What rifle/carbines do you use for deer, hogs and/or black bear??

[scythefwd]

.50 muzzle loader
20 ga
.308 out to 200... im not good enough of a shot to stretch it to 500.

 

[NYH1]

All good choices.

My go-to rifle is a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in .30-06. On horseback, I carry a Winchester Model 94 in .30-30 with a Williams 5D peep sight.

In addition to those two, I occasionally use a 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser with a 3X9 scope (mine was sporterized by Kimber) and a .30-40 Krag with a cocking piece sight.

Hunting on horse back must be awesome! We used to be able to use our ATV's but in 1996 they made it illegal to use them one state land. You can use them on your own land. The liberals from New York City that never lever the city were worried about the damage ATV's will do to logging roads that huge skidsters and bulldozer made, that will be there for ever. There really isn't much open space to use horses. It'd be cool though!

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Hunting on horse back must be awesome! We used to be able to use our ATV's but in 1996 they made it illegal to use them one state land. You can use them on your own land. The liberals from New York City that never lever the city were worried about the damage ATV's will do to logging roads that huge skidsters and bulldozer made, that will be there for ever. There really isn't much open space to use horses. It'd be cool though!

We had 3500 acres, mostly wooded, rugged Ozark hills and hollers. I killed many a deer while riding out looking for cattle and other chores.

Nowadays, while I only have 185 acres, I have access to about 2,000 more -- my property is the cork in the bottle, and everyone who owns property south of me has to come through my place. So no one objects if I ride and hunt on their property -- in fact, since most of the property owners are absentees, I'm kind of the game warden and sheriff of this valley.

Deer hunting with a horse is simple -- deer will only go a short way when spooked by a horse. By the time they turn around to see what's what, I'm out of the saddle with my .30-30. My horse is trained to stand while I load the carcass behind the saddle.

 

[NYH1]

Nice!

 

[GreyCoupe]

Win Model 70 SS Coyote in .243

SA M1 Garand in .308

 

[Bobson]

1- My main gun for 2 to 200 yard hunting is a Bushmater BAR-10

2- My gun for thick brush, deep woods and still hunting where my shots will most likely be 75/100 yards max is a Bushmaster BAR-10

3- My long range gun for watching fields or where my shots may be longer then 200 yards is a Bushmaster BAR-10

Three excellent choices, comrade. You have commendable taste in firearms. Great looking rifle.

 

[mdauben]

I'm on the three gun plan for deer, hogs and black bear.

I guess I'm on the "Two Gun Plan" then, because my choices would be:

• Close range/heavy cover - Marlin 336A in .30-30 w/peep sights.
• Long range/open terrain - Savage 114 in .270 or Savage 111 in .30-06 w/scope.

I don't actually have the second one currently, having until relativly recently lived in an area that did not allow rifles for deer hunting (shotguns, muzzle loaders, and bows only).

 

[NYH1]

Win Model 70 SS Coyote in .243

SA M1 Garand in .308

My friend has a model 70 SS Coyote in 300 WSM. He bought it in '02 or '03 to go on a moose hunt in British Columbia. Shot his moose at about 280 yards. He also shot a 300 lbs. hog at 100 yards or so. Nice rifle.

 

[NYH1]

I guess I'm on the "Two Gun Plan" then, because my choices would be:

Close range/heavy cover - Marlin 336A in .30-30 w/peep sights.
Long range/open terrain - Savage 114 in .270 or Savage 111 in .30-06 w/scope.
I don't actually have the second one currently, having until relativly recently lived in an area that did not allow rifles for deer hunting (shotguns, muzzle loaders, and bows only).

Those will make a great "Two Gun Plan"!

You leaning towards the 270 or 30-06?

