Best short range deer gun (inside 150 yards)

[ported45]

I have a .35 Remington H&R Handi that I had cut down to 17" and shoots just as good after it losing weight as it did before. Yesterday evening I went out and shot up all of the reduced-load ammo that I had put together for my daughter's first year deer hunting (a few years ago). They were 158 FP XTP over 9.0 grains Green Dot. Max shot distance would have been 50 yards or less where we were hunting. Felt like shooting a pop gun.

The little rifle had been sighted in for 50 yards, so I was expecting to hit a little low at 100. First shot at a 20 ounce plastic bottle impacted about 3 inches ABOVE my aiming point. Next shot I adjusted my hold to aim 3" below center of the bottle and it was a hit. The next 21 rounds were hits on the bottle. I had brought along 5 full power 200 grain RN jacketed bullets (LVR powder) and those 5 hit right on the crosshairs at 100 yards. My final shot of the evening was with a 187 grain WFNGC (LVR powder) that I had got from a trade for '06 brass. It also impacted the bottle with a dead zero hold. I have 20 more of those WFNGC left for my daughter to use if we hunt public ground next year. Need to put a few on paper to check grouping.

The accuracy of this little rifle makes it a LOT of fun to shoot. I have taken deer with WFNGC, jacketed RN, and some custom swaged HPs in the Remmy and deer don't stay on their feet long after getting a .358 pill.

 

[jims]

Busta? Is the 350 Legend or the 450 Bushmaster the most accurate?

 

[deermanok]

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.

Coming to Oklahoma from Connecticut, I've found that in the southeastern part of this state isn't really all that different from my old Connecticut woods.

 

[Busta]

Busta? Is the 350 Legend or the 450 Bushmaster the most accurate?

I've only shot one load in the .450, 250 gr Hornady Black FTX. It's been sub .5 MOA from the get go.

I've shot 4 different loads in the .350, and 2 are right at and just a hair over MOA. Hornady 170, and Winchester 150. The Win 145 gr FMJ shot good, but the Win 180 grain not so much.

I still need to get all 3 of the Federal 180 grain loads, and the Hornady 165 FTX to finish wringing the .350 out. I think at least one or two of those loads should shoot sub MOA.

I'll let you know when I get that done. Should be sometime between here and the end of May. I need to find all those loads first though. I also adjusted the .350 TD forend, as there was a hair of play. Now it's like the .450 TD forend, so expecting that to improve groups as well.

So to answer your question, right now the .450 is most accurate with that load. I have hopes that the .350 will be just as accurate once I find it's preferred load.

Even still as it is now, no deer could live on the difference out to 200 yards.

 

[CatamountRob]

 

[da new guy]

I've only shot one load in the .450, 250 gr Hornady Black FTX. It's been sub .5 MOA from the get go.

I've shot 4 different loads in the .350, and 2 are right at and just a hair over MOA. Hornady 170, and Winchester 150. The Win 145 gr FMJ shot good, but the Win 180 grain not so much.

I still need to get all 3 of the Federal 180 grain loads, and the Hornady 165 FTX to finish wringing the .350 out. I think at least one or two of those loads should shoot sub MOA.

I'll let you know when I get that done. Should be sometime between here and the end of May. I need to find all those loads first though. I also adjusted the .350 TD forend, as there was a hair of play. Now it's like the .450 TD forend, so expecting that to improve groups as well.

So to answer your question, right now the .450 is most accurate with that load. I have hopes that the .350 will be just as accurate once I find it's preferred load.

Even still as it is now, no deer could live on the difference out to 200 yards.

Busta,

I am not trying to hijack this thread in any way but I have a CVA TD in .350 that I think should shoot better. How/what adjustments did you make to the forearm?

 

[bandicoot]

Love the .35 Rem.

In my young and stupid days a Remington M-30S came into my hands. 20" barrel. custom stock. As usual back then, I sold it.

 

[Sandhillshunter]

There really are many that will get the job done nicely. My favorites are these below. I have always wanted to give the 30-30 and the 35 Rem a try, but I just have not gone down that road yet.

