Best Brush Gun

[BADUNAME37]

OK, my lips are sealed.

 

[medmo]

I agree with a couple of the other responses regarding a Savage 99. Excellent choice in either 308win or 300savage. Probably not as readily available as most of the other suggestions but it would be well worth finding one.

 

[LemmyCaution]

I have to disagree that brush that is thick enough to stop a bullet will also hide a game animal to the extent that it will be IMPOSSIBLE to ever see.

I'm not having much trouble putting subsonic .22lr through 2x4s on the narrow side and still having them explode against the steel trap when they get through, from 25 meters away. And, unless it hits a dense knot in the wood, it goes through in a straight line.

Twigs aren't going to do much to stop or significantly deflect any hunting bullet. I can't imagine anyone selecting bullets specifically to penetrate brush, unless they're indiscriminately trying to turn cover into concealment, as the man says.

 

[Crunker1337]

Coyotes, deer, target shooting, in a bush gun package...
That's certainly a tall order.

Well, for coyotes, one should prefer a lighter, higher velocity round, a varmint round. It should come in a package that's accurate at long range. Similar concerns are present for target shooting. The problem with this is that varmint rifles tend to be long, and light rounds are more easily thrown off course than heavier rounds (due to inertia).

To me, a bush gun is a short, manueverable gun that's pointable and fires a heavier, slower rounds. So, really, a firearm that can be used to hunt both coyotes/target shoot as well as be used as a bush gun is, as I said, a tall order: the concerns are nearly opposite. Unless, of course, coyote hunting to you is not done on large, open plains, and you don't plan to do any real, long-range shooting.

I think you do have a few options, though.

If the bush you're going to be experiencing isn't all that thick, a high velocity, light round may not be a bad choice. It really depends on how thick of bush you're going to be taking on is. A long-barreled rifle chambered in .25-06, .243, or .270 may be a fine choice, again, if you're not going to be taking it through really thick bush.

If you're going to go through really, really thick unbearable stuff, as others have said, a .30-30 leveraction rifle is a superb choice. But you will not be able to do any real, long range target shooting with it. A CZ 527 or a .308 or .30-06 rifle in a bolt or lever-action package with a short barrel can be a fine choice, and these offer you more versatility when it comes to long range shooting. Of course, you also have the option of going with a 12 or 20 gauge loaded with slugs, or a handgun chambered in a nice, powerful caliber--10mm, .44 Mag, .45 (Long) Colt, .454 Casull, .50AE, .460 S&W, or even the .500 S&W beast. Obviously, target or coyote shooting options with these are extremely limited or non-existent. Still, handguns are small, offer great pointability, and light weight. A scoped Thompson Contender, a revolver, or heck, a Desert Eagle could be a fine choice if you want to do close range bush hunting. And then, there's the possibility of going with an AR-15 platform rifle. Chambered in .50 Beowulf, .458 SOCOM, .450 Bushmaster or some other close-range, hard-hitting caliber, I'm sure you'd be proud. Flat-top, flip-up sights, decent glass, a nice stock... yep, I'm sure you'd be happy, and, at will, you could easily go to a longer, heavier freefloated upper in .223/5.56mm for nailing coyotes or targets at longer ranges.

If you really must get a do all gun, I suppose your best option is a .308 or 7.62x39mm carbine in a bolt or leveraction package. Perhaps a Saiga or PTR or M1A/M14 rifle could be good, their operations are proven and robust. That, or a good AR would suit you fine. But your concerns are very nearly opposite, like I said, so if you only get one gun (or, in the case of the AR, one upper) you will be trading strength in one field for weakness in another.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Twigs aren't going to do much to stop or significantly deflect any hunting bullet. I can't imagine anyone selecting bullets specifically to penetrate brush, unless they're indiscriminately trying to turn cover into concealment, as the man says.

The man. Right. Not the man is right. Do not confuse the two.

I think your idea of a brush gun is different than what others are relating to.
Sorry.

 

[Brian Dale]

As has been written, a brush gun is one that's easy to carry and maneuver through the thickets. If I can't shoot between the branches, I won't take the shot.

Of the rifles that I've carried through the thickets and ravines on this farm:

~ lever action rifles have been easiest for me;

~ a scoped Springfield bolt action sporter was in the middle--not bad, but heavy, and it tended to catch on branches more than the lever rifles have done;

~ an AR-15 with a 20" barrel was the worst rifle configuration that I've carried through the thickets: the front sight tower was a branch-and-vine magnet and so was the pistol grip. YMMV.

 

[BADUNAME37]

I'd agree. The brush gun should be simple without anything to catch branches, twigs, vines on.

A lever action in 30-30 or 45-70 or a short-barreled shotgun with slugs or 00Buck.

I once owned a 45-70 Marlin lever action. Another one of those guns that came and eventually went (oh how I wish I would have kept that one). Sometimes, you can't keep them all!

Preferably lightweight.

 

[hghpwr308]

I have been using a Robinson Arms VEPR-K 762x39 (wolf 154gr soft points) as my brush gun, it has the 16.5" barrel + compensator. I didn't buy it for use as a brush gun and yes I get a few strange looks, but it works great. First of all it has never ever failed to feed or fire, I use 5 round mags which make loading an unloading real easy. The trigger guard is a winter type and there is no need to take your gloves off, pretty nice up here in NH. I added a 4x24 PSOP scope with lit reticule for $120 and the iron sights are still easily used, bonus. It is quick to the shoulder, handles great in the NH woods (Ayup, that's nothing but brush), has two sighting options and lit reticule and a good trigger that works with gloves on. The only complaint I have is that the safety is too loud, but only if your not careful.

 

[Hedning]

Why not.....

Why not try a cheap remington 700 in 6,5x55 swedish? U can varmint aswell as load 10 gram (arround 150 grs) "deer" bullets. The ballistics and accuracy is outstanding. Its been used for over 100 years and still got a reputation. So it got to be good....Got 4 rifles in that caliber my self. I used to hunt moose with it. But then a got a 375 for my birthday, so they serve as competition rifles only these days......

 

[moooose102]

how about a marlin lever gun in .308 ,with the lever revolution ammo it could be the perfect brush gun ?

my thoughts exactly!

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Remington Model Seven in .260 Remington, since you like the flatter shooting rounds.

 

[danbaker]

7600 REM in 35 whelen with williams guide sight.