[rimfirenut]

I have done some testing on what cal. will go through brush the best and here is what we came up with. We tested numerous cartridges, 20 gauge, 12 gauge, 22-250, 220 swift, 223, 30-30, 308, 270, 30-06, 338 win and the 375 h&h. Out of all that were tested the only 2 that made it through were the 338 and the 375, not by much but out of 10 rounds each only 50% made it through and none hit to point of aim so none are so called brush guns. I think the definition of a brush gun is the ease of carry through heavy timber and brush and the lever guns with 20" barrels and shorter work the best..

[Cyrano]

Any of the guns mentioned thus far will work as a brush gun, which I define a 'any longarm with a length overall of 40 inches or less, that hits hard, with iron sights that shoot to point of aim." There's one more that the hog shooters over in the Hunting Forum would say rates a mention: the Model M38, M44 or 91/59 Mosin Nagants. Load one with 180 grain softpoints, and any game east of the Mississippi is not going to get up again if you hit it cleanly. Load it with 203 grain softpoints, and there's no game in North America it won't take down. You won't get as fast a second shot as you would with a lever gun or a pump-action shotgun; but if you aim it right, you won't need one. Besides, as the hog hunters facetiously point out, that folding bayonet on the M44 is a nice insurance policy!

[ArkansasHunter]

This subject is becomeing Interesting. Brush busting caliber. And when we say the word Brush what do our minds picture ?

Do yall picture a thicket that you need a machetey to hack your way through it ?

Looking back over my lifetime of hunting I've never hunted in Brush. What I have done is set up near it or in openings or useing a lean to stand's to see down into it.

Is brush a grown over field with high grass and bush's ? Yeah it is. Would it be safe to stalk in it and consider...say a deer flushing close by, it starttels the wits out of you and by the time you react it's not safe to take a shot. But we do it with success sometimes.

In a forrest you have some under growth, lot's of vines, limbs that fell from tree's are present as well as tree tops that came down and tree's that fall down.

Is this considerd brush ? I guess it could be with some places being worst than other's.


Common since, good aim and being "sure of your target" with any centerfire rifle or shotgun will work with the understanding that your 100% sure you can hit what your shooting at in brush.
Because, Brush is part of the enviroment we hunt in as well as open or not so open forrest.

They are always present together while hunting.

Like I said above a flat shooting rifle is probable the best rifle with either iron sights or optic's being best when your shooting into brush if you can find a decent opening other wise you can miss, mortally wound or cripple game.

To me I think it's fair to say any adiquit caliber with a 22 inch barrel or less will work fine.

Open country is a different ball of wax...A.H

[nathangdad]

What one of us considers to be brush might not be considered brush by someone else. Also, brush can be so dense that deer and other game will move around it rather than try to go through it.

Way to go Arkansas Hunter.

[Dragunov]

Any SKS or a .30-30 lever act for anything under 200yds. I've shot more "Kritter" with these than anything else.

[DUGABOY1]

The name "BRUSH GUN" is a misleading handle that, IMO, causes more wounded, and lost game every year than any other thing other than shooting too far on live targets. There is no such thing as a brush bucking bullet, or rifle to shoot such a bullet that can be fired from the shoulder. Short of a 155 howitzer any bullet can be either deflected or blown up when contacting anything on it's way to the target. The slow one are deflected easily, and fast ones explode when they hit any stick or twigg.

The name brush rifle comes for haveing a short, handy rifle that can be used in tight bush, and is taken by many to believe it will shoot reliably through brush. Actually one of the best brush rifles is the Little Winchester mod 94 TRAPPER rifle chambered for 30-30 win with 170 gr bullets, with a reciever, so-called, PEEP sight, and a very white front bead. It is quick, and accurate and will kill any deer that ever lived if the shooter does his part. If Moose, and Black Bear are included in the bag, an 1895 Marlin 45-70 with the barrel cut to 16 1/4" with the same sight as the winchester Trapper, and loaded with 400 gr bullets is fine for that bag. However the key to success is simply do not shoot anything through brush, but wait for an opening.

