Choosing a brush gun for blacktail

S

Smasher

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Hey all, so hunting blacktail in thick timber requires a gun that’s easy to handle in tight spaces. Shorter rifles or compact shotguns are ideal cause they allow quick movement through heavy brush without sacrificing power. Make sure your gun is reliable, easy to clean and suited to quick follow-up shots and also lightweight optics or iron sights can also improve accuracy in dense cover. If you got recommendation on brush gun setups that have worked best for you in thick timber, share them here!
 
Blacktail in thick timber? Ain't no brush gun needed! Just tie a bigger shovel to your barrel and swing for the fences..real hunters just use whatever's already in the back seat
 
A brush gun is just what we call 'the good ol' truck rifle' when we're trying to sound fancy! But seriously, that's great hunting advice, use what works, even if it's the big shovel method
 
Lever actions are the true kings of the brush! They're fast and a .30-30 round will drop em quick in the woods. You just can't beat how easy they are to move around.
 
I just picked up a Henry Big Boy in 45 Colt. With anything Cowboy Loads or bigger, should be a good brush gun for small deer. I chose that over a 44 mag Rossi because of the stronger action. That way it will pair well with my OM Blackhawk for bear protection. Shoots 1" @ 20 yards=pretty good when you consider that one bullet hole is 1/2 an inch in diameter!
 
Invited to what became my last ever deer hunt, I had sold all my "big game rifles." I still owned a beater, low value (manufactured 1970) Mdl 94. 30-30, naturally. The receiver is made of mystery metal and it rattles when you shake it. But with a Williams peep sight, it's surprisingly accurate with my various handloads as well as factory rounds. I had sighted in Hornady's then-new Leverevotion rounds, so took them along.

I set up on a stump near our camp in the west side of Skamania county, which is as brushy an area as one can imagine. The others in my group imagined themselves as great woods stalkers and were carrying scoped rifles all the way from 270 Wn to 300 WM. Of course it wasn't long before a nice two pointer was slipping by my spot.
One shot from the old guy and his antique. The young'uns were.kind enough to gut and hang the only deer shot that opening morning....
 
I read in Cartridges of the World that the old 44-40 shot more deer and more men (good and bad!) than any other cartridge! Probably not true any more and maybe not at that time!
 
Then, according to the scribes, it was supplanted by the 30-30. In my opinion, that's a record that will last. Not because the 30 WCF is as popular as it used to be, but because of the proliferation of new calibers. Everyone has their favorite cartridge and no two are the same. In addition, several states back east ban calibers with shoulders, thus preventing the use of the 30-30.
 
VancMike said:
Then, according to the scribes, it was supplanted by the 30-30. In my opinion, that's a record that will last. Not because the 30 WCF is as popular as it used to be, but because of the proliferation of new calibers. Everyone has their favorite cartridge and no two are the same. In addition, several states back east ban calibers with shoulders, thus preventing the use of the 30-30.
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Fads come & Fads go!!!!!! Mine, when I still hunted, was a 45-70 (Marlin 1895, Winchester 1886, 1886 in 45-90). But, as a guide in Central Cali and going after wounded hogs in brush, I wanted more stopping power. Often used a 12 gauge pump. But those were different circumstances and different times (When I was young and foolish!)
 
30WCF is the proper caliber for Winchester lever actions.
30-30 was Marlin's name for the cartridges they made for the 30WCF.
Winchester sued Marlin, and they had to change the name due to the lawsuit.

Winchester did not use 30-30 until after the Japs bought Winchester.
Yet before they sold Marlin to Remington and has gone downhill since then.
 
My vintage 1970 '94 has a receiver made of sintered steel. In 1964, Winchester went to that method as cost savings, as it was more cost effective than replacing the original tooling. As a side benefit, it actually is more accurate, with tighter tolerances than pre-64 production. The big issue is that sintered steel doesn't take to bluing, with splotchy and uneven results. Mine is a kind of grey-blue; don't know what process Winchester used.

The point is, if a Mdl 94 manufactured 1964-89 comes.up on your used gun rack, it's probably a great hunting rifle. Just don't pay pre-64 prices!
 
I gave my nice mine, she had my 1949, her 1947, and a 1971 that she beats the stuffins out of.
All 1894s
 

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