New Brush Gun

[WNYBuckHunter]

What exactly is a brush gun?

[phade]

Brush guns to me were always shorter, lighter guns that were quick to the shoulder and being able to swing in close/thick quarters with the ability for quick follow-up shots.

[Elmo]

What phade said.  Designed to use in heavy brushes and vegetation where quick reaction is required since you can't see the game until the very last second.  Usually chambered with hard hitting rounds.  Long distance ballistics is not considered.

[Fletch]

I always considered a Brush Gun one that you would want with you when your hunting heavy cover. Something light, fast shouldering and short so in the thick stuff you can swing easier. I never have heard that someone would mean to shoot through brush. I hope we are all looking for clear shots.

 

That said my "brush gun" is a Marlin 30-30 lever action with a Nikon scope on shoot through rings. And with that newer Leverevolution ammo it can reach out. I took a doe at 208 yards with it a couple years ago in a clearcut. Dropped in her tracks.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I was hoping noone would say the one I use to shoot through bushes lol

[DirtTime]

I always considered a Brush Gun one that you would want with you when your hunting heavy cover. Something light, fast shouldering and short so in the thick stuff you can swing easier. I never have heard that someone would mean to shoot through brush. I hope we are all looking for clear shots.

This quote is what I think of. Short, quick to the shoulder, light, and open (iron) sites.

Growing up most of the people I knew that used this term ( some even used 'bush gun' ) had a lever in 30/30, 35, or 44 mag. in the rack or cabinet.

These days compact bolt actions can do just as well. There are some good ones on the market and with some practice you can cycle to the next shot with a bolt action as fast as a pump action, and be pretty close to a lever.

 

For the quick point-n-shoot situations it's a 12 ga model 37 Ithaca with a 20" barrel. I've had it for 40 years and it snaps into position like a dream. Not a fun gun to practice with though.

 

Another great choice, even in 20 ga. . When it comes to a shotgun you can never go wrong with an Ithaca! Or any shotgun with a shorter slug barrel.

 

If a rifle is what you really want I would go lever in 30/30. Light on recoil, super easy to maneuver, pretty darn fast on manual cycling, and if you are under 125 yds ( like mentioned ) the only deer getting away will be from hunter error.

 

Good luck no matter what you decide on. Let us know with a few pics.

[Mr VJP]

Since it hasn't been mentioned so far, look into the Ruger Mini-30 semi auto rifle in 7.62x39 chambering.  It's short and fast.  It also has ballistics similar to the .30-30 and the ammo is inexpensive.  I've had one for years and it is well suited to close cover hunting.

 

[Buckmaster7600]

My fav. "Brush" gun is my 7600 in 35 whelen that I cut the barrel to 16 and 9/16" it has a fixed 2.5 leupold and is extremely light and swings like a 870.

[Pygmy]

My fav. "Brush" gun is my 7600 in 35 whelen that I cut the barrel to 16 and 9/16" it has a fixed 2.5 leupold and is extremely light and swings like a 870.

Great chambering and great scope !

With that stubby barrel it must be LOUD !!

[Buckmaster7600]

Oh yea it's loud! And has some muzzle flash but it's not as bad as some of the magnums. I also have a tika t3 that I re barreled to 35 whelen that's also cut to just over 16.5" It has a 2-7 ultralight leupold on it. I just finished that this summer so we will have to see how I like it in a month or so.

[Pygmy]

You sure do like those short barrels !

What bullets do like in the Whelen ? Do you load for it ?

I was in the market for one a few years back, but I ended up getting a 9.3 x 62 instead, which is very similar in performance.

[Buckmaster7600]

Oh yea I love short barrels and light rifles! I load the Barnes VOR-TX 180

[Pygmy]

Hard to go wrong with Barnes bullets....I load them in all of my hunting rifles now...

[Buckmaster7600]

I love Barnes but I have learned you can push the too fast in pistol rounds but I love them in everything else!

[Pygmy]

I don't load pistol, but in my rifle rounds I load them as fast as I can safely and accurately, and they perform great..

[Buckmaster7600]

In all reality when loading for my 45colt and 44 rifles in asking a lot out of a "pistol" bullet so I do understand the Barnes "failing" when pushed to the extreme. In rifles I do not have a bad work to say about them.

[hunterdan44]

I have a Ruger 44 auto I taken 6 deer with it small light and just a nice little gun. I don't always take that gun with me but it's a great "brush" gun.

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[Buckmaster7600]

Hunterdan I have 2 of them rugers and I love them as well, they are such a sweet little gun! And they are getting very valuable!

[hunterdan44]

Hunterdan I have 2 of them rugers and I love them as well, they are such a sweet little gun! And they are getting very valuable!

I had a gunsmith Teflon dip the barrel came out great.

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[thphm]

Since it hasn't been mentioned so far, look into the Ruger Mini-30 semi auto rifle in 7.62x39 chambering.  It's short and fast.  It also has ballistics similar to the .30-30 and the ammo is inexpensive.  I've had one for years and it is well suited to close cover hunting.

 

X2, this rides with me on my atv all rifle hunting season while to and from my stands.

 

[Larry]

I shoot a 444marlin loaded with 265gr flat points it no more a brush gun than a 22 when hitting stuff with a bullet going at almost twice the speed of sound and spinning at 100000 rpms it's going to destabilize the bullet. I may hit the target sideways or ass end first

[DanD]

_{I hit a gun shop down in PA this weekend as I was visiting my folks for the weekend aka borrowing my old mans gun range for a few hours after he put me to work. Came across a Marlin 1895 SBL in 45-70. I was not familiar with the caliber, and it sounded like a cannon. The salesman proceeded to tell me that with some of the loads, recoil isn't too bad with the caliber. It basically equates to shooting an inline muzzleloader, but you get more than one shot.}

 

_{I have done some reading online and it seems like Marlin had some issues after Remington bought them (Remlins as they are affectionately called). Does anyone know if the quality has improved on these rifles? The one I saw in the shop was on layaway so I couldn't buy it (or I probably would have).}

[Jaeger]

I have a love/hate relationship with my 7600 in 30-06.  

 

I love its accuracy, 1- 1 1/2 with factory federal 165's.

 

Hate its narrow but plate.  Stings like heck.  The stock is too pretty right at the toe to cut it down and add a pad.

 

Love that it saved my bacon when I blew out my knee on icy rocks and had to use it as a cane/push stick to crawl home, never sell it for that reason alone!!

[Buckmaster7600]

Dan my advice is to stay away from the "remlins" the quality has dropped drastically! The old ones are great guns and they are easy to tell apart the good ones will have a JM stamp on the barrel near the receiver there are many good used ones on the market. Last year I was in a shop and they had two used JM stamped 336's in 35 rem I bought them both for 550$ "no they are not for sale"

Edited October 5, 2015 by Buckmaster7600

[tcosmic]

You are so right the new ones do not feel like the old. If you like the older there are many still around. I have the older .270 and 30/06 both great guns. My brush gun is an 11/87 12 ga.  cantilever scope mount smooth bore with rifled choke tube and cheapo Winchester pumkin ball slugs. Awesome combo in thick stuff and has knocked down deer at 150yds. plus. I shoot a lot before season though. But I use a Winchester m- 70 .300 wsm for distance up in canada. If your in most spots bucks prefer, I 'll take the slug gun. Its really not the gun or bow but how much you shoot it to get proficient with it.