Best short range deer gun (inside 150 yards)

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For longer ranges my 110 Savage '06 in synthetic stock and 4-12 Bushnell Banner scope are all i need to 200 plus yards. It is always with me when i hunt. However in my shoulder holster is always my Super 14 Contender in 35 Remington or my 10 inch 357 Maximum stocked with 180 grn Core-Loks. Got a hell of a kick but it accurate as can be when i do my part. I have never ever been disappointed in a Core-Lok bullet by Remington. I shoot them in my 35 Remington and my 357 Maximum barrels. The Maximum has a good torque when shot. The 35 Remington is just darn bruttle when fired more than 5 times in a row. But i love them.
DL
Mine is 1924.
I heard from some old-timers in my fam & in the hunt club my father & grandfather belonged to when I was a kid that the Win. 30-30 is an outstanding what they called in the east coast country " Brush Gun " - a like you said, light, fast to shoulder & acquire your aim point & shoot . The lever action provides fast easy follow up shots with little recoil management. A very effective 150yd deer gun. I discovered all to be very true in later yrs. I'm kinda surprised really, that the Win. 30-30 wasn't one of the very first guns mentioned with its history. Kind regards
 
Since this is a ML group I would say get a CVA Wolf ($100 clearance Wmart) or $203 direct from CVA. For centerfire get the CVA Hunter $200 online 45-70, .444, 44 mag etc. or a little more for the CVA Scout.
Find a used Win, Marlin 30-30 and join the millions who take deer with them.
Me, I'd get a Savage Axis or Axis II 30-06 but I already did that.
 
Muley
I had Bob's Leather in NC make me a butt pad shell holder cheek piece and lever wrap in honor of my dad. See pics. WRW ( W.R. Wright ) 1929-2010 and with a flag for his service.
DL
 

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Certainly hunting in the NE qualifies as an area where under 150 yard shots are the rule rather than the exception. A rifle that would be ideal in the more open confines of the West would be less than ideal in the tighter quarters of the NE. For over 100 years the favorite of the North Woods was the Marlin or Winchester lever action in 30/30 or .35. You still see quite a few hunters carrying them even today. In 1969 I bought my first deer rifle a Winchester 88 lever action in 308 caliber. About 15 years later I switched to a Remington Model 7 in 308 caliber. Using 150 grain bullets in the .308's resulted in a few deer with vaporized lungs. Finally for the past 20 or so years I have used a Remington 7600 carbine in 30/06 using 180 gr bullets. My Brother uses either a Remington 760 with iron sights or a Remington 7600 with a Trijicon 1x4 scope both in .270 using 130 gr bullets. All of these work fine. From my experience the key attributes of these rifles are light weight, short handy barrel and the ability for a quick second shot. I have found that in inclement weather a receiver sight is handier than a scope. Last year I took my Trijicon 3x9 scope off my rifle and installed a receiver sight. The rifle is now lighter, carries much better (no scope twist) and I no longer have to continually remove snow, rain and condensation from the scope lens. Most shots in the NE will be 50 yards or less.
Your mileage may vary!
 
Certainly hunting in the NE qualifies as an area where under 150 yard shots are the rule rather than the exception. A rifle that would be ideal in the more open confines of the West would be less than ideal in the tighter quarters of the NE. For over 100 years the favorite of the North Woods was the Marlin or Winchester lever action in 30/30 or .35. You still see quite a few hunters carrying them even today. In 1969 I bought my first deer rifle a Winchester 88 lever action in 308 caliber. About 15 years later I switched to a Remington Model 7 in 308 caliber. Using 150 grain bullets in the .308's resulted in a few deer with vaporized lungs. Finally for the past 20 or so years I have used a Remington 7600 carbine in 30/06 using 180 gr bullets. My Brother uses either a Remington 760 with iron sights or a Remington 7600 with a Trijicon 1x4 scope both in .270 using 130 gr bullets. All of these work fine. From my experience the key attributes of these rifles are light weight, short handy barrel and the ability for a quick second shot. I have found that in inclement weather a receiver sight is handier than a scope. Last year I took my Trijicon 3x9 scope off my rifle and installed a receiver sight. The rifle is now lighter, carries much better (no scope twist) and I no longer have to continually remove snow, rain and condensation from the scope lens. Most shots in the NE will be 50 yards or less.
Your mileage may vary!

It seems those from back east think out west hunting is all open land hunting. Not true at all. We have a lot of dark timber. I was born and brought up in Mass. I learned to hunt there. I hunt in tighter terrain now in Colorado than I Mass and there's a lot more of it. We have 23 million acres of public land we can hunt in Colorado. The lever action 30-30 is perfect here.

This is where I hunt.
 

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MH that sure does look like an area that would qualify as a thick, close cover place regardless where in the country it is located. Just looking at those steep ridges makes my legs feel sore.
 
It seems those from back east think out west hunting is all open land hunting. Not true at all. We have a lot of dark timber. I was born and brought up in Mass. I learned to hunt there. I hunt in tighter terrain now in Colorado than I Mass and there's a lot more of it. We have 23 million acres of public land we can hunt in Colorado. The lever action 30-30 is perfect here.

This is where I hunt.

Got a guest room?
 
Us back east boys have hayfields and bean fields that those elusive bucks enjoy hanging out in. Usually at the opposite side some 300yds to 500yds or more away. I stand in my driveway and watch a herd that's at the top of a hill at least 500yds away. Luckily I can't hunt there or I would be very disappointed. I'm working on a solution.
 

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In 2003 I gave up all for ML only and in 2009 for SML only. I just love the one shot challenge and it has never been a handicap.

You'll think i'm nuts but all those decades I hunted with the Win 94 30-30 I always had only one round loaded when hunting. My dad drove into me about fair chase and he told me if I need two shots I really screwed up. It's easy if you develop the self discipline to never take a shot you're not 100% positive you can make. This isn't pointed at you. Just expressing my opinion.

Switching to a muzzleloader in 1980 was pretty easy as far as having just one shot.
 
MH that sure does look like an area that would qualify as a thick, close cover place regardless where in the country it is located. Just looking at those steep ridges makes my legs feel sore.

Yes, and the picture down in the trees is actually a small opening. I had sat down to eat a snack and took the pic. If you look into the trees further in you can see how much is thickens up. Perfect still hunting country. I love it there.
 
Being this is the modern firearm section most of what we all shoot is modern in comparison from what say our Great Grandads' hunted with. When we put in the time for load development and practice repeatable shooting form it just makes all the effort put into a hunt a confident and rewarding experience no matter what flavor your rifle be.
 

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