Whitetail Deer Hunting Info >> Whitetail Deer Hunting Tips

Unfortunately there is no such thing as the ideal rifle as the hunting conditions differ from place to place and no rifle in the world is capable of being efficient in all hunting environments, that is why classifying the rifles by hunting conditions is the best way to find out what weapons are efficient in a certain terrain. Whitetail deer rifles are available in several styles: lever, autoloading, single shot, pump and bolt. The most successful ones ( in terms of sales ) are the bolt and the lever action.

The Winchester M 94 and the Marlin 336 are two of the most successful lever action rifles available on the market. Such rifles are made by Browning and Ruger. Firms like EMF, Rossi, Uberti and Navy Arms manufacture reproductions of the more popular models. The largest variety of rifles is in the bolt action compartment. Basically, all major American rifle manufacturers offer centerfire bolt action rifles, some examples would be: Remington, Winchester , Savage, Ruger and Browning. Some foreign manufacturers would be: Mauser, Beretta, Steyer-Mannlicher and Sako. When it comes down to cartridges, the top 6 in North America is: .30-06 Spfd., .270 Win., .30-30 Win., .308 Win., .243 Win., and 7mm Rem. Mag. It is important to mention that these cartridges are popular not only for deer hunts but also for other types of hunting as well.

As we have mentioned in the first paragraph, when choosing a rifle you should take into consideration the enviroment in which you will be conducting the hunts. For example, if you plan on hunting in the woods, lever action rifles should be used. Good examples would be the Winchester Model 94’s, Marlin Model 336’s, Savage Model 99’s and the Browning BLR. The most popular caliber in lever action rifles is the .30-30 Winchester, other less popular calibers would be: 243 Win., 6.5×55, .260 Rem., 7mm-08, .270 Win., .308, .30-06, .300 Savage, and .45-70. A strange aspect regarding cartridges is that the bursh ones like the .356 Winchester or the .35 Remington are less popular. The .338-57 O’Connor is having more success in comparison with the other two cartridges.

Many people who prefer hunting in the woods enjoy the idea of a fast second shot, that is why the lever action is so popular because it provides exactly what hunters want in combination with aestethic and traditional appeal. A very good example of this would the .30-30 ( expecially for young/inexperienced hunters ) because its recoil and muzzle blast are somewhat moderate and the killing power is quite impressive.

For this type of enviroment hunters should use one of the following rifles: . 243, .270 Win., .308 Win., and .30-06 Spfd in combination with calibers like the 7mm-08, .280 Rem. and the .303 British. For high intensity calibers, hunters use the bolt action rifles but it is not an exception to see a Browning or a Remington autoloader pump gun; and let’s not forget about the Remington Model 760/7600. A trend that is slowly but surely increasing is the usage of the 7mm and .300 Magnum; this trend is being promoted by young and/or inexperienced hunters.

For the non-magnum compartment, the short carbine length rifles are popular. The barrel lengths vary from 18 to 22 inches. Don’t forget about purchasing a lower power scope or prefferably a variable power scope. The best sellers would be the 3-9x scopes but you will do just fine with a 1-4x or 2-7x variable scope.

Another example of a hunting enviroment would be the open country where most deer hunts take place. In these surroundings, a rifle chambered for a flat shooting cartridge along with a medium to high variable scope is recommended. Strong single rifles like the Browning or Ruger can do the trick. The minimum barrel length recommended for whitetail deer hunts is 22, the more the better. The most popular scopes would be the 3-9x and 3.5-10x ones. For the cartridge aspect, some good examples would be: .243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, .243 WSSM, .240 Wby. Mag., .25 WSSM, .257 Roberts +P, .25-06 Remington, .257 Wby. Mag., 6.5×55, .260 Remington, 6.5mm Rem. Mag., .270 Winchester, .280 Remington, and 7mm-08 Remington.

Dual-purpose deer rifles have some fans among hunting enthusiasts who are conducting hunts in different enviroments. As we have mentioned before, the Winchester 94 along with a 1-4x scope is the ideal woods rifle but what can you do when you are not hunting in the woods? Don’t lose your hope as we offer a solution, if you set the scope to the minimum power you will do just fine. The most popular cartridges for dual-purpose deer rifles are the .270 and the .30-06. Some of the best dual-purpose rifles used for whitetail deer hunting are the Remington Model Seven and the Browning Lightning BLR along with a 2-7x variable power scope.

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Here is a short description for a few rifles used for whitetail deer hunts:

The gun itself is light, handy and has enough power to handle most game. It’s continued popularity attests the fact that it may be one of the ideal compromises. There are guns with larger magazines, but they tend to be expensive and not as quick and handy to fire; six rounds is enough for most purposes. There are more powerful rifles, but they tend to be heavy, slower to fire, and have magazines which hold only three or four rounds; the 30-30 is enough for most purposes. Indeed, the Model 94 does not particularly excel in any category, but it does so many things well enough that the gun is a natural. It also has a subjective quality, a feel, which can not be quantified.

Chambered for the 30/30 and, new for 2007, in 35 Rem., it features a 5-shot tubular magazine, 24″ stainless steel barrel, along with stainless steel receiver, trigger, trigger guard plate, magazine tube, loading gate, and lever. It has a pistol grip, swivel studs, Ballard-type rifling and a precision fluted bolt. It also features a solid top receiver with side-ejection, adjustable folding semi-buckhorn rear sight, a ramp front sight, and is tapped for scope mount.

The Model 760 had everything the post-war big-game hunter wanted and more. It offered plenty of firepower for fast shooting in tight places, it was relatively light, it was easily outfitted with a telescopic sight, it was chambered for some of the world’s most popular cartridges, it was durable, it was reliable, and it was weatherproof. Last but far from least in importance the Model 760 proved to be extremely accurate, mainly due to its front-locking bolt, rigid barrel to receiver attachment, and free-floating barrel. When Remington overhauled its Model 742 autoloader in 1980, the same was done to the Model 760; soon thereafter it became known as the Model 7600. By the time Remington ceased production of the Model 760 in 1980, an incredible 1,034,462 units had been built. Add to that the number of Model 7600s produced since then and it is easy to see how the world’s best-selling centerfire pump gun has most likely exceeded the 1.25-million mark.

Description:
Receiver - Aircraft-grade alloy • Blued finish • Drilled and tapped for scope mounts
Barrel - Blued finish • Crowned muzzle • Adjustable sights • Drilled and tapped for scout mount
Action - Lever action • Rotating bolt • Detachable box magazine
Stock - Gloss finish walnut • Checkered • Straight grip
Features - Recoil pad • Separates for storage or transportation • Optional scout-style scope mount • Scope not included

This was an improved design of the Model 1895. It was such a superior one that it was produced for the next 90-plus years with no major changes. Made in very many calibers, this levergun has remained popular with many hunters. Originally the Model 1899 (”Model 99″) was made with a rotary magazine. This was finally dropped in 1984. Production continued with the “clip magazine” which had been originally introduced in 1965, was dropped for awhile and then re-introduced in 1995. Calibers produced include (but are not limited to) .303 Savage, .30-30, .25-35, .32-40,  .38-55, .300 Savage, .22 High-Power, .250-3000, .308, .243, .358, .284, .250 Savage,  7mm-08, .375 and .410.