Thoughts on Solokhin?

[smartbadger]

I've spent most of my time in game hunting Layton (with a few excursions to other parks) with the drilling rifle, a .22 handgun, and the .243, and found that load out to be... adequate.
Recently, however, I've moved over to Cuatro Colinas, and started using the Solokhin. I love the park, despite the current bugs (hope the new patch makes a big difference), and love the gun - but I'm finding it a bit on the weak side for larger Red Deer.
Is the Solokhin underpowered for Red Deer, or am I just going to have to get closer/better hits? I'm generally finding I can't get better than a single lung, and they run far too far for a quick kill. With only one ammo option for the Solokhin, do I need to be thinking about a better rifle? What do you use for Colinas?

[Azareus]

For Red Deers? Ohhhh I'd say you need a 7mm, those are big deers.

I usually use this as a good reference guide.
It's really good.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1826269211

Right now I'm going around (not in CC tho) with the M1 Garand from the Smoking Barrels pack and a .300, nothing usually survives for long.

EDIT: forgot to say that, yes, the Solokhin requires you to be "close" to the target, I'd say <100 meters

[Machin Shin]

Red Deer needs a good angled shoot over 100 meters. Bullets get Stuck easy on shoulder plates therfore shoot under 100 with good angle or aim for the heart or take a higher caliber.

But with good angled side shoot behind the shoulder plates its no problem with a solokhin or Märtensoon also until 150m( and Penetration Ammo), but the M1 and Eckers or 7mm are a bit easier to use.
My overall favorite Weapon for 4 to 8 is the Eckers 30.06 is a Laser also in 300 - 400 Range

[Dustbuhny]

I agree with Azareus. I used to use a 7mm for Red Deer, but lately I've been using 30.06 just because I find the 30.07 very versatile for the kind of hunting I do.

[McSqurl Nugget]

MN1890 used to be the go to rifle until Scoring 2.0 that killed it. It's pretty much useless now, unless you just want to use it for fun. the new M1 takes it place for everything over class 4, and class 2 and 3 are easily handled by the old .243.

All you need for CC now is the M1, the .223 (or 243) and .22.

[El Poto]

Unfortunately the Solokhin is in a weird place now after the patch that defined which classes are allowed per weapon/ammo type. It used to have value not only because it could replace 2 weapons (.243, .270) but also because it is great to snipe at fairly long distance. However, now for the bigger game the 30-06 and others do a better job, for the smaller species, the .243 is enough and it even covers foxes which you cannot ( or should not) hunt with the Solokhin.
I continue to carry it only for sentimental reasons but you could do without it and save backpack space.

[chryckis]

Considering that the Solokhin is 3-7 it should be a lot more effective against red deer, a class 6 animal than it is. A pattern I've noticed with all guns is that the closer to its upper limits you get the more important your shot placment becomes. For example, you can hunt red deer quite comfortably with the .243 if your aim is spot on. Considering that the Solokhin should be more powerful than the .243 it is unfortunate that it feels so similar to the .243 in power and the need to hit just right when hunting red deer..

[rristola]

I'm not good with these guns, so this is mainly guessing. But...

Could it be, that the feeling of Solokhin being less powerful rifle is caused by having only soft-point ammunition (penetration 15)?

So, if you use it from a long range (up to 150), you need to hit good to kill animal like Red Deer right away.

I have used Eckers .30-06. Same range (150), both soft-point and polymer-tip ammunitions, polymer-tip penetration is 38. Accuracy is worse than with Solokhin, but a good scope helps. One decent shot (into lungs) should be enough, but you just need to walk a little bit...

[smartbadger]

Originally posted by rristola:

I'm not good with these guns, so this is mainly guessing. But...

Could it be, that the feeling of Solokhin being less powerful rifle is caused by having only soft-point ammunition (penetration 15)?

So, if you use it from a long range (up to 150), you need to hit good to kill animal like Red Deer right away.

I have used Eckers .30-06. Same range (150), both soft-point and polymer-tip ammunitions, polymer-tip penetration is 38. Accuracy is worse than with Solokhin, but a good scope helps. One decent shot (into lungs) should be enough, but you just need to walk a little bit...

Having mainly used polymer ammo in other rifles when hunting larger game, I do think that this is a large part of the problem. I'm really not sure why there is only one ammo type for the Solokhin

I was really hoping to avoid having to carry 3 guns around for Colinas, but, judging from the responses here, it seems like that's what I'm going to have to do if I want to be able to reliably handle all the game at reasonable distances :/ Oh well.

[Rumpelcrutchskin]

.30-06 is much better rifle for Colinas.

[McSqurl Nugget]

Originally posted by rristola:

I'm not good with these guns, so this is mainly guessing. But...

Could it be, that the feeling of Solokhin being less powerful rifle is caused by having only soft-point ammunition (penetration 15)?

So, if you use it from a long range (up to 150), you need to hit good to kill animal like Red Deer right away.

I have used Eckers .30-06. Same range (150), both soft-point and polymer-tip ammunitions, polymer-tip penetration is 38. Accuracy is worse than with Solokhin, but a good scope helps. One decent shot (into lungs) should be enough, but you just need to walk a little bit...

no, used to be the MN1890 hit harder and killed better than other guns for the animals it gave 100% integrity on, from coyotes/Jackal up to Mule Deer or so, Red Deer it struggled with sometimes. It made everything from the .243 to the 7mm worthless, (7mm is still worthless, 30-06 is so much better). All you needed to carry was the 22 if the map had rabbits, .223 or .45 if you were in a map with Fox, MN1890, .30-06 and .300 or xbow w/600 gr bolts.

Then Scoring 2.0 came out and made the Solohkin obsolete. the only reason to use it would have been class 3 animals, the 30-06 covers 4-8, but then the .223 or .243 on most maps would be better as they cover 2-4 for the .223 or 2-6 for the .243.

My new loadouts for each map since Scoring 2.0 and now Weapon Pack 4

If the map has rabbits i'll add the .22 Pistol

.223
M1 (or .50 cal Minie Ball for fun)
.300

[eagle74]

The 7 mm is an excellent red deer rifle & will drop them quick, plus it is overkill on the class 4 deer & hogs.

Both the MN & the 270 are great calibers for the class 4 deer & hogs. I have not shot a lot of red deer w the MN, but the 270 gives me adequate performance on them. You will get a lot of single lung shots with it, & they will run a bit. But this does not matter as much as it used to as you only lose a bit of cash.

You should hunt with what you enjoy using the most.