Looking for a good deer brush gun

[Hawken2222]

I was wanting to get some input on what would be good brush gun to purchase. I have been hunting with my 30 06for years and absolutely love it. I have taken a pile of deer with it. However this particular gun is more suited for the hunting I do out west, than the hunting I do here in GA. Also I am tired of beating, and scratching the gun up every year going throught the swamps and all of the brush. Also my shots here in Ga, are not long at all. Usually 50 yards max, sometimes even closer. So I am looking into getting a 30/30 or something similar. I have never owned a lever action, so I don't know how hard it would be to get used to. If anybody has an other gun or caliber recomendations please suggest what you would purchase. Any feed back would be greatly appreciatted. Thanks

 

[Doc_Holliday23]

all kinds of cool lever guns out there... Marlin 336, Winchester 94, Browning BLR, and Savage 99. I think I'd most like to have a Savage 99... don't really know why.

as for calibers... go big. 35 Remington, 35 Whelen, 444 Marlin, 45/70, etc.

however, don't fool yourself into thinking that any big, slow bullet will effectively shoot through brush. ALL bullets will be affected if they strike a limb in some way. Sometimes you might still kill the deer, but its not worth risking wounding an animal.

 

[whitworth]

Marlin -A great rifle

"Also I am tired of beating, and scratching the gun up every year going throught the swamps and all of the brush."

If one isn't stratching up a stock, he's not hunting very hard.

Furniture belongs in the house; a gun stock belongs on the hunt.

I'd recommend a Marlin lever action. You can use open sights or easily have it scoped.
I had the Marlin in .35 Remington out for a moving hunt in a swampy and plan to get out for one last hunt this year. No need for the 30/06 on these stop and go hunts in thick cover.

Like everything else, practice with your rifle of choice never hurt a hunter.

 

[BASS1FUN]

I Have A Marlin 444 For The Type Of Situation Your'e Talking About, And Shooting Leverevolution Out Of It. Love It.

 

[Doyle]

With Hornady's new pointed bullet in .44mag, the .44 carbines are now a legitimate 150yd killer. However, a good .44 Ruger autoloader or a Marlin lever action in .44 isn't going to be cheap.

 

[discounthunter]

if all your concerned with is scratches get a synthetic stock for your current rifle.

 

[7Mag Hunter]

44 Magnum, 35 Remington, and good ole 30-30 are hard to
beat....
I have a Ruger 44 carbine, and it is a joy to hunt with as far as
weight, and will put the smackdown on deer...

 

[Blue Iron]

Also consider the 358 Winchester, its a 308 necked up to .358.

 

[NOYDB]

Marlin 336 in .35 Rem like this.

 

[choctawlb]

Ruger .44 magnum Semi-auto, I 've got one my grandad gave me 25 years ago , and it's awesome up to 100 yards.
Ken

 

[Hawken2222]

Thanks for all of the advise guys. I will definatly be looking into a few of these different calibers.

 

[Rick Alexander]

throw me in with

the marlin lever croud in 35. Bought the gun for my son when he was younger and haven't had a minutes trouble with it. That 35 will put a deer down right.

 

[Allen Waters]

if you go with a lever action get the 35 marlin, or 44 mag, i wouldn't get a 30-30. remingtons model 742 in the carbine is a awesome compact semi-auto brush gun in 30-06.

 

[SWAMPFOX]

Depending on the distance, have you considered a 12 ga. shotgun with a rifled tube and a low power scope? As to action, I'd think a semi-auto would be good.

 

[rustvyper]

buy yourself a used Ruskie m44 mosin-nagant. cost you around ~$50. Ain't nothing that a 7.62x54r won't drop, 400lb hogs included. Plus you'll never care about how bad you bash it up b/c it already looks terrible!

 

[urbaneruralite]

You can't shoot through brush. You have to be able to shoot through the tiny holes in it. The flatter the trajectory the better!

The same rifle you have with a 20" or shorter barrel and low-power variable would be as good as most.

For a traditional lever, same deal except at least .35 caliber in the slower cartridges. For a more modern lever like an 88, 99 or BLR, slower .35 and up or just about any of the faster cartridges.

I'd go with a bolt or semi. Levers get heavy when you put scopes on them.

Have you seen the BAR Short Trac? Thats a real handy package and comes in .308 class cartridges.

 

[Doc_Holliday23]

btw... I love my Ruger Mini-30 for up close "brush hunting" situations. Its overall length is very short and the 125 gr. 7.62x39 will flat out put deer on the ground out to 150 yards or better.

 

[watashot89]

I have a Marlin 336 .35
great for shooting in the brush

 

[Booger]

For hunting thick stuff I love my Winchester 94 in .356 with a Williams receiver sight. I have never had a deer take a step after a hit with this. But the price's for the Big Bore have went sky high so I guess next would be a 30-30. The Marlin 35 is a great gun too I just like the Winchester rifles better myself.

 

[yellowhammer]

Brush gun

I agree with every reply on here;however,several years back,one of the popular outdoor mags did a study and article entitled"Brush gun myths busted".They did an extensive test, firing about 12 different calibers through Christmas trees.The calibers were .243 to .444.The best performer,hands down,was the.243.I hunted for 10 years with a .32 Win.Special,13 years with a .444,and 10 years with a .243.I hunt thickets most of the time.I now hunt with a 30-06 and .270.Ain`t seen any difference in any of these guns as far as shooting through brush.