Best Brush Gun

Status
Not open for further replies.
Will agree with you, JustsayMo - on game like elk and bear the bonecrunching ability of big bullets at pedestrian speeds cannot be denied. That's much of the reason why my caliber preferences jump from 7mm to at least .35 caliber, and .40 or more is better.

PaintballDude - You lost a bear from in your lap?? :eek: What happened, Dude :confused:

:cool:
 
With the new Leverevolution bullets the Marlin 336 in 30-30 is pretty darn close. While a touch heavier than the Winny the side eject and ease of mounting a scope gives it the nod. Further more the price (New for $350ish, used here local for $175 - $250) is a great value for the quality and performance of the gun.

The real BEST IMHO is the Browning BLR in .308 giving you the BEST of both worlds, handy, quick handling, and even better range, but then again you can buy 2 336s for what you can buy 1 BLR.
 
A handi-rifle does come to mind pretty quick for a good brush gun... shorter barrel and fairly rugged. as far as caliber goes the sky is the limit. I have a 45-70 and like it a lot but it is a little heavy for coyotes and stuff... the 30-30 has killed a lot of deer in the brush though too....
 
I guess everyone has a different meaning for brush. To me it means shots of 50 yds and less, where the only place you can even see 200 yds is on a stretch of road. For whitetails in that environment, a 336 in .35 Rem is hard to beat. But, I also have a CZ carbine in x39, and it is faster handling than the 336. Wish CZ would chamber for .35 Rem!
 
Brush = can you find the Mulie in this picture? She's less than 40 yards away.

muledeerdoe.jpg
 
Paint- I feel your pain. It ruins your day. Bears are tough and this time of year they're usually fat and hairy and that tends to clog and soak up blood.

When my BIL shot his last year we spent the whole afternoon well into the dark trying to find him. We had a blood trail for a while that took us into the steepest thickest (of course...) stuff in the area. We did a search pattern from the last drop of blood in every direction. Couldn't find him anywhere. We both felt sick about it. It put a damper on the whole trip.

Lots of good advice in this thread. I'd recommend the OP to sift through and see what will work in his area and his hunting style and then decide. After that get very familiar with the rifle - shoot lots. Like someone said earlier, you don't get a lot of time when hunting the thick stuff. You have to confident you and put the shot where it needs to go. Be proficient shooting off hand as it will more often than not be your only option.
 
.30 WCF or better known as the Winchester mod 94 in .30-30. And because it is light and fast...

Yup, JustsayMo...I've hunted that brush in the Snoqualmie Nat. Forest. East of Seattle, North of I-90...
 
A marlin lever action in 30-30 or 35 is a proven combination in brush but not realy very good for target shooting.

270,308 or 30-06 will work in brush just fine with heavy bullets,light bullets will come apart on light brush because they are going so fast.I have 2 Savage bolt actions,a 110 in 270 and a 111 in 30-06 and they are very accurate for the price.They work well for hunting and informal target shooting.Pre-accutrigger Savages work fine and the triggers are adjustable.

7MM's are all good performers a long as you keep there speed down.Good target shooters

I have heard good things about the 303 british and 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser as far as brush hunting goes.The Swedish Mauser would make a better target gun then an Enfield.Enfields in good shape can still be found cheap,not sure about the mauser.Not sure whats out there for factory hunting loads for either.

I bet 7.5x55swiss would be good in the thick stuff but again finding proper ammo could be a problem.The K31 is a fun gun to target shoot.

7.62x39 in an SKS with proper ammo would work as long as you have a legal magazine,most states have a limit on capacity for hunting.I would not bother target shooting with one.

7.62x54rr If you can find an accurate rifle and proper ammo this could be a good brush set up.Good Luck!

6mm and 243 are a little light for brush but will work.Good target shooters.

44mag is good up close but because it is so short it tumbles easy.If you get a longer shot,say 75 yards or so and hit a piece of brush close to you it will just spin off someplace else.You can hear it buzzing threw the woods as the deer runs off.I used to have one,an H&R Shikari single shot,not a target shooter at any distance past handgun range.

Well here it goes,the 22mag. You said northeast and if you are in Maine you can legaly hunt deer with a 22mag.I ain't saying its right or wrong but its legal and it works.Fun target shooter.
 
A .35 remington Lever will do good. It usually shoots ~200-220 grain bullets which will go right through brush.
 
As has been previously mentioned, all brush deflects (or better, interupts) bullet flight. So for me a brush gun is one in which the gun itself is easy to carry and maneuver in thick stuff. I won't shoot thru brush or anything else to attempt to hit my target because I don't know what the bullet is going to do after its first encounter with twig, limb, etc. on way to said target.

My brush gun is a Remington 742 carbine, chambered in 30-06, topped with a 4x scope. Short, auto loader with an authoritative round.
 
depends upon your future usage:

deer & bear & feral hog: lever action .35 remington

varmint to deer: bolt action in .243, .25-06, .257 weatherby mag

varmint to caribou: bolt action in .30-06 (eg: varmints -- Reminton 55gr saboted accelerators up to caribou --220 gr soft points or partition-type loads)
 
Remington 7600 carbine in the caliber of your choice. They combine the speed and compactness of a levergun yet offer the power and accuracy of a bolt action
 
justsaymo, the mule deer is less than an inch southwest of the center of the picture. Her ears stick out like Obama's! :)
 
7600 carbine in .35 rem, .308 or 30.06

Their fast handling, accurate and reliable.

