First Hunting Rifle?

[glock56534]

I have decided to get a Savage 111 as my first hunting rifle, thanks to everyone here who gave me a ton of information about good, inexpensive rifles.

Now the question is whether I should get a .30-06?

I am 5'10' and weigh 150lbs, I don't want to be miserable every time I shoot the .30-06, develop a flinch, or not be able to absorb the recoil with my body while keeping on target.

Also, what are the advantages to using a stock with a thumb hole in it, as opposed to a standard stock? Should I go synthetic or wood?

I will be doing most of my hunting in Northern Michigan, but plan to move to Colorado in a year, so I will be hunting elk too.

 

[erict]

I grew up in da U.P. eh . Lots of great whitetail hunting up there. I started shooting a .30-06, 7mm mag, and 300 Savage when I was 10-12 years old up there.

I don't think the .30-06 would be too uncomfortable as a hunting rifle at all (that's what I use now). A box of ammo should get you sighted in and then how often will you shoot it if it's designation is for deer/elk hunting only?

 

[Mr White]

A .30-06 will be a good caliber for Northern Michigan deer, elk, muleys, sheep, goats and anything else you might find in Colorado.

Buy a limbsaver buttpad and wear a sweatshirt and you'll be fine.

 

[Legionnaire]

.30-06 is a fine deer round, and it will do well for elk. There are lots of different factory loads for the .30-06, so you should be good to go for any North American game with it. Its recoil can be pretty stout, but you'll not notice it when taking that single shot while hunting. At the range, wear thick clothing and/or install a recoil pad (Pachmayr deccelerator, Limbsaver, etc.). And double up your hearing protection: plugs and muffs. But unless you shoot a LOT (and/or from prone), recoil shouldn't be a problem, even at the range.

Stocks. I see no advantage to a thumbhole stock on a hunting rifle. They are nice for shooting from prone, but I wouldn't bother. Wood or synthetic? The synthetics tend to be a bit lighter, so if weight matters, go that route. Some would say that wood can warp and throw off the point of impact relative to point of aim. I have never experienced that to any significant extent. Other than that, whichever you like the look of better. I personally think a nice walnut stock is a thing of beauty, and my .30-06 Remington 700 is wood. But my Model Seven in .308 that I use as a hiking/woods gun is in an H.S. Precision synthetic. It's very light and as a consequence kicks pretty hard, but I've never noticed the recoil while hunting.

 

[BobMcG]

The .30-06 is a fine choice and you'll find the recoil quite manageable with 150 gr bullets. This will handle most of the game you plan on taking. You can always step up to 165s or 180s if the need arises but by then you'll be more accustomed to the caliber anyways.

Wood or synthetic is up to your personal tastes mostly. A synthetic will take a lot more use without showing damage of course. A nice wood stock can be a thing of beauty though. I use both types and go into the field with the material most fitting for the weather. If the air is dry and the woods are too I'll go with wood. If it's snowing or if the trees are ladened with a fresh snow I go out with a stainless and synthetic firearm. A nice laminate is a good choice too for a bad weather rifle. Gives you a bit of both worlds.

I prefer a non-thumb-hole stock for off-hand use in the woods.

 

[Smitty in CT]

The .30-06 is a good choice, but more than you need for whitetail, especially if you're recoil sensitive.

A .243 will be just as deadly for whitetail, the ammo choices are available that make the .243 a very "recoil friendly" rifle. Using 50g bullets with the new "managed recoil" loads, makes the recoil tolerable for a full day at the range. When you go out hunting you can get move up to a 120g bullet weight...with a nice buck in the crosshairs, you wouldn't feel the kick of a mule...

Smitty

 

[CajunTim]

I have never felt recoil when shooting a deer. Your adrenaline is pumping eveything is moving in slow motion until BOOM and if needed you watch in which direction they run. That said go with the 30-06 I use a .308 personaly.

 

[jpwilly]

30-06 or 308 are going to recoil a bit in a light rifle like the Savage 111. If you plan to shoot at the range get a slip on recoil pad and or shooting pad and it will make the day go by just fine. Shooting from the bench is harder on you than standing. My 30-06 is a Mossberg ATR:

 

[nitesite]

A .30-06 is an excellent hunting rifle if you get one in a 22" or 24" barrel. If you shoot it at game, you only shoot once (maybe twice) so recoil is not really an issue.

Be forewarned that shooting at a range off a bench or prone, then the recoil could become a problem after just a few rounds. Leaning forward into a .30-06 is almost like leaning into a benched 12-ga slug gun. Ouch!

But from a standing position, or off shooting sticks, or seated upright it's much more comfortable since your torso can move with the rifle so the recoil isn't as jarring.

Do some research into a .270 Winchester or even better a .280 Remington. The .280 is awesome!

 

[woof]

I suggested the .260 Rem in the other thread. It will do everything the .30-06 will do with much less recoil and in a short action. One more point - some people develop flinch from recoil and some don't. It has nothing to do with size or manliness, it's just a psychological thing. I think you should buy the rifle suitable for your Michigan deer and worry about game out west later. It isn't like you will only have one rifle. Most people buy way too much gun.

 

[OAKVILLE SHOOTER]

Although I do not own one, if I was told that I could only have one centerfire rifle it would probably be a 30-06. With the large number of different bullet types and weights available, it is suitable for pretty much anything in North America.

As already mentioned, synthetic stocks tend to be more durable than wood and laminate is a good compromise. However, synthetic is also the lightest of the three, with laminate usually being heavier. Heavier stocks tend to "soak up" or "absorb" recoil better, making it easier on the shoulder.

 

[The Annoyed Man]

I am 5'10' and weigh 150lbs...

Here, you can have some of mine. I've got pounds to spare.

You know, as I recall, 5'10" was probably 2" or so taller than the national average for men during WW2, and I'll bet that a lot of those skinny kids drafted into the Army back then didn't weigh 150 lbs soaking wet... ...and most of them were issued Garands or Springfields in .30-06. Granted, those rifles were probably heavier than some modern rifles, but not all of them, and that weight helps to soak up recoil. But I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about it, or you might preload a little flinch into your shooting.

You'll be fine.

 

[kframe357]

Well speaking as a man in Northern Michigan, I would say that is an excellent rifle. But I would go with a .338 Win Mag since you said Elk.................... Oh, hey! I just so happen to have a Savage 111FXP3 .338 Win Mag in Northern Michigan for sale.