Fast Handling, Light Weight Medium Bore Brush Rifle

[Bart Solo]

This deer season I used my EMF Hartford Model 1892 (a Winchester 92 clone from Rossi) in 45 LC while hunting in the brush and heavy woods of central Missouri.  I liked the rifle a lot. It is much lighter than my Weatherby Vanguard in 30-06 which is great in a stand over a bean field, but not so much when stalking.   The older I get the more I dread tramping throught the woods with a heavy long barrelled bolt gun.  None of my shots are more than 75-100 yards anyway, but I do, however, miss a low power telescopic sight for low light conditions and to help counting the tines on buck antlers or estimating the length of spikes.   Here is my question, what is the best choice for a fast handling, light weight, scoped medium bore brush rifle?  A Malin lever gun? A Mossburg 30/30 levergun?  One of the super light weight bolt guns?  An autoloader?  Which one?

[ScoutMan]

Bart,

Before going any further check out the "lever scout mount" by XS sights and see if it will fit.. This mounts the scope forward of the action for top eject rifles. It will reqire an intermediate eye relief scope (9""). Such scopes are sold by Leupold or Burris. With either a heavy plex or post reticle it should be just the ticket and can be used on a rifle that you  are use to.

I'm having one installed on a top eject Win 94.

[SHOOTALL]

Winchester 94 in 30-30 or 7X30. Its what the gun was built for and the rest are copies . BTW word is they will be back in production soon.

[Drilling Man]

  I use the same rifle i use for everything else, as it's short enough to do just fine.  But, i do have a semi auto Ruger 44 mag. that makes a good second choise.

  DM

[Bigeasy]

Lots of choices, if you find the forward scout type mount uncomfortable.  How about a Remington pump in 35 Whelen, with the barrel cut to 20 inches, or a Marlin 1894 in .44 mag.  The old Ruger .44 mag Deer Stalker auto is a great, light weight rifle.  I own two, and rumors to the contrary, they are reliable when used with cartridges that stay within factory OAL.  A decent scope in the 1X4, 2X7 range would work well.  Maybe something with an illuminated recticle?

Larry

[drdougrx]

Always hada hanker'n for a Browning Lever Action LW takedown in 348 or 356 or whataever that 35-08 caliber is......

[nomosendero]

Lots of choices, if you find the forward scout type mount uncomfortable.  How about a Remington pump in 35 Whelen, with the barrel cut to 20 inches, or a Marlin 1894 in .44 mag.  The old Ruger .44 mag Deer Stalker auto is a great, light weight rifle.  I own two, and rumors to the contrary, they are reliable when used with cartridges that stay within factory OAL.  A decent scope in the 1X4, 2X7 range would work well.  Maybe something with an illuminated recticle?

Larry

Those are good rifle choices indeed! In fact, I had thought about buying a used 35Wh. pump & cutting the tube to 20" just as you stated.

Concerning the Scout concept, I tried that not long after Col. Cooper started promoting it. It is fast, but not my choice, if the sun is low & to your back, the glare can be a bit much for hunting.

[Lloyd Smale]

i own a bunch that would fit that catagory but imo the best i have is my win in 356. Its plenty powerful for anything up to elk. Its handy as i had the barrel cut to 18 inch and is flat enough shooting to take a deer out to 250 yards if needed. the marlin outfitter in 444 is another good one if you can find one.

[SHOOTALL]

After consideration of your ? maybe a flat top  AR mid length with a 16 in. bbl. would be best ! 6.8 SPC or 6.5 G. or 30 AR all would be nice choices . A nice reflex sight or such along with flip up iron sights .

[Harry Snippe]

Well I too was thinking about a bush gun myself .
First thought of buying a XS7 Marlin bolt on 308 and chopping the barrel to 18"
Then a Remington Pump carbine in '06 passed by my nose , and it followed me home . It is a lot faster to shoot reload , aim and shoot again then any lever .Sould  gone this years ago.

[bigswede]

I know a guy who has a 35 whelen in a model 700 remington with the barrel cut to 19" and a forward mounted 2.5x leupold scout scope.  With that short barrel it still shoots a 250 gr bullet at 2450 fps.  Its a pretty sweet set up.

