Deer Rifle

[NW ROVER]

I like to think that my 340 weatherby is the best all around rifle, but then again I love big caliber guns and I can use it on any north american big game and most african. Honestly you cannot go wrong with a 30-30. Even just to own and occasionally shoot it is worth it. 458 win mags are awesome guns and great to shoot. I prefer custom doubles in 458 though. 577 tyranosaur and 460 weatherby rifles are a kick to shoot. Literaly. A Marlin 45-70 is my favorite lever gun. Especially my guide gun.

 

[jimjet]

45-70

cool clint

i love the 45-70 also , i have it in the guide gun and a rare browning lever action saddle gun.

i bring/brought the 45-70 to afrika on my buff hunt as a backup rifle and nobody had anything bad to say about using it as long as i used custom hotter ammo which i brought along.after getting beat up by the 458 i almost used the 45-70 in the bush but changed my mind as the 458 in a custom mauser action was lighter to carry.

my buddy shot 416 rigby in a merkel double rifle he used/brought with him federal
416 (i dont remember the grain/weight BUT our big five guide frowned upon using federal soft points on buff as they have been known by him to shatter on impact.

sure as shit my buddies first shoulder shot with fed softie shattered on his buff.

we tracked the big bastered for 5 days following the tracks and vulture flock.
when we found him dan finished him with a solid x 4 .
the 416 soft shattered on his shoulder leaving a massive flesh wound without penetration.

jim

 

[NW ROVER]

I will keep in mind to only use solids when I finally get to go to africa. I also thought about using my 45-70 with Buffalo Bore rounds. They pack one hell of a wollup.

 

[antichrist]

Tom I agree Mosin is a good rifle for the money. But I can buy a good match trigger for a 700 or 70 and have it in place in an hour.
snip

Well..I was coming from the fact (I think) that the questioner is 15. So, given that, I still think a Mosin would be a good choice. Of course, if money isn't an issue, then there are "better" long guns out there. Of course, for $150 he could get one to shoot, and another for spare parts....kinda like Land Rover buying

 

[syoung]

45-70 is a magnificent weapon. A friend of mine has the short guide gun version and it is a beast. I haven't fired mine, but I inherited my great-grandfathers lever action 45-70 with octagon barrel. It needs some minor repair on the wood, though. He used it for bear in Alaska- he procured and surveyed land for railroads up there and needed some firepower. I didn't realize that round was so old though, I thought it was fairly modern.

 

[jimjet]

I will keep in mind to only use solids when I finally get to go to africa. I also thought about using my 45-70 with Buffalo Bore rounds. They pack one hell of a wollup.

the idea of a soft as your first shot is to knock the shit out of the buff.the shallow penetration with expansion delivers a shockwave through the animal hopefully takeing him down.the solids are for follow up , when your game is in shock from the soft you can then break his bones with the solids anchoring him in your sights.

it was the federal 416 soft that our guide was against due to non penetration and shattering on impact in his experience.

and he proved his point when my buddies 416 rigby soft shattered on his buffs shoulder.

jim

 

[woodslat]

12 Guage Slugs

Anybody ever used one of those 12 guage guns with scope using slugs? Unconventional, or inferior? Superior? Don't know about effective range, but no need for solids or softs, just WHAM!!

 

[peter cowin]

I live in the UK and use a .243 for deer. It is based on the 1908 Mauser (I think). It might seem a bit small but I can take out a big red stag with it.
We suffer a lot from wild dogs out my way, they buy a cute little puppy by summer it is a large dog, so they come out to the country side and let them go, I feel sorry for the poor sods but thet are attacking livestock so thats that.
Foxes are also a problem, so we go lamping, that is light them up with a 3 million candle powered lamp and shoot them.
I had an idea about going lamping for drug dealers in Manchester, bit of a challenge as they are armed. So far I have had lots of intrest. This could become a new sport us country folks going into big cities and hunting the drug dealers, after all the city folks stopped us hunting with dogs.

Have fun

Pete

 

[jimjet]

Hey Pete

i thought they took all your guns away and gave them to the bad guys or cut them in half.
i thought air rifles were the big thing now.
whats the story??
your still allowed to own firearms????

jim
p.s. 243 is an awsome calibre great long range round.
pick up a silencer (they were legal in u.k. at one time) from iceland and go hunt your drugies.they will never no where it came from.

 

[mainerova]

Good for targets, fun and hunting, AR15

Great for hunting, 300 Weatherby mag, snythetic stock, ummmm, make sure you only shoot once!!

 

[ESnyder]

"I live in the UK and use a .243 for deer. It is based on the 1908 Mauser (I think)"


Glad someone is still hunting in the UK! That ban on fox-hunting with dogs is terrible. .243 is a necked down .308, I believe. 6mm is a necked down 7mm Mauser, a similar cartridge, both great deer guns. 7x57, Remington 700 Mtn. Rifle is what I use for whitetails, it's a nice classic round that has plenty of wallop, but is not overgunned. I've shot plenty of deer with the old "thuddy-thuddy", but it lacks the energy to consistently knock them down fast. Plus with tube feed magazines, you're limited to blunt nose bullets. Faster the cartridge, the more hydrostatic shock, which equals faster knockdown on thin skinned, small boned animals like whitetail. (Although you don't want to go too small caliber.) Anything over 150 yards is pretty dicey with a .30.30. If you have any potential at longer range, I'd think twice. Plus, Marlin lever actions are hit and miss on accuracy. The one I had for a while was a dog. But the Winchester model 94 we have is pretty accurate for a lever action.

I also like the "old school" aspect of the .30.30, particularly if it's a "beater" rifle, that goes camping with you, maybe just has a peep sight (no optics to break), etc.

I wouldn't buy a new Marlin .30.30, but if you find a used one and your heart's set on it, give it a whirl. Try to shoot it first, though, as it may have been sold because it was inaccurate.

On the plus side, lever action guns with hammers are safer I think for a 15 year old. Something about pulling a hammer back to really make you think before the gun can go off. Using a shorter range, less powerful cartridge when young will also teach better shot selection later in life, which is always good. The .300 mag crowd for whitetails can be a bit much.