Brush Gun suggestion

[only_in_my_jeep]

Recently, I have found out that I am going to have trouble using my bow for hunting. My right elbow has developed (for lack of a better term) tennis elbow with a touch of arthritis. It actually hurts to pull the bow when it is cranked up to light hunting weights and I want to get back into hunting as we have deer and hogs all over the place here. I am looking for a good rifle for use in close/bohunting ranges say no more than 50yrds in the woods here you can't see further than that unless someone has cut a road or powerline through. I guess I could use the shotgun but I would prefer something I could put a scope on for lowlight conditions and is accurate. I do have a good long range rifle but as I said I will be using it in 50yd or less distances. I was thinking a marlin or winchester lever action would be nice as they also are reminicent of one my dad had that was stolen. I would like it to be something in a caliber that does not scare the wife however I also want enough knock down power to take a hog. Any suggestions?

[RubiCajun]

hey only_in_my_jeep, I had the same problem back in the eighties. I already had a Ruger .44 mag. semi-auto that my dad gave me. He bought it in the sixties. I've never shot a hog with it, but I've shot plenty of deer. I hunt in or near very thick cover and I've never had a deer run more than a couple of yards from me and most have dropped right where they were. I use 250 grain Winchester Partition Gold hollow points. I have a 3X9 mounted on it and it sits on see thru mounts. this comes in handy for extremely close shots. you can also try mounting a suspended dot scope. Thats what i have mounted on my Ruger Redhawk which shoots the same bullets. My wife shoots mine and it doesn't bother her at all as far as recoil. I believe that Ruger also came out a few years ago with a .44 mag lever action with the same short barrell length of my auto. check out gunbroker.com. by the way there are fixes for your elbow. what you probably have is tendonitis. a steroid shot in the elbow(only slightly painful) will have you back to normal by the time you leave the doctors office. the other fix is to wear an armband. i can't remember the name brand of the one i used, but it had a plastic piece that layed underneath the webing and acted as a clamp and pinched or put pressure on the nerve that causes the pain in the muscle just below the elbow on the topside of your arm. the band is held in position by velcro. when it pinches the nerve the pain goes away and even allows you to do whatever you used to do with it. good luck. good shooting.

[only_in_my_jeep]

hey only_in_my_jeep, I had the same problem back in the eighties. I already had a Ruger .44 mag. semi-auto that my dad gave me. He bought it in the sixties. I've never shot a hog with it, but I've shot plenty of deer. I hunt in or near very thick cover and I've never had a deer run more than a couple of yards from me and most have dropped right where they were. I use 250 grain Winchester Partition Gold hollow points. I have a 3X9 mounted on it and it sits on see thru mounts. this comes in handy for extremely close shots. you can also try mounting a suspended dot scope. Thats what i have mounted on my Ruger Redhawk which shoots the same bullets. My wife shoots mine and it doesn't bother her at all as far as recoil. I believe that Ruger also came out a few years ago with a .44 mag lever action with the same short barrell length of my auto. check out gunbroker.com. by the way there are fixes for your elbow. what you probably have is tendonitis. a steroid shot in the elbow(only slightly painful) will have you back to normal by the time you leave the doctors office. the other fix is to wear an armband. i can't remember the name brand of the one i used, but it had a plastic piece that layed underneath the webing and acted as a clamp and pinched or put pressure on the nerve that causes the pain in the muscle just below the elbow on the topside of your arm. the band is held in position by velcro. when it pinches the nerve the pain goes away and even allows you to do whatever you used to do with it. good luck. good shooting.

Thanks for the info. I was thinking 44mag or even a 45 but I also was thinking I don't want anything the wife will not shoot for fun as she likes to shoot.

It goes a bit more than just tendonitus. I have Mr Arthur popping up everywhere. I have a knee that is close to being bone on bone as well as trouble in my fingers as well as the elbow. EX-rays show joint damage from arthritus. If it were just tendonitus I would keep going as I have in the past but now there is some degredation at the joint. That's okay though I got two verterbrae fused in my upper back and between L5 and 6 is bad and L7 is starting to join the party. Basically I am falling apart so I plan on making the hard stuff easier so that I can enjoy it longer. Hell I am much more worried about what it is doing/going to do (it only gets worse) to my fishing than my hunting. I could give up hunting all together but I can't give up fishing.

[Skoalman]

Marlin used to make, (and they still may) a .45-70 Guide Gun. I believe it was the 1895G. It had a shorter barrel that was ported, and had a scope mount.
Talk about a brush gun.....:yup:

[jkpirate]

30 cal. M1 Carbine

[yetibear]

.45-70 Guide Gun

:rotflmao2::rotflmao2::rotflmao2:
Not something that would please his wife.:rotflmao2::rotflmao2:
I was thinking even a 30-30 might be more than he wanted, but 45-70!!:eek2::rotflmao2::rotflmao2:And in a light weight package no less!:what?::eek2::rotflmao2::rotflmao2:

[07JKX]

Recently, I have found out that I am going to have trouble using my bow for hunting. My right elbow has developed (for lack of a better term) tennis elbow with a touch of arthritis. It actually hurts to pull the bow when it is cranked up to light hunting weights and I want to get back into hunting as we have deer and hogs all over the place here. I am looking for a good rifle for use in close/bohunting ranges say no more than 50yrds in the woods here you can't see further than that unless someone has cut a road or powerline through. I guess I could use the shotgun but I would prefer something I could put a scope on for lowlight conditions and is accurate. I do have a good long range rifle but as I said I will be using it in 50yd or less distances. I was thinking a marlin or winchester lever action would be nice as they also are reminicent of one my dad had that was stolen. I would like it to be something in a caliber that does not scare the wife however I also want enough knock down power to take a hog. Any suggestions?

AK in 5.45... low recoil... light weight... and if you miss with the first shot... you have 29 more to back you up:rotflmao1:

plus if you get the steel core 5.45... if will pop through just about anything and then immediately begin to "key hole" or tumble inside its target.

Another reason:

Romanian SAR-2 - 285.00
5.45 - 30 rd mag - 8.00
1080 Steel core rounds - 110.00

[The Joker]

I have an Henry lever action .44 and a Marlin level action 30.30
I LOVE my Henry, but a little big for your wife I guess. as far as the Marlin, awesome gun. the run about $325 with a descent scope and a sling at walmart of all places.
well worth the money.

[yetibear]

30-30 would be real good for what you want, not a real hard kicker, your wife could handle it.

I would be kind if tempted to look at some nice .243 (like the 770 Remington), and 25-06 is a sweet little number, Savage makes some great rifles with good prices. Both of these are relatively light kicking with some well priced rifles, either will take a good sized deer, and should be outstanding hog guns.

I'm convincing myself, right now, I NEED a new 25-06.

[only_in_my_jeep]

AK in 5.45... low recoil... light weight... and if you miss with the first shot... you have 29 more to back you up:rotflmao1:

plus if you get the steel core 5.45... if will pop through just about anything and then immediately begin to "key hole" or tumble inside its target.

Another reason:

Romanian SAR-2 - 285.00
5.45 - 30 rd mag - 8.00
1080 Steel core rounds - 110.00

Dude I have seen a hog that took 10 rounds of OO buck at point blank range before it keeled over. Not that I am talking pigs that big more something for the table but an AK is not a hunting weapon it is for target shooting in my book.

Would a 30-30 take a small to medium hog? I know it is the frequent brush gun of choice for a lot of hunters around here as I sold a lot of them years ago. I think most of them had deer in mind though and many most likely would not have taken a hog if they saw one.

[yetibear]

Dude I have seen a hog that took 10 rounds of OO buck at point blank range before it keeled over. Not that I am talking pigs that big more something for the table but an AK is not a hunting weapon it is for target shooting in my book.

Would a 30-30 take a small to medium hog? I know it is the frequent brush gun of choice for a lot of hunters around here as I sold a lot of them years ago. I think most of them had deer in mind though and many most likely would not have taken a hog if they saw one.

I wouldn't dismiss the 7.62X39 Russian quite so quickly. First thing an AK is NOT a target rifle by any stretch of the inagination, it just isn't. And the AK is the most used hunting weapon in history, the prey just happens to be mostly human.

I wouldn't hunt with an AK just as a personal choice, I prefer lever or bolt action, but that is just me.

A 30-30 would be fine for small to medium hogs, but with the right load an AK would be almost, ballisticly, its equal. A 150 gr soft point from either would get you right about 1400 foot lbs of energy at 100 yards and out to 300 the superior bc of the Russian leaves the 30-30 behind by a wide margin.

I, personally, would prefer the 30-30, in a Winchester 94, that is more to my liking as a sporting arm. however don't be so quick to dismiss the 7.63X39, and be sure of the local game ordinances as far as magazine capacity go.

[07JKX]

i did not realize we were talking about hunting... i thought this was about a weapon for defense such as when camping/wheeling...

goodbye..

