Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Tree stand rifle

Any special rifles you folks like to use when hunting out of tree stands? My go to is a t/c g2 30-30 23in barrel,boyds thumb hole stock.I like the easy quiet loading and unloading for pulling the rifle up the tree and for lowering it on a rope.The thumb-hole stock puts my arms in a good position to rest on my knees when sitting and the light recoil of the 30-30 does not knock my ass out of tree.

Remington LTR 308 with 155 scenars over Varget=DRT

Ruger M77 Tanger. 22 inch barrel , 3006.

Win 70, 6.5x55 swede, same as when not in a stand

Featherweight 'o6

last fall, packed around a 22" T/C Custom Shop .445 SuperMag with a 1.75-6x while in the woods...for slightly more open areas, i swapped the .445 barrel to a MGM custom .25x30/30 Ackley Improved with a 3x9 Monarch.

My favorite stand rifle is a Ruger #1 in 7x57 - has a 22" barrel, but the overall length makes it so easy to handle in tight quarters. Topped with a 2.5-8 Leupold or 3-9 Zeiss it has been a great combo for me.


Phil

270 FW......generally that is.

Ain't used it in a couple seasons but the Frontier .358 w Leupold UL 2.5x HD is nearly perfect in my swamp...

Depends on the tree, the stand, the terrain and the weather. I've personally found the perfect rifle to be somewhere between a .44 Ruger carbine and a .270 Weatherby Magnum.

Rem Mdl 600 - 35rem.


DMc

T/C Encore .260 Rem. with a 24" barrel is my favorite.

I tend to like a light rifle for all hunting......including tree stand

When I hunt out of a tree stand it is a buddy stand designed to hold two hunters and I like a rifle with at least the Length of a Bolt rifle with 22 inch barrel(Long action) as that way I can have the buttstock resting on one end of the railing and the muzzle end resting on the other end.

Depends on which stand i hunt from, 308 bolt Most of the time or AR in 6.8 SPC

+1

Marlin .30-30 or an H&R Handi Rifle

Highly modified Ruger #3 in 6.5X55. 24 inch Pac Nor 8 twist, Kepplinger set trigger, VX3 2.5X8, etc.

You're about the first person I've heard mention the noise element. You go to all the trouble to sneak in and climb in your stand in the dark, and then make a bunch of racket trying to get your gun loaded.

Falling blocks are probably the quietest and repeating shotguns the worst. Try stuffing five slugs into an old Browning A5 silently some time.

Let's see it.


DMc

Depending on whether I am hunting a rifle or shotgun only area I use a T/C pro hunter with a sporter weight 250/3000 or the 20 ga
pro hunter with 20 ga hand loaded Hornady 250gr SST bullets.

Doc

.308 Ruger American stainless carbine

I've used everything from Semi-autos in 223 to Model 70s in 300WM. Revolvers from 357 to 500S&W. And everything in between. Use a 788 in 308 most when stand hunting with a rifle this past season.

Been thinking about a 500S&W barrel for my TC Encore lately...

Try unloading those 5 quietly as well. One guy I heard a story told on found a pretty easy albeit super noisy method. This was told for true by a couple of guys. TIFWIW. Seems getting down time came and the fellow in the tree didn't really want to eject the shells. Not even the one in the chamber. Shotgun didn't have a sling so he tied his pull rope in the trigger guard and somehow wrapped the long end around the barrel to keep the gun going down butt first. Only problem was somehow the barrel wrap came off, the shotgun pointed down, knot knocked the safety off and the old Browning ripped off 5 shots while bouncing up and down on the rope. Supposedly hunter learned from his error and the story tellers were cracking up about it.

The sound of racking a auto in a tight woods situation makes my teeth hurt..Pappy348 John Prine fan me to

I have several shorter rifles for treestand hunting. They are my Howa .243 Youth, Ruger M77/44, Marlin Guide Gun, and a Winchester M94.

The Howa has a very thin 20" barrel and a 2-7X33 VX2, the 77/44 has a 1-4X20 VX2, the Guide gun is equipped with a FX-II 2.5X20 Ultralight, and the M94 has a Williams receiver sight.

I'll take one of those is I know I'll be up in a tree, but I'm not against carrying them around on the ground, either. Conversely, I have several rifles that are large, and I may climb with one of those. I may decide to change my hunting method, or conditions may make the choice for me.

The terrain I typically hunt means that shots are usually short-range and in somewhat thick vegetation, so the shorter rifles are generally easier to move about with.

