Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Ultimate "Big Woods"deer rifle

It's that time of year again, cabin fever setting in, and I get to thinking about what would be my perfect deer rifle for the kind of hunting that I do. I primarily hunt deer in the High Peaks Region of the Adirondack Mountains, although bears are abundant and must be part of the equation when considering a rifle. The criteria is pretty straight forward. The cartridge must be sufficiently powerful for 250lb deer and 500lb black bear, but it need not be a long range number, shots will be under 100 yards. The rifle must carry in one hand well, and for me this excludes most bolt actions, they just don't fit in my hand like a slab sided reciever. They must point like a good trap shotgun, shots often come very quick. Quick follow-up shots are often necessary, so no single shots please. I need a telescopic sight, my eyes are just not as good as they used to be, and try as I might, even peep sights are clumbsy for me to use accurately now. I have three rifles that see a lot of use every year (1)Marlin 1895 guide gun with 1x4 Leupold heavy crosshair in .45-70(2)Savage 99A saddle gun with Leupold 1.5x5 heavy crosshair in .308win.,and(3)Marlin 336 with Leupold 1.5x5 in .35 rem. I love all of these rifles but want something a little shorter and lighter. My thoughts are on making a Marlin 336 .35 into a trapper style rifle,maybe a 17" barrel, with a 2.5x Leupold FX11. Or maybe an older Savage1899-H, that has been drilled and tapped? I look forwars to hearing some suggestions.

i had a .35whelen in a remington 7600 pump action that i used in pennsylvannia for very similar type hunting for deer and black bear when i lived and it was a sweet setup for me , as they say though your mileage may vary

Yep, the Remington pump in .35 Whelen is a sweet, accurate woods rifle.Mine has a Redfield 1.5 - 5 on it and works just like it was supposed to, fast, easy to carry, and powerful


Terry

Shorter & much lighter? You'd have to go to a bolt gun. How about a Remington pump w/ 18" barrel, in either 358 win. 338 Fed. or 35 Whelen, for them Essex County Bears?

Miguel,

Where do you live? (I'm originally from Tupper Lake). How about a Win 94 Trapper or a Marlin 336 Spikehorn (if you can find it 1n 30-30 WCF). Top it off in Leupold 2.5X ultralite with either Weaver or Talley lw rings and bases.

Looking at your list of potential rifles, I get the definite impression that you prefer the harder hitting abilities of larger bore rifgles. I too feel the same way when hunting in heavier brush.....primarily because of the better blood trails.

In my own gun room I have a few that would fit you requirements quite well. I've walked the woods in upper state New York and think you might want a bit more range than 100 yards. Your woods tend to be fairly close, but occationally open up more than our Big Thicket woods in East Texas......maybe out to 200 yards at places.

For that use I'd go with a Savage 99 in .358 Win. with a Leupold 1-4X scope. Easily a 250 yard+ rifle that carries well, hits hard and with it's 20" barrel is very handy. A second choice (although it IS a bolt action) would be my Ruger Mannlicher Carbine in .308 Win. This gun has a 2.5-8X compact scope and handles like a magic wand even though it is a bolt action.

Traditional lever guns can do well such as my Marlin 336 in .35 Rem. (1.5-4.5X scope) and Winchester 94BB in .375 Win. (reciever sights). I really like my Marlin 1895 in .45-70 with a 1.5-4.5X scope. It's 22" barrel is not quite as handy as the shorter lever carbines, but still carries well due to it's flat sides and balance.

If you REALLY are hunting an are where 100 yards is the maximum range limit......and are hunting deer/bear......My first choice (and also the rifle I most often reach for when going into the thickets here) is a Ruger 44 Carbine with 1-4X scope. This little gem is like an extention of your arm and the .44 Magnum is deadly at 150 yards or less. THAT would be my woods rifle for such hunting.

A Savage 99 in 358 win. would be nice. Although they're pretty hard to find, but there was one listed in the Want Ad a couple weeks ago. I think it was some where down below Albany.