[dgreen]

You might want to think about 35 Rem in either a Marlin or Remington.  With the 200 gr Rem core-loc it really hammers deer.  Recoil is fairly mild, and so is the noise.  I have a Marlin 336 in 35 Rem, and it does a real good job, out to about 200 yds or so.  Beyond that, I can't see good enough.  My 35 is the only one I have that has accounted for a "2 with 1", at about 100yds or so, it was a mature doe and fawn.

[Brithunter]

if length is the issue then have you considered a single shot like the Ruger No1?

Pumps and Autos tend to have long actions!

With the short action of the single shot you need not compromise of barrel length  .

Another option would be the carbines in bolt comfiguration and there are a number of those about.

[Bingo]

   I hunted with a guy yesterday that was carring a stainless Marlin lever in 30-30 with a scope on it. That thing weighed a ton. I carry a type 38 Arisaka in 260 Rem and it weighed a lot less than that Marlin and will shoot a lot further and more acurately. It has replaced my Rem. 700 because it is a lot lighter and a joy to carry. Only once have I needed a second shot on a deer. If you are the same, you may consider a NEF for a budget gun or Thompson Center. You can get them in anything 450 Marlin or 45/70 down to 207. You may consider looking at the NEF forum here and the classifieds. I am not sold on lever guns for the brush.
   There is another thing!!! This may ruffle a few feathers BUT! If I don't have a clear shot, I don't shoot! It is far better to let an animal run than to shoot into the brush, hoping that the bullet will not deflect to much and wounding him. A bullet hitting something WILL deflect. Therefore, in my opinion the calibre is not as important as the short light weight of the gun as you weave your way through the thick stuff. I personally like a short light Bolt.
   Take a look at a Rem. Model 7. Now there would be a light gun. If you like the 30 cal. you may be able to get it in .308 Win. For about the same money, you could build the gun of you choice like I did. The old Jap. guns are showing up on the market now and Timney is making a side safety trigger for them. Long action is the Type 99 (7.7) short action is the Type 38 (6.5) Just watch you don't get a last ditch gun. At the end of the war the guns were junk the early ones were the strongest actions ever built.

[Freezer]

  I think the key word here is light weight! I can relate to what this man is looking for. It's a deer gun so it doesn't have to be a thumper. He sounds like a casual shooter and not a hand loader so forget unusual cartridges. He'll want factory ammo from Wallie World or the local sporting goods store. He hasn't put a price on it but I don't think he wants to break the bank. So here are my choices.

1) Savage 99f in 308 with a 2x7 scope it will take him from 25 feet to 300yards.With a scope it will weight in at 6 lbs.

2) Browning Lever Rifle 308 with a 2x7 scope. Same as the Savage but it has a detachable mag. Disatavantage for me is the saddle stock dosen't function well with a scope.

3) Marlin Lever in 30-30. 200 yard gun with a low power scope. Tubular mag limits bullet selection. 30-30 cartridge limits the range and it will weigh about 7 to 71/2 lbs

4) Remington model 7 stainless in 308 with 2x7 scope. Light accurate bolt good for 300yards
















































    

[Dave in WV]

A used Rem 760 or 7600 and have the barrel cut.

[Freezer]

  Server problems, couldn't finish my post.  
Remington pumps and autos are accurate but long action and certianly not light.  Same is true for the Brownings. There are other short action bolts out there to consider but I have a custom Model Seven in 7tcu that I love. Single shots are nice but limit you in brush country. I'd consider a T/C Encore but not an NEF, they're too heavy unless you get a 243 superlite barrel and I don't like 243 for deer esp in the brush. 35 Remington is another cartridge to consider for the Marlin but it doesn't offer that much more than the 30-30. and 30-30 ammo is cheaper ad more plentifull. JMHO

[nomosendero]

"Light" is a relative term for sure. To me, a 35 Wh. pump with a barrel shorten to 20" is a light as I want. The
fact that the pump action is 3/4" longer thannit would be in short action & 1/4# heavier is not enough to be relevant.

