Ideal Bush gun

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Originally Posted by Trotter
Lee Enfield sporterized (303) You can pick these up for about $150. Add a scope. it's, a semi, and it cheap and also cheap to shoot. . Ammo is still $21.00 for soft point.



Yes, its a bolt, my bad. But thanks for pointing out my typos Ed, keep it up and i aint buying ya any more Timmies, lol.
BTW, lots of deer seen lately south of you, along the edge of fields near bushlines.
 
Remington 7400 in .308Win or .30/06, preferably a carbine, to make it easier to maneuver through the occasional thicket and such, not so much for weight. The.. "Pushed and running Deer Whacker Supreme". ;)
 
Troy1760 said:
Hey all, looking for some help to choose a bush gun for this years deer season. I have a bolt action 30-06, but looking to share the bush push with a semi auto.
I would like the following characteristics and functionality.

Non restricted
Semi Auto
7.62 caliber (308/7.62 x 39, or similar)
Accurate (not needed to be a tact driver, this will be a shoulder gun most of the time)
Effective to 200 (most shots will be in bush, so 200 would be max)
Some aftermarket help (ie rails or mounts for optics)
Avaialble mags (price not an issue, as i will only need 2, maybe 3 tops)
Light enough to haul around bush
18.5" barrel (to keep NR and still be short enough in the trees)

I have though of some, M305, Mini 30, Vz58, and the SKS. What else is out there. And what is reliable (will take rain and dirty and still go bang) with hunting ammo, i may plink with this, but for the most part, it will be a bush hunting gun 90% of the time.

interested in your thoughts and choices you have made in this same style dilemma.

Thanks in advance
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Always insist on tact, its what seperates us from the animals
 
So you are looking for a semi auto carbine with detachable magazine in .308. Skip the milsurps they are ill suited for woods hunting despite what many Rambos may say. Also you don't need extra magazines, if five rounds doesn't get the job done it doesn't matter how many refills you carry the deer will be long gone. A decent Remington 742/7400 carbine in .308 is a good choice with a good quality 2.5x or 1.5-5x variable scope. I have owned four 742's and have had no issues with any of them despite what you may read on here. The only one I ever saw personally that jammed was cured by a new magazine. If you have your heart set on a semi, have at it but don't overlook the pump and lever carbines.
 
I think the ideal bush gun is one of those questions never to be answered, more of something to be searched for.

Try the 30-30 winchester 94 for a season, then perhaps a short barreled sportered .303 the next, maybe it's a ruger scout or an SKS, not sure if the the goal, the ultimate destination is to ever find it, or perhaps it's the journey, otherwise i think it would have been found by now.
 
Troy1760 said:
I know alot of guys like the SKS, aside from being cheap, i dont like them and dont like the feel. I put it up there as it would be a last resort because of the way they feel when i shoulder them, its just not my thing. I would definitely have to find an aftermarket stock to start to like the sks. No offence to all the sks lovers, but i just dont like them that much.
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I had to add a 2" UTG buttplate extension to start to like mine, IMO the LOP is to short in stock format.
 
My recent bush gun acquisition, pretty much as I bought it, it was just a tad over $300 with scope:





I sanded it, a bit of tru oil, but a rubber butt pad on it and cleaned it a bit, I do buy a few cheap rifles like this every so often, I'll sell something cheap like it to pay for it, if I don't get really attached to it I'll let it go for the next interesting cheap rifle.

Working on a P-14 in an ATI mauser scout stock right, just pillar bed it and working on cleaning it up and then a picatinny rail after that, will basically just be a scout/bush rifle project, and will get sold as well when it's put together and given it a little bit of use, but would probably be an ideal bush gun.
 
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My Fav:
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7x57!
Sight in dead on at 100 with 154's, while 139's are 3" high at 100, and good for a MPBR of 325 yds.

Double duty solution.
 
When pushing bush, at least in the places I've done it over the last 40 years or so, 200 yards?? 100 yards is a very long bush shot, and 100 feet is more likely.
I've used a lot of rifles for the purpose, but i keep going back to the 94 Winchester. It's fast, light, and has enough oomph for even moose if the range is reasonable, and you do your part.
Reliability is all weather conditions, and in places where the bush is thick and your action can fill with crap is of importance. The old '94, being open at the bottom when cycled, lets the crap fall out.
I used a Remington semi, actually tried two over the years, I hope I never get that urge again. The name jam-o-matic has to have been coined around these models.
The SKS is quite usable as a bush gun, assuming you use bullets like Hornady's new hunting bullets in 7.62X39, and truly, any military semi is unlikely to cause many issues with the conditions hunters face. They were designed for much worse.
Bolt guns work too, as the shots you get when pushing bush tend to be close, fast, and just one. Be aware however, that standing deer, and deer that lope along happen to guys pushing bush too. a fast follow up shot is welcome.
Pump guns work fine pushing bush, and if I were to pick another rifle it would likely be a pump.
I prefer peep sights for pushing bush, because constantly wiping the scope in the rain/snow is a PIA, as is carrying it under your armpit and scope covers get expensive when the bush keeps flipping them open and wrecking them.
 
