A More Reliable And User Friendly Deer Rifle

This a test?
Pump rifles is an east coast thing along with them suit case
handle see thru scope ring hang yer ketch by the nose thing.

I've tried a few different systems and am back to the bolt action.
 
WINCHESTER AND SAVAGE wrote the book back at the turn of the century with the 94 and the 99= a 30 /30 with 170's or 308 180's will "take " most anything within 200-300 yards, if you shoot longer than that, you shouldn't be out after deer
 
A model 70, obviously.

Buddy has a 7600 in 30-06. Its for sale. The forend rattle is as annoying as...as a really annoying thing.

I've got a BLR in .308 that I picked up recently that I'm trying to love. It's nice and handy, but...its a lever gun. Not as bad as a model 94, certainly, but it's still not as smooth as a good bolt gun.
 
I guess I read the OP wrong.
...yes there are plenty of more reliable and user friendly irons out there. As mentioned, the mags can be troublesome. I had to mig extensions onto the bottom of my old neighbors mags just so he could get them out of his rifle. I hunted lots with my 760 and it was reliable and fairly user friendly, but limited for hand loading, and longer ranges.


John Y Cannuck said:
I'll hunt with anything, and love it, but I'll always be a lever gun guy at heart.
Click to expand...


This pretty much says it. I have more lever guns than anything else, but my primary shooters right now are bolts.
 
While all types of rifles can, and will at some point (without proper maintenance), fail in the field, there are many good rifles of all action types being used in the field every season.
There are lemons in every type, as there are good, reliable rifles. Those with fewer moving parts and less complicated designs are less prone to problems.
We all have our preferences in action types and manufacturers.

I have used a friend's Rem 7600 in 35 Whelen on a cow elk, and it worked well, as it has for him for many years. Not a bad rifle, just did not ever pique my interest. I know that thereare many back east that use and love them. There are quite a few out here as well, you just don't see them being packed as often as they used to be.

For myself, I prefer the left handed bolt actions for my main hunting rifles, but my heart will always have an affinnity for the lever action, and I will always own and hunt with them too.
My main back up rifle for guiding, atv/horseback hunting and archery hunting has been my Browning BLR in 358 Win for over 15 years. I also have several Winchesters and Marlins too.
The single shots are also very classy and strong and reliable.
 
Last edited:
Because I do a lot of dogging I prefer a lighter rifle. I have tries 94's, in 30-30, 307, and 44 magnum, a model 88 in 308, a BLR in 257 Roberts and 308 but recently a Ruger Amarican compact in 243.
If I was hunting out of a stand it would be my BLR in 257 Roberts.
To me it would depend on the style of deer hunting you are doing.

David
 
Silver Lab said:
Pumps have many more moving parts so I really can’t see how they are more reliable than the bolt action?
Click to expand...
Ever use one? They don't have any more moving parts than an 870 and no one calls out an 870 for being unreliable.

Lots of folks don't like them and I can understand that. Most of those folks are hard core bolt gun users and won't ever use anything different or even try. :)
 
I like pumps and have played with the idea of searching for a 7600 weathermaster version in either .270 or .30-06 but can't say it is the be all and end all but it is a solid choice for folks who appreciate them.
 
A good light weight scoped bolt action with a detachable mag especially if you're constantly in and out of vehicles.

Something along the line of a Tikka that feeds smooth and is accurate right out of the box. That is my recommendation.
 
Nothing wrong with an Rem 760 pump for deer we had several in the camp and the fellas never had issue with them. If your an eastern deer hunter hunting out of a camp that drives deer to blockers by whatever method, it means the deer are going to be coming by you between a gentle lope to a full out warp 6 through brush and trees usually. With a bolt your going to get one shot off. You need a gun that is going to quickly put lead in the air. That's why the levers, pumps and semi's are so popular in the east. A white tail in warp drive in a eastern bush can go by a fella so fast you will barely get time to see it let alone shoot at it. The western folks are shooting in far more open county at far greater distances where the bolt guns really shine, and the deer are not being chased by dogs and doggers so there not in a great a hurry.
For health reasons I hunt out of a stand now where the deer or bear just amble by so I use one of my bolt guns. So it really depends on what style of hunting your doing and what part of the country your going to hunt in.
 
Last edited:
SuperCub said:
That rattle is quite easy to fix and well worth the effort. Sell that 7600 to me if you folks really feel the need to dump it cheap. :)
Click to expand...

I did a bunch of googling and it looks like you need to build a bushing out of UHMW plastic or similar, to tighten it up? Or is there another method I didnt come across?

If you had something bolt action in a not prohibitively expensive calibre, he might be interested in a trade. His current other gun is a .308 Norma mag. And he's not a reloader!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom