I have been invited to go with a friend on a hunt Sunday with dogs. I assume the deer will be moving at a good clip when they pass...

I don't feel confident shooting a moving deer with my scoped 30-30 even though I can print 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards offhand. I am not a bad shot offhand with my 44 blackhawk and if he is close I would be confident that I could take him. However, I am most confident with my 20 guage and slugs. I can shoulder and point shoot into a stationary pie plate at 50 yards and I dust about 80% of the clay I aim at.

So...what should I do? Keep the 44 on my hip and shotgun in hand...leave the 30-30 at home?

Help!

Is truth absolute or is it relative?
BUCKGOBBLER WANNABE

Whenever I've hunted with dogs, I've always used shotguns with OOBuck. That would be my choice.

Hunting with dogs as WV Hunter is right on, shotgun with 00 buckshot, you want a gun that is designed for moving shots and use a load that is shot, not slugs.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

Thanks guys. I also went one step further and borrowed my buddies 12 guage instead of the 20...

Is truth absolute or is it relative?
BUCKGOBBLER WANNABE

Sounds like you have it figured out,Lots of Luck.

We hunt deer with dogs, and I use a .243, a A5 20 ga and a A5 12 ga. I suggest to stay with the shotgun. I prefer the slugs in the 20. If you use bs you will have to use #2 or #3 bs. I have never seen the 20 loaded with anything else.

In the 12 I always used #1 or #4 bs. Just more pellents than 00. Just my thoughts.

Good Luck. Capt Brad.

Ever thought of taking the scope off the 30/30? I have been successfull hunting thru timber with it. I never hunted with dogs, but I've been able to stop deer by whissling long enough to shoot them with a 30/30.

Here in Arkansas, dogs are legal over most of the state. I have hunted with dogs at least once every year. I think there is a BIG misperception about how hunting with dogs work. Most of the time, the deer does not come by running like all hell is broken loose. The deer will usually keep a good lead on the dogs, and will trot, stop, and listen. Granted, some dogs push the deer harder than others, so you never know, but in my experience the deer very rarely run full speed the entire chase.
Also, most deer killed in front of dogs are not the deer the dogs are chasing, but another deer that has been spooked up. I have used my .30-06 to kill a lot of deer in front of dogs. Only one was flat out running his tail off.

i wouldn't take the scope off the 30/30!!

If your shooting 1 and a half inch groups off hand at 100 yards you got something going right. Geez i would join some compitions or something. i know guys that have trouble doing that at 25 yards.

Well, I didn't get to go with him this time because my wife's car broke down and I didn't want to leave her and the baby stranded if something went wrong...

Invite is still open for this week tho!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

I think #3 buck is all I have seen for the 20 guage. I got some 00 for the 12 and some slugs for the hell of it just to see how accurate I can punch paper with it.

I can't whistle enough to call my own dogs much less stop a deer I think...got dad's brass whistle though, I bet that would stop him. Good idea!

The reason there is a scope on the 30-30 to begin with is that the non-adjustable open sights are 9&quot; right at 100 yards. So the scope stays. My .22 western auto is the only &quot;rifle&quot; that I can point shoot with any degree of accuracy...I play hell on squirrel and rabbits!

Correction here: 100 yard, inch and a half should be from the bench not offhand. Offhand is more like 3-5 inches depending on caffeine intake.<img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>

My friend said he didn't see anything Sunday anyway! Glad I slept in...

Is truth absolute or is it relative?
BUCKGOBBLER WANNABE