[bcperry2000]

Dude I have seen a hog that took 10 rounds of OO buck at point blank range before it keeled over. Not that I am talking pigs that big more something for the table but an AK is not a hunting weapon it is for target shooting in my book.

Would a 30-30 take a small to medium hog? I know it is the frequent brush gun of choice for a lot of hunters around here as I sold a lot of them years ago. I think most of them had deer in mind though and many most likely would not have taken a hog if they saw one.

how about a high power air rifle?? i never thought this would be possible. granted it's a perfectly placed shot but the .177 caliber pellet took out a 250lb boar. i personally have a gamo and can tell you that these are serious pellet guns. i'm still unconvinced it can take out boars but it kills everything else on the spot.

http://gamousa.com/Videos/62_wmv.htm




someone else mentioned Savage and i'm gonna say the same thing. for the money, those are some really great guns. especially with their AccuTrigger:

http://www.savagearms.com/at_pressrelease.htm


.

[only_in_my_jeep]

I wouldn't dismiss the 7.62X39 Russian quite so quickly. First thing an AK is NOT a target rifle by any stretch of the inagination, it just isn't. And the AK is the most used hunting weapon in history, the prey just happens to be mostly human.

I wouldn't hunt with an AK just as a personal choice, I prefer lever or bolt action, but that is just me.

A 30-30 would be fine for small to medium hogs, but with the right load an AK would be almost, ballisticly, its equal. A 150 gr soft point from either would get you right about 1400 foot lbs of energy at 100 yards and out to 300 the superior bc of the Russian leaves the 30-30 behind by a wide margin.

I, personally, would prefer the 30-30, in a Winchester 94, that is more to my liking as a sporting arm. however don't be so quick to dismiss the 7.63X39, and be sure of the local game ordinances as far as magazine capacity go.

Thanks for the info. 100yds would be a long shot for the areas I am talking. In fact 50-60yds is about max. If I was talking 100yds and up the 30-06 comes out. I could use it for the short range but I want an excuse to get a new gun. "But honey the 06 is too much of a gun it is for long shots."

EDIT: BTW I did not mean the AK was just a target gun as they began life as a military weapon. It is just an AK for my use is not a praticle choice.

[only_in_my_jeep]

how about a high power air rifle?? i never thought this would be possible. granted it's a perfectly placed shot but the .177 caliber pellet took out a 250lb boar. i personally have a gamo and can tell you that these are serious pellet guns. i'm still unconvinced it can take out boars but it kills everything else on the spot.

http://gamousa.com/Videos/62_wmv.htm




someone else mentioned Savage and i'm gonna say the same thing. for the money, those are some really great guns. especially with their AccuTrigger:

http://www.savagearms.com/at_pressrelease.htm


.

You and that damn air rifle :rotflmao1: Savage is a good gun but once agian they are more long range bolt actions. I plan to look at Marlins and Winchesters lever actions this weekend. Once I decide then it is sneak it past momma time. Got to do it before August 15th and deer season.

[bcperry2000]

You and that damn air rifle :rotflmao1: Savage is a good gun but once agian they are more long range bolt actions. I plan to look at Marlins and Winchesters lever actions this weekend. Once I decide then it is sneak it past momma time. Got to do it before August 15th and deer season.


haha, what can i say??? i really like my pellet gun :)

i just built my first AR15 and i'm still shooting the pellet gun way more.....

[yetibear]

Thanks for the info. 100yds would be a long shot for the areas I am talking. In fact 50-60yds is about max. If I was talking 100yds and up the 30-06 comes out. I could use it for the short range but I want an excuse to get a new gun. "But honey the 06 is too much of a gun it is for long shots."

EDIT: BTW I did not mean the AK was just a target gun as they began life as a military weapon. It is just an AK for my use is not a practical choice.

100 yards is just used for comparison, most ballistic charts are muzzle, 100, 200, 300, 400 yards. 100 yards seemed more practical than muzzle, I think it more reasonable then to think you will be contact blasting some enraged wild hog.:rotflmao2:

Course if you want a REAL bush rifle, find yourself a nice Winchester 71 in .348 and run a box of 250gr WW Silvertips thru her, that'll get your blood up. A grand old lever action, makes Grizzles quake and shoulders ache!:eek2:

[Kachad]

I would definitely suggest a Marlin 30-30 with a red-dot versus a standard scope. Plentiful and cheap ammo. Acceptable kick for a Lady, especially with a recoil pad. Affordable and reliable gun. Certainly better caliber\rounds out there, but for overall utility, it would be hard to beat. A decently placed shot shouldn't have a problem taking down a hog.