I haven't really seen a poor rifle for tree stands,if the stand is decent.back in the seventies when I started a stand could consist of a 2x4 in the fork in a tree.now in the age of no permanent ones allowed,stands tend to be pretty decent to be in.
I prefer a bolt action,with a 2x7x32 compact scope,and carry Leopold 10x mini binos.
Last few years we have used fish house on wheels deer stands, and the same rifle works good there.

Well, the last shot I broke from a tree stand came out of a Remington 700 ADL. It is chambered for 6mm, and has a 22 inch tube.

I also shot a couple does from a stand last fall, and used a 45 caliber Knight Muzzleloader to close the deal on those two.

This fall, barring sickness or calamity, I'll likely sit in that stand with my little Ruger American Ranch, chambered for 300 Blackout.

I mounted a Leupold VXII 2-7x on it and it loves 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips.

I enjoy hunting with the 30 WCF, but for some reason I really enjoy prowling around on my hind legs when I hunt with that Marlin.

TC Encore with a custom 20" .356/.358 Win, 7x57, or even 18" .357 max bbl;", is about as perfect as it gets for stand hunting in the thick, or to 250-300 yards, IMO. You can pick another poison, but the encore package is about as ideal as it gets, for tight places.

Right now my stevens 200 in 308 is one I like. Not so dear if it gets banged around a bit, plenty accurate and plenty of horsepower for any deer I might run across.

A little bolt action carbine in 7.62x39 works beautifully.

I've never shot anything with the 7.62x39mm, but I have always thought that it had a great deal going for it as far as utility.

Now the 300 Blackout comes along, with performance that seems to be the fraternal twin of the Russian, and the benefit of stupid simple brass and a .308" bore diameter.

I really didn't get horned up about the cartridge until I saw it chambered for short, light bolt guns. Then I started thinking I had to have one.

I do not regret that purchase at all, and look forward to field testing it on game. Planning to run the 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip for now, but I really would like to make a run at a 150 grainer that would feed from the magazine and expand a little at the lower velocity of the Blackout.

In the bad old '60s and '70s, the A5 was the hot setup in the southern Maryland woods. Slug barrels were rare, but most shot to the bead anyway.

Once, while sitting on the ground in very thick cover, I saw one of my buddies, another A5 guy, sneaking through the woods about 30 yards out. How he missed seeing me in all that orange I'll never know. Anyway, I slipped the bolt back quietly with the cutoff operated, and then released the cutoff. When that flack-whack rang out, he just about messed himself. As a Browning boy, he knew that sound and thought he was a dead man!

I've killed 8 with it thus far, and none have gone more than 40 yards. 6 of them have been DRT. Fantastic little round.

Not trying to hijack the thread, but but what kind of ammunition (bullets) are you running in your rifle? If I remember correctly, you have one of the little CZ carbines?

Remington and Federal SPs shoot to the same POI. Both wreck deer.

Interarms mini-Mauser. The precursor to the CZ.

Well, glad to hear that. Will definitely be spending time with my 300 this fall. Tide Jr claimed pig hunting rights with that rifle earlier today. Looking forward to seeing how it works out on the little bacon precursors.

I use my Weatherby Stainless Carbine, 7mm-08, 20" barrel, McMillan Sako classic, Zeiss 2.5-10x42 Diavari Victory, this boar should not have interrupted my deer hunt:

The first one I pick up as I walk out the room headed to the field. WILL

Ruger 77/44

Here in the brush a favorite is my 722 in .300 Savage....

A guy I work with bought a 527 in 7.62x39 3 years ago. He's killed 8 deer with it so far and says it works great. He uses 125 grain soft point factory loads but I can't remember offhand which brand. The thing is, he's recovered more bullets from those 8 deer than I have from the 70 or so I've killed with my .30-30's over the years.

1st gen. Rem. 700 Ti in .308 Win. Light and handy, especially with the climbing stands.

The Perfect EVERY WHERE RIFLE!

The 7.62x39 outruns the Blackout by a good bit and most American guns have a .308 bore, I believe. The Blackout's a neat round, but its strong points lie elsewhere, I think.

Wolf used to offer a 150 gr at a claimed 2300-2400, but I don't know if it really went that fast. A 125 TSX or other good bullet should be plenty anyway.

7.62x39 in the cz looks like it would be a great tree stand rifle.I can not bend my brain around the ass backwards safety and the bullets do not seem to be perfected as much as the 30-30 bullets a 7.62x39 would be another beast with a .308 barrel with all the great bullets out there.

That little Weatherby is an appealing carbine.

It is indeed.

Better shot of the Weatherby 7mm-08:



More tree stand fun with the Weatherby 7mm-08:

My Marlin 336 in 35Rem works pretty good the few times I've stand hunted.

