Best first rifle for hunting

[Slim]

I still don't understand how hp's are more "cheaply" made? All the components are basically the same, the tip of the bullet is just designed differently. How would that equate to being cheaply made?

I can't really speak to that aspect of the original comment about HPs. The ones I purchase for my handguns are by far more expensive than stadard military style ball ammo. I think Hydra-Shocks for my .45 ACP cost me about $22 for 20 rounds (it's been a while since I purchased any since I don't shoot those at the range, and thankfully, I haven't needed to use them for their intended purpose).

[sho220]

I can't really speak to that aspect of the original comment about HPs. The ones I purchase for my handguns are by far more expensive than stadard military style ball ammo. I think Hydra-Shocks for my .45 ACP cost me about $22 for 20 rounds (it's been a while since I purchased any since I don't shoot those at the range, and thankfully, I haven't needed to use them for their intended purpose).

They all seem to run about that price. I only shoot enough of them to make sure they feed reliably.

[ChrisS]

Remington 700

Which model and what caliber? I've been looking at them (since you suggested them) and even found a 7mm at a local store but I hear the recoil is really brutal.

[Rob]

remington 700 sps 30-06 Also I'm a bit bigger then the average guy so recoil has never really been a issue with any gun I fire.

[Mike41793]

You shoot alvin??? Evil! Lol

Alvin and his whole gang lol! I also do target practice with it, (on non living things of course haha).
I actually really enjoy shooting and think i would really enjoy hunting but no one in my family hunts . So the point of me getting a real gun right now would be kinda pointless haha. For now ill stick with the less dangerous pellet gun i guess

[Dracoluna]

Personally, I hunt with a Remington .223. It's light, no kick, and is one of the most accurate guns I've ever shot despite differences in distance. I've shot it at everything between 10 and 100 yards with the same result: a dead deer. My dad got it for me when I was younger because he thought it would be a better 'girls' gun and now my 6'10" brother argues with me every year on whether he gets to take it out when he goes because it will drop a deer just as fast as his and doesn't bruise his shoulder in the process. With the bullets we use, it does leave a decent sized exit wound but as long as you shoot where you're supposed to, all you lose is some rib meat.

[AK907]

Cheaply made? How so? Aren't they made pretty much the same, other than the tip? I've shot a lot of different hp handgun rounds and they perform pretty much the same as round point rounds other than some feed better than others. I'm talking about handgun rounds though, and not hunting rounds. Is there a difference?

Nope, not made the same at all. Different bullets are made for different applications. Bullets designed for hunting are VERY different than bullets used for target shooting. Basically hunting bullets are designed to have controlled expansion creating what they call a "mushroom" as well as holding together in one piece, thus they penetrate better and do not destroy a lot of meat. Examples of decent hunting bullets would be Barnes X bullets or Nosler Partitions. Other bullets are designed for simply for accuracy/ballistic efficiency and not durability and will simply fragment and not hold together if used for hunting big game. This fragmentation can cause a lot of blood shot meat, inadequate penetration and the risk of wounding an animal. An example of what I'm talking about would be Hornady HPBT bullets. Great for paper, crap for hunting. Also, a lot of bullets are actually designed to be fragile and fragment/expand quickly. And some bullets are just downright cheap and not good for much. As with anything, there are different types for different applications.

There should be a bit more in depth info about the differences if you visit these sites (among others).

www.barnesbullets.com
www.nosler.com
www.hornady.com

[AK907]

Which model and what caliber? I've been looking at them (since you suggested them) and even found a 7mm at a local store but I hear the recoil is really brutal.

What kind of 7mm are we talking about? 7mm-08 Rem? 7mm Rem Mag? 7mm STW? 7mm RUM? Etc...

There are a lot of different types of 7mm and they are not all created equal. If its something light like a 7mm-08 Rem (which is simply a .308 Win necked down to .284 cal), then recoil isn't bad and can be handled by most shooters and is actually a common round for women. Now if its a 7mm Remington Magnum (which is based off a shorted .300 Win Mag casing necked down to .284), then they have quite a thump, but shouldn't bother most adult men. I would consider them to be moderate. Similar to a .308/.30-06, maybe a little snappier. Now when you're getting into heavier 7mm's like the STW or RUM or any of the countless others, then you're looking at a pretty decent kick, but nothing horrible. It isn't an elephant gun! My wife is 5'3" and weighs 100 pounds soaking wet and she can handle my 7mm STW without a problem and I load some pretty hot loads for it. She might not enjoy putting 100 rounds through it at the range in a day, but she survives.

[Rob]

Different bullets are made for different applications.

Like our NATO rounds, you shoot a guy in the arm, those things have so much tumble they can come out of his foot. lol

[AK907]

Like our NATO rounds, you shoot a guy in the arm, those things have so much tumble they can come out of his foot. lol

Haha, exactly.

Also, if you're doing any hunting it is best to check your state regs as most (probably all for that matter) have restrictions on what kind of firearms can be used for different types of hunting. They will likely have restrictions such as calibers and bullet types. As far as I know you can't use FMJ (full metal jacket) bullets for hunting in any state.