Author Topic: Gun dilema Please attempt to help!!! (Read 1774 times)

howie1968 · « **on:** February 12, 2004, 01:01:14 AM »

hey guys i am going through a small dilema, i know i know sounds crazy but the problem is trying to decide on what caliber to use. before i knew there was a a 45-70 or 30-06 or 270 i used a marlin open sighted 30-30 with factory reminton 170 gr core lokts and a 20 guage with standard slugs at that time i thought those would bring anything down in the world. i never had a gun that shot faster or hit harder until10 yrs ago. and the countless pigs deer that fell to these 2 guns is amazing io never had to put a second shot on them normally fell dead in there tracks they never knew i was around. now sometimes i think if i dont take the 45-70 i wont make it out alive or if i dont take the 270 i cant get close enough i can honestly say when using those other to guns i was a much better hunter. i never worried about velocity energy or penetration an old time told me once that if i put it in the vitals it will die. my solution was to put all the calibers i own into a hat and draw 3 out of 3 i drew a NEF 223. when i bought this gun i got a steal on it and was the only gun i possesed i killed 4 hogs with it this summmer. it was not ideal but at the time it worked. then i got the 45-70 and wow that was impressive the only thing to take a step or 2 was a spike buck every hog shot so far has dropped all complete penetrations except one large barr hog. but when sighting in the other day it is zeroed at 100 i shot at 150 and found it was dropping 4 inches my old scoped 30-30 shoots flatter. i have a remintgon 710 270 that shoots sub 1 inch groups at a 100 yards that i hunted some sheep with and it hits hard with 150 gr bullets and fairly flat out to 200 which the limit on my capabilities as a shooter. i generally hunt the thick woods and bottoms on the 1 lease and open oat patchesn and oak flats on one lease i want to use 1 fire arm for 1 yr for everyhting except sqirrels and rabbits please let me herer your advice and resoning thanks in advance

Bushnell Boy · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2004, 09:26:36 AM »

I looked at a bunch of ballistics on different 45-70 ammo and all of them dropped at least 4 inches at 150 yards. If you don't hand load you might try to find somebody who does and maybe they can fix you up with a hotter load. If you can't find anyone Hornady will custom load ammo for you but its pretty expensive.

GBO MGMT · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2004, 10:44:52 AM »

The .45-70 is one wicked deer and hog killer. But being realistic it really is a 150 yard hunting gun. Ask no more of it and it will do you just fine. Try to push it further and you are going to be disappointed.

The .270 Win. is like wise one fine deer and hog killer. Using a properly constructed bullet placed correctly there isn't a hog or deer in the US it will not take cleanly. It is mild on recoil and very accurate. An excellent choice.

BUT given you live in TX and hunt hogs year round and might run into the big ones from time to time what would I chose? A .30-06 using premium 180 grain bullets like the Nosler PT. Matter of fact I very often do when hunting hogs. Killed my last one with just that combination. R700 LSS Mtn. Rifle and handloads using 180 Nosler PT.

There is nothing wrong with staying with your .270 Win. I'd use 150 Nosler PTs if it was me in it and not worry about distance or game. Just put that PT in the boiler room and the game will be yours.

GB

howie1968 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2004, 10:51:51 AM »

i believe you are right, considering the recoil the range at which i am likely to shoot how does the 150 core lokt compare to the partition? never shot a partition out of the 270 but have the 243. once agasin thanks for your help

Lawdog · « **Reply #4 on:** February 12, 2004, 01:30:20 PM »

howie1968,

The Core Lokt doesn't come close to Partitions in performance. I have seen many a Core Lokt fragment on hitting a rib where a Partition still punches through. Partitions are the bench mark that all other bullets are measured to. Lawdog

Fla Brian · « **Reply #5 on:** March 03, 2004, 09:35:30 AM »

If you want high performance .45-70s, and you don't handload, check out:

http://www.buffalobore.com/

http://www.corbon.com/

http://www.garrettcartridges.com/

There's nothing like a stout .45-70 for dropping Mr. Nastypig.

Wishunt.com · « **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2004, 09:47:45 AM »

Howie,

You need to get yourself an Encore! Get three barrels for it and then you will be able to hunt everything on the planet. And you might even make it out alive!

Seriously, a majority of hunters feel that the 270 is the most versitile gun in the world. It brings home the bacon time after time. For you the 270 would be the best choice.

You can pick up a box of ammo anywhere in the US. Factory loads are very good. The 270 can be hand-loaded to fantastic proformance.

But why only shoot one gun? Isn't that the joy of having a few extra guns? I take three guns deer hunting with me.

Encore M-Loader 209x50
OLD Winchester 680 243win
Rem 700 300win mag

Have a great season!