[only_in_my_jeep]

The more I hear both here and elsewhere the more I am liking the 30/30 option. I guess when I threw the hogs in there I did not make clear I was talking smaller younger more pigs than hogs. I am talking meat on the table type stuff not grind it up because all it is good for is sausage Hogzillas. I know a 30/30 will do a deer in fine. As far as actually killing a hog we used to use a Marlin lever action 22 I still have today. Of course those were dead on head shots but hey they worked. I know shot placement is more importiant than anything so the 30/30 is a top runner because ammo is reasonable and available everywhere here where as other rounds are not as affordable and harder to find.

[jkpirate]

I love to hate AK-47's but It will not let you down.

[yetibear]

The more I hear both here and elsewhere the more I am liking the 30/30 option. I guess when I threw the hogs in there I did not make clear I was talking smaller younger more pigs than hogs. I am talking meat on the table type stuff not grind it up because all it is good for is sausage Hogzillas. I know a 30/30 will do a deer in fine. As far as actually killing a hog we used to use a Marlin lever action 22 I still have today. Of course those were dead on head shots but hey they worked. I know shot placement is more importiant than anything so the 30/30 is a top runner because ammo is reasonable and available everywhere here where as other rounds are not as affordable and harder to find.

There is nothing wrong with the 30-30. It has consistantly put meat on the table for over 100 years. And the rifles chambered for it are also time proven. it is a good choice.

The only thing really wrong with it is that it has been around so long, with nothing to change, it is not sexy. Most gun writers have to churn out those articles every month, and there is just nothing new to say about it. And because it does it's job so well, with little flash, it tends to be unfavorably compared to it's new hot competition. But the venerable old thudy-thudy lives on, only because it does what it does well.

And Mossberg just came out with a new 30-30 lever that looks like a nice replacement for the missed Winchester 94. Mossberg 464, it lists for $475, looks very Model 1894.:clap::clap::ya::thumbsup:

[bigbluejk]

For 50 yards? only 1 gun I use. I converted a saiga-12 guage to regular AK47 pistol grips and stocks. 000 buck and 10 shot mags availible. fun. Or just grab the AK47.

[AK4Dave]

Yes.....altho the 30-30 is a great gun, you can still kill things with it at over 100 yards. With you saying 50 yards, it would be really hard to beat a 12 ga. with a red dot scope.
I also always wanted one of those 44 cal. saddle guns....another real good brush gun no doubt.

[Robar]

Have you considered a Mini 14 Ranch rifle. .223 round in a reasonably small rifle. Pretty accurate and quite reliable.

[RedrockX]

a good Marlin 30-30 cant be beat in the brush...
my dad reloads so he bumped up the powder and it does give a good knockdown. If you happened to be a lefty it takes a couple of minutes (more like seconds...) to flip the hammer thing (whats it called?) over to the other side. AND you have a short, light weight weapon that wont get caught up on every branch (when slung over the shoulder) and fairly easy to climb into a tree stand with it.

I forget the capacity of the 30-30... 6+ (???)

easy to toss in the back seat of a jeep... open sights are decent, but a little 4x scope is nice to make sure you're seeing antlers. and they are still dead on at 100yrds. Even with mud in the action, it still works fine.

but there is nothing wrong with a good mini 14 or ruger 44 or a nice 243.
hell, i've taken my AR15 out a few times just for kicks. :brows:

whatever your comfortable with, and fits your needs...

[bigbluejk]

Have you considered a Mini 14 Ranch rifle. .223 round in a reasonably small rifle. Pretty accurate and quite reliable.

great gun but I would go mini 30 over mini 14 for brush. that 7.62x39 is hard to beat in the bush. Just ask anyone that was in nam.

[Robar]

great gun but I would go mini 30 over mini 14 for brush. that 7.62x39 is hard to beat in the bush. Just ask anyone that was in nam.

Good point the mini 30 is also a great rifle.

[yetibear]

Good point the mini 30 is also a great rifle.

the 30 is a good rifle, it would have been great if they had brought the full size .30cal(.308) to market like they were supposed to.:dontknow2:

[mcds99]

My dad gave me a .30-30 Savage bolt action.

Light accurate beyond belief and a 12 year old could handle it.

Savage isn't a popular brand but they work and are realiable.

Find a Dr. that hunts and ask what you should do.

