Favorite short range hunting guns

TDK mentioned this in another thread. I like medium and longer range shooting and hunting but also like bow hunting and hunting deer with a gun like I am hunting with a bow. Getting close the game and hunting is FUN to me

What are your favorite short range hunting guns?

Mine are a marlin 1894 in 357 Mag, Custom 44 Mag bolt action and a S&W Performance Center hunter package. On my place in Mississippi most of my shots are within bow range and on the Texas lease I have a couple stands that are inside 100 yards for shots or use the bow stand with a pistol.

20ga.

What ever I have beside me.

30-30 Win

Currently it is a 6.8spc. Come saturday it will be a 16" LR-308 I hope

I've reached the age and stage in my hunting career where shooting past 200 yards doesn't interest me in the least anymore. Consequently, your "short range" parameter is where virtually ALL of my hunting gets done these days.

As a result, I've put together a decent little stable of "short range" toys. There's a stack of lever guns from .25-20 to .45-70, but my absolute favorites are two different double rifles and a custom single action revolver.

My "everyday" double rifle is one put together by THF's own "TDK", a converted Victor Sarasqueta in .30-30 Winchester.





When I want to heave a bigger slug, my SIACE Alaskan .45-70 gets the nod.




And when the range gets really short, my Bowen Nimrod in .45 Colt.



I've kinda come full circle; I started out with open sights, took the LONG way around the barn, and have ended up where I started!

Mark

Ruger Redhawk in .480 Ruger.
Winchester 94 .30-30.

But the vast majority of my short range hunting is with a bow.

A 20-100 yard shot on any animal is more impressive to me than an 800-1000 yard shot. Why? Because the skill it takes to get close to an animal is a hunting skill. And I am hunting, not shooting.

Those double rifles are awesome. Great conversion.

I have a .30-30 with a 2x7 on it thst is used in tight quarters or when rattling solo and a bow doesent make sense

I don’t own one but for a handy bolt action I always liked the model 7 Remington. A nice walnut stocked gun in 7mm-08 is a handy rig. Could put the same 2x7 on it

My 8” 300BLK perfect short range rifle.

I looked REALLY close at that Kimber Caprivi here last week, .450 Lott. It sold

I also like the marlin Cowboy in 45.70, Skinner peep. large lever-loop, customized with beautiful wood, color case hardening,

all I got is this .357 Maggie Buffalo Bore, hard cast. OUCH

Mark, those are some beautiful pieces Sir.

I guess I haven't killed enough big deer to want to limit my self by what cartridge I hunt with.....if I'm just after a doe, I'll probably use my Glock 40 MOS or my bow. Otherwise, I'll at least use my 22-250 and 60 gr Nosler Partition

wish I could afford some TDK work. Id probably die before it would be finished

Buzz,

Just outa curiosity, who built the holster rig for your L frame? I've got a 4" 625-3 in .45 ACP that I tote in a Kramer rig but I never have learned to love that leather...

Mark

Hey, he's got another project of mine in the fire...I got nothin' but gray hair and I countin' on him finishing it!

One thing's certain, Aaron does wonderful work...you won't be disappointed!

Mark

Marlin 357 and 300 BO SBR.

Remington 870 Youth 20GA, cantilever slug barrel and Remington Copper Solid slugs-- 27 years strong and still laying em down!

Winchester Model 94 with open sights

Rob Longnecker with Tucker Gun Leather. He does really great stuff, he is the only guy I ever bought a "custom" holster from. He has tons of options and as long as you dont get it REALLY optioned out, his turn around is pretty quick. He does great belts too.

Is that elephant (?) flap holster a Kramer? Its beautiful !!!

460XVR pistol

That is a hand cannon. Not a short range gun

For some it is dang sure a short range gun. Some I have seen with them cannot hit targets at 50 yards.

Damn bro, looks like I need to finish your burnt bronze cerakote on your handguard for you.

I picked up a Ruger M44 rifle (.44 mag) about 2 mo the ago

I’d really like to see what it will do with pigs

I’ll prob keep it 75 yards or under

To me short range is under 50 yards. For that I would go with a 444 Marlin or some 12ga 00 Buck.

Need to Send you my hand guard and buffer tube

Thanks. Yeah, it's elephant but it's not a Kramer. Sam Andrews of Andrews Custom Leather in St. Augustine, FL did that rig for me a few years ago.

Mark

My new get close gun for deer and pigs is a Ruger SR1911 Target in 10mm.

