What Should You Check Before Choosing a Firearm for Hunting

Animal and terrain are your two biggest considerations when selecting a firearm for hunting. you’ll also want to check all applicable regulations and laws regarding firearms for use in the hunting you’ll be doing.

Step 1: take a hunters safety class 

This is required by law unless you were born before 1968 I believe. You must show a hunter's safety card to buy licenses and tags, and in most states, hunting without the completion of a hunter's safety class is often a several hundred dollar fine. Aside from the fines, you should take it simply because you want to be as safe and responsible as possible as a new hunter, and it's on you to make sure you're competent with your weapon and know the 4 rules of firearms safety to be a safe hunter

Step 2: determine what game animal you would like to hunt.

For the sake of the argument, let's say you intend to hunt some form of 4 legged animals within the continental United States, like whitetail deer, Elk, bear, moose, and so on, Once you have decided what you intend to hunt, the next step applies

Step 3: reviewing the hunting laws in your area for any restrictions on type or caliber of weapons allowed.

​​Indiana has several distinct seasons of deer hunting based on what weapons are allowed; for example, there is an archery season. Up until a few years ago, no rifles except muzzleloaders could be used for hunting deer, although rifled barrel slug guns with rifle-style sights, as my trusty Ithaca Deerslayer 16 gauge, were and are allowed. Now, rifles chambering large-caliber cartridges only (firing at least .357” diameter projectiles) may be used during long gun seasons. Additionally, rifles chambering traditional handgun cartridges (at least .357 magnum) are allowed. There are limits as to the minimum and a maximum length of cartridge too, which cuts out big game magnum cartridges. Also, no full metal jacket cartridges if any caliber is allowed. Many of these restrictions and specifications are to help overall safety for all hunters in a given area, stop over penetration, reduce the range of any given firearm, etc.

Step 4: determine which cartridge to use and which load for that cartridge to use. 

You’ll need something that delivers enough energy to humanely kill the animal. once you have decided what you want to hunt, you need to decide which best suits your needs and desires as a hunter
That means you need to decide if you want to participate in your state's seasons for archery, muzzleloader, or rifle seasons where applicable. Let's say you decide you want to hunt with a rifle where it's legal to do so, Then that means it's time to go shopping and to the range, there are hundreds of bolt action hunting rifles to choose from.
You will also have to determine whether you'll be needing a scope, Lots of guns come sold in a scope package, but the scope is usually not that great. So upgrading the factory scope is usually a wise decision. To make this easy, let's say you're going to hunt whitetail deer, So you have your rifle which ranges between let's say 350 and 700 for a quality one unless you get a rebate or one on sale like savage often does.

Step 5: is going to be obtaining your licenses and animal tags.

In my state, the base license for residence is 11 dollars, and then 11 dollars extra for a deer tag

Again this price varies by state, but nonresident licenses are often over 100 dollars, so it's far cheaper to hunt in your own state.

For the firearm itself, the most important thing is making sure it's in a caliber to humanely kill whatever animal you are hunting quickly, for deer, the more common rifle calibers are 270 , 308, 30–06, 7mm, and 30–30

Make sure you're getting a weapon that is reliable, when hunting dangerous game, having an unreliable or cheap weapon could literally be life or death

Disclaimer

The products that are sold on kmwshiper.com are cleaning and safety devices and are NOT intended for any other use. As a solvent trap owner, you are solely responsible for what you do with your solvent trap. If you do decide to make any modifications that re-purpose the solvent trap into anything other than a cleaning, storage, & safety device, it is a strong recommendation you read and follow federal, state and local laws.