Best gun for Deer?

[daddyusmaximus]

I'll use my .44 mag lever gun... if I ever get off my lazy butt and go find someone to let me hunt their land. I really am fed up with all the competition on public land.



Now, If only somebody would make .44 mag work in an AR. .450 and .458 ammo is out of this world.

 

[Hookeye]

44 Rem mag is rimmed case, proly have to go .44 automag.

Some guys do an AR in .45 Winchester magnum

Bazooka Brothers Shop page

Seems like a lot of $ to limit yourself to lesser yardage (.44 mag)
If having to stay within current rifle specs..............358 WSSM AR upper is proly the longest yardage rig.

I like .44 mag, esp in a cool Ruger auto.
But think I'll stick with trimmed .35 Rem. in my TC for now.

AR............I'd go Socom. At least if the regs change it has some sale-ability.

 

[oldpink]

I know the rules.

You might want to re-read them yourself............since there is a handgun cartridge spec.
1.16" min case length...........and .243 min bullet dia.

Not all rifle cartridges fit that spec.

Some may fit the spec but are called out specifically as a "no go".......example: 30 carbine (there are others).

FWIW I prefer wheelguns (iron sighted) for handgunning deer.

I worded it poorly, and yes, I already know the minimum caliber for handguns is .243 and 1.16" (the length of .44 Special brass coincidentally), but my point was that it's a total waste of time cutting down .35 Remington brass if fired out of a handgun.
You mentioned Contender, which implies handgun, although only today I was shooting next to a guy with the rifle version of the Contender with a .30-06 barrel.
I take it you're talking about shooting .35 Remington out of the rifle version, too, correct?

 

[daddyusmaximus]

44 Rem mag is rimmed case, proly have to go .44 automag.

I don't know what the hell i was thinking... Duh... Now an AR in .450 Marlin! Yeah... I wonder if it would be possible with a belted case?

 

[Hookeye]

Why would I trim my .35 Rem brass short if I wasn't shooting it in a rifle?

BTW, if your shooting neighbor was shooting a TC in .30-06 he was shooting an Encore, or TCR, not a Contender.

The Contender in rifle form has been around for some time.
So saying "Contender" just means single shot break open firearm......it does not imply handgun...........unless one hasn't been out and about much.

They even made muzzleloader barrels for the Contenders.

 

[Hookeye]

My .35 Rem Contender sports a 16.25" barrel, I could change the grip and run it as a handgun.
But I bought the bbl to be used as a rifle, and that's all I'll do with it.
Don't switch barrels on TCs, or my 870 or 1100.
Each rig is set up for a specific purpose and is left alone.

Of course, with the Contender having no real action length, and sporting my 16.25" barrel.............pics of it on the web have gotten folks telling me it's illegal, is too short.
Even when I said it was 16.25".

Ridiculous.

It might look shorter than it is, but it's freakin perfectly legal as a regular rifle. Does not require SBR stamp.

 

[Hookeye]

I'm 1 for 1 with my .35 rem. Would like to put the 200gr Hornady through the shoulder of a decent deer out past 150 yards and see how it does.
My only shot was 50 yards and the bullet did not exit (was placed on the shoulder to start some upset).

 

[Leadeye]

Nothing wrong with 44 Automag.

 

[Hookeye]

As for trimming .35 Rem brass short for rifle use...............it might not be a total waste of time for handgun.
One size case for both means never having grabbed the wrong box and getting a ticket.
No, I won't trim all my cases to avoid such a potential screwup.
I pay a little more attention to things than that.
But having read some of the things people do..........it might be better for some to just make their cases the same.

I am lazy however, and have a fair supply of .35 Rem brass. Only trimmed 4 boxes for IN deer rifle spec.
Boxes are labelled, since I do have some factory WW ammo as well.

Even if some gremlin were to mix ammo in my cabinet, I can verify what is legal by just looking. The diff is slight but obvious.

FWIW I still haven't painted my rifle's furniture.

 

[bulletsmith]

I have a Contender in .35 Rem. as a handgun. Taken 4 deer over the years, I find it to be a devastating round. Being a single shot it takes a lot of practice to ensure you can get a chance of a second shot, if needed. I can't speak to it's ability to penetrate a shoulder. To be honest, I have never shot a deer in the shoulder.

It's a very large "handgun" and can be a bit tough to stabilize without a rest, like a branch or something. With the recent change in rules, I'm not sure how attractive this configuration would be.

 

[Hookeye]

Specialty pistols used to be the rage, now with the allowance of rifles.............not so much.

I think a Super 14 non braked in .35 Rem with Pachmayr grippers to be a hoot. Invigorating

As for shoulder shooting deer, I switched to that aiming point many moons ago. They usually go down much quicker (which should help keep them from jumping a fence and going home in somebody else's pickup).

Bigger ground, away from property lines, yeah might not need a shoulder smack.

The doe I hit dressed 123# IIRC, angled towards, I was in a stand above creekbottom, so the shot angled down. Hit inside shoulder, front edge, angling back. Bullet chunk hit rib low just ahead of diaphragm. Did not exit chest wall. Largest portion maybe 50 gr. Looked like an auger went through liver, ground up 1.5" or so hole. Lung was smoked as well.

At the shot she took off (surprise) and ran 30 yards into a big fallen log, bounced off and lay dead.

Am interested to see how the bullet holds up at a little slower contact V.

 

[Hookeye]

Thought about painting my stock set today, but kid home from college and the old lady didn't have to work today.............so it's land of the idiots.
One home is bad enough, two of the same.............geeeesh.

 

[Expat]

I have probably killed more deer with my T/C .54 than anything. Next would be my 12 g slug gun with Hastings Paradox rifled barrel on my 1100.

 

[Hookeye]

I like rifle.
Have used shotguns, MZs, Handguns and bows.

On a drive, proly go with the Ruger .44 auto, peep sighted.
Stand or open field my pref would be a #1 in .35 Rem (but until then run my little TC), figure it a 200 yd and in rig.

Pretty much gave up BP. Am content to bowhunt late if need be.
Blackwidow of some sort gets the nod there.

 

[Hookeye]

Somebody on this forum took a pic of a buck and an old .35 rem auto some time back.
That was super cool!

 

[Expat]

I used to like it better during ML season. Usually snow on the ground. Most people have gone home. Deer started to yard up so if you had a good place, you could have 20-30 deer come in on you.

 

[7mmRM]

For an Indiana legal firearm? The 358 Grant 1.8 (or something similar )would have to top the list. 225 Nosler Accubond at 2800+ fps leaves very little to be desired!

 

[Mark 1911]

I think its more a matter a preference than anything. If you get a good shot at a deer, any legal weapon is going to take them down.

The best gun for deer is the one you're holding when that buck of a lifetime turns a perfect heart and lung shot 15 yards in front of your stand. That's when all the pieces fall into place, and the gun is just one piece among many. Pick the one you like and get good with it.

 

[possumpacker]

about ten years ago my cousin dropped off an un braked 15.in contender in 35 rem topped with a 2x7 scope and asked me to sight it in for him. he's never ask me about the gun since an im hoping he forgot about it cause i love the gun and have taken a few deer with it smoked a doe at 145 once. i know someday im gonna have to buy it or skin him out of it.

 

[oldpink]

I hear consistent statements from folks who have hunted deer with lever guns chambered in both 30-30 and .35 Remington that there is a significant difference in effect in favor of the .35.
Almost identical muzzle velocity and muzzle energy between the two, but larger round still seems to get the accolades.