I have a Win trapper, and an 1895 Marlin made into a trapper both can be used for heavy timber hunting, or for following dogs on Lion, or Black Bear, or hunting deer or moose in thick timber. The Marlin was made to ride on my shoulder loaded with very "hot" Ruger No1 loads while I fish the rivers of Alaska, where big brownies also fish, and believe they have the right of way. I believe they do as well, but sometimes they want to enforce thier position so that you need a rifle to discourage their progress.

...........................................

[grizcty]

DNR,

I think a lot of valuable info has been put forth here.
By a wide verity, of smart folks.

The bottom line, is trial and error. Also a good way to build up a gun collection. (Just don't let the "old lady", catch on)
That is how most of us, got so opinionated. LOL

The good news.
There is a wide verity, of guns to choose from nowadays!

[DUGABOY1]

It all boils down to the fact that the name "BRUSH GUN" is a type of gun, not a chambering!

The origenal poster was asking the wrong question. What he was asking which of the two chamberings he quoted was the best "BRUSH GUN". The proper answer to his question is neither one is a "BRUSH GUN', nor is either one a BRUSH BUCKING CHAMBERING, because there is no such thing!

A brush gun is a short handy little rifle that can be used in the JUNGLES that are in every type of woods, or brush country. All it means is it needs to be chambered adiquately for the game you are hunting, not to shoot through brush, and handle well enough to be quick on target, for a quick shot at an animal from 10-200 yds max as the animal is in an opening, or passes through an opening, not behind brush.

There are two reasons why the little saddle carbines like the Mod 94 Win, and the 336 Marlin rifles became so popular for so long. #1 the little rifles held enough ammo in the rifles so you didn't have to carry extra ammo, and the rifle worked well in a saddle holster. #2 is because they were quick handleing, and people used to HUNT either from horse back, or on foot, and get as close as they could for a sure shot.

Unlike today where most sit in a heated box stand, over a feeder, or a food plot, with an almost bench reast window to shoot from. That allows a far different type of rifle, when you can see over the brush or 400 yds accross a bean field with nothing in the way to stop, or deflect the bullet. Here the high stand, and a long barreled bolt rifle with a very large scope does the hunting that hunters used to do on foot down in the brush, where you had to get close, without spooking the animal, in most cases to get a shot.

There is nothing wrong about either type hunting, but most today have no need for a so-called BRUSH GUN, because they very seldom hunt on thier feet today down on the ground where visibility is short in most cases, and many have lost thier ability to get close to game if they ever had it.

.......All this is simply my opinion, and worth exactly the price the reader has paid for it!
.................................................

[StretchNM]

Quote:       Originally Posted by srt 10 jimbo

Have a Savage 110 .270 I use for Deer and sometimes Hog but my Brush Gun is a Marlin 336 in .35 cal

Quote:       Originally Posted by ArkansasHunter

If it were me I would get a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington. It's amazeing folks over look the 35 Remington. it may be because stores only stock 30-30's The 35 is a better caliber than the 30-30.

Quote:       Originally Posted by matt760

............... I have a Puma Model 92 in .45 Colt and with some CorBons or some hot hand loads, I think it would be a fantastic brush gun. Something in .44 Mag or in the .35 caliber range would also be appealing to me as a brush gun.

Now these three guys are mentally sick..... crazy.... disallusioned.... in need of treatment...... BUT!.....

......Let me be the fourth to advocate the .35 Remington in a light, fast-handling lever-action.......ideal for areas where game is liable to be close due to "brush"..
((( )))

[single shot]

OK - I don't shoot unless I can make the shot. By brush gun I would think you mean easy to handle when you are in the brush but you still have to have a clean shot. No calibur will actually shot well through brush.

[Tack Driver]

Quote:       Originally Posted by single shot

OK - I don't shoot unless I can make the shot. By brush gun I would think you mean easy to handle when you are in the brush but you still have to have a clean shot. No calibur will actually shot well through brush.

But some shoot through brush better than others.

