Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Close Range Deer Rifle

I am looking to add to my gun cabinet with a rifle that will be used for whitetail deer hunting at close range in thick cover. Think maximum of 75 meter shots and often at moving deer. The two I am considering the most are the Tikka Battue Lite and the Browning BLR. Caliber will be likely be 7mm-08 or 308 - both are offered in it.

Any and all opinions welcome. I have primarily been a bowhunter and am slowly transitioning into the rifle hunting world.

Either would work.. I prefer the 7mm-08.. Just have a real bias against the.308.. No reason... Just don't like it..

BLR 308. But if you can find a Savage 99, that would be great too.

From the title I was thinking .44 mag carbine. Turns out we're not exactly talking short range.

Try some out and see which one shoulders fast and feels best for you. For a brush gun I want something light and short throwing heavy lead. It needs to mount like a fine upland shotgun.

I was going to build one for myself next year. Probably far from your needs but I was going to take a 308 Montana and cut it to 20" and have it bored for the 358 Winchester.

To me a BLR feels like a heavy 2X4 but get what feels best to you.

If you don't want to stay with those calibers, look at a Marlin Guide gun in 45-70.

The BLR is the ugly duckling of the levergun world. Balances the worst, and has one of the $hittiest triggers.

For that short of range, anything will work. Get a Marlin 336 in 35 Rem or 444.

Or if you do not want to scope it, get a Win 94. Either are great for short range, thick cover, running deer.....

Buy a Savage Hog Hunter. Heck of a rifle for the price.

75 meters is quite doable with a .44 mag Carbine.

I like the way you think.

I have one of these and also a .44 mag carbine, both are excellent for woods hunting. Loaded with (.44 Mag) 300 grain WFNs or 435 grain WFNs (.45-70), both are capable of knocking big holes in animals.

44 mag carbine or how about a 760/7600 carbine in 308 . Kinda hard to beat any of those in the brush.

I second the marlin 444, for a short range stopper this is as good as it gets!.

Light weight bolt guns or for that matter any gun that is muzzle light suck hind tit for off hand shooting. The old Remington model 7's with the walnut stock and 18.5 inch barrel in particular was heralded as a great "woods" rifle and in fact was so poorly balanced for offhand shooting as to be laughable. A Marlin 336 or Winchester 94 is far superior. With a full magazine they are not too light and just enough muzzle heavy to hold steady and swing smoothly.

Something like this. I chose a Ruger Predator in 308, but any short barreled lightweight bolt gun in most any modern cartridge will do. This weighs 6 3/4 lbs; less scoped than my lever 30-30's do with irons. With the scope on 1X it is faster to get on target and the optics make it easier to pick up game in poor light. On 4X it'll keep 3 shots under 1" at 200 yards.

I like a 308, 243, 6.5, 7-08, etc over traditional brush cartridges. Even at close range trajectory matters in brush. Bullets will be no more than 1" above or below line of sight from the muzzle to 120-130 yards and only about 2" low at 200 yards. Makes it easier to thread bullets through baseball size openings in brush.

Something like this. I chose a Ruger Predator in 308, but any short barreled lightweight bolt gun in most any modern cartridge will do. This weighs 6 3/4 lbs; less scoped than my lever 30-30's do with irons. With the scope on 1X it is faster to get on target and the optics make it easier to pick up game in poor light. On 4X it'll keep 3 shots under 1" at 200 yards.

I like a 308, 243, 6.5, 7-08, etc over traditional brush cartridges. Even at close range trajectory matters in brush. Bullets will be no more than 1" above or below line of sight from the muzzle to 120-130 yards and only about 2" low at 200 yards. Makes it easier to thread bullets through baseball size openings in brush.

223 sounds about right to me. Nice to see what happens after the hammer falls.

Not sure how to shoot running sheit at 75 yards in heavy brush without hitting heavy brush.

I shot a 262 lb. buck in heavy timber. It was flippin crazy. Was pointing the muzzle at him while he ran in my general direction. Nothing but tree after tree after tree. Last thing I recall thinking, and I recall it very vividly, was this SOB is gonna get past me and I am never going to get a shot.

I picked out a tree, and when he got to it, I shot. Hit his azz right in the heart and watched the blood pour out. He ran straight at me, I stuck the muzzle in his face. Damn near run me over. He went down and died 30 yards behind me. Very memorable hunt. Not the only deer I have shot in really thick $hit, but the biggest.

I honestly feel such shots are far more difficult than say hitting an egg or such at long range. The nerve factor is higher, and the clock ticking........

I'd just get a pre64 Win70 with a low comb stock and standard barrel contour, and hunt it with the open sights.

A fun gun would be a Remington 7600 carbine in 35 Whelen with open sights.

I'm using a 300 Blackout for the short range stuff. Pick your host and suppressor of choice and kill quietly with minimal recoil.

22lr