In SE Texas, the fastest woods rifle I ever used was a Marlin 1894/44 Mag with factory irons. Pure poison! I did almost as well with a Win Mod 94 Classic carbine ( except the heavier barrel made a "slight" difference in getting on target fast.) Here in Utah, I like the Remington 700 MR, and the Win 70 FWT Classic, or similar. They are a bit "light in the britches" out on the windy prairies, but thats a different kind of hunting too.
I killed my first deer with a Marlin 1894 .44 Remington Magnum. We would go "flush the thickets" as deer were bedded mid day. If you were on foot, you got first crack at the deer you jumped. If you had field duty, you got the open shots on anything driven out. You had to be fast, and the little lever gun was my choice for that job.
"Full time night woman? I never could find no tracks on a woman's heart. I packed me a squaw for ten year, Pilgrim. Cheyenne, she were, and the meanest bitch that ever balled for beads."