6.5x55
7mm-08
308 Win
358 Win

 

[Ninering62]

There really are many that will get the job done nicely. My favorites are these below. I have always wanted to give the 30-30 and the 35 Rem a try, but I just have not gone down that road yet.

6.5x55
7mm-08
308 Win
358 Win

I hunted with a .35 Rem for a long time. Thats a 150yd deer sledgehammer.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Nothing unusual for me…
Mossy 12ga with a rifled barrel
Marlin 30-30 lever gun
Any of my muzzleloaders

 

[Pathfinder60]

CVA Scout V2 in 35 Whelen. Suitable for any large game in N. America. Light weight, easy to carry, accurate and reasonably priced.

 

[CatHeadBiscuit]

Thuddy-Thuddy

 

[Grumpy706]

Definitely subjective. I say shoot what feels good in your hands. It could be a pump, lever, semi-auto, bolt, single shot, double, shotgun or muzzleloader.
I prefer pumps and levers out to 200-250 yards. Bolts after that. Have fun and good luc!

 

[MrTom]

In 1970 I bought a pre-64 Model 70 Winchester chambered in the .458 Magnum cartridge. I bought the gun to go along side of several other pre-64's I had. It came with four boxes of factory ammo, the dies and quite a bit of reloading components from once-fires to bullets to powder. I was going to load a few rounds down and use it for deer up in the northern part of the state but never really got around to it. The factory rounds were a bit much for deer, but I'll bet that a reduced load would bust that northern brush real well..

 

[bradski12]

Loving the Ruger American/Predator Lightweight (smaller pull) in 243 or 308. Put a 1-4x scout scope on it and you have a great little combo. PSA had them for $449 or $499 shipped to your local FFL. A great deal. Even a lever action (getting more expensive everyday) with a small scope would be great at that range.

 

[eekjellander]

Was curious what guns you guys are using for timber hunting whitetails where 100 yards is a long shot? thanks

Simple a 45/50/54/ or if it's a TC Renegade and skip the short range(100 yds) go for 300 with a scope (AGAIN) in a Renegade and you will kill more faster , love them set triggers!!!/Ed

 

[jbs27572]

How did you get 9 deer with it? It only holds 6 rounds. Lol!

Easy! Draw the right gun; fan the hammer and then reholster and draw the left one.

 

[jbs27572]

For anything less than 150 yards, it's hard to beat a 12 ga slug gun with a rifled barrel. My 870 is as accurate as many rifles with a 25" rifled slug barrel on it. I loved the Winchester 2.75" 300 gr XP3 moving at 1900 fps. It hit like Thor's hammer and I never shot a deer with one that moved an inch afterward. I recovered a slug out of one I shot last fall. I shot him with his head down eating facing me. The slug hit him at the base of the neck and when I skinned him, it was just under the skin low down on his left chest and it popped right out. It had opened up beautifully. Unfortunately, Winchester stopped making these so I can't get them anymore. Hornandy SST slugs look almost identical though and move at 2000 fps. I bought a few boxes of those and will try them next fall.

 

[deermanok]

For anything less than 150 yards, it's hard to beat a 12 ga slug gun with a rifled barrel. My 870 is as accurate as many rifles with a 25" rifled slug barrel on it. I loved the Winchester 2.75" 300 gr XP3 moving at 1900 fps. It hit like Thor's hammer and I never shot a deer with one that moved an inch afterward. I recovered a slug out of one I shot last fall. I shot him with his head down eating facing me. The slug hit him at the base of the neck and when I skinned him, it was just under the skin low down on his left chest and it popped right out. It had opened up beautifully. Unfortunately, Winchester stopped making these so I can't get them anymore. Hornandy SST slugs look almost identical though and move at 2000 fps. I bought a few boxes of those and will try them next fall.

Those SST'S are good slugs.
I shot a lot of deer with them.
I even got 2 that were pretty far out, well over 100 yards.

 

[Whokalouie]

35 Rem model 8 Remington with tang Lyman peep sight in factory drilled holes.