cdb1
Member
I’m not holding my breath.
Ranch rifle recommendations
- Thread starter Hog huntin Harry
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Hog huntin Harry
Member
Concerning what animals I might encounter, I've seen with my eyes a mountain lion cub in a pecan orchard on the San Antonio river.
Every full grown bobcat I see is 30-50lbs, much more than the 15-20lbs Texas parks and wildlife claims.
Every full grown bobcat I see is 30-50lbs, much more than the 15-20lbs Texas parks and wildlife claims.
35 Whelen
Member
If you shoot a bear in Texas, the firearm with which you killed it will be immaterial as it's illegal to kill them.
35W
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Hog huntin Harry
Member
In that case I suppose a 6.5 creedmoor will serve me well.
BigBlue 94
Member
Its illegal to kill a mountain lion here in KS. Unless its an immediate threat to you... Same with black bear and elk.
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Hog huntin Harry
Member
Here in Texas mountain lion are considered non game animals, there's no restrictions on hunting em.
(Within the laws of course)
I have a Ruger ranch in 7.62x39 which I really like, its does well at 150-200yds its light weight compact and fun to shoot. This wouldn't be a bad way to go either, https://ruger.com/products/americanRifleRanch/specSheets/36926.html
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Hog huntin Harry
Member
"In Texas, the Mountain Lion is found throughout the Trans-Pecos, as well as the brush lands of south Texas and portions of the Hill Country. Sighting and kill reports indicate that Mountain Lions now occur in more counties than they did 10 years ago and appear to be expanding their range into central Texas." - Texas Parks and Wildlife.gov
BigBlue 94
Member
KS W&P finally admitted that lions were here just a couple years ago. People have been seeing them for 30 years. Both them and black bears do wander our plains, but they are not "native" species and therefore have no season. Meaning you cant hunt them at all. But self protection is another thing entirely. The bears mainly stay southeast near Arkansas but the lions are fearless and wander in rural-suburban type areas. Seen one run between two houses that weren't 50 ft apart, off of my 7 acres.
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Hog huntin Harry
Member
I was wrong, you can hunt lion year round, but you must have a valid hunting license.
BigBlue 94
Member
Ha thats how yote's are here. Can even use vehicles and radio communications on them alone. But you have to have a furbearers license to sell the fur. The need for a truck or woods carry gun other than a 22 here is pretty well for two-legged-snakes. Especially with all the meth heads out in the rural areas. Ive only seen the one lion, no bears, and a few bobcats ever. And only tracks and roots of wild hogs. They havent moved up here yet much.
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Hog huntin Harry
Member
In my parts we've got quite a bit of cartel. There's lots of desolate back roads that are know for illegal activity in the early morning hours of 1:00AM - 3:00AM
cdb1
Member
I guess “native” has more than one definition. I’m not positive about black bear but I’m positive mountain lion are indigenous to Kansas and were extirpated.
cdb1
Member
I assume you meant Kansas.
WisBorn
Contributing Member
I think @Armored farmer and others have made a great recommendation with the Ruger American Ranch Rifle.
If a nice used rifle is in the mix a model 7 Rem is another handy choice.
Many good cartridge options 243, 260, 7mm-08 , and 308 are all good ones. Farmer's 7.62x39 would work nice also.
If a nice used rifle is in the mix a model 7 Rem is another handy choice.
Many good cartridge options 243, 260, 7mm-08 , and 308 are all good ones. Farmer's 7.62x39 would work nice also.
BigBlue 94
Member
Yes you are correct, 250 years ago we had black bear and a few grizzlies, wolves, mountain lions, bison, and pronghorn. And we still occasionally get an un-fossilized mammoth skull show up floating down a river after being exposed by erosion (the giant brain cavity traps enough air to float). Now the pronghorn are the only ones left and are exclusive to the western reaches of KS. Deer were not common here 75 years ago still because of over hunting. Elk would occasionally roam into the high plains in the far west. Now they are relegated to transplants at Ft Riley and the smoky hill training range.
No bison or deer meant the lions and bears had nothing to eat, so they fled or were killed. The bears and lions we have now are usually young males who are roaming for a territory up from the Ozarks or from the Rockies.
jleyring
Member
I think the 3 rifles you listed are all great options for a truck gun. For me if it was going to be a beat up truck gun then I would mostly look towards price. Whichever I could get the better deal on. With that said, I think the Ruger would give you the best deal. As for caliber, you cant go wrong with a 270 Win or 308 Win for a very versatile caliber for most game.
ThomasT
Member
I have always liked the Howa Ranchland rifles. I never could find the exact model I wanted at GB or Buds. I had sort of forgot about them. Here is a review on one of them in 308. https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/gun-review-howa-1500-ranchland-rifle/
I have a couple of rifles like you are looking for. A Remington model 7 in 7-08. Its at the top of my list for favorite guns. Mine is the original version with 18.5" barrel and schnabal forend. Another is an old model 700 made in the mid 1960s IIRC in 30-06. I paid $200 for it because all the shiny finish was flaking off. So I refinished it and at first had a Leopold scope on it but a couple of years ago I removed the scope and put on a Williams Guide Peep. I really like that set up. And if it gets scratched or dinged its no big deal. Its sort of a beater rifle or truck gun. But it will group. Normally just over an inch to inch and a half. I bought a Ruger American last year in 243 and its been a very good rifle so far. I would like one in 7.62x39 to go with my two SKS rifles. So I can recommend the American model as well.
