic price for an entry-level high-powered rifle! I might pick one up just for sh!ts and giggles.



Read the reviews online and on youtube-owners love them, and they are apparently quite accurate.

I bought a Ruger American Preditor in 6.5 Creedmore about six months ago and it is MOA out of the box. It has a threaded barrel so I put a muzzle break on it just to see what it would be like and it just shoves on you a little. Some people gripe about the stocks on Ruger Americans but I have no problem with it. I don't know what they expect on a sub $300 rifle? Mine was $288 out the door and it came with the picatinny scope base.

[locomotivebreath]

I really enjoy ruger products and bought a left handed Hawkeye FTW in 6.5 creedmore . I’ve really came around to the 6.5 , it’s ballistics are amazing and I’m a big .308 guy . A friend hunts hogs with a 6.5 in an AR platform and it drops them . As said before , a Remington 870 is hard to beat , but I tend to prefer the mossburg 500/590 series - and only because I’m a left handed weirdo and the mossburg has a tang safety on top of the receiver . You don’t have to spend big coin for a tough field gun .

[GT182]

I had a 12 gauge 1100 Remington when I was up North in NY. Best shotgun I've ever used. To this day I kick myself for selling it before I moved to Delaware. If you decide to buy one check it over really good first. Down here I seen used ones going for triple what they sold for new.

BTW... is Remington still in business since they moved out of Ilion, NY. I was in Cabela's looking at shot guns the other day and didn't see any new Remington's on the display racks.

[tigergto]

Originally Posted by GT182

.

BTW... is Remington still in business since they moved out of Ilion, NY. I was in Cabela's looking at shot guns the other day and didn't see any new Remington's on the display racks.

Remington is still in business, and they’re still manufacturing guns in Ilion NY. The company has downsized its Ilion base, and I believe it’s only a matter of time before they leave Ilion altogether.

[tom s]

GT182,if you ever spent some time with a Beretta A400 you would throw the 1100 in the lake.JMO,Tom