Author Topic: Any preferences for a woods gun??? (Read 2103 times)

270hunter · « **on:** December 22, 2004, 04:19:29 PM »

I am looking to buy a deer hunting woods gun. what are some preferences you all have? And what are the bullets and grain bullet you like to use? Thanks.

-Frankie

Chuck White · « **Reply #1 on:** December 23, 2004, 04:15:21 AM »

Your namesake would be a good choice! The 270 with 130 grain spire points!

My personal 1st choice is my Remington M-7 in 7mm-08 with 140 grain spire points and my 2nd choice is my Remington M-700 in 7mm Rem Mag, with 150 grain Nosler partitions!

freddogs · « **Reply #2 on:** December 23, 2004, 06:24:50 AM »

My choice would be 30.06 with a bullet 150 grains and up.

rickyp · « **Reply #3 on:** December 23, 2004, 06:49:18 AM »

when you say a "woods gun"
do you meant hard woods that tend to be openor woods that are heavy loaded with under brush and small trees so thick you can not see much beyond 50 yards.

where you will be hunting what are the laws? this may be enough to determan what gun you should get.

I tend to hunt in very heavy cover where most of my shots are under 50 yards and where I hunt i can only use a shotgun. for me the 12 ga shotgun is best for the places I hunt so i dont mind the law.

dawei · « **Reply #4 on:** December 23, 2004, 07:02:07 AM »

Quote from: 270hunter

I am looking to buy a deer hunting woods gun. what are some preferences you all have? And what are the bullets and grain bullet you like to use? Thanks.
-Frankie

Unlike the others I offer this: Having hunted in Virginia for several years; knowing the terrain & the game, I'd go with a Remington® Pump (308) or a Marlin® Lever Action (30/30 or 444).

270hunter · « **Reply #5 on:** December 23, 2004, 07:16:20 AM »

thank you for your idea's. I was thinkin about a remington 7600. Shooting say remington 150 gr. bullet. because that is an all around gun field woods thick stuff. and i hunt were you can hunt with 243 and ^. But i have shot some deer with my 20 gauge slugger. I also have a model 700 .270 its great in the field , but i dont really select it for the woods. Thanks

Rick Teal · « **Reply #6 on:** December 23, 2004, 08:49:39 AM »

Where I hunt, the terrain is rugged but not particularly high with cover ranging from thick brush with 10 yds of visibility to open beaver meadows with 1/4 mile of view.

I prefer a quick handling rifle in a good "middle" cartridge with a fast action. This often (though not always) means a rifle in a carbine length.

Because of the possibility of long shots, I tend to avoid the "old timers" like the 30/30, and magnums present more problems than thet're worth.

My primary deer rifle is a BLR in .358 Winchester, but among my other rifles, I deem these as being appropriate for deer hunting in the bush: Rem 742s in 6mm Rem and 30-06, Savage 99s in .250 and .300 Savage, BAR in .308, Rem. 760 Carbine in 30-06, Globco Mohawk 555 in .303 British, Winchester 1895 in .303 British and a '94 Winchester in .356. I may occasionally use a Rem. 760 in .35 Rem and a Rem. 7600 in .35 Whelen as well.

sgtt · « **Reply #7 on:** December 23, 2004, 06:45:19 PM »

I like pistols or carbines for thick cover and moving. I have no prefernce to action types. I avoid the long action Rem. jam-o-matics. (742 variants)

Snowshoe · « **Reply #8 on:** December 24, 2004, 01:00:04 AM »

When I go into the bush I carry my Winchester .30-30. It will take any deer inside of 150 yards, and even 200 if I could see good enough to hit it with open sights. My eyes are not as good as they used to be so 150 yards is my max, using 150g bullets. I have an 8x57 that will reach out and touch them, but the model 94 gets more use than it ever will.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 24, 2004, 01:34:58 AM »