I generally don’t carry more than one rifle when hunting, so it’s usually my Tikka 6.5 Creed which will do all short to long range.

If intentionally hunting short range I’ll take my CZ 527 7.62x39 shooting Hornady SST ammo.
I also have a bolt action 30-30 but it’s marginally better than the 7.62x39 and the CZ is a much better shooter.

Varmints I’ll take the good ole .223 AR

Backup sidearm is either Glock 20 10mm open sight or Glock 40 10mm with Vortex Venom red dot.

If it’s short range and I need more oomph than the 7.62x39, I’d take my PTR 91 .308 which is SBR’d. It wears a non-magnified Vortex Spitfire prism sight.

My newest close range hog hunting rig is a crossbow. I love the ability to shoot it like a rifle & still get some of that "up-close" excitement of bow hunting. That being said, the crossbow is the most cantankerous thing you can carry around in the brush. I hunt from stands mostly.

As for close range rifles, the handiest, quickest, easiest to carry rifle I have ever used is a Ruger #3. I'd bet a Win 94 thutty-thutty aught to work too.

TC pistol in .22 Hornet with Leupold 2.5x8 pistol scope.

do you do cerakoting CSD?

need a cason to mount to.

300 BO SBR.

I hunt the SAM Houston Natl forest or at least that is where I taught myself to hunt and anytime I can get away that is where I try to go.

My first hunting rifle was an M1a. It was more than Adequate in firepower but I learned very quickly that it was not good at low light conditions or on moving targets with the open sights. I am glad that I started on that rifle because it was a fun gun to shoot and learn on. Terrible for hunting the forest at close quarters!

From there I went to a AR in 556 with a red dot and 3X magnifier. The first hog I shot ran away and I hit it right in the shoulder with a Barnes bullet. That convinced me to look in to another cartridge. I did love the Aimpoint red dot. It was adequate for hunting the woods since my shots are at 60 yards and in. I wasnt crazy about the flip over 3X magnifier.

Since then I built my own AR in 6.8 with a 1-8 optic on it.

This is the perfect weapon for hunting hogs at close quarter in the woods. Quick acquisition, easy to hit moving targets and take follow up shots. And it lays them down with the SST bullet.

I love guns so I didnt spare any expense on buying the best for my AR. Geiselle trigger, nice optic and Blackstone arms upper.

It is my favorite toy!!!

I really like my RRA 6.8. It would be my answer to this question.

.17 WSM

One of my stands is a ladder stand with a tree-line 30 yards or so to the right. Every now and then a nice deer will pop up over there. I'm right handed, so swinging a rifle around there was a pain and often ended in getting busted. Started carrying the Python. .357 Magnum 158g JHP does the trick at 30 yards.

Inside of 50 yards my beloved Remington 870 12 Gauge with Brenneke Slugs or Dixie Slugs Tri-Ball Buckshot is the Hammer Of Thor.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

Marlin 336, Remington model 8 and a model 141. All in .35 Remington...

When I'm walking around or stalking for deer or pigs I always take my Mini 30. I've got a good supply of some Herters 154 grain that has dropped hogs and some bigger deer DRT. I'll have to set that gun up and take some pics. I got it from my Dad when he got diagnosed with Alzheimers and I try to shoot a deer with every year because of that. I sent it to a guy in Wyoming and it came back much better than I had expected.

Favorite close range gun, and general all around gun is a 12 gauge. Inside of 50 yards it will do literally everything you need it to do, it's the one gun for everything. If I had to choose one gun for the rest of my life, that's what I'd pick.

I really like using old milsurps at bow ranges, some of my crappier ones are minute of barn door past 50 yards, but inside that are perfectly acceptable.

Love my Marlin JM 30/30 and Remlin 1895gbl. The ironic part is the closest range shot I have was made on a hog at pistol range last summer with an AR15 in 5,56

For ease of carry I grab a lever action ( with skinner peep sights or a scout scope). If i want to see how many pigs i can kill I grab an ar ( doesn't matter which one). Other days it's a ruger Alaskan in 375 Ruger (trijicon accupoint).

30/30

Model 99 Savage in 300 Savage, 2.5X Redfield...

Ithaca Mag 10 Deerslayer using 766 grain Rifled Hollow Point Slugs would be my favorite choice for the shorter range your describing. Nothing walks that is hit with it. For the "inside 100 yards" side of short range it would lean to my Marlin 375 lever gun though.

My 6.8

Marlin 1894 44 Mag Win. 94 Trapper 45 Colt