Hi everyone,

I do not want to start any flame I'm just curious what is your choice for hunting deers, hogs etc.?

I was recommended Weatherby Vanguard in 30-06 as a reliable budget rifle and scope at least 4-12x40mm. What is your opinion?

Sounds like a good recommendation. For the money, that's a heck of a rifle. .30-06 is a good all-around cartridge and can be bought almost anywhere.

There are a lot of good rifles and cartridges available for deer and hogs.

In my opinion, you should go to a bunch of gun stores, and handle as many rifles as you can to decide what you like.

Anything from .243 - 30-06 would suit your purpose very well.

Thanks! What do you guys use?

The Weatherby Vanguard in .30-06 is an excellent choice, and a decent 4-12x40mm scope is a reasonable selection. If you haven't shot big game rifles very much, a sporter .30-06 can kick a little more than some find comfortable. It's nothing that experience won't cure, and a .30-06 is always an excellent choice, but there are lower recoil options. I agree with the others that there are many good rifles available. My only suggestion is that you buy something that shoots fairly inexpensive ammunition, as you'll want to practice regularly, and it's hard to practice much if you're counting the cost of every shot.

In terms of budget rifles, many feel the Vanguard, the Tikka and the Savage rifles offer the most for the least, although the Ruger American is finding favor with some. I agree with the previous suggestion that you should handle as many rifles as possible, because they don't all feel the same, and the ergonomics is very important: a rifle that fits you well will be easier for you to shoot well.

In terms of caliber, the most common non-magnum big game cartridges for bolt action rifles are, in order of descending power and recoil, the .30-06, .308, .270 and .243. There are other excellent cartridges, that I've omitted, the superb .25-06 for one, but these are the most common.

If I were buying for a friend and I knew he was willing to practice, I would probably get either the Vanguard or the Tikka in .270 or .25-06. If I didn't think he would practice much, I'd probably recommend the .243, as it's got the lowest recoil and is easiest to shoot. The .308 will have the cheapest practice ammo, so that's something to consider.

A final thought: don't cheap out on the scope. As painful as it may be, you're almost always better off with a mediocre rifle and a good scope than the reverse.

Anyway, don't let Internet experts make your decision and don't believe too much of what the guy at the gun counter says. Handle real rifles, and don't get sold something that you don't want.

Extremely important^

+1 on what syncerus said! Almost any rifle shoots perfectly fine out of the box for deer/hog hunting. Pick what feels best for you. If finances are tight, the Ruger American or the newer Remington (forgot the model number) are less expensive, allowing you to put more into a scope, yet still shoot very well. Also agree 100% on the recoil.

I would look into a 308,7-08 way before a 3006

Why? And I'm a huge .308 and 7-08 fan.

Who ever you talked to gave you solid advice. Just make sure that 4x12x40 is a quality scope and you should be ready to roll for a long time to come.

For a big game rifle a .30/06 is a good choice

For a all purpose deer rifle, a .270,.280 or ,308 would get the nod for standard calibers

The rec is solid, but as a couple pointed out, if you aren't familiar with the recoil of a .30-06 or are already recoil-shy, that could be a less than perfect choice for you. A.243 is plenty for most of Texas but you might want something with more down-range punch, particularly if mule deer or other large critters might be in the menu. .260, 7mm-08, .308, 25-06, 6.5 Creedmoor, lots of good options out there.

A 30-06 is probably the best one-rifle selection for North America. As said before, buy a quality scope/Talley mounts and you will be set for just about anything you will hunt. Although I have others, my go to is a 25-06.

30-06 is a great round for North America game. My suggestion for rifle and caliber, for a beginner, would be the Savage Axis II in 308. They come as a package with a 3-9x40 scope for around $399

Recoil and shootability. 3006 May contend for best all around but in my opinion it is not the best for a new rig. I have one and it collects dust because it's far from fun to shoot. It is also the most thrown out caliber by the gun counter guy

^^Agreed^^

A new shooter is better served to start on a short action, to learn to shoot, and to learn to manage recoil. I love my 6.5 Creedmoor, but I also have lots of love for my 7mm-08. It splits the ballistics of a 6.5 and a .308 Winchester. Some good qualities from each side of it.

I give the rifle choice nod to the Tikka T-3. I have now built two custom, semi-custom, rifles from Tikkas. They just run extemely smooth, have good triggers from the factory, and will shoot as good or better than many other mass produced rifles. My love affair for non-ejecting Savages is pretty much over.

My main rifle is a Tikka T3 Lite in .308 with Leupold 4-12x40 scope.
My other rifle, which may soon become my main hunting rifle is a CZ527 in 7.62x39 with a Leupold 1-4x24 scope.

30-06 is a good choice. Not a huge fan of wby/howa, always thought the only reason to buy wby was to get a wby caliber.

If I was on a budget. I think the best deal out there is the Ruger American 6.5 Creedmoor. The gun shoots easy MOA, Hornady ammo is really accurate, put a good 600-800 scope on it BOOM !!!

ROCK ME

Lots of good advice here and I'll add another thought that, if you have friends that shoot, go with them and get behind several rifles and shoot them. This will give you an initial feel for the recoil you are comfortable with.

Lots of good advice here. If the OP is recoil sensitive and wants to punch a lot of paper and some coyotes when he isn't after deer, the 6.5 CM is a good option. If it's available in the Tikka T3 Lite, I'd go for that or the 260 or 7-08 in the stainless/synthetic with the 20 inch barrel. But...the 30-06 will sure do just fine, as will the 270. They just kick a little harder (at the shoulder and at the animal). And, it's hard to go wrong with the 25-06.

I took a look at a Tikka T3 (I can't remember if it was the Lite or not). It was just too cheap looking for me to want to own. The Vanguard, OTOH, is a quality-looking piece.

I damaged my stock on my main rifle a couple of years ago and bought a savage setup with a Nikon 3-9 for an upcoming hunt. I got mine in 30-06. Accutrigger plus a good recoil pad minimizes felt recoil I think. It was about 500 at Academy. Happy with it. But there are several good rifles out there in the same price range.

Thanks y'all. I have shot the 30-06 and yes, it has a kick, but nothing crazy.. Anyway I really appreciate you advises! For sure I will not make any decision before handling the rifle myself! I have a time so I will try as much as I can, but it is always nice to hear opinion of a more people.

Can you elaborate difference between 30-06 and 25-06? Is there significant difference in performance and kick? I checked the price and 30-06 seems to be significantly cheaper.

From my experience with hand guns the ammunition price is what makes the different. If you have twice cheaper gun but 10% more expensive ammo, you have more expensive set up.

The .25-06 in the same weight rifle will definitely kick less than a .30-06.

All the .30-06 based cartridges (.25-06, .270, .280, .338-06, and .35 Whelen) are more than enough for Texas whitetails. The .270 is the most popular of these, and maybe the most popular whitetail cartridge in Texas.

My 6 3/4 Browning X-bolt in .25-06 has almost identical recoil as my 7 1/4 pound Vanguard .270, so remember rifle WEIGHT is an important statistic and a little weight difference can make a noticeable difference in perceived recoil.