davidjr1994 Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 ok guys/gals i am looking to buy a new gun but i need it to be able to go through some brush it aint to thick but i am looking for something with a little more knock down power then a 30-30 any ideas and i am looking for something that is kinda cheap mybe around $200-$300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 45-70 or 35 whelen in a handi-rifle would fit the bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidjr1994 Posted August 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 i was thinking a 308 or 30-06 cuz i know somone selling a spring field armory for 250 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 Good calibers, but not known as "brush guns" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidjr1994 Posted August 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 i mean i can see the deer walking te trail easly i just cant get them with my 3 in sabot slugs it hits the leaf and goes to wherever it wants it might also be cuz i am shooting a rifled sabot slug out of a smoot bore barrel somone told me to try a 30-30 but to me it dosnt have enough knock down power for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrow32 Posted August 5, 2012 Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 I love my 30 30 great caliber and would use one on a deer any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidjr1994 Posted August 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2012 i was thinking a 3030 also but they want $600 for one here in north carolina but yet i can buy a 30-06 for $250 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rage man Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 brush gun 35 rem. Might be tough getting in on a budget cause theres not many used ones. Lots of people get em and hang on to em. I like 308 too in a heavy round nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidjr1994 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 only problem is they dont sell 35 rem. or the bullets here where i live in jacksonville nc they barly got any 30 30 and only 1 store sells the 45-70 the only ones we have a good stock of is 30-06 270 308 or a 223 and none in my budget i might just go for a good slug gun or go to the pawn shops to find a good hunting rifle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rage man Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 Some of those calibers are definitely tough to find. I personally feel that as long as you go up in grains any bigger rifle will do. the bullets that get deflected easiest are the light and fast ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 depends on what you're going after. a cheaper marlin or mossberg lever action will work. any "brush gun" distance for deer a 30-30 has more than enough. other good options are to find a used Remington 7600 pump action rifle in 30-06, 270, or 308. if you can't find them there's many bolt action rifles out there with a shorter throw bolt. they can be almost as quick handling too. if you can't find any of those in your budget then look into your single shot rifles. for a brush gun i really prefer a rifle that lets you make quicker follow up shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApexPredator Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 good brush gun 30/30 of any make will work in brush. If you like slugs you can't beat an Ithaca Deerslayer pump. Guess it depends on personal preference, target animal, and range you'll be shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultradog Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 (edited) Dad gave me a 30 30 Marlin for a HS graduation present let's see ahhh, 41 years ago. (Where'd the time go?) I layed down a heck of a lot of deer with that gun. Thick woods, brush, swamps, you name it but rarely a shot over 75 yards. I only bought a new rifle about 5 years ago because my eyes were changing and I decieded it was finally time for a scope. Plus I started hunting in an area where I can sometimes have a shot about 250 yards. Last time I shot the 30 30 was 3 years ago and I could still put a bullet into the end of a coffee can at 75 yards. Now I'm shooting a .270 with a 3x9 Leupold scope. But there have been a couple of times when I cursed that darned scope as the deer was fairly close and I couldn't easily find it in the scope. I really wished I had my rusty but trusty Marlin with me then. I think a real good brush gun would be a Marlin 30 30 with an inexpensive scope on it. Marlin is side eject and is drilled and tapped for scope mounts. Winchester is top eject so no scope. With an over/under mount you can still use the iron sights for close up or take a longer shot through the scope. Edited August 6, 2012 by Ultradog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultradog Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 Here is what you're looking for right here. Has the scope, over/under and about in your price range. Marlin 336 30-30 3x9 Scope : Lever Action Rifles at GunBroker.