Get the Right Deer Hunting Rifle For Your Season
When you go hunting, there’s nothing more important than picking the right deer hunting rifle.
Make sure you choose one that will be compatible with what you’re trying to hunt, where you’re hunting, and what kind of hunter you are – the action, ballistics, and size are all important factors. Your ultimate success depends upon having a deer hunting rifle that fits 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. You need different rifles and styles of shooting for each kind of terrain.
Deer Hunting Rifles for Deep Woods or Dense Brush
Deer hunting rifles that work best in the woods are rifles made for medium or short range shooting. Most of the time, you’ll only be shooting from a distance of 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. Maneuverability is important when hunting in dense brush. You may also want to consider rifles that have automatic functions and are easy to reload. It’s fairly common, when deer hunting in rough country, that you end up needing to take multiple shots in quick succession in order to make your kill. I would recommend using heavy bullet cartridges, .270 caliber or greater, with at least a 120 grain bullet, in order to penetrate any brush that might be in the way of your intended target. Calibers or cartridges which exceed 2200 feet per second velocity are not suggested as bullet deflection by the brush must be at a minimum. If your hunting terrain only allows shots to be taken within 50 yards or less of the intended target, you may want to consider using an open sight. If not, I would recommend a scope with four power, or a variable scope that can get down to 3X. Practice at the rifle range to determine if you can become comfortable with open site shooting.
Deer Hunting Rifles for Open Range
The best deer hunting rifles for open areas are made for long range shooting, and most are best at shooting 300 yards or farther. In this situation, mobility is less important than being able to shoot accurately, and the ability to make long distance shots. That said, most open range deer hunting rifles are heavier than their deep woods counterparts, and have a longer barrel. In open range shooting, high velocity rifle calibers and cartridges are needed. Calibers in the 6MM (.243) range or higher will be satisfactory and bullets from 100 grain up will perform well. Generally, the larger the caliber is, the heavier the bullet will need to be for the best ballistic accuracy. Scopes with a 6 x 9 variable power are the minimum requirement for most shooters.
Find What You Want
As you select your deer hunting rifle, heed the advice you’ve just read where it talks about the environment in which you’re hunting; once you do that, figure out what other characteristics you need to fit your shooting style. How willing are you to lug around ten to twelve pounds long rifle across your hunting terrain.
Visit a nearby hunting rifle dealer and test out various models, kinds, and sizes from different makers of deer hunting rifles to see what feels good. Whenever you can ask a successful hunters what type of rifle they use and why. Ask friends to let you hold and handle their rifles if you are interested in their type of firearm, and ask them what they like and dislike about their rifle.
If you want to know about what deer hunting rifle to use, and what deer hunting tips can help you, check out Deer-HuntingTips.com/DeerHuntingRifle
And I also invite you to learn about deer calls and grunts here: Deer-HuntingTips.com/deer-grunts-and-calls.
To your Success!!!
John Eaglesmith
Deer-HuntingTips.com
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