Of course I have 30-30's, 357 and 44 mag lever guns and all make good truck guns. The 357 and 44 mag are range challenged but I sure like shooting them.
I used to be on a lease in Graham Tx and we had mountain lions that would walk around our little camp when no one was there. We saw the tracks of a mother with cubs. Once while walking down a sandy path I spooked a ML coming towards me. I saw its tracks where it jumped off the trail and into the brush. And they were fresh.
Another time driving to the west side of lake Whitney early in the morning a black panther ran across the road in front of me. It didn't last more than 3 seconds but it was really neat seeing it. A guy on a bike was coming the other way and I don't think he even saw it. My uncle was on a lease in Miridian a little further west from there and they were told they had two black panthers around there and to shoot them if they got the chance because they would chase the deer out.
I have a couple of rifles like you are looking for. A Remington model 7 in 7-08. Its at the top of my list for favorite guns. Mine is the original version with 18.5" barrel and schnabal forend. Another is an old model 700 made in the mid 1960s IIRC in 30-06. I paid $200 for it because all the shiny finish was flaking off. So I refinished it and at first had a Leopold scope on it but a couple of years ago I removed the scope and put on a Williams Guide Peep. I really like that set up. And if it gets scratched or dinged its no big deal. Its sort of a beater rifle or truck gun. But it will group. Normally just over an inch to inch and a half. I bought a Ruger American last year in 243 and its been a very good rifle so far. I would like one in 7.62x39 to go with my two SKS rifles. So I can recommend the American model as well.
Of course I have 30-30's, 357 and 44 mag lever guns and all make good truck guns. The 357 and 44 mag are range challenged but I sure like shooting them.
I used to be on a lease in Graham Tx and we had mountain lions that would walk around our little camp when no one was there. We saw the tracks of a mother with cubs. Once while walking down a sandy path I spooked a ML coming towards me. I saw its tracks where it jumped off the trail and into the brush. And they were fresh.
Another time driving to the west side of lake Whitney early in the morning a black panther ran across the road in front of me. It didn't last more than 3 seconds but it was really neat seeing it. A guy on a bike was coming the other way and I don't think he even saw it. My uncle was on a lease in Miridian a little further west from there and they were told they had two black panthers around there and to shoot them if they got the chance because they would chase the deer out.
cdb1
Member
My sister and her husband have lived on the outskirts of San Angelo for 30 years. She swears up and down she saw a “black panther” 20 years ago while walking very early one morning. She is definitely not the type to make something like that up.
Yet scientists say black mountain lions don’t exist and in fact due to genetics it is impossible for black mountain lions to occur. Black(melanistic) jaguars do exist but jaguars were extirpated in Texas over 100 years ago. There are no verified photos of black mountain lions. Science has been wrong before but I tend to believe there are no black mountain lions. I’m also not trying to be a jerk but have been fascinated with big cats my whole life and have done a bunch of reading specifically about melanistic big cats.
Below is an excerpt from Texas Parks and Wildlife: “Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion.”
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/mlion/
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35 Whelen
Member
I assure you, with the I hundreds of thousands of game cameras in Texas, if there was a black lion anywhere, SOMEONE would have a picture of it.
That said, Big Thicket Legacy is a great read in which the author interviewed residents of the area of southeast Texas known as the Big Thicket. According to r he interviewees panthers were a serious problem around and before the turn and the 20th century.
35W
That said, Big Thicket Legacy is a great read in which the author interviewed residents of the area of southeast Texas known as the Big Thicket. According to r he interviewees panthers were a serious problem around and before the turn and the 20th century.
35W
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ThomasT
Member
I have told that story here before and had some ask if maybe I just saw a large kitty cat. If it was a house cat it was around 6-7' long from nose to tail and weighed I would guess around 60 pounds. I know what I saw. No cell phones in those days and nobody would have been fast enough to get a picture anyway.
I don't know if it was a panther or black Cougar but it was big, black and fast. And like I stated my uncle and the others on his lease were told there were two of them that had been sighted and to shoot on sight. I don't care what the TPW says I saw what I saw. And it was in bright morning sunshine.
If that cat would have waited just another second before it ran in front of my truck I would have had all the proof the TPW would have needed.
I don't know if it was a panther or black Cougar but it was big, black and fast. And like I stated my uncle and the others on his lease were told there were two of them that had been sighted and to shoot on sight. I don't care what the TPW says I saw what I saw. And it was in bright morning sunshine.
If that cat would have waited just another second before it ran in front of my truck I would have had all the proof the TPW would have needed.
cdb1
Member
Are you saying panthers and cougars are different animals?
Blnt4rcetrauma
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I’m on a Facebook group of hunters in Rocksprings area and there have been multiple sightings of a black bear this week alone. Trying to figure out if it’s the same bear or not
cdb1
Member
Due to the proximity of Rocksprings to Mexico and the Trans-Pecos that’s plausible to me.
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