I agree...the way the gun "handles" makes it a brush gun. Not the caliber. A 30-30 is fine. Your 270 Ruger is fine. Keep shooting it. A lot. It will then become your brush gun. I use a Browning BLR in 257 Roberts. Short/light/quick handling and flat shooting enough to poke through those little holes in the brush.

I have 6 Brush Guns.. Just because I like short rifles

WeatherbyVangard VGL in 243
Remington Model Seven in 243
Remington Mohawk in 6mm
Ruger Compact in 7mm-08
TC Encore in 308
Handi Rifle in 444 Marlin

If you need a short barreled rifle to handle it in brush, you are probably doing something wrong with your hunting strategy. The only hunting strategy that I know of where you spend a lot of time walking through thick stuff is driving. I've done a lot of deer drives and everyone tends to carry either a remington 740 or 760 series rifle or sometimes a bolt rifle. The guys that I drove with would put away their leverguns and bring out one of the above mentioned rifles for drives for the simple reason that a 1/2cock makes the rifle way to slow to use when you have a split second to bring the rifle up and shoot.

Another reason to choose a bolt gun over a levergun for woods hunting:

Under a canopy of the forest, its going to be quite a bit darker than out in the open. A scope is a huge advantage even at shorter ranges due to light gathering. Winchester 94s don't lend themselves well to mounting a scope though Marlins do. A scoped marlin or Winchester isn't going to be any faster or lighter than a scoped bolt action, and I'd argue any day that a bolt action can make faster follow up shots than a levergun, despite the myth that levers are faster.

For methe issue is deer drives,becauseI don't hunt that way. But the Brush gun is nice to have on the walk into and out of the stand in the woods.. Plus it is easier to manuver in a tree stand than a long barrell..

If you want the best of both worlds-get a light,short,fast handling rifle,either bolt or lever in any of the short cartridges with a shorter barrel. My thoughts would be a 7mm08,.308,.338 federal,or my fav,a .358 winchester in a browning blr or a a-bolt. That way,you get a fast shouldering rifle with same range as a .270 out to 250-300 yards.

Brush Gun as defined as a light fast handling gun. Concider any short action bolt with a 21 " or shorter barrel. For this the 308win, 338fed, and 358win would all be tops. Also the lever actions guns would be top rate as well. The the BLR and marlins 336. The already mention is offered in the BLR, and 35rem, 444marlin, and 45-70 are hard hitting cartridges for the 336. A 1-4 or 1.5-5 power scoped would be perfect for a brush gun. Where shots of only 10-15 yards are quite common.

I use the 270win 35rem, 358win, and 35whelen all for deer and up close the 35's areextreamly effective with top ranges of 150 to 250 yards and all damage less meat than the 270win. Its do to theit medium velocities that range from 2100 to 2700 fps and they make big holes. With deer size game the differance of the 35 cals is not that dramatic but starting with plus 300lbs to 1500lbs game the increase in their effectiveness it is very aparent.

[quote]ORIGINAL: The Rifleman

I whole heartedly agree with Paxomesa - there is nothing that is going to penetrate brush - other then a bazooka.

Use a good 30 caliber rifle with common sense and you will get lot's ofgame.

I also agree that on close shots that a 30/30 Winchester rifle is as good as any out there.


I agree with Rifleman, nothing is going to penetrate brush. When people refere to "brush guns" they are refering to the size of the rifle it self. Short guns like carbines and levers are considered brush guns. It sounds like you hunt pretty much the same terraine I do and I use a 336 Marlin in 30-30 for deer and 45-70 for larger game. Along with the new LE ammo from Hornady, these combinations are the way to go for brush guns.

i was always told to use a short barreled 12ga with slugs in the brush. but my brother always uses a 30-30 when brush huntin.