I think if was to dedicated "tree stand" rifle I'd take a look at the Ruger Hawkeye Compact in 243Win. or the RAR Compact in 243Win.

Both of those rifles are available in blued or stainless.

Hmmmm.....

Brno 21FS in 8x60
Winchester 71 .348 Win
Kimber Montana .223
Chapuis 450/400
Ruger M77 MK II 7x64
Savage 99H .30-30

You mean there's trees where you guys hunt??? Hmmm.....I'll have to look for one.

Howa 1500 in 250AI. Since it's the only rifle I've ever used in a tree stand in the past 20+ years and used it for 3 days last year.

Yes, we have a few:

compact or youth length rifle makes a lot of sense in colder areas where you are wearing a lot of clothes on a long sit.I have a Rem 7600 in 35rem set up with a adjustable stock and 1-4 leupold just for long sits in sub zero.

Usually grab my Marlin 336RC in 35 or 30-30. 35 wears a fixed 3X the 30-30 wears a 4X. I almost always hunt travel routes in the woods so my shots are never over 100 yds.

My usual hunting rifle, a blue printed Remington 700 with a 23" Benchmark barrel chambered in 338-06 A-Square. Schmidt & Bender Zenith 1.5-6x42mm scope with A8 reticle.

I played with the 300 Whisper years ago. I had several one shot kills on Whitetails using 150 Nosler BT and H-110 powder.

7-08 with a 20" skinny spout and a pistola..

Wouldn't damn near anything work when shooting at deer from a treestand? I mean, how hard is it to shoot 30 feet???

Yup,



pretty much so.



JAPPF,

GWB

I'll have you know that I did my research and assembled several top-notch rifles for hunting from treestands, and that care is needed in the choice of components.

My typical shots are much farther than your "30 feet', harumph..

Try 35 YARDS, dude.....

+1. That makes two of us.

bsa well that's true in the woods, and unless the tree stand is located looking over a clearcut,power line, or big swamp.

Then you may have to reach as far as any western hunter in open country....almost anyway.

I killed one big buck in Maine at 300 yards over a big swamp; this year I spent 9-10 days in a ladder stand in Maine.First day in I lazed distances and found nothing longer than 300. Saw deer and moose between 150 and 275 yards.But you might have to shoot at much shorter distances as well.

I like something like a bolt action with a 22" barrel chambered for the usual suspects.It's maneuverable but still able to handle the longer distance stuff if they pop up.

You stole my thunder Bob ... Right at 335 yard shot from the top of the hill.

gunnut: There you go. Nice buck!

Lots of times in those clear cuts and swamps, the higher elevation gets you above the ground clutter and vegetation. You can see.

I've hunted from some 'tree stands' that would allow a fellow to shoot as far as he felt comfortable doing do.

That sums it up for me so its usually one of my 6.5's for this stand.



or....the 444 for back in the river sloughs.

What I hunt with depends more on where the tree stand is and how far my shot is likely to be. If the shot was most likely going to be close, I'd probably use one of my 35 Remington's or a 44 magnum. If there is a possibility of a longer shot, I'll usually have a 308.

Last year's deer rifles, top is my tree stand rifle a 308 Remington M7MS with a German 4x Zeiss scope. After years of experimenting this is my choice.
2nd a Bob Green 270, a 7-08 M700BDL in a Mcmillian stock and the bottom a Sauer 202 in 25'06.

i go between the savage 99eg in 300savage and the marlin 444 but my longest shot is also 150 yards

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I have but don't like to hunt from tree stands. However, I do have and sometimes hunt from a "wildlife observation tower".

When I do I generally take a #1 in a 257R, 25-06, or 7x57. If it is inclement weather I usually take a 260 Montana or a Model Seven in .243....

What's a tree stand?


I would think my Marlin .30-30 or .375 Win would be about perfect. Never been in a stand, though and with my hip it is doubtful I ever will.

When I used to tree stand hunt my BLR .358 was my go to short range gun, easy to carry in and a hard hitter.

No.

Any rifle I carry into the stand is capable of 400 to 500 yards - my limit. I have four that qualify - a 338WM RU77, a 17 inch bbl RU77 (400 yard self-imposed limit) a M98 30-06 heavy 27 inch bbl, and a 260 (400 yd limit).

Based on past performance of over 10 years of tree stand hunting for moose, I can go up there with a Buck knife.....

I ain't never killed one but from the ground, but, boy, have I had some fun with critters under the stand! The legal ones seem a bit shy.... the last one I killed while tree stand hunting was 30 feet in front of the stand - after I went several hundred yards downwind to take a dump, and came back.. there's way more to this story....

But really, at 60 yards, that .338WM 250 gr. brain shot was over -penetration.....

