This year going to do some hunting in east Texas, Pretty thick land where they do controlled burns and the trees are planted in actual patterns. You can see a ways, maybe 150 yards if you can line up just the right row of trees. Decided to power up my 45 Colt Rossi carbine via some Paco Kelly load data. Worked up to 26 grains of H110 under a 240 grain Hornady mag XTP. No sign of pressure other than the light little rifle with it's steel buttplate gets brutal if your just wearing a Tshirt. Seemed to shoot best with 24.0 grains so that is what I decided to load. The rifle with it's 16 inch barrel is just too short for me using irons so I topped it with a Burris scout scope 2 3/4 power I think. Not as fast as I was with 25 year old eyes and irons but I can put 3 under 4 inches at 150 yards.

That's good enough
Neighbor uses his 45 colt win lever
I use a 44 mag 1894 Marlin and
nothing ever bounces off

Mucho pines and oaks, hickorys, persimmons, etc.

Rick, I'll chime in when I'm done staring at your avatar. If you don't hear from me I'm not finished.

Go Levergun !

In TN most all my hunting was in timber and my favorite rifle was a 444 Marlin. All but one deer was DRT.

My timber gun is a encore in 35 whelen.

Short. Easy to swing around.

I shoot the factory Barnes vor-tx ttsx ammo.


Dynamite!

I used a Ruger 96/44 with the 240XTP over AA9 to take a few woods range deer in MN. It left a big exit hole in all except one. I plopped one through both shoulders from about 90 yards, and recovered the bullet from the far side hide. The core was completely gone, but the jacket was fully intact, I still have it somewhere.

45 Colt is a dandy little short range deer rifle, too. I got an uncle carries one sometimes, and he's potted a few with it. Just using a hard cast plodding along around 1000fps, it's still a through and through broadside from inside 50 yards.

Just acquired a Cimarron 1873 in 45 Colt last month myself and worked up a similar 250gr cast load for short range work. Haven't run them over the chrono yet, but they should be in the 1000fps ballpark.

Hope you get some shots with it and are pleased with the results 👍

Savage 99 in 358 win

Atomic slug gun

My 16" Rossi 92 in 45 Colt is my everyday carry rifle. I can run into a lion or a bear between the house and barn, so a rifle is a must. I use a lace on leather butt cover recoil pad, looks good and fits the rifle. Skinner rear sight peep stem fits on the bolt where the safety lever used to be.

Ive tried 26 grns of 296 with 250 XTP'S and it shot great, but Ive settled on 300 grn Speer Deep Curls with 296, which comes out at 1411 fps.

Handy accurate little rifles. Fits well in a scabbard and goes just about anywhere.

Manny

"Timber deer gun."

A handi rifle with aftermarket plastic stock set, in 30-06.

my 2 that are regularly used is savage 99 in 300 savage and the 444 marlin

Oh yeah, Alexander Arms, made next door in Dublin, VA

My heavy timber rifle is a Marlin 336 re-bored to 38-55. 250 gr cast bullet at either 1450 or 1600 fps depending on how aggressive I'm feeling at the time. Haven't heard any complaints from inside the freezer so far.

I find a little lighter and faster handling with a laser trajectory helps to fit through gaps on moving deer. Heavy reticles and wide field of view are good, too.

There are lots of ways to get there while suiting one's taste.

.35 rem pump is my timber rig

Cool pump right there.

My pic is a 336 in .35Rem.

Shots in my favorite spot run from 15 to about 90 yards. I've used lever guns, revolvers, a Glock 17, and a pump shotgun. These days my favorite is a short, light bolt-action 308 or 30-06. I prefer a 4x scope because sometimes I have to shoot through little gaps in the brush.

What's a lot more important is that I shoot a LOT of offhand before Opening Day.


Okie John

a reciever sighted model 70 in 30-06 shooting 200 grain Partitions

Marlin 336 in 44 mag, 250 grn hard cast over H110

Well my piss on BLM avatar disappeared so I had to find a pic small enough to fit and there she was.

Might look into one of the leather butt cover recoil pads. I was shooting off of a too low bench and leaning forward. The bottom part of the curved buttplate dinged me pretty good several times and there is actually a bruise! Before I started playing Paco Kelly I was shooting 13.0 grains of Blue Dot under a 270 grain Keith style semi wadcutter and never had any issues with it. Should have just left well enough alone.