You can use what ever you want. As long as your shots are open and you know the range of the round you selected. I live in Delaware and I use my Remington 1100 slug gun on open fields and woods. My shots this year ranged from 25 yards to an amazing 208 yards shot with a 2 3/4 inch Remington copper solid. One shot kills on all 8 deer taken with it this year. I also have one bow kill and one Muzzleloader kill, both one shot kills. :-D I only shoot the Remington copper solid in my slug gun. Knowing you guns limitations and yours is all you need to know as well as practic and shot placement. Hope this helped.

rebAL · « **Reply #10 on:** December 24, 2004, 03:04:35 AM »

If considering Remington 7600, I would choose the carbine and last I knew it was only available in 30/06 which is a fine round for any big game hunting scenario. If you could find an old 760 carbine in a shorter action (.308) that might be preferable to the longer action. I love my 760 carbine with 2.5X scope for Adirondacks style short range/deep woods hunting.

Dogshooter · « **Reply #11 on:** December 24, 2004, 07:17:06 AM »

I was looking for a rifle to carry into the black timber for elk and mule deer and ended up with a Winchester Replica Model 1895 chambered for the 30-06. Used it a few trips this year and am really happy with it. Got my mule deer with it but ended up using another rifle for my elk because I was in a more open area. No way to scope it but like I said, I bought it for the brush.

firstshot · « **Reply #12 on:** December 24, 2004, 05:53:04 PM »

"deer hunting woods" could be just about anything from clear cuts, to fairly open "big woods" to thickets you can hardly crawl through.

Regardless, in my opinion you couldn't go wrong with a Browning BAR preferably in 30-06. The semi-auto allows for quick follow up shots if needed in thick cover. The vast range of 30-06 bullets (if you reload) and factory ammo (if you don't) will cover just about any type of hunting condition you might encounter from long range open country to the thick stuff, not to mention just about any type of game you might seek. From 110Grn varmint rounds to 220 grn brush busters, the 30-06 has it covered and the semi-auto BAR just makes that caliber that much more deadly.

firstshot
-------------------------------
Make your first shot count!

rockbilly · « **Reply #13 on:** December 25, 2004, 03:31:17 PM »

270 hunter, you said a "woods gun". From that I perceive you are talking about a gun for use in heavy cover. If this is the case the Marlin 336 in .35 Remington is a good choice. It's slow, but shoots a large bullet that is not normally deflected by brush. I have seen some nice deer taken with this caliber in heavy brush. The lever action is fast for a second or third shot and they are very reliable.

FOsteology · « **Reply #14 on:** December 26, 2004, 07:35:32 AM »

In the woods or heavy brush you can't beat a good lever action. I have a 30-30 I use in the heavy Texas brush country for hogs. 170 grain Winchester PP work wonders. I've even used it on WT does out to 140 yards. If you want more lead, a .35Rem, .444 or 44/70 would certainly lay the smack down.

A light slug gun with a short barrel is good for the woods and brush too. I have a Remington 870 SPS Deer Slug Gun with an 18" barrel and under 7 pounds with a fixed 4x scope. Works great out to 125 yards.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #15 on:** December 26, 2004, 04:03:53 PM »

I know I'm going to get slaughtered here. I use a .243 and it's killed plenty of deer in the woods. Haven't shot one out a field yet but you asked for a woods gun. Seems like a .243 will do.

Mac11700 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 26, 2004, 07:26:04 PM »

My choice for a "woods" gun(under 200 yards)...would be the Marlin 1895GS 45-70...stuff with a 300 grain Nosler partitions at close to 2300FPS...good enough for a 200 yard shot on a whitetail...good enough for just about anything else under that yardarge too...put on a good scope and your good to go...not as flat as a 06 or most of the rest...but will certainly do the job for deer and bear...and leave a blood trail anyone can follow...

Mac

Bart Solo · « **Reply #17 on:** December 27, 2004, 11:32:05 AM »

Quote from: Fishman029

I know I'm going to get slaughtered here. I use a .243 and it's killed plenty of deer in the woods. Haven't shot one out a field yet but you asked for a woods gun. Seems like a .243 will do.

I have used a 6 mm in the woods. I have always thought that all the "brush busting" stuff was overblown. If you have to shoot through brush, you probably shouldn't shoot. Just wait a couple of seconds for the deer to come out from behind the screen.

