"Brush" Gun

[TPB12335]

I'm looking at picking myself up a nice little lever gun for hunting this fall. Going to be used for pushing bush so mainly for close quarters. It's a toss up between .357, 44 Mag, and the good old 30-30. What do you think, I want a fun little gun to shoot, that at absolute most shots will be is 100y. Thanks.

 

[Farva]

I've got an old Mossberg 472PCA in .30-30 that's an absolute riot. I can hit anything I want to offhand with it out to 100. the nice thing I find with the .30-30 over the other calibers you mention is that if I'm on my way to the range, I'm not limited to having to go to the gun shop for shells. I have yet to see 357 Mag or 44 Mag on the shelves of CT or Walmart.

If I could have had it in 44 when I got it, I would have though.

 

[suprcoolr]

If it were me, I would look at an older Winchester Mod 1894 in 30-30 for nostalgia or a Marlin 336XLR if your looking for something newer (though some don't care for the quality of new Marlin's).

 

[Camp Cook]

If you reload look at 45 Colt this cartridge has a commanding edge over the 357/44 mag or a 454 Casull both of these have more than a 30-30 out to 150 yards and considering your max range is 100 yards you'd be set.

If you don't reload get a 30-30...

CC

 

[Mount Sweetness]

30-30 no question, pick up an old Winchester for $300 plus change

 

[brybenn]

30-30 then you can hunt any north american game and shells are cheap and those hornady flex tip bullets are awesome in 3030

 

[Gunslinger]

Winchester 94 Trapper in .45Colt is a real thumper and super handy with it's 16" barrel. I added a XS peep and front post, can easily hit stuff at 100yd and the 200yd gong can't run fast enough

 

[mikeyb]

The Marlin 336BL looks like a solid choice, 18" 30-30, nice and light and that loop looks pretty well-sized.

 

[bollox]

^^^^ It isn't all that light, laminate stock is heavy.

My vote goes for win in 30-30.

 

[Edward Teach]

If you're looking at a 30-30, I'd go for the .44 Mag instead, especially if you handload. I have both, and the .44 is a nice little easy recoiling round that makes big holes. Cheap to feed too.

 

[kamlooky]

BLR in 308win?

 

[lilsurfer]

Go for the Winchester 94 in 30.30. Cheap, reliable, compact, quick, and ammo is available everywhere. They have very nice open sights to. There is a reason it is one of the most popular deer guns.

 

[dirt dog]

model 94 30-30 all the way

 

[Mike Webb]

Winchester 94 pre64 carbine in .30/30, the choice of literally millions for a woods rifle.

 

[prosper]

.44 is super fun. I've had a few 30-30's in years past, and they bore me. The 44 sure lands surprisingly hard for such a small cartridge - it may not carry as much kinetic energy as a 30-30, but it has a lot more momentum, especially with 300 grainers. It's fun to lob them down range, and still land with a solid thud in the backstop, or flip the gongs around much harder than it has any business doing

45-70 would be a good contender, too, or the 444.

 

[Nestor]

The Marlin 336BL looks like a solid choice, 18" 30-30, nice and light and that loop looks pretty well-sized.

It's not that light and this particular loop looks much better than actually works.

 

[blasted_saber]

3030.

End of thread.

 

[257Roberts]

I have a 30-30 and a 44 mag both in a model 94. The 44 has been carried for the last 3 years and would not trade it for anything, except maybe for a model 92.

 

[longknife]

Brush gun

A Win. Trapper in .30-30 with 16" bbl., or the Legacy Arms copy of the 1892 Win. in .44 Mag with a 16" bbl....and Hornady makes Leverevolution ammo for both....the Legacy is available from Doc Rowland...

 

[9945]

You can't go wrong with A 30-30 Wincherter 94