first rifle

[doubleg]

So I have decieded to purchase a rifle for hunting. Because of my location I have always been forced to use slug guns, but I plan to hunt in less populated areas more often. What does everyone suggest for a well made, low cost (maybe military suplus) rifle that would actually be useful in a extremely hilly area thats very heavily wooded.

 

[ojibweindian]

Get yourself a used Marlin 336 or Winchester '94. Those rifles were made for the terrain and flora like that which you describe.

 

[Sniper4Life]

I agree especially about the winchester 94. If you cant find one, a mosin or a sks will work fine.

 

[mustanger98]

I subscribe to .30-30Winchester. Marlin 336 and Winchester 94 are both great rifles athough some will argue towards one or the other. I carry and shoot a 94 and if you can find a pre-safety example in good shape for a low price, it'll be a good deal. I recommend adding either a Lyman #2 tang sight or Williams Foolproof with target knobs. On my 94, I have capability to use either of those as I choose (the FP I don't keep mounted, but have it if I need more precission like if I'm going to shoot a target match with my main deer rifle). 150gr or 170gr Winchester PowerPoint and Remington CoreLokt are both good ammo. Just ask that buck at near 100yds I shot Thanksgiving evening with a 150gr CoreLokt... oh, wait, you can't; he's in my freezer and he ain't complaining. Oh, and contrary to what some folks say about .30-30's, they're good to 200yds with the usual ammo, but handloading and spitzers (with some safety considerations) extends that range out to 300yds. Plus, there's that new LeveRevolution ammo Hornady came out with that's a spitzer built to be safe in a tube magazine.

That said, if you look on Gunbroker.com, there's generally some British .303 Enfield's... some have been lightened up to hunt with. Some can be had cheap if you just keep your eyes open. PMP offers a 174gr softpoint hunting load that's manufactured to Mk7 ball spec and the enfield's sights are calibrated to this round's trajectory.

Some people want to say 7.62x39 is like .30-30 numbers-wise, but I'm not sure that's right. 7.62x39 carries a lighter bullet; I'd say energy drops off sooner. I'll have to look it up in the Hornady manual.

 

[rangerruck]

beside a lever, you should look for an old remmy 600 or 688, mohawk with the 16 or 18 inch bbl. they came in 243, 7.08 and 308 cals, and my all time fave , the 6mm remmy. like a 243 on steroids. Also new, a good combo package savage or stevens will fill the bill nicely.

 

[mustang_gt_350]

+1 mohawk

Totally agree with rangerruck. I have been using my mohawk in the 6mm since my grandfather gave it to me 12 years ago. No problems with lack of power for whitetail kills using the factory 100gr core lockt, but recently i have been loading with the 95gr Combined technology silver tips from nosler.
Nice and short for a climber tree stand, and also very easily carried into brush and briars. with sling and a 3-9 scope it weighs right about 7lbs

 

[19-3Ben]

I'm not a hunter, I don't pretend to be, nor do I play one on T.V.
So my $0.02 may in fact be worth less than that.

I've heard good things about the Mossberg ATR if you are looking for cheap, light, and if you want brand new rather than used/milsurp.
i have no experience with it though, so can't recommend it. just saying give it a look. On paper, it seems to fit the niche you looking to fill.

 

[rangerruck]

mmm.... do you have pics of that mohawk, mr. mustang? also , tell me about that 95 grain loading? why did you decide to go with that over the 100 grners? It allways seemed the perfect weight for the 6mm to me, and remmy does a fine jobe with their corelokt bullet.

 

[ECVMatt]

+ 1 for the leverguns..

I would go with a Marlin, but that is just my preference. Nothing hunts better in the woods than a good levergun.

I do like compact boltguns like the 600's, Model 7's and Ruger Compacts, but they seem to cost more that the average levergun.

.30-30 it the way to go. The .35 Rem has certain attributes, but it harder to find most of the time. .30-30 is everywhere.

Matt

 

[mustang_gt_350]

ranger, I don't have any pics at this time but if i can remember i will try to have somone snap some digital pics of them with a good camera, I can take them with my cell but they won't look as nice. It has seen its days, when i was given the rifle he gave it to me to be used, so it does have its fair share of woods time in the rain, sleet, hail, and all of the pa hunting weather. The stock has some wear on it but ther action and barrel are all in good shape.

No real reason for using the 95gr's other than just to try somthing different.