For a deer rifle that does not cost a fortune, the Ruger American Gen II is hard to ignore. This one is chambered in.270 Winchester and finished in gun metal gray Cerakote, for around seven hundred sixty-three dollars.

The.270 has taken deer and elk for decades, and it shoots flatter than a.308 with moderate recoil. That suits Carolina hunting across fields, power-line cuts and open ridges. Ammunition is easy to find, and loads range from budget to premium hunting bullets.

Ruger designed the Gen II American with a user-adjustable trigger and a three-lug bolt that makes for a short lift. Cerakote stands up to wet weather and brush, and the gray finish is neutral in the field.

Put a scope on it and sight in at one hundred yards, then check your zero again at two hundred if you hunt open ground. A rifle like this makes a solid first big-game rifle or a spare truck gun. This rifle is new. It ships to a North Carolina FFL dealer of your choice for the background check and transfer.