[G. Green]

I remember reading an experiment done years ago on allegede "brush bucking" calibers and the findings went against conventional wisdom at the time in that they found that longer thinner bullets were more stable, and actually deflected less than shorter fatter bullets. NO I can't cite the study, and I don't really care cause I don't shoot through brush on purpose, but it was kinda interesting.

[StretchNM]

I'm guessing that maybe the expression came from the hunting scenarios found in many places where the brush is thick and the chances of you getting close to the animal, or the animal arriving at a clear spot close to you, were the norm. This opposed to wide open spaces such as in my area where shots are generally taken at a greater distance.

If the above is true, then a "brush gun" would be relatively short, light, quick to shoulder and cheek, and of a larger caliber (maybe) that generated alot of energy within 150 to 200 yards. The rifles falling into this category would be, generally speaking, carbines (levers) in 30-30, .35 Rem, .44 magnum, .444, .45-70, and the like.

Just guessin..........

[shop tom]

It's not the .30-30 cartridge that made the '94 Winchester famous, it's the other way around. Had it introduced the 35 Remington, THAT would be the cartridge everybody thinks of as a deer round.

My dad took a shot at a whitetail about 60 yards away. Clean miss. The bullet hit an apple tree branch (twig) about the diameter of my little finger...........

tom

[samuel]

A .35rem will deflect much more than a .243win.The 7mm mag and .300win mag were real brush waders.To me,surprisingly,the .243win/6mm rem with 80gr hunting bullets doing 3200/3300fps were quite good and if they only hit one twig about 1/4" thick,often hit a can or bottle that was within 10yds.The problem is,you may very well take a shot and not see the brush.It is good to know what will penetrate with the least deflection.I never tried them but would guess the .35rem might be better than the .30-30 because of a little velocity advantage.I would also guess the .308 would beat both of them,and possibly several others.I did try .12ga slugs and 3"mags are way better than 2 3/4 standard.This was using 1oz in both.Still,I believe a 12ga with short barrel would be about as effective as any rifle in brushey country if kept at slug range.I found ML,s to be easily deflected.Only tried about 10 shots.As I said,there was nothing scientific about this,just curious. ,,,sam.

[99z28monster]

Quote:       Originally Posted by big shrek

^^^ Yeah that Gimme a thutty-thutty anyday Besides, lever-action rifles are COOL!!

words of wisdom right there.

As to the OP the 30-30 will work fine as a good fast action shooter in close ranges. I think alot of folks gets hung up on the term "brush gun" you should never shot through brush. Its good for hunting in brushy areas where you need to get the rifle into action fast and a fast sight picture. Thus the time tested lever guns small and compact and good iron sights. Best of luck to you in your decision.

[SwedeSteve]

And along came buckshot !!

[99dragon99]

Ruger 44 Mag carbine with 240 or 275gr jacketed hollow points. I have shot through lots of stuff with it and the bullet keeps going straight...

It's nice and short the recoil isn't bad and it's good out to 100+ (not too far past it though)

My definition of a brush gun is one that you can carry and use while walking through heavily wooded areas and doesn't mind if a small branch or twigs get in the way. Not a gun for shooting through a thicket because you can see a brown patch that could be a deer or the leather patch on your buddies vest.

[Huey Rider]

Sam,your remark about 12 ga. slugs and effectivness in brush brought back a painful hunting expeience of about 18 years ago.8 point buck,40 yrds.,broadside standing still,Win mdl 1300 12 ga. slug gun,iron sights.Don't remember brand of slugs.Anyway,squeese trigger---BOOM---deer takes off,no follow up shot possible.Paced off to where the buck had been standing and discovered,much to my dismay,that I "killed" 3 saplings,launching the slug somewhere out into the ionosphere!Clean miss...I still have nightmares over that miss!I had a scope mounted after that.No more dead timber.LOL

[Tha Dave]

Mosin Nagant M-38, M-44, SKS or AK except for the ak you should be able to find any of the first three for around $200 or less the AK a little more maybe $350. all will be good within 100 yards all fire large heave bullets that will not be knocked off course by a small twig. If you got the money a SoCom M1A but that'll set you back around a grand.