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #18 on:** December 27, 2004, 11:41:02 AM »

Quote from: Ron Byers

I have used a 6 mm in the woods. I have always thought that all the "brush busting" stuff was overblown. If you have to shoot through brush, you probably shouldn't shoot. Just wait a couple of seconds for the deer to come out from behind the screen.

I had a friend at deer camp who attempted to take a nice 8 point with a .270 at 75 yds through brush. Missed. Bullet deflected. As we discussed it, the only type of gun that might be able to shoot through brush is a slug that has a fairly slow FPS (such as a .45-.70), not one that goes so fast that when it hits a twig, it's just blown off course.

Bart Solo · « **Reply #19 on:** December 27, 2004, 01:42:00 PM »

Quote

I had a friend at deer camp who attempted to take a nice 8 point with a .270 at 75 yds through brush. Missed. Bullet deflected. As we discussed it, the only type of gun that might be able to shoot through brush is a slug that has a fairly slow FPS (such as a .45-.70), not one that goes so fast that when it hits a twig, it's just blown off course.

You are absolutely right. Of course a golf ball is less likely to be deflected than a .45-70, but even a golf ball will be deflected if the brush is too close to the 3 wood. I contend that it isn't a good idea to shoot through brush in any event. Only possible exception might be if the brush is immediately, and I mean immediately, next to the deer. At that point the deflection isn't going to throw the bullet off course enough to stop the hit. No, I believe it just isn't smart to shoot into brush. Unless they are bedding down deer will clear if you give them a chance. In that event just about any good deer round will work.

Danny Boy · « **Reply #20 on:** December 28, 2004, 12:08:28 PM »

Quote from: Mac11700

My choice for a "woods" gun(under 200 yards)...would be the Marlin 1895GS 45-70...stuff with a 300 grain Nosler partitions...

I vote for the 1895 with a Holosight for fast target acquisition. That will work for heavy game like moose.

For deer, I think a BAR is your best selection - fast and reliable. In heavy wood up to 50 yards; a 2X scope would do.

Cheers!

Danny Boy

victorcharlie · « **Reply #21 on:** December 28, 2004, 03:17:36 PM »

I've got to agree with Mac and Danny Boy......Lever action marlin in 45.70 is currently what I'm using.

rickt300 · « **Reply #22 on:** December 28, 2004, 04:21:46 PM »

My two favorites right now are my 30-30 and 7x57 mauser. They are both light, scoped with low power variables and accurate. I generally hunt from tree stands and I like rifles that don't have a lot of recoil yet have good penetration and deer stopping ability. I like a scope for poor light conditions and pin point bullet placement.

Varmint Hunter · « **Reply #23 on:** December 31, 2004, 04:07:43 PM »

For a "woods gun" up to 125yds, which covers 99% of the shots that are taken in the woods, I really like my Ruger Deerfield 44mag carbine. Fast, light and recoil free.

For a rifle to be used in the woods and open areas up to 300yds I'd opt for a Tikka SS Lite rifle in 7mm-08.

Just my 2 cents.

NYH1 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 01, 2005, 04:08:16 PM »

First off don't buy into the "brush gun theory" that the bigger slower bullets won't deflect as easy. This simply is NOT TRUE! A "brush gun" is a short, light in weight and well balanced carbine like rifle that is easier to carry in the woods then a regular full size rifle is. It has nothing to do with "bullet deflection" I have read article after article that said the lighter and faster cartridges deflect less then the larger slower cartridges do! The bottom line is.......make sure you have a "clear" shooting lane! Have people shoot through brush and kill their game, yes. Airplanes have also landed without their landing gear.......its just not the preferred way of doing it! :shock:

As far as guns and cartridges go, there are quite a few of them. The most common kind of "brush/woods guns" are lever actions. Marlin and Winchester are by far the most popular manufactures of lever action rifles. I think Marlin makes a better gun then Winchester does, this is just my opinion, other's will disagree.

The 30-30 Win. has probably killed more whitetail deer then any other cartridge we have. The 35 Rem. is another really good cartridge for woods hunting. I shot a deer this year with my 35 Rem. The 32 Win. Special is another good one. They haven't made them in a while but there are used ones out there.