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 Can't go wrong with a 30-30, it's been known for that kind of hunting for years! I think my next rifle will be either a .35 Whelan or .358 Winchester. (.30-06 and .308 necked up to 35 caliber) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 If you have a .50 cal muzzleloader...why not just use it? If you don't, you probably need one anyway. It will do what you're asking a brush gun to do and you can use it during you PW season too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBD42 Posted August 7, 2012 Report Share Posted August 7, 2012 The 30-30 is like a religious emblem up here in northern MN! It works great in the brush with plenty of knock down power on these beefy northwoods bucks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbHunterNY Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 .... Marlin is side eject and is drilled and tapped for scope mounts. Winchester is top eject so no scope. With an over/under mount you can still use the iron sights for close up or take a longer shot through the scope. winchester model 94 30/30 i used as a kid had a tasco pronghorn mounted off to the left side. it seemed to work. dropped a lot of deer past 100 yards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 Welcome to the forums. I use a .270 for an all around here, works well for what I need it for for hunting in close in the swamp where there is a lot of junk and also works for covering fields. Most folks consider the 30-30 to be a good "brush gun", don't own one myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted August 8, 2012 Report Share Posted August 8, 2012 winchester model 94 30/30 i used as a kid had a tasco pronghorn mounted off to the left side. it seemed to work. dropped a lot of deer past 100 yards. Wouldn't take anything for my old 94! No scope just open sights on it, looks like it's been out a few times too lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 My take on a brush gun is a bit different than some. It's pretty much carved in stone...........bullets DO NOT deflect limbs. A 10 gauge slug makes, statistically, not much better of a "brush gun" than a .25-06 and a 100 grainer. Much more than a wispy little twig is sending both somewhere you weren't aiming. Here's my "brush gun" recipe: Pick a caliber. Any caliber.........so long as it's above an ethical minimum for killing what you're shooting at. Pick a rifle. Pick one that suits you well and one that will shoot half decent groups. Two inches at 100 yards for 3 shots, or so should be fine. It's best to choose a rifle that's that's compact. Maybe a 20 or 22 inch barrel for good maneuverability in tight, brushy places. Put a quality scope on top. A variable with 2x or 3X on the bottom end and 7x-10x on the top end is what I would consider best. Low power to make a quick shot with a wide field of view yet higher magnification for shots where you can take your time and see all the obstructions between you and the critter. Your best chance for taking game in the brush is with a well placed shot from a rifle accurate enough to MISS all the brush and hit all the tiny openings between you and the critter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 My take on a brush gun is a bit different than some. It's pretty much carved in stone...........bullets DO NOT deflect limbs. A 10 gauge slug makes, statistically, not much better of a "brush gun" than a .25-06 and a 100 grainer. Much more than a wispy little twig is sending both somewhere you weren't aiming. Here's my "brush gun" recipe: Pick a caliber. Any caliber.........so long as it's above an ethical minimum for killing what you're shooting at. Pick a rifle. Pick one that suits you well and one that will shoot half decent groups. Two inches at 100 yards for 3 shots, or so should be fine. It's best to choose a rifle that's that's compact. Maybe a 20 or 22 inch barrel for good maneuverability in tight, brushy places. Put a quality scope on top. A variable with 2x or 3X on the bottom end and 7x-10x on the top end is what I would consider best. Low power to make a quick shot with a wide field of view yet higher magnification for shots where you can take your time and see all the obstructions between you and the critter. Your best chance for taking game in the brush is with a well placed shot from a rifle accurate enough to MISS all the brush and hit all the tiny openings between you and the critter. Yeah, I think you said it best Don. I think of brush guns more in terms of being compact in size, not really so much in caliber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CENTRAL_FL_THWACK Posted August 10, 2012 Report Share Posted August 10, 2012 good brush gun My brush/stand gun is a Rem. 742 that has been rebarrelled to .358 win. And only 18 in. It has a fixed 2 and 3/4 power Burris scout scope. I am quite comfortable with shots out to 150 yards or as close as the bottom of the tree I am sitting in. I think that the .358 win is such a great caliber just wish more people would feel the same way so more gun makers would make versions of their firearms available in this caliber! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
too_pointer Posted August 11, 2012 Report Share Posted August 11, 2012 The 30-30 is like a religious emblem up here in northern MN! It works great in the brush with plenty of knock down power on these beefy northwoods bucks! Hello. Here in Mich, at least the northern areas, a lever action in 30 30 or .35 Rem. was by far the most popular . I just bought a new Marlin 336 in .35 rem. I paid around $500 + tax for it. I also saw many used ones for half the price. The newer Hornady Leverlution (sp), makes a .35 a potent load and claims distances of up to 300 yards. Good luck with what you pick. :gun1: too_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowhunter97 Posted August 12, 2012 Report Share Posted August 12, 2012 I read the title and though 30-30 or 243 but its up to u what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.