Ever hunt with a battle rifle?

[Kurt S.]

I've used my Yugo M-48 Mauser on hunts, haven't fired at anything with a heartbeat yet. I also have carried my SKS while working around my stand and feeder (out of deer season), just in case I got an opportunistic shot at a feral pig or coyote. Haven't carried the MN out to lease yet, but I probably will one of these days.

Now, my wife has put several smallish feral hogs down with her Bushmaster AR clone. DRT, as a matter of fact.

 

[Mannlicher]

My Colt HBAR has taken several 'yotes, and my M1A SOCOM has one pig now in the win column. I have taken several deer with my 1914 FN Mauser.

 

[Declaration Day]

I always use my M1 garands to hunt.

I am not much of a hunter; I own firearms primarily for target shooting and defense purposes. And being far from wealthy, I can't justify buying a hunting rifle to use one or two days per year.

 

[chickenfried]

Man, you poor guys. You need to move where you can be free, California . YOu can hunt with semi-autos and no limit on the number of rounds your rifle/magazine can hold in California.

Check with your game warden, but I'll bet that if you plug a mag to make it a single loader (not so that it holds one round, but so that it holds zero rounds--you just want to make it a platform--a place to set a round on with the bolt open) then it's legal to use a semi-auto. You'd just have to make sure that was the only magazine you had on you.

 

[Matt G]

I've carried a SMLE a few times deer hunting, and twice have turned down certain kill shots with 'em.

I've killed a doe with an '03 Springfield that had been put in a sporter stock but had near-stock iron sights. (Williams, rather than Lyman)

I've tried to scare up coyotes with an AR-15, but to no avail.

 

[Bottom Gun]

Check the law regarding magazine capacity. Most states I've hunted in limit capacity to 5 rd.

I sometimes hunt with my AR's. I use my AR15 for coyotes and Coues deer with 64gr Winchester Power Points.

I killed an elk two years ago using my AR10 in .308 with 180 gr Nosler Partitions.

They work just fine but be advised that if the Fish Cops see you in the field with one, they are going to stop to talk with you.

 

[rbernie]

Given your list of semi-autos, I think that a FAL or a Saiga would be a good choice (if a bit heavy). You'd probably want to invest the time/effort needed to get it 2MOA or better, but given my experiences I think that is achievable. Of course, you can always invest the $$$ in a AR-15 style semi and get a 6.8SPC upper for it; that would be a dandy hunting rifle.

I have chosen to go back in time a little more and stick to mostly bolt-action battle rifles simply because they're a lot lighter/easier to carry afield, and because they're a lot cheaper to build (sub-$300 total investment is my threshhold of pain).

Here's my Mauser battle rifle, circa 1895 - it's seen more than few deer fall to it:

And here's my 1944 Enfield No4Mk1 battle rifle - I use it for bigger stuff:

My Norinco SKS (with TechSight) is my current piggie gun. As soon as I finish cleaning up one of my other No4Mk1's, I'll probably retire the SKS to trunk gun duties and use the unscoped Enfield as the 'go-to' brush gun. I'm also working on a 1917 Enfield for deer/elk, and have a 1893 Turk in the wings.

But yeah - some of us hunt with MilSurps and find most traditional 'hunting rifles', even the ones already in the gunsafe, a tad boring....

 

[ChiefAutoParts]

I remember my dad shooting a doe mule deer one year with his Garand. Sure did a number on her! I have used a mini 14 for coyotes, foxes, raccoons, etc. I just like using the mini because it offers faster follow-up shots, the sound of the action working is silenced do to the "bang", I don't have to work the action, causing more movement and drawing the beast's attention to the movement of my hands after my first shot on multiple targets, and yes, more magezine capacity for multiple follow-ups on multiple targets. Still love my bolt guns, but sometimes, it seems like a semi-auto is the only way to go in certain hunting situations.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I've killed many a deer with an M1917 Enfield. I always wanted an 03A3. but could never afford one -- until I already had several scoped sporting rifles

 

[Johnny Guest]

HUNTED with, yes - - Taken game? Not much.

As a teenager, I carried a 1903A3 into the hills around El Paso, searching for deer, to no avail.

Some 35 years later, I occasionally lugged a No. 4 Mk 1 Enfield in full military trim around Clay County, Texas. Pretty heavy.

Oh, yes - - A sporterized Mauser '98 with iron sights.

I took a 'scoped M1A as backup on a hog hunt once, but never uncased it.


Johnny

 

[mustanger98]

Cool!
I want go try hunting with my VZ-24!

The problem with using a stock VZ-24 to hunt is the sights. The rear sight's lowest setting is 300m. The set-up, however, is a battle sight zero which is set up to hit minute of enemy to a certain distance- probably about 400m- without thinking about sight adjustments. This is generally done thinking in terms of vertical man-size targets where you aim for the belt buckle and hit center mass, or aim for the head and hit center mass depending on which side of mid range they are. For hunting purposes, you need sights set for known distances and know the distance of your shot. And have your sights and ammo set up to work together.

 

[Owen]

only woodchucks <splat>

 

[Kevlarman]

The problem with using a stock VZ-24 to hunt is the sights.

No worries, I've got a set of Mojos on my VZ!

