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New ultimate hunting rifle for cheap.

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PNWguy
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Location: The Palouse
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New ultimate hunting rifle for cheap.

Post by PNWguy » Mon May 10, 2021 2:44 am

I hunt in the Northwest part of the US, so my needs and requirements for a rifle are vastly different than the needs of someone who hunts in the Midwestern or Southern US.

I have lived in the Midwest for a spell and hunted whitetail deer out there, so I know what it's like.

I loved hunting in Iowa! So many deer and giant bucks in gentle rolling hills and small stands of timber. As long as you knew a landowner,hunting was literally like taking a walk in the park compared to out here.

First of all, if we see more than a couple of deer in 16 hours of hard hunting and covering dozens of square miles of rough country, then it is a good day. We will hike 10 to 15 miles of steep and rough country that no hunter from Iowa can even comprehend in order to get a shot at a decent buck. If you Google the deer density numbers per state, you will see around 16 deer per square mile in the Midwest vs. 2 or 3 in Idaho, Montana, and Washington.

Secondly, we get one deer tag per season. Period. It's not like out East where you get 2, 4, or 6 tags to fill.

Thirdly, a rifle in .30-30 or a shotgun with slugs is considered a joke in my area. Deer can be from 15 yards away in heavy timber, to 600 yards away in a clear cut area across a valley. You need a rifle that can handle both scenarios. The .30-30 lever was popular because it worked well in heavy timber areas in the Midwest. Not so well out here.

This is where I hunted for deer and elk a couple of years ago in Idaho.
IMG_20191010_070153771.jpg
I could be in heavy timber with shots out to 40 yards, max. Then hike 100 yards and be out in a clear cut with elk, deer, bear, or wolves on the next ridge over 400 yards away. So the rifle I chose to be the jack of all trades is a Ruger American Predator in .308 with a 3 x 9 Nikon P-Tactical scope.

Got it in last week and have added a light and grippy sling, the Nikon scope, an Axis Mfg, muzzle brake, adjusted the trigger down to 3.5 lbs, and a camo job. Taking it out tomorrow to a range to see what it can do with my handloads.
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Last edited by PNWguy on Mon May 10, 2021 12:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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JEBar
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Re: New ultimate hunting rifle for cheap.

Post by JEBar » Mon May 10, 2021 8:24 am

understood .... the mountains east of Seattle are very similar to those in Western NC .... back in the late 60's to early 70's I was a member of a bear hunting club .... with very short to reasonably long shots being the order of the day, I ended up using a Browning BLR 308 .... it served well ... I miss that country but not the hiking through laurel thickets ;)
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BigAl52
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Re: New ultimate hunting rifle for cheap.

Post by BigAl52 » Mon May 10, 2021 10:17 am

Nothing wrong with a 308 or the Ruger. I have a Savage Bear Hunter in 338 that I use in the mountains of Colorado with the same kind of conditions
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PJM
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Re: New ultimate hunting rifle for cheap.

Post by PJM » Tue May 11, 2021 6:11 am

To each his/her own. I'm thinking those conditions are not for the geriatric set! Will stick to the lower "peaks" of the Northeast.
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MuddyWaters62
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Re: New ultimate hunting rifle for cheap.

Post by MuddyWaters62 » Tue May 11, 2021 3:28 pm

My Colorado elk hunting days are over. A bad knee and shoulder is keeping me from enjoying the high country up by Steamboat Springs (ele. 9000 ft.) and a bit lower over by Rifle (7000 ft.). I really enjoyed those hunts with my cousin and son.

Muddy Waters 67
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