Hunting in brush heavy areas?

"A scope is just a hindrance in brush"(spelling corrected BTW)
Only if it's not mounted properly or you've never learned to use the scope. I've shot deer both standing and moving as close as 5 yards using a scoped rifle. The right scope, properly mounted used by a shooter who knows how to use it, is not handicapped by any normal hunting scenario.
 
Remington model seven in 7-08 with a 3x9 nikon, 18 or 20 in barrel, great knockdown power, accurate, light and easily manuverable in tight quarters and will get out there to 200 yds plus quite easy. But the main thing is, whatever you choose, like some others have said, Practice practice practice...
 
Any variable scope that turns down to the 3-4x range will be fine. That's where I leave mine anyway and seldom adjust it higher.

In brushy country where you may be called upon to make a quick shot, the fit of the rifle-scope combination is more important than any reasonable caliber, what scope you have mounted, or the particular rifle. You just need to be able to pull the rifle to your shoulder and essentially be on target or close.

If I were buying a scope special for such a hunt, it would be a short variable or fixed 4x.

If this is not something you are comfortable with, practice snap shooting on soda cans, clay pigeons and so forth at ranges to 100 yds.
 
JMR, back to page one ......the photo of your Winchester is one neat set up, what is the caliber? Who made the barrel?
 
Another tip for shooting moving animals in the woods: Find an opening ahead of the animal and point the rifle there and adjust as the animal enters the opening.

If you try to follow an animal, your bullet will more likely hit a tree.

However, if an animal is running through the woods and there are lots of trees between you and and the animal, it's a real crap-shoot; not a good idea to shoot.
 
Well, let's start over at the beginning, since it can't really be answered till we know this: What's your budget? New or used? With or without scope and rings?

But I tend to agree with jmr40, without knowing more. Short, light, 20" .260 rem turnbolt. Light being the most key word in that phrase. Savage lightweight hunter in .260 is a great starting point, depending upon budget.

Add appropriate lightweight scope.... maybe a 1.5-6x40 if you can find one. Or a 1-4, 1.5-4, 1.5-5, 2-7 or 2-8, with an objective bell in the 32mm range give or take 4mm. Something like that.
 
life long new englander here.there are no brush busters any contact with branches may alter trajectory quite a bit even with a .458win never mind a 45-70.
as far as levers and auto loaders,shots on running game never pay off.
for thick brush use a light weight gun with a short barrel like a 7mm-08,260rem,6.5-55 and actually if only hunting deer a .243.shoot inbetween the branches.
if you insist on running shot use a 12ga shotgun with #2buck which gives a bigger spread on running deer heads and necks then 00 buck.

however if you stay quiet and scentless any gun is a winner.any good shooter who makes his own ammo and spends every waking hour at the range can hunt west.but it takes something more than gun skills to get within 65 yards of scent weiley whitetails.
 
I use a Marlin 336 in 30/30 with Xs ghost ring sights with 170 grn soft points. This is a quick handling rifle that is quick to get on target. Ammo is easy to get and is reasonably priced allowing me to do a lot of off hand practice. That is what you need to spend time doing regardless of your choice of weapon. Keep gun at your normal carry position then quickly acquire target mount and fire in one smooth motion. Keep practicing until you become one with the rifle. Soon it becomes an extension of your arms if its fitted properly. No tilting of the head to acquire sight picture no fumbling hammer or safety. Proper field practice is what is missing with so many of today's hunters. They purchase a magnum rifle that is not really needed for the ranges they hunt ammo is expensive and they are over scoped as well. So 3 shot down range out of a mechanical rest and off to the woods you go. You never really get to know the rifle. Does it come to the shoulder smoothly does the scope give you full field of vision with out moving head. All things the starter of this thread needs to consider when he makes his choice. In the brush when walking long distance with little chance of a shot over a 100 yards I carry the 30/30. If in broken terrain where any type of shot is possible I carry a 7mm-08 with 3x9 that I also shoot offhand and prone etc and know what i can do at 25 or 300 yards. What ever your choice have a fun and safe hunt and show us photos if you get one.

Mwal
 
This is likely a software issue as opposed to a hardware issue.

What would you recommend for deer at 25-75 yards that is light and easy to carry and can be put on target quickly.
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"The best rifle is the one you have."

