How to Select the Right Deer Rifle

Whether your preview the traditional tried and true or are looking for something new and different, selecting the right rifle for your next trip to deer camp is an important part of the hunt.

Of course, a well-maintained rifle will last you a lifetime – several lifetimes, actually – but from time to time, we do find ourselves in the market for a new rifle.

“The first question you have to ask is what caliber you want,” said Ken Howard.

Howard knows a thing or two about hunting rifles. He’s the principal spokesman for Winchester, a company that has been making hunting rifles and shotguns since well before the West Was Won.

“There’s such a great variety of good, quality weapons available out there, it can be both fun but kind of a challenge to decide on which rifle you like best,” he said.

A favorite of Howard’s is Winchester’s relatively new 325 Winchester Short Magnum, or WSM. That gun, ideal for large game, recently was honored as a 2005 Editor’s Choice Award winner by On Target Magazine.

The 325 WSM is a good weapon for going after larger game, like elk or moose or more dangerous game, like bear. It probably packs a bit more of a kick than the average deer hunter would care for, but it is still a great weapon.

Howard said older, traditional choices in calibers, such as the .270 or the 30.06, are also enjoying a resurgence in popularity in recent years.

Hunters who want to get double-duty out of a rifle for use with whitetail and varmints or predators, such as coyotes, may want to consider a Winchester 25 Super Short, Howard said from Winchester’s East Alton, Ill. headquarters. The Super Short features a shorter barrel and a very mild kick.

So how do you start narrowing down your own choices at your local gun or hunting supply store?