You can use a 41 Mag. or a 44 Mag. Marlin makes both and Winchester makes a 44 Mag. I don't know if they make a 41 Mag. or not. I think Rossi make a lever action in 454 Casull. There are a few other cartridges too.

The 444 Mar., 45-70 Gov., and 450 Mar. are killer rifles for woods hunting. They get the job done in a hurry!

Another good rifle for woods hunting is a "pump action". Remington has a model 7600. It comes in 243 Win., 270 Win., 308 Win. and 30-06 Spr.. They use to make it in 280 Rem.. There was a "special run" of these this year in 7mm-08 Rem., 25-06 Rem., 35 Rem. and 35 Whelen. The 35 Rem. has a 18 inch barrel as does the "7600 Carbine" in 30-06. The other ones have a 22 inch barrel. They are a little longer then most "brush guns" but they handle really well and you get a really fast second shot if you need it.

Semi-auto's offer an even faster follow up shot. Some guys like them and some don't. Cartridge wise they simular to the "pump's"

Theirs "bolt action's" that are really short and light too!

New Hampshire · « **Reply #25 on:** January 01, 2005, 04:36:37 PM »

Quote from: New York Hunter

First off don't buy into the "brush gun theory" that the bigger slower bullets won't deflect as easy. This simply is NOT TRUE

This is quite true. I always bought into this theory too. I was surprised to find out that the bullets LEAST likely to deflect (no such thing as deflection proof in the ballistics world,) were spitzer bullets! The big, flat noses of typical "woods" guns tend to get bullied and pushed out of the way while the spitzers, because of the ogive, were les likely to see a big change in trajectory offset. Apparently, the bigger the meplat the worse the delection.
So the most sage advice anyone can give: Pick any gun you want.....just try not to shoot the bushes :wink:

.
Brian M.

Todd1700 · « **Reply #26 on:** January 01, 2005, 10:18:11 PM »

Quote

First off don't buy into the "brush gun theory" that the bigger slower bullets won't deflect as easy. This simply is NOT TRUE

I agree. "ALL" bullets can and will deflect on brush and it's never a good idea to shoot through brush at a deer for a variety of reasons.

What a woods gun means to me is a rifle that is shorter and quick handling. Lever actions and pumps shine here for quick follow up shots. (BAR's as well if you want to spend a little more money.) Since 200 plus yard shots are generally not possible flat shooting calibers and half inch tack driving bolt actions are okay but certainly not needed. The reason you see a lot of larger calibers in this situation is not because they blow through brush but instead because they blow through deer consistently. In the middle of wide open country you can get away with bullets that don't leave 2 holes in deer but in thick brush or heavy woods it's good to hit them with something that leaves two holes and a good blood trail. You can look a long time for a deer that runs even a hundred yards without a good blood trail where I hunt here in Alabama.

I think a remington pump in 308 with a 165 grain bullet and a 4 power scope would be an ideal woods gun

JPSaxMan · « **Reply #27 on:** January 02, 2005, 11:29:39 AM »

Legality is another concern, by the way. In PA, one can't have a semi-auto rifle (oh I wish :cry: ) and I'm sure that rule is in a few other states. So pump or lever would be good (unless you're good with a bolt...then there's an exception)

while99 · « **Reply #28 on:** January 08, 2005, 05:35:09 PM »

A Remington 7600 pump in .270, .280, .308, or .30/06, or .35 Whelen. Or if you can find one of the older 760s in the same calibers, that would work too. The .35 Remington would work at the shorter ranges. Put a low-powered scope or a Williams peep on the rear and a fire sight up front and go hunting.

Mauser · « **Reply #29 on:** January 22, 2005, 02:13:24 AM »

My favs are the 35 Rem for the deer sized animals and the 45/70 for bigger stuff. Both are in Marlin levers. Both have peep sights installed (a ghost ring on the 45/70). They are quick with follow-up shots and easy to carry through the brush. I think that you can't beat a peep sight for quick shots.