The prim Pacific blacktail is almost unknown to most American hunters but, in Washington, Oregon, and northern California, they outnumber other deer by nearly two to one. Back in 1985 in Oregon alone, the blacktail population was more than 500,000 and the annual harvest ran around 50,000. That’s a lot of deer and it’s not surprising that my hunting pals on the West Coast get excited when the season draws near. The August blacktail opening in California reminds me of the “Glorious Twelfth” grouse opener in Scotland. I haven’t hunted blacktails enough to claim any special expertise, but, because I have bagged a few in California and Oregon and have talked with many successful blacktail hunters, I have a fair notion of what’s required in the way of rifles for sale.
Like other deer, blacktails have a tendency to shade up in cover during the middle of the day and to show themselves on grassy hillsides early and late. This is especially true during the early part of California’s season when midday temperatures often sizzle into the 90s. Hardy souls can get some short-range jumpshooting by busting through brushy valleys where blacktails hang out during midday, but the few times I’ve done it, l encountered more buzzworms (rattlers) than deer.
The most productive technique is to walk ridges, and glass valleys and slopes. Because the coastal hills tend to be quite steep, slopes and ridgelines are often only a few hundred yards apart. This provides shots at deer that are interesting and productive if the hunter has the right rifle. Most of the shots I’ve had at blacktails remind me of woodchuck hunting in the Tennessee hills where hunters belly-down with a flat-shooting rifle steadied over a solid rest. The key to a good blacktail rifle is accuracy, rather than fast handling, high velocity, and a heavy bullet.
Because blacktails don’t take a lot for killing, a .270 with 130-grain loads or a .30/06 with 150-grain represent the upper limit of the lethality you need. I like something lighter, such as the .257 Roberts or .25/06. These offer the most useful combinations of accuracy, flat trajectory, long-range punch, and mild recoil for blacktail hunting. The .243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, and .240 Weatherby are also good choices for recoil-conscious hunters and,
If you are just getting started into deer hunting, or if you’ve got a youngster that is ready for his own gun, deciding which type of rifle is best can be a bewildering project. Here are some ideas to think about that will help you in reaching your decision on what kind of rifle to buy.
If cost were no object, it would be easy to just go out and buy the latest and greatest offering the highest price sporting goods store you can find offers. For most of us, however, weighing the difference between getting the best starting rifle and keeping the cost reasonable makes your decision a little more difficult.
Many long time deer hunters think very highly of the Winchester Model 70. These rifles for sale have been made since 1936. Although the original Winchester Repeating Arms Company does not make the rifle today, they are still being produced. It is felt that the original quality and attention to detail that was put into the original Winchester models is still being carried forward today in the new rifles.
Another never ending debate is which caliber is best for a deer rifle. You won’t have any trouble finding old timers who will tell you the only thing to use is a 30-06. But the .270 caliber rifles probably are currently more common as a choice. Modern improvements in guns and ammo makes the .270 enough of a rifle for most situations.
The weight of the bullet you use also has a bearing on which caliber of rifle you use. If you will be shooting 150-160 grain bullets, the .270 is a good choice. If you feel you have to go to a heavier round, lean toward a 30-06 for bullet weights over 160 grains.
If you want to pay a little less than you might have to pay for a Winchester Model 70, consider some of the offerings from other companies. Remington offers wide range of rifles. One to consider would be the Model 7600. Marlin Firearms also makes a nice rifle in the Model XL70. Both of these are available in either .270 or 30-06 calibers.
Another option would be to go with something outside the traditional calibers. You can check out the Weatherby
When you are choosing a hunting rifle there are a whole array of different calibers to choose from and an inexperienced huntsman may be overwhelmed at the range of weapons available.
When talking about gun calibers in general the simplest way of understanding it is something as follows: The higher the caliber the greater the stopping power but the harder it is to control. So a high caliber weapon is need for larger animals but you will also feel more of a kick from the recoil of a higher caliber.
Remember also that the hole produced in the target will be larger for higher calibers and this is why the correct type of rifle most be chosen depending on the game you are going after.
Let’s say you wish to hunt wildfowl, rabbits, hares, foxes and maybe small deer. In this case a caliber of .22 is usually a good choice. Typically the loads (or bullets) for these weapons can be varied to provide more range and penetration. So for wildfowl a standard load is suitable but for foxes you may wish to use a heavier load. You may be familiar with the term magnum load which is usually more gunpowder packed into a longer shell casing for more penetration.
