Starting hunting

hey guys,
i am about to get my hunting license and then start hunting with some friends and family. my question is... what should i get as my first gun. i was thinking a shotgun for the versatility of what i will be able to hunt but my friend is really set on getting a rifle. what would be better for a starting hunter?

looking for fun but also sucess

 

get a 870 rem. pump combo with a slug barrel for deer...super reliable..just like a taco

 

i have a rosy or how ever you spell it. it has 3 interchangeable barrels . a 243, .22 and a 20G it’s a brake action. shot gun would be good. i got a .410 when i was 10 and pasted hunter safety. but it would not be good for long distance. like deer hunting. my first deer was about 65/70 yards away. slug wont go out that fare.

 

get you a 12 guage. good for turkey, duck, quail ect....also can be used for deer....id imagine if your gettin into hunting you know some people who already are...they may have a rifle you can borrow to use for deer... and eventually if the bug bites you get your own rifle or get real into it and get a bow

my first gun was a mossberg 535 ATS pump action 12 gauge.
then I got myself a Diamond Rock 2.0 Bow for deer season

 

Bow FTW! What will you be hunting?

 

or a muzzle loader. me and dad have one. just got them last year. i use that and my 243 for deer. dad has a 270 (thats a rifle for those that don’t know) i am wanting to get in to bow hunting.

 

I deer hunt with a Remington 7mm. It just depends on what you will be hunting. Deer you will need a rifle, small game like rabbit, squirrel you will want a shotgun.

 

Not True!


and a 7mm!!! DAMN

I like to keep SOME meat left on the damn deer

 

Depends on what your hunting, and does your state allow rifles, some don't. A nice 12 gauge can cover a lot of areas, deer, turkey, rabbit, squirrel, duck, dove etc. this with different chokes/shot size/slugs. I prefer a rifle for deer, but there are a lot of variables to consider.

 

Remington 870 is a great place to start. That's where I started.

People telling you to get a Bow when you're new to hunting are not very wise. It's difficult enough for some people to get close enough to use a rifle, let alone a bow.

 

I dont see anything telling him he should get a bow

 

NEvermind. I see now you were just responding to the dude above.

 

I love to hunt birds so I'll vote for a 12g pump or semi auto.

 

The only problem with semis for new hunters is they get to trigger happy and pull shots off too fast on flying birds. If they shoot and miss they feel that they just should keep pullin the trigger instead of recollecting and then pulling the trigger again. a pump makes them slow down (somewhat) ahah.

 

like everyone said, it depends what you are hunting and what the local laws and regs are. Im going to play devils advocate here to the overwhelming majority opinion that you need a pump 12. Its just something for you to think about. A pump 12 is an awesome all around gun. It will do most things good and a few thing great. However, there is a reason that nobody uses a shotgun for everything. There are better options in some cases. Small game such as squirrels for example. The 12 will work good, but not great. It will tear the meat up pretty good and makes the animal much more difficult to clean than a single 22 to the head or chest area. Also, I think using a shotgun on squirrel is too easy and takes a lot of fun out of it. A 12 will kill a deer very dead. Just as dead as a 50cal. Or just as dead as a .243. the 243 will allow you to reach out farther, be more accurate, and make more ethical kills IN GENERAL. If you see a deer 30-40 yards, then yeah a slug is fine. However, if you are like me, you cant stand to see a deer just out of range and the 243 will allow you to make those 200-300 yard shots. But with that range you need to practice practice practice. Get to know the rifle and its limitations and capabilities. Someone mentioned rabbit hunting as well. The 12 is excellent for rabbits, but most of the time you will never get a rabbit in the open unless you use dogs. Thats a whole new level of time,money, and dedication which you will have to decide later on down the road if you want to invest in that.

Like I said, just some thoughts to think about. the 12 will work for most everything but many things have better options. At some point you will want to buy new weapons and you will learn what you like and dont like. Good luck and be safe. Always use your head and please please please dont shoot anyone and give those anti-hunting nuts any more ammo to use against us lol.

 

Haha...well you're right, you don't just have to have a rifle. Thats just all I've ever used and that's all I've ever known. That's just how I was raised. There are plenty of types of weapons that you can hunt deer with. Depending on the area you are hunting affects your weapon.

And yeah 7mm...but I'm shooting shots over 100+ yards. It's really not that hard on the deer...concerning the meat that is it takes the deer down though.

 

Yeah a buddy of mine uses a 7mm..I saw the exit wound on a deer he took at like 80 yards...needless to say the deers shoulder was destroyed.

 

This.

I like how everyone just says "SHOTGUN"! and has no idea what the OP will even be hunting!


It all depends on the game you will be hunting, the laws in your area, distances you will be shooting.

What if the OP plans on hunting antelope on the plains in Montana or Idaho? wtf would he do with a shotgun in that situation?! haha

 

He lives in Maryland....