tcl632

I when from going to hunt 0-300yd shots to possibly going to join a camp in a swamp bottom where as of yet have yet to see over 100yd shot very thick stuff was looking at 30-30 but what bout 30-06 with maybe 220gr or 180gr? I'm not going to be trying to shoot through a tree or heavy brush but just wondering bout the stray twig

falcon

Nothing works well in thick brush: Well, maybe an M 79 grenade launcher. A small twig can deflect a 220 grain .30 caliber bullet just as well as it deflects high velocity lighter bullets.

Phil from Maine

I use a 30-30 in brush up here and it works well for me.. I think a 30-06 would be to much power to shoot threw the thick stuff though..

tcl632

Right now I have a 270wsm and a 243wssm both are great whitetail guns just not sure bout using them in the thick stuff. Im starting to think real hard bout getting a TC Encore i seem to want something new alot and a new barrel is a little cheaper and I think the shorter gun might be easier to carry round the swamp.

Planter

If your talking about a quick handling weapon for tight quarters I still like the 30-30 but I do like the 1100 12g with smoothbore and simple old Rem Sluggers and rifled sights just as much.

BUT.. if your talking a gun or round that will shoot thru "brush" than keep looking and I don't believe not such caliber or weapon exists.

homers brother

+1

Whether it comes from a .375 or a .243, there's no guarantee that one caliber or another will do better in brush. Once the bullet clips a twig, you've increased the odds significantly that you've altered its flight path.

"Handling" in the brush is another matter. I've used a snort-barrelled M94 in .44 magnum "in the brush" a few times, and while it's certainly "handier", those big, slow 240-grain bullets don't "plow" through brush any better than my .30-06 does.

robcat48

What Falcon said. Best weapon for brush hunting is patience........for a clear shot.

HEAD0001

Personally I believe a heavier slower bullet is better for brush. I do not want to hit brush with any bullet, but I would prefer to hit it with a 405 grain 45-70 slug instead of a 22-250 going 3800fps. That is just my opinion.

My main go to rifle for woods shooting is a 30-06 with the 200 grain Sierra bullet. It is a carbine length Remington pump rifle. This bullet is doing about 2400-2500 fps from the 30-06. And it is a deadly combination. It is fast enough to be pin point accurate in the wods. And pin point accuracy is important in heavy cover. And the bullet is very flat out to 100 yards. The 200 grain can bore through small brush. But not recommended. Tom.

Magic

There have been many test verified in the "shooting mags". Nothing will accurately shoot through brush. As has been previously posted.....wait for the shot. If one isn't presented, then let him walk.

HEAD0001

They can do all the tests they want to do. I have been hunting in thick cover for over 30 years. And yes it is bad to try and shoot through cover. NO DOUBT. However certain bullets at certain velocities WILL do better in thick brush. It is that simple. I have shot through and seen several shots that went through 1 or 2 inch stems and killed the deer on the other side. The bigger heavier(and slower) bullets will bore through those stems while a high speed frangible bullet will not. It is that simple. I have seen it with my own two eyes. So why not use what has the best chance of working?? Instead of reading it in the book, get out and do it.

No one advocates taking a bad shot. That is just common sense. However I know for sure when I have a 10 point standing 1 foot behind a sapling or a small bush, I know my 30-06 will bring him home. Obviously the farther behind the bush the deer is, the greater the percenage tha the shot will not connect. But I feel 100% more secure with a 200 grain pill from a 30-06 instead of a 100 grain pill from a 243. I have seen it too many times. Not read about it. Tom.