If you are intending to hunt larger deer then ideally you will want to choose a higher caliber rifle such as a .270, .303 or .308. Rifles for sale in these calibers will be more successful and clean at taking down larger beasts. Load sizes again can be obtained in varied sizes and if you are intending to hunt at the higher end of the food chain then this is a more suitable weapon to use.
Something to consider however when swapping loads, particularly on weapons with optical scopes is that you may need to recalibrate your sights if you change from one weapon load to another. Different loads produce different trajectory paths and you are likely to find that your accuracy has been lost over larger distances if this has not been reset.
If you are on a budget then wasting 5 to 10 rounds to reset your rifle scope may not be the most pleasant thing to do so you may wish to stick to a single load size and hunt accordingly.
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Choosing and setting up your deer rifle is one of the most important hunting decisions you can make. Picking a firearm that has the ballistics, style, action, sighting and size to match your hunting terrain and personal abilities is the key to completing your mission once a suitable prey in hunted and found. Your final success is dependent on having a deer hunting rifle that matches all these criteria.
The Importance of Where You Will Be Hunting
There are two predominant types of deer hunting environments; deep wood/ dense brush country and open range country. Some areas contain a mixture of both environments. Each environment requires different shooting styles and different rifle characteristics.
Deep Woods/Dense Brush Deer Hunting Rifles
Good woods and brush hunting rifles for sale should excel in short to medium range shooting. The average distance you will be shooting in this environment runs from twenty-five to two hundred yards. It is to your advantage that your deep woods deer hunting rifle be relatively light (less than nine pounds with the scope), and be relatively short in length with a barrel length of twenty two inches or shorter. Portability is important when moving in dense brush. Deer hunting rifles that offer the ability to reload quickly, such as automatics and lever actions are recommended in rough country deer hunting as quick follow shots are often required. Heavy bulleted cartridges to penetrate brush are required, I recommend.270 or larger caliber and at least a 120 grain bullet. Calibers/cartridges that travel at over 2200 feet per second are not recommended to minimize bullet deflection by the brush. Scopes of four power or variable scopes which go down to 3X are recommended, and if your hunting terrain only permits shots of fifty yards or less then you might prefer open sights. Experiment at the rifle range to see whether open sit shooting agrees with you.
Open Range Deer Hunting Rifles
Deer rifles that work well in open areas are optimized for longer range shooting, up to three hundred yards (or farther!). Rifle portability is of less importance than accuracy and velocity in long shot environments, rifles tend to be heavier and of longer barrel length than deep woods rifles. Flat shooting high velocity rifle calibers and cartridges are required here. Calibers in the 6MM (.243) caliber
Amateur hunters must give this subject a lot of thought because the hunting efficiency depends greatly on the used rifle. With other words, if hunters don’t own a suitable rifle for a particular type of hunting and to fit the hunting style, the results won’t show up very soon and in some cases, not at all.
The very first issue a future rifle owner must think about is the cartridge. Let’s take for example choosing a rifle for a deer hunt. Experts affirm that a 150 grain bullet is recommended for this type of hunting. To narrow the list, it is advisable to look for the most popular models, like the: .270 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester and others as well. What future rifle owners must know is that standard cartridges are uniquely named so the name of the cartridge indicates the dynamic and physical characteristics of the cartridge. Hunters mustn’t forget that in order to safely fire a cartridge, the rifle must accept that specific cartridge as it can’t fire other cartridges.
Next order of business, future rifle owners must think about the action. Basically, there are four types: bolt action, lever action, pump action and self-loading ( auto-loading / semi-automatic ) action. Single shot rifles for sale come in the following types: break-open, rolling block, falling block, trapdoor and others as well. Of all of the above mentioned, the bolt action retriever has the simplest design which allows rifles to be loaded with more than just one single cartridge. It is also easier to maintain and is more reliable in comparison with other action types.
Stock materials are in most cases made out of wood ( laminated or not ), fiberglass or plastic. The rifles that have a wood stock material are generally made out of walnut due to the fact that it is sturdy; feels good in the hunter’s hands and it is also aesthetically pleasing. From all common stock materials, the laminated wood is the strongest and the most durable available but they are a little bit heavier than others. More and more popular among hunters are the synthetic materials basically because they are less expensive and less affected by moisture in comparison with the walnut stocks.
The barrel length varies from 18 to 26
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