i have a ruger american predator in 308 that I use every year for deer. I run 175-grain Sierra in it and the rounds are sub-sonic. Out to 150 yards, they cleanly exit both sides of any double lung shot I have made. With a can, it is like shooting a 22lr

my other rifle is a husqvarna 6.5x55 swede m39.


I use the above rifle with a can also. It does everything I need out past 150 yards. max range on my property is about 197 yds.

So. Simple, both guns are about 300-600.

The ruger puts 5 shots of that subsonic in one ragged hole at 75yds.

I have been impressed with it.

The m39 has been the most fun shooting gun I have had in decades. It is light on recoil, fun to shoot, and suppresses like a dream.

Now as to what someone said about the most common way of hunting.

That is exactly it. I don't even change clothes. I stopped wearing camo nearly a decade ago. I simply sit still and wait. i don't fuck around with my phone, as they pick up on light.

This year I have taken my bag limit of 6 deer.

I have heard pretty good things about the Ruger American. However, whenever I go into local gun stores I almost always find quality used guns for maybe $100 more than a new Ruger American costs. Often, it even has a scope on it, or at least rings.

Hunting guns like this typically get carried and not shot and they're almost always in good shape even when they're 30 or 40 years old.

I really like Ruger rifles and the last two I bought, a 7x57 and a 257 Roberts, were under $600 and both came with a serviceable scope. In fact, the 257, I paid $525 for and it had a Weaver K12 that I sold for $150.

These rifles won't kill a deer any deader than an American, but they feel so much better in the hands to me.

^^^^^^^^^^^ I completely agree.

quote:

Originally posted by techguy:
Any opinions on the budget bolt action rifles made by Ruger, Savage, Thompson Center and Winchester?

Any of them will kill deer. Personally I prefer a a higher quality rifle, but I can't say that I ever killed a deer with a Sako, Tikka or Weatherby that I couldn't have made the same shot with a budget rifle.