Grice special remington 7600 carbine 308.

My biggest 'Big Woods' deer was slain with a 223AI. Can't imagine needing anything bigger than a 250AI or 300 Savage.

Scoutman,nice to hear from someone who knows this neck of the woods. Actually I live in Canton(i'm a flatlander), but I hunt the area around Corey's. I have a Model 94 trapper, it was my first deer rifle, but it's a top eject, so no scope. I had considered a Remington 7600 carbine, and with so many reccomendations, I may go that route. I have also thought about the Ruger .44mag carbine autoloader, but I have always been concerned about the .44 having the power for bears or steeply angled shots on big deer.

A 7600 in virtually any chambering is a great option.
I can dig the Whelen but is absolutely not necessary for the largest deer or bear in your neck of the woods. A 270, 30.06, 308 etc. will all shine.

If you want to lighten the load a bit more, there's always the Ramline synthetic stock/forend that will take a full pound off the package. (over the factory wood)

Well...

...having been raised just outside of Star Lake, and also having hunted the area with my late grandpa and father, I can say I have an understanding as to what you're in search for...

I would have to say that you'd be hard pressed to find a better Adrondack hunting rifle than the Savage 99. One of those in either 300 Sav. or 308 Win would serve you very well on "250lb deer and 500lb Black bears."

..being a 35 caliber fan, if I had a 99 that was a "Hunter" and not "Collector" rifle, I'd get the barrel rebored to 35-300 Savage, or 358 Win., and trim that barrel to 20"

A Ruger Hawkeye is another option, used, in 358 Win, and 350 Rem.

I can't think of anything shorter or easier to carry than the guide gun you already have. My go to rifle for public land hunting around home is an 1895ss loaded up with 300 grain barnes. A quick kill or at the least a very conspicuous blood trail is necessary with deer pirates in the woods.

Savage M99 250-3000 20" barrel 1x4 Leupold - balance and points with ease.

Don't need anything bigger because I don't shoot trees.

Several years ago Marlin made a run of a 336LTD in .35 Remington that could easily be bored out to .356 Winchester. The metal was stainless with a straight wrist walnut stock and 3/4 magazine. 16.5" barrel as I recall...only made 250 of them I believe. About as light a scoped lever gun as you can get.

Had one in my hands...shuda bought it...

My friend has one of these but built on the later action with the safety...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=211726368

Bob

Dude next to me at the range this morning was shooting an AR .458 SOCOM.. Red dot sight, hard cast bullets. Man, was he was absolutely abusing the steel.

That would be some big fun in the woods.

The .358 win or 338 fed. idea would, for me, be perfect. I have a pair of .35 Remington carbines side-by-side in the safe. One won't be touched as I bought it new and we have history together. The other is screaming to become a .358 Win.

George

BLR in .338 Federal or .358 Win.

I thought you Pennslavanians were issued an " Amish machine gun" with see-throughs at birth?! One of those in .358 or .35 Whelen might rock.

Here's an outside the box thought. Get one of those .358 WSSM uppers and run an AR15! Matches .358 Win ballistics.

Don't know how our thick chit compares to your thick chit, but I've had stellar results from .358 on our deer here in western Oregon. If you rule out bolt guns that leaves a BLR or Savage 99. I've owned a .358 BLR; that's one to consider.

For me, .358 is sheer perfection at woods ranges. Kills with resounding authority, doesn't bloodshot much if any meat, massive blood trail, easy on the ears, and so on.

I kinda think it's best.

My initial thought was something like the Ruger 77/44 Stainless Bolt Action .44 Mag.

18 1/2" barrel, 38 1/2" overall, and only 5 LB 7 OZ. With the additional velocity from an 18 1/2" barrel a heavy .44 slug has plenty of power for any North American game within 150 yards.

Here is a detail review of the Ruger Stainless 77/44 (with a nice video of it being fired) that was done on GunBlast.Com;

http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-77-44.htm