Best Deer gun for "Pushing the Bush"

Best deer hunting gun for "pushing the bush"

  • Lever action 30-30

    Votes: 246 48.7%

  • Shotgun with buckshot or slugs

    Votes: 55 10.9%

  • Remington or Browning Semi in .243,.270,.308,30/06,etc

    Votes: 33 6.5%

  • Ruger Mini-30

    Votes: 18 3.6%

  • Bolt Action Rifle in .243,270,.308,30/06,etc

    Votes: 78 15.4%

  • SKS

    Votes: 28 5.5%

  • None of the obove (explain)

    Votes: 47 9.3%
  • Total voters
    505
  • Poll closed .
I am a bit sceptical about the open sights and fast action camp. Any time I see deer standing in the 'bush' I am glad to have a scope to sort out the tangle if they are moving all the fast blasting in the world is probabley just gonna mean you hit more trees.

Properly set up a scoped rifle will throw a sight picture in front of your open eyes as quick as anything and when that deer stops and turns to watch you threading bullets is much easier with a 2.5-4 power then with the naked eye.

Open sights are just fine for 300 yard open field hunting but at dawn and dusk in the bush open sights are a serious handicap.

BTW The idea of just throwing your rifle to your shoulder and blasting away as a deer bounds away is a good way to kill something you don't want dead. Yes I have shot running deer and yes I know 'pushing deer' is a favored upper canadian way of harvesting deer with out the bother of scouting or putting in time but IMHO 'a rush' should not preceed pulling the trigger on a horizontal firearm.
 
david doyle said:
I am a bit sceptical about the open sights and fast action camp.
Open sights are just fine for 300 yard open field hunting but at dawn and dusk in the bush open sights are a serious handicap.
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Younger eyes have a better chance than mine.

In the past I did pretty darn good with a good set of irons. (diopter peep sights)
But I noticed especially last hunting season I was ready for a scope all the time for hunting. I had a hard time refocusing on a deer @50 yards after I was watching a long long cutline for a few hours. In the past, I only used a scoped rifle on the prairies or coyote hunting. I'm thinking scopes for my older hunting eyes are here to stay.
 
You guys need to try ghost ring sights due to my eye issues I find it very hard to use irons now but ghost rings totally work for me due to only having to focus on the front sight.
 
Some guys here have made comments that bolt actions are no good for fast follow up shots. Only if you don't know how to run one! I can run a good bolt just as fast( aimed fire) as any lever gun. The secret is practice and never actually grasp the handle, slap it upwards with the heel of your hand and pull it rearward with the heel of your hand, quickly rotate your hand at the end of the rearward motion and push the bolt ahead with the handle in the web of your hand between the thumb and index finger. Drop the handle to lock up the action and your hand is in the proper position to grasp the pistol grip with finger on the trigger. You would be amazed how fast you can fire a magazine full with a little practice which is what many hunters refuse to do, PRACTICE!!!
 
nrut said:
Interesting,
What kind of moving target set-up do you have to practice on?
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The local F&G Club has a plywood deer hanging from a line that can be made to run fast, slow or bounce along. A member here, Captononion has been know to win the "running deer" competion hosted at this club on a reg basis. This particular club is only 50 min drive from Cosmic. What exactly they have in Bancroft I don't know.
 
senior said:
The local F&G Club has a plywood deer hanging from a line that can be made to run fast, slow or bounce along. A member here, Captononion has been know to win the "running deer" competion hosted at this club on a reg basis. This particular club is only 50 min drive from Cosmic. What exactly they have in Bancroft I don't know.
Click to expand...

What rifle does Captononion shoot in these competitions?
 
Mike Webb said:
Some guys here have made comments that bolt actions are no good for fast follow up shots. Only if you don't know how to run one! I can run a good bolt just as fast( aimed fire) as any lever gun. The secret is practice and never actually grasp the handle, slap it upwards with the heel of your hand and pull it rearward with the heel of your hand, quickly rotate your hand at the end of the rearward motion and push the bolt ahead with the handle in the web of your hand between the thumb and index finger. Drop the handle to lock up the action and your hand is in the proper position to grasp the pistol grip with finger on the trigger. You would be amazed how fast you can fire a magazine full with a little practice which is what many hunters refuse to do, PRACTICE!!!
Click to expand...

Well said.........
 
Well I said it first... ;)

A lot of guys seem more interested in getting the NEXT round into the chamber than actually hitting the target with the cartridge that's in there now.
 
senior said:
The local F&G Club has a plywood deer hanging from a line that can be made to run fast, slow or bounce along. A member here, Captononion has been know to win the "running deer" competion hosted at this club on a reg basis. This particular club is only 50 min drive from Cosmic. What exactly they have in Bancroft I don't know.
Click to expand...
Sounds like fun senior.. Your club should make a U-tube vid. on this "running deer" competion...
 
senior said:
The local F&G Club has a plywood deer hanging from a line that can be made to run fast, slow or bounce along. A member here, Captononion has been know to win the "running deer" competion hosted at this club on a reg basis. This particular club is only 50 min drive from Cosmic. What exactly they have in Bancroft I don't know.
Click to expand...

This is interesting. How well does the average person do? How far do you shoot from? What position - offhand? We need videos and pictures!
 
Deerfield .44.....FTW. Best dogging gun ever built, hands down. 18.5" Barrel, semi, plenty of knock down power out to 100, manageable recoil for quick follow up, .44 diameter holes. I've been pushing the boreal for 15 years, and after trying them all, the little Ruger is the last gun I will buy for the task. :)
 
RickF said:
Well I said it first... ;)
Click to expand...

True, but I didn't feel like scrolling up looking for yours to quote.....grin

RickF said:
A lot of guys seem more interested in getting the NEXT round into the chamber than actually hitting the target with the cartridge that's in there now.
Click to expand...

Never understood that mentality....Make the first one count.....
 
If anyone is looking for a excellent bush scope check out the bushnell 4200 elite 1.25-4 illuminated dot. My friend kept telling me to use the irons on my marlin 1895 but after i showed him the scope all he said was "WOW... I like it".
With its german 4a reticle on the 1.25 power setting you can easily keep both eyes open and aquire targets very quickly and the red dot would work very well when putting the crosshairs on a black bear or moose in low light conditions (not that I've had to use it yet).

Just thought I'd throw that in there as I am very pleased with it so far. My ruger 44 carbine on the other hand will reamin scopless however, as I 'don't want any added weight to lug around when pushing.
 
Something to remember.....you are walking through nasty tangled up brush, thick cedars, swamps, wet rocks...etc

Carrying a light trim gun in one hand at your side is the way to go....another reason why the 20in lever action with irons is so popular in Ontario camps.

Best Poll of the year, great thread.
 
I voted other...
I'm thinking about a ruger compact re-barreled to 358 Win...
Short, light, and what I think would be an ideal caliber and package for what you are describing for conditions. I would run 200 grainers in it and think it would make an ideal east coast walking rifle for any big game down here as well.
 
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