Ken in SENM · « **Reply #7 on:** March 12, 2004, 09:34:16 AM »

Howie,

It sure sounds to me like you were a lot better off before you got "educated". Back when you thought you were perfectly well off with your 30-30, seems like life was pretty good. My dad spent his whole life with three guns. He had a shotgun, a rifle, and a .22LR. He just grinned every time I showed up to hunt with him and I had something different. If he was ever handicapped, I sure never saw it!!

Yes, if you limit yourself to one gun, there will be some compromises. There are always specialty tools that can be pretty neat. But some of us like the owning of the tools, and some of us like to use just a few and get really good with them. All that stuff we see in the store in the bait and tackle section is designed to catch fishermen. What it takes to catch fish sure wouldn't take up near as much space in the store!!!!!

You say you hunt in woods country, where visibility is limited and long shots are few and far between? I don't see where you have really improved on your old thirty for what you say you are looking for. I like firearms, and I have owned a pile of them. Of all those that I still have, there are only a couple or three that I regularly use, a shotgun, a rifle, and a rimfire.

Every bullet drops some, so if you shoot that same bullet in that same gun all the time, and if you shoot it at all the different distances that are available to you (out to the reasonable limit of distance that the cartridge and your own ability dictate), you should be able to cause whatever you shoot to lay down pretty quickly. There is no more devastating combination than an adequately sized bullet fired at a sensible speed by a feller who has absolute confidence that the bullet is gonna hit where it will do the most damage. The only other element necessary is for that feller to be hunter enough to get within that reasonable distance we talked about earlier.

Sounds to me like you have all the necessary stuff available to you. All you need to do is quit worrying about what you need and realize that you already have it, both between your ears and in your hands!! Go hunting, my friend ...... and don't let the rest of us give you any shine about how nuthin' you own measures up!! Wish I could be there to go huntin' with you!!!!

So long.... Pudge

howie1968 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 12, 2004, 09:43:00 AM »

and that is what i am goijg to do my f riend on our lease is coming up this weekend depending on rain and we will hunt sunday night together i have some holes baited up with sweet feed and believe it or not the hogs bypass the corn to get to the sweet feed i will use my 45-70 i lost a big boar the other day with my 270 i rushed the shot took a bad angle. ive leaned from my mistake i will do my best to let a pig walk rather than put another bad shot on himk. you are right before i became educated i thought my old marlin 30-30 was the greatest shot thie biggest pig i have killed with it shoulder shot dropped in his tracks but the gun is now gone and i am left with my NEF 45-70 and remington 710 270 wich is a great shooter thanks for the advice

Ken in SENM · « **Reply #9 on:** March 12, 2004, 10:52:30 AM »

Howie,

If you can hit a lick with that 45-70, it ought to do a very good job. Some folks shoot with their eyes closed if the rifle bites on both ends. I doubt if you do that. That big ole bullet does not have to be travelling at warp speed to knock down a hog! Good bullets that hold together well on tough targets and that are travelling along somewhere less than a ton of feet per second are mighty good stoppers.

Like you, I have taken some shots that I wished later I had passed up. As I get older, I try to learn from my mistakes and not make 'em again. Hope you have a really good weekend hunt. Sounds like fun.

That 45-70 is a good caliber. You know, you can send in your frame and get a 30-30 barrel for it? I like lever guns, Marlins specifically. I am kinda shopping around for a good used 444. For some reason or other, that caliber appeals to me. It oughta make things tough for a hog if I can shoot it a lick. Gonna sell some stuff later this spring at a show, and maybe I can find one there. But I have some NEF single shots too. I like them very much, and am thinking strongly of getting a 30-30 barrel for one of my NEF frames. But I need to thin out my cabinet, not get more!!

Good talking to ya. Let us know if you connect with a hawg this weekend.

howie1968 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 12, 2004, 11:14:04 AM »

my hunting friend andrew bought a guide gun has ghost rings and a ler scope awesome gun and shoots into an inch at 100 my favorite load is winchester 300 gr hollow points i know they were designed for deer but man they have dropped every hog right in the tracks send me a pm and ill send a pic of a big hog i hit square in the shoulder with one it broke the bone and penetrated to the off shoulder one day ill have a guide gun but for now my NEF will work just fine i wish i had a 35 whelen NEF i bet with 250 gr it would hammer them but i have complete confidence in that beat up NEF

Mad Dog · « **Reply #11 on:** March 15, 2004, 02:52:57 AM »

Howie, why don't ya just sight the gun in to print 2" high at 100 yds. This should extend your range a little farther, then just limit your shots to 150 yds. or under, hold "on hair", and let the hogs have it. :lol:

Mad Dog

howie1968 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 15, 2004, 03:19:21 AM »

I think that is what i will do most of my stand locations are within 40 yards of the feeders i am going to do some shooting today and see how that does ill keep you posted. what part od indiana are you from? i used to live around Walkerton and i assume there is a huntable population of pigs there as i knew some farmers as a young boy that let there pigs run wild i rmember seeing some tusked pigs when i was about 10 yrs old there is a small town called LaPaz and that is where i seen the pigs the farmers name was Bob Dolph

Mad Dog · « **Reply #13 on:** March 15, 2004, 03:43:00 AM »

Howie, I'm about 65 miles south of Walkerton. There are a few feral hogs in Indian, but not many, and all of them are on private ground for the most part. There aren't any in my home county, but we do have some fine whitetails. previous to this year[although I had my chance in Nov. '03], I got 2 bucks, 2 yrs. in a row, 1 8pt./221 field dressed, 1 11 pt./195 field dressed, both bucks scored in the low 140's. Shot them both on the same property about 100 yds. apart, on the same ground I have hunted for yrs. Did my first hog hunt in Texas, with a friend this last Feb. We had a ball, weather was nice, ranch was great, and so was the owner, and his foreman. We were just a little disappointed in the size, and number of hogs seen in the 4 day hunt, but in fairness to the rancher, the moon was out full and bright, and we usually quit hunting at nite by 9 pm. This won't be my last hunt to TX., in fact I am looking for a different ranch, as we speak. The hunt we were on, was about 28 miles NE of Del Rio. I am currently looking at some places in the Pearsal, Eagle Pass, Pleasanton area. You got any suggestions? The one sow I killed was at 110 yds. I shot her as she faced me, when she dropped her head. The bullet was the winchester nosler partition gold 300gr., out of my .45-70 guide gun. The bullet took out her lungs, went thru the diaphram, intestines, and out between her back two teets. Needless to say, I was impressed. I'm in contact with some other Tx. hunters, but If you know of a good place, let me know.

Mad Dog

howie1968 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 15, 2004, 05:10:51 AM »

yes i know of quite of a few great places to hunt hogs i live in deep east texas it has more hogs then people lol i know of several places that charge 50 per hog and we bait for them here is a number this is where i have killed many 409-283-3909 ask for Bill Tolar he is a rancher who also has exotics it is not high fenced and these pigs are free roaming but like i said we feed yr round and you can catch the pigs either on a creek i beited with sweet feed or at the feeders as it heats up the wallows are the best locations to hunt i know this land well and have all the key points on my GPS The guy is real simple we dont use 4 wheelers or dogs i have killed a pig almost every time i hunt there and i do some guide work for him nothijg big just as simple as putting a guy or gal in a feeder driving him or to and from i also have a couple of people i know but they6 are much more expensive he is the most resonable i have seen he just offers these hunts to help pay for feed most people charge per hog per over 100 lbs and if 200 and up 1.00 per pound over there are all size hogs and i c an send some pictures if you would like send me a your email and ill send ya some pics or ill call you or something

missed_shot · « **Reply #15 on:** March 15, 2004, 05:41:57 AM »

I hunt with 2 45/70 rifles. one has a peep and the other has a 1.-5x duplex scope. With the duplex you can use the cross hair for 100 yd shots and the thick post under the cross hair for 200 yd. shots . It should be right on or close enough depending on the load you are shooting. I love the 45/70 .

howie1968 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 15, 2004, 08:19:19 AM »

I love the 45-70 mine has killed deer bobcat squirell rabbits and hogs and suprisingly when hit the rabbit and squirrel in the front shoulders it made a nice neat .458 hole in them done actually less damage then a 22 stinger or a mag crazy huh?

Mad Dog · « **Reply #17 on:** March 15, 2004, 02:19:13 PM »

Howie, gonna get back to you in 2-3 days about your hunts in east Texas. I talked to my buddy, and we are REALLY interested. I got a bunch of work coming up the next 2-3 days, but will get back to you by the weekend.

Mad Dog

affordablehoghunts · « **Reply #18 on:** March 19, 2004, 02:32:39 PM »

I have taken big boars with every caliber you can imagine. From a 22. pistol to a 16 ga. slug. I have killed more with a 22 than any other gun. As with any hunting its shot placement. A knife is the quickest and surest way to take a hog but thats done with dogs

Perferator · « **Reply #19 on:** March 20, 2004, 03:31:27 AM »

Quote from: howie1968

I love the 45-70 mine has killed deer bobcat squirell rabbits and hogs and suprisingly when hit the rabbit and squirrel in the front shoulders it made a nice neat .458 hole in them done actually less damage then a 22 stinger or a mag crazy huh?

