7600 carbine or guide gun 45/70 for dogging the dirty Ontario bush

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mike t

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Im one of the doggers in our camp and am wondering what rifle to purchase, either rifle will be new pruduction rifles as the older ones are hard to find especially tge 7600 or 760 carbine
 
Im leaning towards the 7600 as I don't reload and 45/70 can be hard to find but every store I can think of sells 30-06 and 308
 
I've had a JM-marked SBL for several years now, and it is definitely a keeper. I've been a levergun fan all my life, so the SBL was comfortable for me right from the start. I use it both with the aperture sights and also have at least one scout scope all set to go in QD rings when I take it anywhere. It's great either way.

I also have a recently-acquired 7600 in .308; nice gun, shoots well enough, but I just can't warm up to it. It's a Police model, with the Wilson aperture sight. That rear sight is in exactly the wrong place, and prevents me from mounting a traditional scope low enough for comfort. If there were a simple and convenient way to mount a scout scope, I would probably appreciate this gun more. The .308 does have the advantage of being a bit easier to use accurately if a longer shot opportunity should present itself, although the .45-70 (especially with Leverevolution ammo) is still quite capable out to at least 300.

For pure brush use, I'd take the Marlin, both for the lever action and also for the cartridge, over the Rem anyday.
 
I have owned the 7600 in .308 and it served me well. For a brush gun, it did fine, although it was not quite as pleasant to carry as my dad's model 94. I have since replaced it by an older (JM stamped, pre crossbolt safety) Marlin in 35 Rem. equipped with an aperture sight. Now that is a fine bush gun!

If ammo availability is a real concern, then you might not have a choice but to go with the 7600. An other option is the BLR as it is also loaded in common calibers.

I agree with jjhonwm, if you can find the Leverevolution ammo, its a game changer for lever guns.
 
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If your just dogging deer why not a lever in 3030? If you dog moose 45-70 is good, or if you like levers and want a spitzer bullet look for a used Savage 99 featherweight in .308 Win - an amazing brush gun in my opinion.
 
I spent most of the first week in a groundblind, treestand or tripod with my BLR 308, 336 30-30 or 336 35 Rem. I think any of those three rifles are good to carry when dogging but the day I dogged heavy bush I decided to take my Mini 30. Its not too heavy to lug around, carrys comfortably and has quick follow up shot capability if/when needed.
 
Both are very good choices, but the 7600 does offer better ammo choices where a 45/70 really isnt needed for deer.

I find that most folk who downplay the pump rifle are the same who have never used one and won't do so because of personal bias.
 
SuperCub said:
Both are very good choices, but the 7600 does offer better ammo choices where a 45/70 really isnt needed for deer.

I find that most folk who downplay the pump rifle are the same who have never used one and won't do so because of personal bias.
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SuperCub I decided on the 7600 carbine. It will be wearing a williams appeture sight. The high comb on the stock may be an issue but if thats the case I will have it ground to the classic style stock.
 
mike t said:
SuperCub I decided on the 7600 carbine. It will be wearing a williams appeture sight. The high comb on the stock may be an issue but if thats the case I will have it ground to the classic style stock.
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Either that or top it with a VXII 1x4 or similar. I like receiver sights as lot, but a low powered scope is in some ways a better choice for lower light conditions and flexibility at longer ranges.

I had a Williams on my 760 Carbine but later swapped it out for a 1.5x5 and after that a 1.5x4.5 and after that a fixed 2.5. :)
 
I use a 7600 carbine with a fixed leupold 2.5x scope in low rings with the high stock. It is fast handling gun and comfortable to carry. Mine is in 35 Whelen, although caliber is the least important (within reason)part of the equation.
 
My dogging gun was/is a Ruger carbine in 44 mag topped with a Etech/ Bushnell Hallo site. Light to carry, comes to the shoulder and gets on target fast with that sight and the 44 mag is dandy in the thick bush from the barrels end to 100yds.
Nothing wrong with a Rem 760, 742 or a Win. 94 in 30-30, Win. M-100 either, I dogged for 38 yrs. and I liked the Ruger even better than my Win SX-1 with a slug barrel. It's a matter of personal preference and what your comfortable with.
 
SuperCub said:
Either that or top it with a VXII 1x4 or similar. I like receiver sights as lot, but a low powered scope is in some ways a better choice for lower light conditions and flexibility at longer ranges.

I had a Williams on my 760 Carbine but later swapped it out for a 1.5x5 and after that a 1.5x4.5 and after that a fixed 2.5. :)
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I like the idea of that 2.5x fixed Leupy as well - would be well suited for a brush thumper. I've been using a fixed 4x on my bolt gun this fall and find it to be nice too.
 
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