I think you had the choice of the litter in your initial query.

The Vz 58 is most likely your best choice for the conditions your looking for. The one thing that the Vz has over the other ones is that it's readily adaptable to carry it in a patrol position infront of you and allow you to go hands free through the bush. They are reliable as all get out, there are short 5 round factory mags available so you don't scare your local conservation officer (too much) and they are more than accurate to hit minute vitals at 200 yards on a deer size target. You also have the pre threaded barrel so you can install a muzzle brake to keep the muzzle jump down if you need to make a quick follow up shot.
 
The following pic represents THE perfect bush gun for any situation. All others sorely fall short of the mighty 760 308 Carbine for this intended use esp those three thumb holes as per Mr Hoycannon's pictorial contibution. Lined up side x side they look like a three holer outhouse bench seat. :)

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I appreciate all the options and expierience offered. I have looked at my local store for some of these rifles you all have mentioned. some fit some dont. I did happen to look at a few lever, the marlin was there, 3030, nice action, and im sure fast enough for some, but i realy want to stick with the semi, shorter stock barrel for pushing bush, in a 30ca (308/7.62x39) cause its readily available at my store i frequent at. I dont like the feel of the pums which is odd as i love my 870 when duck hunting, mind you for duck, i also have a versa now and love it. So, to get back on track,

Semi,
NR
Shorter barrel

and i agree for the sights, i want to maintain iron, like John y Canuck mentioned, i went through 2 flip ups for my savage last year pushing bush for deer. Irons will be the way to go for under 100 which is likely a long shot for a deer in the trees i hunt.
 
SuperCub said:
The following pic represents THE perfect bush gun for any situation. All others sorely fall short of the mighty 760 308 Carbine for this intended use esp those three thumb holes as per Mr Hoycannon's pictorial contibution. Lined up side x side they look like a three holer outhouse bench seat. :)

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I really don't like to admit it,..but you are right SuperCub. I have never cared for the looks of these rifles,..it just doesn't seem right,..to me a pump action is meant for a shot gun,..but a pump rifle in 308 is probably the best "bush gun" design ever created,...and if it was topped off with a Aimpoint Red Dot sight it would be the most deadly thick cover deer killing machine in the woods.
 
Ih8sks said:
I think you had the choice of the litter in your initial query.

The Vz 58 is most likely your best choice for the conditions your looking for. The one thing that the Vz has over the other ones is that it's readily adaptable to carry it in a patrol position infront of you and allow you to go hands free through the bush. They are reliable as all get out, there are short 5 round factory mags available so you don't scare your local conservation officer (too much) and they are more than accurate to hit minute vitals at 200 yards on a deer size target. You also have the pre threaded barrel so you can install a muzzle brake to keep the muzzle jump down if you need to make a quick follow up shot.
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I like the feel of them, but i cant seem to find any with chrome barrels that are NR, and that concerns me for the bush. I see alot on EE without chrome, i clean my guns well and every weekend i do a once over, so chrome shoulnt be a concern. But in the back of my mind i think it is

The mini 30, is chrome lined but wont let me plink surplus ammo due to harder primers, (according to my Gunsmith, and a few you tube videos) mind you when im hunting, i will be using Hunting ammo which the mini is good at cycling. I shot a friends last year, and it was nice, felt good, light weight and irons were easy to use. I just want a semi fairly cheap (minis most of the time are not) that will eat all types of ammo reliably for plinking and fun days, as well as click bang thud the deer when i see it.
 
hoytcanon said:
Jeez Louise, that's an ugly contraption...
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Not the prettiest girl at the ball, but I suspect she performs. The checkering is quite nice, if it was in .35 rem I might be convinced...

Perhaps we should start a "beater-bush gun thread" to be stickied to post pics of our "donkey's"
 
SuperCub said:
The following pic represents THE perfect bush gun for any situation. All others sorely fall short of the mighty 760 308 Carbine for this intended use esp those three thumb holes as per Mr Hoycannon's pictorial contibution. Lined up side x side they look like a three holer outhouse bench seat. :)

760003.jpg
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Cub why not the 7400 instead of the 760. We both hunt the exact type terrain I'm sure. Bottoms, thickets, open hardwood, fringes between hardwood and mixed(I love this for still hunting) power lines with rolling hills giving us up to 500 yards either direction before the next hill, chopping's large and small.

The exact same rifle, caliber, ergo's, trigger etc etc, yet the 7400 gives me the follow up shots through timber with precision on a fleeing buck, one squeeze after another as the opening's present themselves. No short stroking the pump, and some may have difficulty and lose their cheekweld during cycling.

The pump is fine as well, I have an 870 Special Purpose Deer, the original ones parkerized, with rifle sights so I know the pump is good but why is there so much hate or indifference to the 7400auto, they work 100% I can attest to both that I've had.
 
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