BTW here in Minnesota if you are a bow hunter and can't draw a bow you can get licensed to use a cross bow. Don't know the laws in your state but check it out.

[jkpirate]

I was shooting in a highpower rifle match and while pulling targets in the pitts one of the guys next to me said that a wild pig he had killed while hunting had 223 bullets stuck in its chest. The bullets did not even go through the thick chest skin and looked like they had been there for a long time. I have never hunted wild pig in the bush but after hearing that story I think I would want to carry something with big time knock down power and if I got jumped by a herd of them a high cap magazine would be nice, even if my wife didn't like the kick. My pick would be a Alexander Arms .50 cal Beowulf. Why take a chance?

[only_in_my_jeep]

My dad gave me a .30-30 Savage bolt action.

Light accurate beyond belief and a 12 year old could handle it.

Savage isn't a popular brand but they work and are realiable.

Find a Dr. that hunts and ask what you should do.

BTW here in Minnesota if you are a bow hunter and can't draw a bow you can get licensed to use a cross bow. Don't know the laws in your state but check it out.

That holds true here as well but then if we are not talking strictly a bow only WMA area hunt or the bow season in the upstate then use of a crossbow is not an issue. HMMMMM gives me a lot to think about especially given the cost of a new rifle. I just priced them and got a bit of sticker shock today. I had no clue that lever actions started so high. I had decided on a 30/30 but I think I will just use the 30/06 in the gun safe instead of spending that kind of money.

[shrockworks]

Try one of these. The ballistics are similar to a 45-70, but the gas operated semi-auto action knocks the recoil WAY down. It's about like a semi auto 20 ga. I have the RRA .458 SOCOM and it hammers deer and hogs. I shoot the 300gr Corbon loads.

http://www.bushmaster.com/catalog_xm15_BCWVMS20-45.asp

http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=252

[TINMAN080]

Try a 336 Marlin in .35 Remington. A great brush gun with enough grunt to put the hogs away...all in a lever action package priced right. I've owned one since the mid eighties, no complaints.

[LOST]

I've been using a Winchester 30WCF model 1894 with 20" barrel for over 20 years and it's never failed me once. I also carry a Ruger Blackhawk 45 LC with 4 5/8" barrel as a sidearm. Dealdly handgun in it's own right. It has a 45 APC cylinder but I only use it for plinking cans because the ammo is cheap in bulk.

[hawgrider1200]

Yeah, stick with that 06. Pigs are tough game as you probably are well aware. Even those little table pigs. 06 will sure knock em down at 50 yards. U sure don't want to wound a pig with all those ailments you named. Blood trailing a pig through sawbriars and palmettos ain't my idea of real fun. It's too damn hot during archery season in SC anyhow. Go wheeling and do a little scouting untill gun season. That's my plan. I have some of the same kinds of ailments as you do so I can really understand what you are saying. :D

[Kachad]

Try a 336 Marlin in .35 Remington. A great brush gun with enough grunt to put the hogs away...all in a lever action package priced right. I've owned one since the mid eighties, no complaints.

Definitely a primo brush gun. Pulled one out of my Uncle's trunk, all rusted up - took it apart, reblued, polished, reassembled and have been using it for the last 10 years. Smoothest action I've felt with a LA. Serial number indicates it was made the first year when Marlin chambered the 35. Ammo is not very common, would probably go with a 30-30 if I had to purchase a new one. However, just love the beast. 30-06 is powerful, but for a brush gun, would prefer the 35 or 30-30 (have a 30-06 for longer shots with less chance for deflection).

[claymore]

Marlin used to make, (and they still may) a .45-70 Guide Gun. I believe it was the 1895G. It had a shorter barrel that was ported, and had a scope mount.
Talk about a brush gun.....:yup:

I've got a Marlin 450. Don't his wife would like it tho.:dontknow2:

[Gi Joe]

Go with a 12ga. get a fully rifled sabot barrel with scope, good up to 125 yds or so. Rifle like accuracey. Gi

[RedneckJeep]

Winchester Model 94 Lever Action in .444 Marlin with the 18" ported barrel. They are kinda expensive and gettin hard to find anymore. Winchester claims the gun will "knock down any game that walks on Earth." I don't doubt it one bit, because I have one. It's not something you'd want your wife to shoot, though.

[coltc2000]

for a brush gun I would carry a marlin 357 mag lever action.lots of ammo choices and great to have with a 357 ruger revolver. or the 44 mag depending on your side arm.
Best choice of these others definatly 30-30 cant go wrong going lever action.