Short range shots on deer and hog

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Hi I'm new :D

I'm going back into the woods, or rather swamp, this year to see if I can bring out a deer or hog. I've been away from hunting for about 30 years and I'll be going with some friends who tell me that every shot will be inside 50 yards. When I was younger I took deer with a 16 ga. slug in 30 yard territory. When I was younger, that was all I had so I had to make that do, and I passed up shooting plenty of deer that were well out of range for a shotgun slug. When I was younger, I had much better sight :what:

I now have a 30/30 with a bright scope. I practice shooting both the shotgun and rifle at least two times each month. I'm sort of anal about marksmanship and sadly, at 25 yards I would much prefer my shotgun and at 50 yards the rifle. Sometimes I get so twisted about stuff... anybody have any wisdom for a silly old man?

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If 50 yards is the max I would go with irons myself but I have pretty good eyesight. I feel any scope that is not a 1 or 1.5X would be too much that close. Might be a good application for a red dot if you can afford one that you can leave on (or is always on) without dead batteries when you need it. At 50 yards you are not going to have time to play with your equipment so it has to be always ready.
 
its real easy to lose your target in thick stuff when you are looking thru a scope. get a red dot, a holographic, just go with open sights and some new glasses.
 
Good remarks. :) FWIW, I'd go with a 12 ga slug, if you can hit at 50 yards. I've found that buck shot sucks rocks for hogs. My slug gun has rifle (open) sights and works very well to 75 yards.
 
Thanks for the ideas. This is where that 'good intentions' expression comes from. I should have given a lot more thought to the situation I was going to be using the 30/30 for before I purchased the glass.
 
This would be a good set up. It is on a 1894, but can be adapted to a 336 and I believe a Win. 94. It is the Burris Fastfire reddot. It is small and light.

1894%20Burris%20right%20closeup.jpg


1894%20Burris%20right.jpg


It would be fast and deadly out past 50 yards or so...
 
12 g with rifle sights is deadly up to 65 yds. Those hogs will not run away any farther.
 
Put a peep sight on your .30-30 and call it a day. Although for the ranges you indicate, a .357, .44Mag or .45Colt carbine would be perfect. I wouldn't abuse myself with a slug gun if I didn't have to.
 
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I agree. If you are talking max 75 yards, take the scope off & spend some time at the range and familiarize yourself with the 30-30's iron sights.
 
i vote for the low powered scope. the peeps are to hard to see through, in low light. also the scope will help you see the obstructions if your hog is screened. as an aside i once shot a pig at six inches from the muzzle of my marlin 336, i stood by a trial as he walked by, aimed the gun like a pistol with one hand.
listen for them in the water and sneak up. my favorite way of hunting hogs. the fun is over after you shoot though. hot weather you will need a lot of ice. i tend to target the smaller hogs.
 
Sounds like fun. What power is the scope? It might be low enough power to keep. If not...as mentioned here...take it off and get used to the iron sights. You can always put it back on later if your needs change. Then, you didn't spend any more money either.
 
Nikon Prostaff 3x9x40

Lots of good suggestions but I think iron sights makes the most sense. I have a fantastic Leupold FX1 4x28 for my Model 60 with paralex set at 60 yards but I'm going to have to do some reading to see if they say its ok on 10 pound felt recoil guns. In the first version of this email (before I timed out) I had the group data and was trying to talk myself into just using the shotgun but out at 50 yards i might be 6" left or right and 3 high or low - seems like it just starts floating everywhere in that range. At 25 easily inside 2".

Thanks guys
 
A 3-9x, while obviously the most popular choice, is waaaay too much scope for your average .30-30 rifle, for the purposes most would put it to. A low powered variable would be a much better choice, if it 'must' wear an optic.
 
The Nikon ProStaff in 2-7x32mm is a much better 30-30 scope; maybe you can return it or trade it. A scope set on 2x will give you the ability to get on target pretty quick.

You are on the right track with this rifle instead of the shotgun. Most 30-30 chambered rifles are easily capable of 1.5MOA accuracy if you find the right load. Good luck.
 
Dense surroundings, less than 50 yards,,,,
That probably means you won't have much time to aquire your target and fire.

I'd opt for open sights too, preferably a wide leaf or buckhorn,
and maybe one of those 'fireglow' high visibility insert things for the front sight.
I think that would be quicker, and about as accurate as you could be with a scope-
even if you had the extra time to use it.
 
I would stick with the .30-30. If the scope is variable, back it to the minimum setting & shoot the fire out of it @ 50 yrds. With deer, shot placement is not as vital as it is for the piggies. Dinner plate accuracy is fine for getting a killing shot into a deers vitals.

For hogs, you really want to hit the light switch behind the ear to get an instant drop & clean innards, and that means having a lot of confidence in being able to place an accurate shot. Practice A LOT at the expected distances.

You can boiler-room the pigs if you are exterminating, but for eating I really like a cleaner kill.
 
Since you already have the 30-30 with a scope and practice with it, my advice would be to pick your shot and don't get in a hurry.

The biggest challenge you will face is managing the buck fever when the adrenaline hits your system. But, it has been 30 years and you are due for the rush.
 
3x, while maybe not ideal, should work fine. My .30-30 has a fixed 4x on it. I haven't taken shots on running deer, but for the hunting I have done in .30-30 range it has worked fine. I would go to the range, set up a target at 10, 20, 35, and 50 yards if possible. See how fast you can come on target at each distance with your scope. It should let you know if it's too much scope or if it will work ok. If it doesn't work then I would look for either better iron sights if your eyes are ok with them or a low/no magnification scope.
 
3 X is about all you'd need for a hog in the swamps. And a 2 X might even be better. They fidget around a lot, even if they are on bait. so you want the widest view possible. On my Winchester I use the Williams peep sight. It's real good out to 50 yards with my old eyes. And usable at 100 if they're in a clearing..
 
I would not go above a 32mm objective on a short range rifle, maybe even 26mm - to keep the scope down close to the bore, it being a lever action and wanting a good cheek weld, and a fixed power somewhere between 2x and 4x, or a variable 1-4x or 1-6x will be good out to 100 yards.
 
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