I heard tell that if you hit a squirrel with those lazy "cowboy action" type loads the squirrel will do a "Dr Strangelove". (remember the end of the movie with the fella riding the bomb??)

Hey, to keep on topic....I'd take my guide gun and not look back. If I had to go in the brush after a wounded boar that 45-70 and it's lightning quick action would feel alot better in hand than a bolt action deer rifle! And I love my .270...........

Perferator

cwilson97 · « **Reply #20 on:** May 30, 2004, 01:30:50 PM »

Quote from: GBO MGMT

The .45-70 is one wicked deer and hog killer. But being realistic it really is a 150 yard hunting gun. Ask no more of it and it will do you just fine. Try to push it further and you are going to be disappointed.

The .270 Win. is like wise one fine deer and hog killer. Using a properly constructed bullet placed correctly there isn't a hog or deer in the US it will not take cleanly. It is mild on recoil and very accurate. An excellent choice.

BUT given you live in TX and hunt hogs year round and might run into the big ones from time to time what would I chose? A .30-06 using premium 180 grain bullets like the Nosler PT. Matter of fact I very often do when hunting hogs. Killed my last one with just that combination. R700 LSS Mtn. Rifle and handloads using 180 Nosler PT.

There is nothing wrong with staying with your .270 Win. I'd use 150 Nosler PTs if it was me in it and not worry about distance or game. Just put that PT in the boiler room and the game will be yours.

GB

I plan on going on my first hog hunt soon, and also have a .270 Win. I was thinking about using either the 130 gr Barnes Triple-Shock X-Bullet or the 140 gr Trophy Boned Bear Claw for hogs.

Do you think the 150 gr Nosler PT would be the better choice?

Lawdog · « **Reply #21 on:** May 31, 2004, 11:03:22 AM »

cwilson97,

In the .270 Win. I would stick with either the 150 gr. Nosler Partition or the new 140 gr. TSX from Barnes. My luck with Trophy Boned Bear Claw bullets wasn't to good(accuracy wasn't up to that I could get from Nosler Partitions) so I quit using them. I loading 140 TSX's in my .270 WSM and will report on them soon. Good Luck and Good Hunting. Lawdog

cwilson97 · « **Reply #22 on:** May 31, 2004, 05:35:35 PM »

Quote from: Lawdog

cwilson97,

In the .270 Win. I would stick with either the 150 gr. Nosler Partition or the new 140 gr. TSX from Barnes. My luck with Trophy Boned Bear Claw bullets wasn't to good(accuracy wasn't up to that I could get from Nosler Partitions) so I quit using them. I loading 140 TSX's in my .270 WSM and will report on them soon. Good Luck and Good Hunting. Lawdog

Is the 140 TSX available in a factory load? Federal offer's the 130 gr TSX but not the 140gr. I used to handload years ago, but haven't done so for some time.

Lawdog · « **Reply #23 on:** June 01, 2004, 11:31:17 AM »

cwilson97,

You got me there. I have no idea as I reload. If they are not available now they should soon be. Check the ammo web sites and they will have the information. Small groups and tight lines to you. Lawdog

cwilson97 · « **Reply #24 on:** June 01, 2004, 01:02:44 PM »

Quote from: Lawdog

cwilson97,

You got me there. I have no idea as I reload. If they are not available now they should soon be. Check the ammo web sites and they will have the information. Small groups and tight lines to you. Lawdog

I just got an email from Ty Herring, Customer Service, Barnes Bullets Inc.
He states that Federal is only loading the 130 gr TSX at this time. That said, would you consider the 130 TSX to be sufficient for hogs?

Lawdog · « **Reply #25 on:** June 02, 2004, 09:43:58 AM »

cwilson97,

If you are going to use the 130 gr. TSX out of a .270 Win. just make sure you DON'T aim for the shoulder. Go for the heart/lung area and you will be fine. Lawdog

cwilson97 · « **Reply #26 on:** June 02, 2004, 11:31:20 AM »

Quote from: Lawdog

cwilson97,

If you are going to use the 130 gr. TSX out of a .270 Win. just make sure you DON'T aim for the shoulder. Go for the heart/lung area and you will be fine. Lawdog

Will do! Thanks for the advice. Maybe I'll have to dust off the ol' reloading gear and start cranking out handloads once again so I can have more options.

Lawdog · « **Reply #27 on:** June 03, 2004, 10:05:13 AM »

cwilson97,

Quote

Maybe I'll have to dust off the ol' reloading gear and start cranking out handloads once again so I can have more options.

Now you're talking. Lawdog