 

[JShirley]

Yep. Doe 1: 173 yards. Doe 2 bolted. I shot her through a gap between branches, as she wondered where I was, at 128 yards. Rifle is 1903 Eatman sporter, firing 150 grain Winchesters.



John

 

[No_Brakes23]

Kevlarman said...
Is the AR considerer a battle rifle? I was thinking along the lines of an M1A, M1 Garand, or G3.

The M16A2 and was my service rifle for 8 years, and I think the M16 has been serving American servicemembers far longer than any other rifle.

Unless, of course, you mean .30+ milsurp when you say battle rifle.

As for me, I intend to take my sporterized, (Not by me,) Argie Mauser to the field. It has taken deer by another owner, long before I was born. The deer are a little elusive here in San Diego, though.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Quote:
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The M16A2 and was my service rifle for 8 years, and I think the M16 has been serving American servicemembers far longer than any other rifle.
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The M16 has been in service for 40 years now, from about '64-'65 to present. That makes it the longest serving Class A (preferred) rifle.

The longest serving rifle in total is the '03 Springfield. It was Class A for a little more than 30 years, and Class B (authorized substitute) for about 15 years more, and soldiered on in special applicatons (for example, as a sniper rifle) right up into the early years of the Viet Nam War.

Quote:
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Unless, of course, you mean .30+ milsurp when you say battle rifle.
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A "battle rifle" is generally considered to be a full-power rifle, and normally bolt action or semi-automatic only. That would mean the M1, M14, and so on.

The M16 and AK 47 and similar weapons are considered "Assault rifles" (from the German MP 44 Sturmgewehr). Assault rifles tend to be lighter and shorter than battle rifles, are chambered for an "intermediate" cartridge (less powerful than a battle rifle, but more powerful than a pistol or submachine gun) and capable of selective fire (semi- and full-auto.)

 

[No_Brakes23]

Vern Humphrey said...
Assault rifles tend to be lighter and shorter than battle rifles, are chambered for an "intermediate" cartridge

Ahhh, okay, that makes sense. So the .308 Autoloaders are all on the borderline, there?

 

[mustanger98]

Ahhh, okay, that makes sense. So the .308 Autoloaders are all on the borderline, there?

Ummm, no. .308Winchester is the same power +/- the .30-06 out to 800yds. If you like .30-06 for hunting purposes, you'll probably like .308 too.

From my understanding, 7.62x39 has about the same power as a .30-30, but I wouldn't swear to it. The deer camp shooting back in November- that guy used a SKS, but what made it deadlier is the fact that he was using SPs instead of FMJs. Not that an FMJ won't kill you too. For short range on deer, I don't see why not. But for deer out to 200yds, I'll take my old .30-30.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The 7.62X39 is about equal to the .30-30 in terms of energy, but with a lighter bullet. If you had to use 150 to 170 grain bullets in the 7.62X39, it couldn't keep up with the .30-30.

And please, NEVER use FMJs for hunting! In many states they are illegal. And they are always inhumane -- animals too often will escape to die a lingering death. Always use softnoses or equivallent bullets.

 

[mustanger98]

Thinking of .30cal. ammo, tell you what my Daddy loaded up for his '06- Hornady's 150gr RN (soft point) over 50grs IMR4064 to run 2700fps from his 22" barrel sporter.

Notice: Don't just quote me on this; consult your load manuals. I'm not liable for whatever stupid something you decide to do.

The results- a devastating double lung shot on a whitetail buck from 50yds in brush. The bullet punched both lungs and kept on going. Everything ahead of the diaphragm was turned to a mush the deer blew out his nose and mouth. That one went down and died fast within 20yds of where he was shot.

 

[No_Brakes23]

But the M14, G3, FAL and such are all derivative from the original Sturmgewehr, making them assault rifles, not battle rifles, but they chamber a "battle" cartridge.

Hence borderline. They meet the definitions of both.

 

[pinetree64]

I'd carry one of my carbines either the MN M-38 in 7.62x54 or my Yugo M-48A, 8mm. The others are too big and heavy. Note, in GA and I'm sure in other states, one limited to 5 rounds or less. I have a couple nice hunting rifles that get all of the action, but I've been very impressed with my Yugo and 180g Nosler BT's and may carry it on morning huntings in the woods.

tjg

 

[fb]

Learned to shoot and hunt with a 30/40 Krag. it did the job, killed lots of deer. That was fifty years ago, and my shoulder is still sore!

 

[RangerHAAF]

I hunt with an AK-47

IMO the Ak-47 is the best short to moderate range rifle for the deer hunting novice to take into the woods because it gives you a fast follow up shot. I've taken a few deer with it from about 15-25 yards using Wolf JHP's. Of course this was in Alabama, where there's an overabundance of them and in thick woods where you often get such close shots.

It is in the final analysis, a cheap, practical and very effective rifle to hunt with.

 

[mustanger98]

Well, they probably hunt with AK's a lot in Siberia. At least that's the image of probability I got reading "Last of the Breed" by Louis L'Amour.

Short range is about the only shot I'd take with an AK. I've heard between bad barrels and other issues (full auto among them, but irrelevant to this) a lot of AKs have minute of tractor tire accuracy at longer distances.