Deer/Bear carbine

cpynch

cpynch

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Looking for a .44 mag or similar (open to suggestions) carbine for plinking and hunting.

Requirements:
Cheaper to shoot than a standard rifle (30-06, .308)
Enough power to knock down a bear\deer from 100 yards
Preferably lever or semi auto
CHEAP!!!

Suggestions are appreciated!
 
Woodsman said:
Any .30-30 lever gun preferably a Marlin or Winchester. It's the cheapest and most commonly available hunting ammo for big game.
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What's a box of 30-30 go for? $20-25ish?

Why did I think Pistol ammo would be cheaper? lol.... would .357 ammo be cheaper? And if I got a .357 couldn't I also use .38 ammo?

<--- Carbine/handgun noob be nice :)
 
marlin 336 or winchester 94 lever is what i'd go for. the 30-30 ammo is cheap enough and packs a mean punch when it hits something. the 35 remington mentioned above are beautiful guns but for around 35$ a box for ammo, isn't really something you should be looking into.
 
Dorian Gray said:
around here 30-30 ammo is around 17$ a box plus tax
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WOOT WOOT!! $17 is decent! Now should I get one of these or an SKS and a few hundred rounds of Czech mil surp :)

Oh decisions....

I like the size and weight of the lever actions (and its lever action!)
But the cheapness of the SKS is hard to pass up as well....

Undoubtedly I will purchase both at some point.

EDIT: Is pistol Ammo cheaper? Could I potentially get a .357 carbine and run it for appox the same amount of $$$?
 
carbine

get yourself a ruger M77 hawkeye stainless in 358 winchester
casing you make with 308 case by just seizing them in a 358 die they open up to 358 automatically
bullet for plinking you take cast for 357 mag with 9 gr of trail boss lost of fun and cheep to make
for hunting a good nosler 250 gr accubound in your in......
 
The price difference between .357, .38 Spl, .44 Mag, .30-30 and .35 Rem is not all that much unless you are shooting a lot of ammo.

If price is that much of an issue, reload. If money is really tight, find a Lee Loader in your chosen calibre. It's more work but produces perfectly serviceable ammo. I think Wholesale Sports carries them.
 
ATOM said:
The price difference between .357, .38 Spl, .44 Mag, .30-30 and .35 Rem is not all that much unless you are shooting a lot of ammo.

If price is that much of an issue, reload. If money is really tight, find a Lee Loader in your chosen calibre. It's more work but produces perfectly serviceable ammo. I think Wholesale Sports carries them.
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What r u smokin?

.38 special is around 15-17 bucks for 50 rounds. Please find me something even close in a rifle calibre! I bought a Marlin 1894 because I was already reloading for my Redhawk but if you don't reload the .357 is your best option. you could take a deer within 100m(not sure I would though) with the right ammo, and if you wanna just plink then .38 special is the way to go.
 
Economy in shooting to me means getting the most versatility from your rifle and ammunition. IMHO, anyone who is concerned about the cost of ammo should handload. The cost of a modest set up is quickly recovered, you get to shoot more for the same dollars, you can load ammo for a specific purpose making your rifle more versatile, and handloading is an enjoyable pastime in its own right. Choose a rifle that can do all of the things you want it to do with the appropriate loads, rather than just the cheapest rifle that shoots the cheapest ammo you can find. For a do it all rifle, a .308 is exactly what you need, consider a Remington 760/7600. They are handy like a lever action, shoot faster, and are accurate enough to embarrass many out of the box bolt guns. If you can't afford new, look for a used one.
 
A lever action in a .30 -.30 would be a good choice. Marlin or Winchester can be had for more affordable prices if you look at used.
A .308, as someone else mentioned, would be very versitile. Someone mentioned some remington models, I believe. I would also look at a Stevens model 200 in that calibre as well. Decent price, lots of upgrades available to improve on the rifle down the road as money permits. Shoots very well right out of the box too!
 
Marlin in "double turdy". I like 'em so much I bought two, one blued and one stainless. Ammo is cheap, $15 (plus tax), one of those calibers that you won't ever have to worry that it will be sold out (like the military 308 or 223). I am now waiting for Marlin 336BL to show up, 18 inch barrel with big loop. That's my next "double turdy". The 336 Deluxe is purdy too. Check them out on Marlin website. You'll fall in love with the way they look. Then go and shoot one. Marlinitis is sickness that affected many shooters. The only problem with this sickness is that it is painful.....on your wallet.
 
Magnum pistol ammo is NOT cheap but it's about the same as buying .30-30 at $17 for20 or $42.50 for 50. .44Mag would be about the same $42.50 for 50 or within a buck or so. .357Mag is a little less at around $37 for 50. But unless you can get really darn close I would not want to be shooting game with the .357 rounds even from a lever gun.

If this will be a major plinking gun as well as the "up close and personal challenge" hunting gun then you want to dive into reloading without question. For .30-30 with jacketed .308 round nose you'll save about 1/3 the cost. With cast lead you'll be able to reload for about 33 cents a round based on 165gn cast bullets from the Bullet Barn, 10 cents worth of powder and a nickel per primer. Reloading either of the Magnums will cut your ammo costs in half or better depending on bullet options with cast being cheaper but you got to watch your velocity with cast. Stay with the heavier bullets to keep the velocity down and you'll be fine.

Basically if you plink much at all with the rifle you want to get you can't afford NOT to get into reloading immediately if not sooner.
 
Boomer said:
Economy in shooting to me means getting the most versatility from your rifle and ammunition. IMHO, anyone who is concerned about the cost of ammo should handload. The cost of a modest set up is quickly recovered, you get to shoot more for the same dollars, you can load ammo for a specific purpose making your rifle more versatile, and handloading is an enjoyable pastime in its own right. Choose a rifle that can do all of the things you want it to do with the appropriate loads, rather than just the cheapest rifle that shoots the cheapest ammo you can find. For a do it all rifle, a .308 is exactly what you need, consider a Remington 760/7600. They are handy like a lever action, shoot faster, and are accurate enough to embarrass many out of the box bolt guns. If you can't afford new, look for a used one.
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I already have a .243 model 7, a 7mm rem mag 111fc, .300 win mag TC for deer and moose, or elk, or bear, or just about anything within 4000km of me :)

This is strictly to go in the woods and f*** around shooting stuff, and if by chance I want to take a deer with it - I'd like to be able to. If I could get a marlin in 44 mag\30-30 I think that's what I'd be looking for. I kind of wanted to shoot pistol rounds because I thought they were cheaper, but I don't really know anything about pistols.

I don't reload, I would LOVE to, but I'm a student paying for university out of pocket - and it's not easy. Just getting the money for the gun will be difficult, let alone buying reloading gear. If I could get a setup for around $75-100 I'd really consider it...

Maybe this is a better question:

What's the cheapest non surplus ammo that will kill a deer within 75-100 meters and can be used in a lever action?
 
cpynch - Lee Loaders start at $32.99 at Wholesale sports. That, plus a can of powder, a box of bullets and another of primers, will get you reloading well under $100. It's how I started as a poor student with a hungry .357. More work, but you can put your reloading kit inside a (small) briefcase, so it's cool for small apartments, too.

I'll stand by my earlier that the price difference is not all that much between commercial pistol and rifle reloads. $17 for 20 30-30s is 85¢ per round. $37 for 50 .357 Mag is 74¢ per shot. Sorry, 10¢ a shot is peanuts.

Again - find a smokepole that feels good to you. If the chambering is OK for deer and bear (your original condition), OK. if the condition of the weapon is good, then go for it. It need not be the cartridges mentioned here either. Lots of white tails have fallen to older loads like 38-40, 44-40 amd .45 Long Colt. Old 25-35 are still very capable. 243s and 308s are both good.

So find what works for you, consider reloading and have your blast. Good luck.
 
If you already have all those hunting rifles, get an SKS and a case of surplus ammo for blasting, and a box of soft point ammo for when you want to shoot a deer.

;)
 
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