Rifles for texas.

Which bolt? and Which lever?

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snakeman

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I want a good bolt action that is not expensive. The only ones I will choose are 7mm rem mag or 30/06. My choices are marlin xl7 and stevens 200. I also want a good lever gun that is reliable and accurate to 200 yards or farther. Place your votes and hit me with some info. My buddy is in the same boat but this will be his first mainstream deer rifle so any info you can give me will help him too. The lever is for typical deer hunting and the bolt is for long range. With the 308 me and the 338 me I can get the features of the lever and performance of a bolt.

Thanks yall!
 
I understand that both lever action rifles and M14s fit nicely in a scabbard when on horse back...
 
Do you really want to hunt deer with an AR?
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I would do it if it were legal here. It would be fun to try something new, but I would probably go back to my regular hunting rifles after a few times out.
 
No i don't believe in deer hunting with a .223 its not my style. I like a little more "bang!" for my buck lol. nothing smaller than 22-250 for me. I was just stating its good yote' protection. =]
 
Do you really want to hunt deer with an AR
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I do, why not? AR does not mean .223 only!


I have been hunting with my AR-10 in .308 for quite a few years now. The most perfect hunting rifle for Texas I have found. I can make well placed long range shots on game and I have a 20 round mag for when those pesky pigs decide to come out and play.

December102007buckpic2.jpg

The .50 beowulf is also a nice short range hunter.
Beowulfpignovember08pic1.jpg
 
Oh I know I had a 6.8 and it was a good rifle. If i could afford another one I might go that route but I have a pump 308 that shoots sub moa just want a good lever gun other than my 22 and have wanted one for years. and a good bolt action to customize. I also had a 30-06 and love the caliber and a 7mm rem mag that I took down a buck at 428yds with and could hit a gallon jug to 600 with so those are more along my lines now. Other than a 223 for almost all other ar rounds are perfectly suitable especially an ar-10.
 
I voted for the 30/30, just due to the avaibalilaty of ammo, and that it doesn't lose much (with leverevolution ammo)to the .308 M-E. And the Stevens is better (IMO) than the Marlin.


And in ARs, there is the 6mmBR (just shy of the .243), or the .458 socom.
 
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If you have your heart set on a lever gun I vote for the 45/70. I just picked up a Marlin 1895 that is just great.
 
Thanks guys will probably go with a stevens 7mm rem mag, load it with 120 grain nosler ballistic tips, plant a steel rod in the forearm for reinforcement, and paint the stock in camo first. Then go with a marlin 336w and hook it up with a ramline stock, leverevolution ammo, and truglo red dot (if the iron's don't fit the bill for me)! But please keep voting my mind can be changed. BTW this is for the 2009 season. I also have an sks and a swiss k31 on order if the k31 fits nicely for me I will most likely skip the bolt action.
 
the marlin xl 7 is highly underrated. Green Mountain bbl, excellent, solid made bolt assy., great trigger.
I also dig the 464, a winnie wannabe, smooth sided, sleek and light.
 
having held both, and shot both, the marlin is better than the stevens, and as much as I like the Stevens, the Marlin is just better.
 
270 or 308 Win is perfect for Texas...unless you're eye'in Aoudad you might want to think a little bigger, maybe 300 Win Mag.
 
The deer in Texas (weight wise) are not that big. 7mm mag and even the 30-06 are probably overkill. 243 or 270 would fit the bill nicely. Ammo available everywhere, easy on the shoulder and pretty flat shooting.
 
i like 7mm rem mag because i had one for a good while and could hit anything with it as far as i could see. I will load it with 120 grains so it will be less overkill and easier on the shoulder.
 
well they were shot clean through the vitals and the deer that we recovered had hardly any internal damage. Also the bullet didn't upset until it was on exit. The only other thing i could see is that I don't shoot through the shoulders and so the deer were too thin to cause those bullets to expand properly. I never had that problem with .308 30-06 7mm rem mag 243 8mm mauser or 22-250. 270 is the only caliber that has ever done me that way. I'm not saying its not a good caliber just that it wasn't right for me.
 
to be honest with you i lost three deer thanks to a 270
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Thanks to a .270, or thanks to a bad shot with a .270?
No offense, but i mean - when you see people taking deer with a .223 without problems - i find it hard to believe that a .270 isn't enough for deer-sized game. Especially when you see the number of elk taken with the same caliber.
 
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