 

[pikid89]

I use a Ruger M77 MKII with the Zytel canoe paddle stock in .270 Win for deer and hogs here in Florida. As soon as they open black bear for hunting, ill use it for one of those as well.
Hard to beat the .270 130gr Core-Lokt for hunting anything in North America (except the big bears)

 

[AK_Maine_iac]

No hogs up here. The four legged type that is. The deer are small, but as soon as you shot one the dinner crowd shows up. Big bears always answer the dinner bell.
So i always hunt with one of these. 338Win Mag Weatherby Vanguard, 35Whelen T/C Encore, 338Federal Armalite AR, Marlin 1895 45.70.

 

[mdauben]

Those will make a great "Two Gun Plan"!

I like to think so. Of course there's a number of other guns I would love to add, but until I hit the lotto and can buy them all I think these two will do for now.

You leaning towards the 270 or 30-06?

Probably leaning towards the .270 for its slightly flatter trajectory. The .30-06 has the advantage of handling heavier bullets, but I think for any game I'm likely to shoot in the southeast, a good 130gr load in the .270 should be plenty.

 

[BrocLuno]

Depends on how far I have to hike and how rough the terrain is? If I'm truck or ATV hunting almost anything will do.

If I'm in rocky tough terrain - prolly my sporter 7.7 JAP Arisaka as it's the lightest I own at 7 1/2 lbs. Next up is the Savage 99 in 308.

After that, it's whatever I feel like. I will not carry my uncles 1903-A3 very far as that thing is a beast at like 11 lbs.

For close in brushy work, it'll be the Marlin 336 30-30, but not for bears.

 

[JohnB]

Two rifles I have had forever:

Rem 700 BDL .25-06 I purchased new in 1972. It's killed more deer than I can remember with hand loaded Nosler Partition bullets that I started loading the first year I bought the rifle.

Remington 600 Mohawk in .308 is my short, light, close work tool.

I recently "built" a pawn shop Rem. 870 Wingmaster 12 ga. with rifled barrel, Nikon Slughunter scope, and a Rem. thumbhole synthetic stock. I have not had the chance to shoot it enough to build confidence in it yet.

I have to force myself to take anything but the .25-06 because it's like an extention of my body from using it for so long.

 

[Jonny V]

Here she is......No one moves after a 430 grain kiss.......

 

[1simpson1]

1. From 2Y-200Y yards. DPMS SASS W/ Fullfield II Tactical 3-9

2. Thick Brush 10Y / Deep woods 75Y. DPMS SASS W/ Eotech 516

3. Overwatch 200Y-600Y DPMS SASS W/ Vortex PST 4-16 FFP

You cant get a more well rounded package than the SASS. 180Gr Hornady SST Puts a very large hole in whitetail.

Forgot to mention all optics with Larue Tactical QD mounts

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I have two rifles suitable for the game mentioned. Neither caliber is better than the other.

NEF Handi Rifle in .280 with a cheapo BSA Deerhunter scope.

Weatherby Vangaurd .30-06 with a Leupold Rifleman 3-9x40.

I bought the Handi Rifle when I was a broke newly married guy. I had a seriously low budget and the Handi did the trick. When I was able to buy a little better rifle and scope, I couldn't bring myself to get rid of the .280 since I killed my first deer with it. Plus, I love the caliber. I reckon I'll keep her, though I will eventually put a better scope on it. I haven't hunted with it in 3 years. I think I'll pull it out and try to bag a deer with it this year for old times sake.

Of course I also have a .50 cal muzzleloader, but only because you can't use a centerfire year around. I long for the day that Arkansas comes around and allows single shot .45-70s instead of the smoke poles.

 

[Gordon]

Since Calif. has gone unleaded. my go to is a 1999 Winchester SS Classic .270 WSM with 130 Triple Shoks. Add Elk and it's a .375 H&H Brown Precision 700 SS Remongton as those hunts are pricey now.

 

[Jonny V]

Hey Gordon....any elk meat left after you hit one?

 

[phaedrus]

Oops. The rain just typed my first post on this forum on my smartphone. Sorry!