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Originally Posted by CalgaryDan
Hey everyone and thanks in advance for the advice and apologies for the long read.
I’ve been trying to get into hunting the last 5 years but getting married, moving a couple times and having a kid have all knocked it down the list. I’m hoping next year is the year and am already starting to plan things out for next fall. First step is getting a rifle!
Budget is on the smaller side, looking at around ~$1000 for gun and optics.
I want something that’s fairly versatile as deer, elk and moose are all on my wish list and at least for the first couple years I’ll likely only have the one rifle.
I’m a lefty (also left eye dominant) and my experience with firearms is restricted to a lot of .223 and 12 gauge shooting. I’m fairly small framed (5’10” - 160lb) and ideally would like a rifle on the lighter side.
I’ve had a recent shoulder injury and, while hopeful that everything will heal up as good as new, ideally the cartridge would be lighter on the recoil side.
I’ve done a bunch of reading on various calibers but would love some recommendations from people that actually hunt where I live!
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As others have said, it doesn't take a magnum or a bruiser of a round to kill an elk or a moose - don't fall into this trap. They're not wearing body armour, and thousands upon thousands of large ungulates have perished quickly and effectively with smaller calibers and lighter kicking rounds. You're gonna be better off hunting with a .243 you can shoot well than a .300 mag that you can't shoot very well.
I'd echo the suggestion of options such as the 7-08, .260, 6.5 Creedmoor, or .308. Ammo for these are available in many options and are not overly expensive.
Used might be the way to go for that budget, however if you're set on new, I love Tikkas, and if you're looking to keep it cheaper, I'd probably go with a Ruger American and either a Nikon, Bushnell, or Vortex up top. One of the best budget scopes I ever ran was a Bushnell Legend HD (although I believe they're discontinued now).