[Freezer]

  My point was most long action bolts, pumps and auto weigh between 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 lbs.  The BLR, Savage 99f and Win 88 weigh about 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 lbs as does the Rem Model 7.  308 is as common a cartridge as you'll find.

[SHOOTALL]

I had a rem 7 in 708 . It was like hunting with a toy gun.

[Freezer]

  If you hunted the hills I do and had the bear and cougar I do you would apriciate a fast light gun with punch,  7-08 is a good cartridge just not one I want.  Its great for deer.  I had a BLR in 7-08 and sold it, I don't care so saddle stocks and scopes.

[SHOOTALL]

  If you hunted the hills I do and had the bear and cougar I do you would apriciate a fast light gun with punch,  7-08 is a good cartridge just not one I want.  Its great for deer.  I had a BLR in 7-08 and sold it, I don't care so saddle stocks and scopes.

Don't know your hills mine are called the Blue Ridge mts. when I hunt there. Often a good hand gun is nice for treed cats I have read. That said a good fitting rifle that has enough weight to be steady I find better than a batam wieght gun.

[TLARbb]

A used Rem 760 or 7600 and have the barrel cut.

This gets my vote too. - EJ

[zoner]

sounds like you need a Marlin 336C in 30-30 or 35 Remington with a 2X scope

[Freezer]

  Shootall, I hunt the Cascades, the average is 33 degrees angle with the ravines a lot steeper. I loved walking the Blue ridge when I was there. I carry a side arm (S&W Mountian Pistol) for cats and bear. That said the Browning, Savage 99f and Rem 7 are all light and stable.  Though none are comfortable on a bench I've never felt recoil when I shoot at game.  That said I'll shed every ounce I can. My son carries a Marlin Guide Gun in 450 Marlin.

[Flynmoose]

I had a Remington 760 in 30-06. I had the barrel shortened to 18 inches. It
was fast handling and accurate. I let a silver tounged devil talk me out of it,
still miss it!
FM

[Coyote Hunter]

Bart –

My ideal “brush gun” is one that is quick-handling. easy to get on target with, and packs the appropriate punch at the ranges I intend to shoot.  The ranges are often the bugaboo, as I tend to hunt areas where the ranges can run from a few yards to hundreds of yards as hunt through the day.  Also, since I usually hunt both deer and elk in the same season, the whump factor is higher than I might go with for only deer.  Low-power optics or highly visible irons for the sighting device.


Given the above, there are still plenty of good options.  My Marlins in  .30-30, .375 Win and .45-70 all work, although somewhat limiting on range.  In rifles I don’t have, I would consider the following:

Marlin levergun in .308 Marlin Express or .338 Marlin
Ruger Compact or Remington Model 7 in any of the following:  .260 Rem, 7mm-08, .308 Win
Ruger shorty (not sure the model)in  .300 RCM or .338 RCM

[WyoStillhunter]

Bart Solo,

Where in Mid-MO?  I was bred, born, raised, lived, drafted, and worked in Columbia until the 1970s.  Thne I was in Jeff City for 13 years until coming to Wyoming in 1991.  I hunted extensively in Boone, Randolph, Howard, Callaway and Cole counties over the years.

Here is my response to your original question:  Buy an older Marlin 336 (pre-crossbolt safety) in .35 Remington and mount a 2-7X33 Leupold or similar scope on it.  Try 200 gr factory RN ammo and the newer, LeverEvolution ammo from Hornady.  Whichever ammo it shoots best will do anything you need done for Missouri whitetails out to 200yds.

Best wishes.

[RKrodle]

The one I like and use is my Browning BLR, pistol grip, in 358 Winchester topped with a 2-7X33 scope. Light, fast, and plenty of power.

[hillbill]

there are tons of good brush rifles out there.all that have been mentioned are good to excellent.if you want a versatile rifle that can shoot from point blank to 250 yrds well and flat, id have to say it would be hard to beat a model 7 rem.or some of the rifles that are like it from win or ruger.the ruger international is also a nice one for the single shot crowd.id like to have one.