Mount a Williams WGRS peep and keep the sling in your pocket.
 
Lever action Marlin 30-30. Light, reliable, and taking deer at 150 is a non issue.
 
Inside of 200 yards I'd say that the 35 Rem w/ 200 Gr bullets is a great fit for a "brush gun", especially in a short carbine like a Marlin 336 or my personal favorite, Rem Model 8. I have a lot of toys in my safe, but my old Model 8 in 35 Rem has killed more deer & antelope than the rest combined. Just have to get in close ( relative here in Colorado ) and under 200 yards the big old 200grainer will get the job done.

Great old round in a handy package.
 
Hey everybody!
I had to respond to this because I too live in the NE (NH) and we suffer the same "problem". I don't hunt, but my buddy that is an AVID hunter settled on a good ol' Winchester 30/30 Lever Action. He loves the trusty iron sights, the rifle is long enough for accurate shots out to 300+ yds. and superb shots at 0-200 yds., but short enough to fit securely on his backpack for the hikes in/out. It never fails, has a great action, and is good in all temps. He isn't afraid to bang it around and scratch the "nice finish". It's a TRUE brush gun in every way. He has taken several deer and moose in his lifetime, and has convinced me, anyway, that my next rifle will probably be a good lever action like his. :)
 
I've hunted up and down the E.Coast. GA, SC, Conn.,MA, ME, and N.Brunswick, CA.

Either the .30/30 or .35Rem will do nicely.

No, they don't "buck brush" any better or perhaps as good as an '06 w/220gr bullets, or a 7mmMag w/175gr bullets. Or .45/70 or whatever.


However, the bullets loaded in the cartridges are optimized to the game and distances and velocities that you'll be hunting.

The rifles handle exceptionally well; pointing, swinging, and carrying well due to the ideal balance and short length they have "evolved" into.

I've got nearly 30 rifles suitable for the game you'll likely be hunting, but when faced with the choice of what rifle will go "hunting" on the next day, I usually take one of the Marlin levers in the aforementioned caliber. Especially if I'll be "still hunting" (a walking-stalking type of hunting) as apposed to hunting from a stand or shooting house over a "bean field" or cut-over, power-line ROW, or what-have-you. (For those I have another "variety").

I prefer a low power scope for picking out the "ears" and antlers through the brush and "threading" the shot through the openings; hence I favor the Marlins.

I think that if you went with the new Marlin .308MX in the 22" blue iteration and perhaps a Leupold or Nikon 2x-7x scope, that you'd have the best of both worlds. (Sorry, I DON'T like the BLR due to it handling like an off balanced 2x6).

A close second, and a preference if walking up on "food plots" in open woods is my Remington Mod7 in 7mm08 with a Leupold VariX-III 2.5-8x scope. It's quick to the shoulder, more than adequately accurate and powerful for any N.American use. It has a bit more "reach" than either of the two "Levers". My best friend killed a 1,200lb 6x6 bull elk with the rifle in '05. I too have a Rem Mod-7 in .223 that has killed more than it's fair share of whitetails. However, you'll be more than pleased with either a 7mm08 or .308wcf. Sorry, I ain't a .243 fan! (long story; as in 25yr career as gamewarden looking for deer wounded by .243's- a Loooonnnng story, at that!).

Good luck with your "choosing". I'm still trying "options" after 40yrs. Thats part of the fun and attraction of shooting and hunting for me.
(BTW; a friends son just killed a "whopper" of a 10pt buck with an SKS I sold him that I'd "cut down and trimmed up"; so those will work too!)
 
Brush gun. 336 Marlin 30-30, 170gr corelokt. Simple and effective, assuming you don't have great bear issues.

You would take a shot at 200 yds with iron sights?
Click to expand...

Might not be prefered optimal distance, but shouldn't be a deal breaker for the well practiced shooter.


Rem7600 is a good looking alternative too.
 
Sorry I'm not naming my thread quotes, but someone recommended an SKS . . . did you just buy one thinking Obama was coming to get you? SKSs are battle rifles. They're shooters, but not made for precision. They're also heavy . . . something you don't want in a brush gun, unless you're planning on knocking down the brush with IT. Great guns, though, I got 2, Chinese and Yugo.

I highly recommend the Browning BLR in 243 or 25-06. Light, simple, nice and accurate with good ballistics. I hang bolts on briars/vines/Gum saplings (I'm from S Arkansas, all we got is brush). Same goes for scopes. The rounds will do everything you're looking for and don't beat the crap out of you in the light rifle. Autos are fine and fun, but they don't have the accuracy potential that bolts and levers do. I don't mean from recoil flench, to head you auto freaks off. I like autos, too.

Cool pic of the Muley . . . looked for a long time . . . read on down . . . went back and finally saw her . . . pretty cool how they're just there if you know what you're looking for. BTW . . . if you thinks that's brush, come play in my backyard . . .
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

S
Looking for a brush gun
2 3 4
Replies
97
Views
2K
Ranger99
R
E
  • Locked
Whitetail calibers that "plow though brush"???
Replies
23
Views
3K
JohnMc
J
G
  • Locked
want to build a custom big bore brush gun.
Replies
19
Views
2K
BigBore44
BigBore44
T
  • Locked
gun cleaning: bore brush question
Replies
5
Views
939
ocabj
O
D
  • Locked
Nylon 66 or marlin 60??
Replies
21
Views
3K
CZguy
C
Back
Top