Best short range deer gun (inside 150 yards)

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I've got two "ultimate short range deer/pig" guns

1 - Ruger 44 carbine. Mine is a 1963 vintage. Couple years later they started making a 22lr version, you may have seen one, it is the 10/22 :) So imagine if you will a 5lb 10/22 with a .44 hole in the end.

Unfortunately, these are a BEAST to clean and have a few very fragile parts that are made of unobtainium. They also require jacked bullets (lead will screw up gas system) and full house loads to function. Oh, and they've gotten stupid expensive - last one I saw for sale was $1200 and was gone in 30 minutes at the gun show....

2 - Howa Mini bolt action in 762x39 (or 300 blackout if you can find one). 120-130gr bullets at 2200-2500fps. Small light quick bolt action. Heck, get it in 6.5 grendel and your range opens up to 400 yards.

This one unfortunately has its downsides as well. You need to reload to get great hunting ammo for 762x39 (though ti shoots the cheap steel case stuff very well). If you went with 300 blackout, you are still reloading but for some reason Howa stopped making the 300bo the same year it was voted as gun of the year at the shot show. Dummies.
 
A friend of mine had a camp in Central PA where the entire family all shot 30 ought six. Most shots were inside 70 yards. So why that caliber I asked? 1. If someone forgets their ammo someone in camp will have them covered. 2. If you ever needed 30-06 ammo away from camp and maybe the next mountain over, you'd only have to ask three deer hunters before somebody would have your caliber.
 
My slug gun with the Winchester XP3 slugs or the Hornandy SST slugs is equivalent to a hot loaded 45-70 in terms of accuracy, velocity and energy. Lyman has recipes for hot 45-70 loads in Ruger model 1 actions that push a 300 gr slug past 2000 fps but just barely. My 12 ga is within 100 fps with the SST slugs. I would note that commercially available 45-70 loads are quite a bit slower. Apparently only Ruger #1 actions are strong enough to handle the hot loads. Recommended lever gun loads are a few hundred fps slower.
 
I really like .300 savage round, next would be the .308, my preference would be in a bolt action, detachable mag firearm, something short and light for all day carrying and maneuverable in the woods, my go to gun is my older model 7 Remington, with a 1 1/2 inch nylon sling, with neoprene backing, 1.5-4 scope
 
In the people’s republic of Chicognois I’m probably using the knight orange disc conversion or the Marlin 1894
 
Plan old 30.06 works for me almost ever year, this buck is # 17 or18 with this Ruger.
 

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I’m gonna go against the grain a little. But at that distance I’ve been using a 6.8 with a little 110 grain bullet. Cheap to reload and does a great job. We have a pretty liberal deer harvest in Md and I decided to go with an AR. I usually wait to late season to do doe patrol since they come in groups. Pic is first was about 90 yards neck shot and drops. So while I’m sitting there I decide to fill a tag out. Look up ones standing about 170 yards, lung shot 45 yards and piled up. On a side note I have shot deer with that gun at the 330 yard mark.
 

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444 Marlin. I like big short range cartridges and the discontinued Hornady 265 gr JFP was a great combo.

450 Bushmaster if I am back in MI.

I’m going to try the 360 Buckhammer when it comes out. I think this will be a shade better than 35 Rem and be legal for my straight wall areas.
 
If i was in the market today it would be the Mini Howa in 6mm ARC or 6.5 Gren simply because its ultra light and shoots so flat its just hold and shoot to about 200 yards. Very light recoil and fairly cheap to reload.

6mm 100ish grain bullet at around 2700fps MV with a 200 yard zero. Just aim dead on at anything closer. No dialing or guess work.
 
100 and less lets see
A 12 ga, 444 Marlin, 45-70 govt.,44 special handgun and my 54 caliber front stuffer but as you can see I need more arms to carry all those
 

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