HuntingNet.com Forums

HuntingNet.com Forums (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/)

- Guns (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/guns-10/)

- - Brush Guns (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/guns/228063-brush-guns.html)

In the heavy brush people use guns like the 30/30 because the guns are light weight and short so you can move around in the brush easier than with a longer gun.

i own several rifles from .243 to 7mag and 30.06 but when i hunt the east texas thickets i reach for my marlin 30.30 i know on paper it's not so good but it just kills better than it's supposed to.

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Pavomesa

A lot of tests have shown the notion of "brush guns" is pretty much a myth. Light fast bullets tend to explode in brush. Heavier bullets get deflected. As for killing your game, one is about as bad as the other. Your situation probably depends on how far your shots are and what you might meet in the woods. Thick brush isn't great hunting ground for anything and I suspect you hunt the open spots where your 270 is fine. A 30/06 isn't terribly different from a 270 but it will give you a heck of a range of bullets to choose from and it shoots them all well. The 30 magnums only give you more of what you already don't need...more velocity to blow up bullets when they hit brush.

If you want to get into the woods and play jungle warfare, a 30/30 would be as good as anything.

The above is 100% accurate! If you want something a little different, get a BLR in .358 Winchester. It is no better if it has to shoot thru twigs and brush, but it makes a big hole so the blood trail is easier to find. In addition, it is a medium-range cartridge that is good all the way from 5 yards to 300.

Personally, I used my .270 Mannlicher/Schoenauer carbine (20" barrel) in the swamps of southside Virginia with absolute satisfaction!

Brush Gun (Marlin 30AS .30-30 rifle with plain iron sights)

I use my old Marlin .30-30 in the heavy brush, briars, and thickets, where I might have a
shot of only 50 yards - if that.

For longer ranges, I use my older Savage 110 .308 rifle with new Bushnell scope. It is my #1 rifle
and my main "go-to" gun. It literally kicks the snot out of the .30-30 and is way more accurate.

Not a brush gun (Savage 110 .308 rifle)

One rifle for one style of hunting, one for another. ....the best of both worlds! [8D]

Short barrel Browning BAR in 338WinMag with a 1x4 scope with illuminated reticle
or
Marlin Guide gun in 45-70.

Shootstuff makes a very valid point. The best thing you can do for a "brush gun" is just build a very short, handy rifle. I wouldn't use any caliber smaller that 6.5 diameter as most of the smaller stuff is just too explosive. In your situation, just stick with heavily built 150 gr bullets in your 270 is about as good as you can do.

Rather than try to buy a rifle to improve your odds, maybe the one thing that would help is simply some field work in your hunting area to study the best locations to give you the optimum field of fire etc. In other words, change hunting tactics rather than rifle.:)

Somwhere in some magazine they had an article on different calibers shooting thru "test brush" wood dowels and the 338 was king of that competition. The Benoits of vermont have been killing huge bucks in Vermont,Maine and Ontario for decades using 270 and 30-06 remington pump rifles. Save your money and spend it on something else.

The best brush gun would be a lever or pump action Remington. I really like my 1886 Winchester in 45-70 with a heavy cast bullet and open sights. But that rig is probably not the best.

The best Brush gun is a Remington Carbine pump rifle in 30-06. It has an 18 1/2 barrel. The best scope choice is a low variable. No higher than a 3X9. A 1-1/2 X 5 Zeiss is a great choice.

Bullet choice would be a 165 grain Sierra Gameking. Sight the rifle dead on at 75 yards. this rig will be on a rope out to 75 yards, so you can pick your hole. And then shoot through that hole. 270's are for sissy's. Go with the 30-06.:D:D:D:D Tom.

Remington also made that rifle in a 308 Winchester Those are the only two cartridges that I know of that they ever made the carbine in.

I was going to suggest a Reminton 760 carbine in something like .35 rem. or .35 Wheelan.If there is such a thing as a brush gun ,That would be my idea.

A 12 ga slug gun shooting standard rifled slugs. That is one of the few things I think you could actually shoot through brush that might not deflect too badly or deform the bullet too much. It is pretty much just a big heavy slow chunk of lead. I still wouldn't suggest shooting through a bush or something with one.

I agree with the others, when I think brush or woods gun I think of something that is quick handling and is designed for shorter range shooting. Like a carbine with a low powered scope or open sights.

As far as shooting through brush with a gun I think that might depend more on bullet choice than it would caliber to an extent. There are some bullets that would handle it better than others. Then again you would give up expansion on game to achieve this.

Paul