Hunting in California

[mmonroe1050]

Hey All,

So I was just talking to a friend of mine that lives over in Pennsylvania, and he had mentioned that he's going on a hunting trip soon (Wild Boar). I was thinking that would be fun, and not too long ago actually had boar bacon which I enjoyed. I'm currently trying to pick out a good, reliable, accurate .308 rifle, as well as a good spot to go.

Questions are:

1) Any recommendations on a nice .308 rifle? Not looking to break the bank, so would like to keep it under $700.
2) Are there any good spots in Northern California to go boar hunting? Any tips / recommendations?

Thanks all!

 

[NTXBrauer]

There are a number of guns available in this caliber within your price range. A Winchester Model 100 in .308 would be my recommendation. Between $500-700, you should be able to find one with good optics. Keep in mind that you want to go with 165 grain ammo minimum for hunting hogs.

Sorry, I have no knowledge on where to hunt in Northern CA for hogs. If you are ever in TX, you can pretty much find them everywhere.

 

[processhead]

Don't rule out a good used rifle when planning your search.
A Remington Model 700 or Savage 110 bolt action are both good, reliable rifles, and are reasonably plentiful.

If you are hesitant about purchasing used, remember most firearms, when given minimal maintenance, outlast their owners.

 

[brewmcq]

I love my Remington.. It's a 1971 Model 742 semi-auto.. It came with Weaver mounts and a cheap K-Mart scope, which I replaced with a new Redfield scope (which are now made by Leupold, out of Leupold parts with Leupold's QA and warranty).

I'm not the greatest marksman in the world, but this rig has helped my grouping out immensely.

 

[blh3d]

+1 on the remington 700 but if you are dead set on a new rifle check into to ruger american rifle.

 

[processhead]

I had a Ruger M77 in .270 Win. for several years and it was one of the better bolt actions I have owned. Like most of the guns I ever sold or traded, I regret getting rid of it.

Is the American being priced as an entry level gun?

 

[ddnisley]

I had a very nice and accurate Thompson center venture in .308. Hated to sell it but needed money.

 

[blh3d]

I live in TN and around here you can get a new one for under 400 without a scope.

 

[Grizz]

I recommend nothing less than a 50 bmg for hunting boar. The remington 700's would be a good deal! Or a Savage!

 

[mmonroe1050]

Awesome - thank you all for the recommendations. I think I'll start looking into the 700s and Savages, as well as a couple of the others. I'll let you know what I end up with when I've had the chance to research a little more, and possibly get to test a couple of them out prior to buying.

Thanks again!

 

[podz]

My advice is to make sure your partner is carrying a 44 magnum in case you piss the boar off with your rifle.

 

[processhead]

My advice is to make sure your partner is carrying a 44 magnum in case you piss the boar off with your rifle.

Or vice-versa.

 

[mmonroe1050]

Yeah I would be going with a friend who has a .45, and I also own a .357 S+W Mag. If that thing comes squealin' our direction hopefully our close range is good enough! Anyone ever gotten in a situation where you had to use your sidearm?

The Remmington 700 looks like a pretty highly reviewed rifle. I want to read more about the Winchester 100 and Savage 110 too. Any scope/optics recommendations?

 

[brewmcq]

Redfield.

 

[NTXBrauer]

The Win 100 will give you the semi-auto action, without breaking the bank and moving up to an AR. If your are looking for a bolt action, I agree with others here that the Rem 700 is hard to beat. It really, depends on the environment in which you plan to hunt.

If you are sitting still in a stand, with plenty of time aim, think about it, and shoot, then I would lean towards a bolt action rifle. If you plan on hunting in the bush, and where a hog could charge you, the semi-auto action would come in handy.

For optics, I prefer Leupold. It depends on what you have to spend after the rifle purchase. My $.02.. Good Luck!

 

[mmonroe1050]

Very good points NTX - thank you for pointing that out. I'll check out the Leupold optics as well. If I have to wait and save up a little more for a more accurate / better scope, I'd prefer to do that rather than jump into it. Rather "do things right the first time" - especially on something like this!

Thanks all for the input and recommendations - I'll keep you posted!

 

[broadbill]

I love my Remington.. It's a 1971 Model 742 semi-auto.. It came with Weaver mounts and a cheap K-Mart scope, which I replaced with a new Redfield scope (which are now made by Leupold, out of Leupold parts with Leupold's QA and warranty).

I'm not the greatest marksman in the world, but this rig has helped my grouping out immensely.

Interesting you mention the 742. That was the first deer rifle I ever bought (got it when I was 15)...took me a summer of frustrated shooting to realize that you could only put three rounds at a time. More than that, the barrel got so hot it would begin to throw the bullet off big time.

I wonder if other people who owned this gun had the same issue.