Provided the stock fits you,and the scope is set up right, a rifle with a 3-9X40 set at 3X that you are as familiar with as you are your car or your silverware or any other tool you use every day beats something that is a stranger to your hand and eye.

Practice. You can practice mounting the gun and getting on target without leaving home and it costs nothing but a few moments a day. Dry fire.

Practice. Practice. Practice.

A gun for this task and a gun for that task and one for the other ..... just excuses to buy another gun.
 
I'm with jimbob86; use the gun you have. In my part of Idaho (Panhandle Unit 2) 100 yards is a long shot most of the time. BUT there are power lines and clear cuts that offer longer shots.
I shoot a single-shot Mauser 98 chambered for 30-40AI, 22" barrel and a Leopold 3X-9X, which stays on 4X 99% of the time.
The buck I shot last season was 135 yards away. The one I shot 2 years ago was 40 yards away. Since I sit and wait for the animals to come to me a scoped rifle is no hinderance.
If I were going to buy a new rifle just for hunting the Idaho woods for deer, elk, moose and bear I'd probably get a Savage 99 in either .308 or .300 Sav. But thats just because I really like that model.
 
My Browning BLR Mod 81 in a 358 Win. Will drop what ever you see with no minced meet. With a 1-4 Leopold is my Michigan Deer rifle. Dial it down and it's like looking out a window. For that runner at 10 Ft. Or dial up for longer shots like 200 Yds. The rifle is Well balanced fast and light with a 200 Gr. Hammer. That would be my choice.
 
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life long new englander here.there are no brush busters any contact with branches may alter trajectory quite a bit even with a .458win never mind a 45-70.
as far as levers and auto loaders,shots on running game never pay off.
for thick brush use a light weight gun with a short barrel like a 7mm-08,260rem,6.5-55 and actually if only hunting deer a .243.shoot inbetween the branches.
if you insist on running shot use a 12ga shotgun with #2buck which gives a bigger spread on running deer heads and necks then 00 buck.

however if you stay quiet and scentless any gun is a winner.any good shooter who makes his own ammo and spends every waking hour at the range can hunt west.but it takes something more than gun skills to get within 65 yards of scent weiley whitetails.
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This... Green MT Man speaks very wisely. No such thing as a brush buster. Only caveat I'd add is that if you DO use a .243, use a bullet at least 80 grains, of a hunting (thick jacket) construction, because if you DO hit, say, a blade of grass you don't see, the .243 is so fast that the lighter bullets can just disintegrate even hitting a piece of thick grass or weed, nevermind a branch/twig.
 
as far as levers and auto loaders,shots on running game never pay off.
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I'll have to disagree with this, shooting running game is not hard to do if you know how.

The largest percentage of the deer I've shot were running shots using a Savage 99.

The Savage 99 has a natural swing for me, easy to follow through with a 99.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
 
Originally posted by Hunter Customs:

I'll have to disagree with this, shooting running game is not hard to do if you know how.
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^^^I gotta agree. A running deer at reasonable ranges with the proper angle is not that hard. If we are talking brushy areas like the content of this thread, the range will probably be short. Most of my deer in the past 30 years have been from thick brushy terrain while still hunting/stalking. More than half the deer were jumped from their beds at ranges of 30 yards or less. Not a difficult target if you concentrate on one good shot.
 
I have to go with the shooting moving deer guys. I was at the range one day just talking about the last hunting season and some guy blurted out how "He would never shoot at a moving deer and nobody else should either". A couple of us laughed out loud. One guy said " If I never shot at a running deer where I hunt, I would never get a shot. Anybody that won't shoot at a running deer is either an amature or hunts where the terrain is flat and too dangerous to do it." I think the misconception of shooting at running deer comes from people that jump them at 100 yards in the woods and try it. That is stupid. Like the previous poster, I have jumped them like rabbits and taken them.
 
Where I hunt in Louisiana is all fairly dense, with a few areas along the pipelines where you can see out to 500yrds. My go to brush/intermediate range hunting rifle for the last 5yrs has been an AR15 in 6.8SPC with a 16in barrel and midlength gas system with a 3-9x50 scope. It's taken deer at close range all the way out to 400yrds. It shoulders fast, is light, and is very accurate.
 
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