I always thought the premise of a tree stand gun was to be able to get the gun around in the tree stand. It makes sense that the shorter the barrel, the easier it would be to get it around. One also has to shift their entire body in a tree stand sometimes and this too helps w/a shorter gun. I've used a 20 1/2in barrel in a 257Ackley stocked w/a Brown precision for about 30years. It is easy to manipulate and can almost be shot one handed. Killed lots of deer here in Texas from a tree stand and brushed up tripods. powdr

Fluff. A 26 inch barrel is no harder to handle in a tree stand than a 16.

I mean, come on, really?

I feel a long action 241n barrel rifle is to long in a tree stand and the feelings come from using such guns out of tree stands,but I am talking about small portable stands.A heated shooting shack hell ya bring your heavy 26in long gun.

Although preferring the shorter barrels, I have used rifles with barrels as long as 24" without issue.

Ithaca Deerslayer II 20 gauge fixed barrel. Simmons Whitetail Expedition scope in 1.5x6. I feel this scope is under appreciated. Never had a problem with it and the clarity is pretty damn good.

If rifle then Remington 7600 22 inch barrel in 35 whelen with the same scope

I always felt the Marlin 336 .30-30 I had for many years was the ideal tree stand rifle. But I probably logged most of my tree stand hours with a Remington 760 .30-06 across my lap.

Last deer I shot from a tree stand was with a 26" barreled .300 win mag...didn't kill it any deader than a turdy turdy would have though...I generally just grab whatever rifle is handy.

T/c encore .35 Whelen

All of my rifles will potentially be used in a treestand. I do not feel the need for a special rifle type. I use my 24-26" barreled bolt actions as well as smaller lever actions. They all get it done.

I don't have any dedicated "stand" rifles, but do hunt with certain rifles that I might not use when hunting on foot.

Since in a stand you aren't carrying your rifle, light weight weapons have no real advantage. In fact a heavier gun might actually be an advantage. When hunting from a stand where longer shots are possible, or even likely, I will sometimes carry a rifle that is longer or heavier than I would consider for everyday use. Quick handling is seldom needed from a stand.

In certain stands where ranges are short, particularly if there is thick brush surrounding, I will often use rifles chambered for rounds that are too limited in range for general use. Even when hunting in thick areas, there is always the risk of stepping out onto a woods road, clear-cut or right-of-way and seeing game at longer range than certain rifles are capable of. It is a really frustrating feeling to see a deer at 250 yards...and you are holding a .44 magnum carbine.

With a stand....what you see is what you get. The opening you are watching isn't suddenly going to pull back and offer a longer shot. There is no need for a rifle capable of reaching out to 400 yards, when you can only see 75 yards. What is needed in thick areas is a good blood trail if the animal gets out of sight. On those close stands I will quite often use rounds such as the .44 magnum, 45-70 or .35 Remington all with a bigger bore size but limited range. Just the thing for a stand where you can only see 100 yards or less.

Since in a stand situation the distance is known and the animal is undisturbed I will sometimes use a rifle chambered for rounds that are marginal for day-to-day use. While I normally use and champion using rifles that are chambered for more powerful rounds than I might use from a stand. This because shots may not be "perfect" with unknown angles and often quick moving targets. In that situation the "advantage" of something like the .270 or .308 "might" save you on a slightly misplaced shot you where a smaller round like the .243 really needs to be placed "exactly" to kill properly.

In a stand your deer is usually standing still or moving slowly. There is no hurry and you can wait until the shot is "perfect". Shot placement should be easy and exact. With distance known and a "perfectly" placed bullet, almost any round will kill effectively (deer just aren't that hard to kill when hit just right). I will use almost any round I want on a stand including the .243, 22-250 or .223. I have even done some "stunt shooting" with things like the .25-20, .22 Hornet, .38 Special and .32-20. I would never consider this under normal circumstances, but from a stand The distance was close and shot placement exact.

The other consideration is the type of stand I am hunting. In an open ladder stand or climbing stand almost any rifle will do as you can maneuver it without restriction. However in a tight box blind you must keep the rifle short. Just try to cover all 4 sides of a stand with smallish windows....and with a 26" barreled rifle and I guarantee you will wish for a carbine.

I don't have a certain "stand" rifle, but stands do influence what rifle I use on a particular hunt.

for our family the old style 18" rem model 7s are perfect

light and easy to move around in a stand.

For anyone reading this thread for advice on setting up a rifle for this purpose, I suggest a youth size stock as it's easier to shoulder for extreme angles and especially needed if you need to shoot from your Weakhand side.

You should include Weakhand practice as well. The ability do come handy...