New hunting rifle, not sure what I want

jonnyboy1014

jonnyboy1014

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So I'm in need of a new deer rifle. I bought a Lee Enfield with a scope for the first year hunting on my newly acquired land last season, and to be honest, it is just way to heavy and the scooe does nothing for me in thick woods and brush. (I'm new to hunting if you haven't figured that out already)

My friend and neighbour joined up with me and he rocks an old school Remington Gamemaster Pump Rifle 760 chambered in 35 REM. I can't believe how crazy light that thing is, the sights on it were pretty nice too.

I've been doing some research and i think I want one of those or a henry lever action chambered in .45-70 govt.

The henry looks like a super well made gun, but is twice the price and a tad heavier at 7lbs, but after watching some videos, the round its self is excellent for thick brush.

I like to walk around and don't mind going into thick garbage where no one else will go, sitting in a stand sucks I find.

Thoughts?
 
You want a short barrel, light carbine style rifle. Good open sights, moderate recoil. Barrel maximum 20". My favourites for your kinda hunting are stainless takedown Browning BLR in .358, Tikka Battue in .308 with a QD 1-6 optic, or a marlin 1894 .44 magnum. I had a 45-70, it was awesome, but a tad heavy for bushwhacking. I also have an absolutely awesome Benelli Argo E battue Semi Auto which is quickly becoming my new short range favourite.
 
45-70 is overkill for what you need. Too much recoil, and expensive to shoot. Whether heavy bullets offer any advantage in thick brush is subject to debate. Your buddies Rem 760 is an excellent choice for a brush gun, particularly the carbine models... They are relatively common in 30-06, which is more than enough for what you want. Slap on a red dot and away you go.
 
cosmic said:
45-70 is overkill for what you need. Too much recoil, and expensive to shoot. Whether heavy bullets offer any advantage in thick brush is subject to debate. Your buddies Rem 760 is an excellent choice for a brush gun, particularly the carbine models... They are relatively common in 30-06, which is more than enough for what you want. Slap on a red dot and away you go.
Click to expand...

Kinda what i was thinking.
 
I'd just use a 30-30. What are the odds of running into bear where you hunt? That might justify a 45-70. Henry makes a good gun but I'd probably buy a Marlin Guide Gun first if I wanted a big round. Did you try to use the iron sights on the enfield or were they gone? I ask because peep sights might be better for you than the standard buckhorn. I know I can get on target quicker with a good open peep.
 
I am in the same boat. I have a bunch of 308 ammo but no 308 I can presently use. I am thinking of either buying a Benelli r1 in 308, have the r1 in 30-06 and it is great so I suspect the 308 it good too, or getting a tikka t3 in 308, as I don’t own a bolt action. What do you guys think?
 
For hunting, I would go with a quality bolt action in .308 Win or 30.06. Those are good all around calibers that can be used for deer and bigger game like moose, if you ever want to go into that... If you really want a lever action, I cannot say anything about the Henry, I do not have one, but a Marlin 336, a Win 94 or a Savage 99 are all good options.
 
A Remington 7600 in 308 would fill the bill nicely. Thick woods & brush .... try a Leupold VX Freedom in 1.5 x 4 x 20 In Low or SuperLow mounts!

On the lowest power it's like looking out a window, a very unobstructed view ( field of view some 70 odd feet ) and at 4X, there's enough magnification to make longer shots.

Works like a charm for me in the Ontario bush for deer, bear & moose !
 
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