woods guns question?

[remington1990]

i know the 30-30 and the 45-70 and the 35 rem and the 444 and the 450 marlin are all good woods gun. i was wanting to know how would a 7.62x54r be in the woods or would wood another calibre be better

[Alpo]

Not really sure what you are asking.

If, by "woods gun", you are referring to the 35 Reminton/45-70 "big slow bullet busts through the woods while little slow bullet explodes when it hits a twig", that is an old wives' tale, and has been disproven by modern experimentation.

If you mean would it be handy in the woods, I'm sure the carbine versions would. The full-length rifle would probably be a PITA in the tie-tie swamp.

If you mean would it kill a deer or bear, it certainly would.

If none of these three answers what you want to know, explain your question a little clearer.

[gunslinger69]

I would put that in the 308 or 30-06 category, moderately flat shooting all around cartridges. Not what I would consider a "woods" type cartridge with a blunt tip.

[remington1990]

what i mean to say was how would it do. I foubd this place pretty close to me (6.9miles) its part of the lower hatchie national wildlife refuge and it grow up and dense woods and i was wanting to know how well a 7.62x54r do i have a m44 carbine i was thinking about taking because its shorter then my 30-06 and 243 thanks

[skullfr]

should do just fine

[hardluk1]

35 45/70 is no better at bucking stick and branchs than a 308 . have enough scope to pick a well placed shoot and then makea good shoot. Killed a lot of deer deep in the woods with a 308.

If your going to sue a 7.62x54r just besure to use a quality hunting ammo .NO fmj mil stuff.

[redwing carson]

Any bullet will be deflected and thrown from its path passing thru brush. You should only fire at targets where there is a clear path of travel. The act of shooting at something to hit it some where is not smart. The argument that you have to risk these shots is .

[Killcreek]

If I'm going to hunt in the river bottoms, or what "woods" I have, I take a .30-30 or .308 carbine with no scope. I find a scope a hindrance out to 100 yards. Not often in heavy brush do you get a standing shot, anyway, the critter flushes, and you get a snap shot if you are fair chase hunting. You get a two or three second window of opportunity to aim and properly place a shot on a moving animal. But then, I dont have anything more aggressive than a whitetail in my woods anyway.

[redwing carson]

Kill Creek now who in the hell would have thought to use a 30-30 WCF for hunting in close cover? You would think after 100 years someone would have used a 30-30 in close cover. I know some will tell us a .30 WCF will not kill a deer. It seems the 7.62 Russian has about the same ballistics as a 30 WCF.

[Bindernut]

Originally Posted by redwing carson

It seems the 7.62 Russian has about the same ballistics as a 30 WCF.

Actually, it's more like the .308 or .30-06 in power class. It outpowers the good ole .30-30 by quite a few ft/lbs.

That said, back to the OPs question, I would have absolutely no problem using one of those stumpy little Mosins, like a M44, as a brush carbine. A full-length 91 just plain wouldn't work all that hot for a brush gun.
The carbines are nice handy little rifles to sling around in close-cover just like the M94 Swede or the 94 Winchester carbines.


Now if the OP is talking about the "classic" brush gun cartridges that have big flat/round nose bullets...
If you're of the opinion that round/flat noses work better in brush, load up with 180gr round-noses
Otherwise just plain take the suggestion of the other guys that have already posted. Any bullet is gonna deflect if you hit branches and leaves, regardless of what style of bullet you're using.


Load up that M44, use it, enjoy it, and good hunting!

[redwing carson]

my bad I was talking about a 7.62 X 39.

[Killcreek]

I have a few 7.62 x 39's,,,havent used em on deer yet, but some folks do and with decent success. Several women that I know of have taken deer with their SKS's. They are as good as anything out to....100 yards,,,actually, they are a decent little brush gun. I have never had the need for a 7.62x54, so I cant talk that. But, in the name of efficiency, that 94 Winchester is plumb good as it gets down in the brush.

This is funny. I watched this on TV,,,so it has to be true. I'm not sure how it got set up, but this old gal about 70 years old bought a guided elk hunt in New Mexico. She showed up in pressed Wrangler jeans, boots, and a short sleeve plaid shirt. The guide was going ape-chit. he was all in camo. She was carrying a 94 Winchester. This 25 yr old guide was going crazy,~~that isnt enough gun~~and all that. She said, lets go, this aint my first hunt. So the film cuts to the hunt, this old white headed gal, slim and trim and as hard as they come settin on a log and the guide is calling. Up out of the woods comes this Royal. She sets still, the big bull comes up within 50 yards and gets behind a big blue spruce, she gets up and walks out to the other side of the big spruce tree, and the guide is going crazy but still calling. Finally the bull walks out to the right and gets in her shooting lane, and she drops him from about 20 yards, like he was hit with Thors hammer. Greatest hunt I have seen.

[redwing carson]

Thats a good story. I had a hunter back in the 70s on an Elk hunt in the Freeze Out Mtns. of Wyoming. The hunter was a big city fellow full of facts from Guns & Ammo magazine. I had a Mule deer tag to fill. We came up on a nice buck in a boulder field. I pulled my saddle gun and the hunter went nutts. You can not kill a deer with a 30-30 take my 300 H&H. The 80 yd shot was fast and fatal. The hunter told everyone what a great hunter I was. He saw me kill a deer with a 30-30.

[langenc]

Yes, and if he had shot the same deer w/ the mag it would have been a 350 pounder at 425 yards for sure.

[redwing carson]

So true

[MadScotsMan]

Well, as a firm believer in the KISS theory, hunt with what you're good with. Any .30+ caliber will work on white-tails. I use either a .30-30 or a 7.62x54R (both carbines). Neither are "pretty", modern or fancy, but they work and having considerable practice with both, I am secure in hitting what I aim for.

[hardluk1]

I never had a 30-30. First rifle cost less at the time. A rem 788 in 308 was what the gun store had. Think it cost around 89 bucks. 30-30 was even more then. We hunted in south florida woods and swamps. Those run from deep canopied swamps to open prairies with longer shots probable. The first scope I bought is still on it today , a bushnell 2.5-10 power. I could pick out a shot a 20 yards thru thick cover quicker than open sights . You do simply learn to use it to your advantage if you try. Roll up the power and shoot a deer or hog at 300 yards. Never seen a real brush bullet or gun. Maybe a 12ga slug at best. Send lots of guys shot the hech out of wood not game back then. I never used more than 150gr bullet . Finally moved up to a 7mm rem mag for longer shooting when I started hunting out of state but still have taken a few deer in creek bottoms at some really close ranges. How about 20 feet. 30-30 is a fine cartidge and levers are fine rifles just never thought I needed one. Had no money back then anyhow for extras that were of lesser power.

[remington1990]

i had a 30-30 but i sold it to get my 30-06 it was a pre 64 winchester model 94 i kinda wish i would have keep it but something was wrong with it it and i wanted a 30-06. i do plan on getting me another winchester 94 sometime. i would use 180gr soft-point thanks

[time2shoot]

any calaber would work. the efectiveness depends on the shooter.

[buildit]

I've hunted a bit in WV with a 45-70 govt scoped. It was ideal in full daylight but hard to see the target in low lighting. But I managed a doe and 8 point out of it. In the Adirondacks I found a lighter weight gun like an M1 or sks is a good thing as toting a heavy gun up and over down trees and underbrush really takes it out of you. Ohio doesn't allow rifles so I'm SOL there.

[zkovach]

Yes works well I made some nice round nose deer loads for it. Be sure to swap out those damn triggers though