Options for a short barrel "brush" gun in bolt action?

[JBradley500]

I have an urge to get a deer/black bear rifle with a short 16ish inch barrel, bolt action, and iron sights. Something cheaper preferably that I won't feel bad beating around in the woods or on a four-wheeler.

I'm not stuck on any cartidge or gun model. I started looking at the Mossberg Predator in 450 BM since it has what I'm looking for, but I started wondering about other options people like? I'm just not sure of all of the options.

 

[Silvereagle50]

Maybe the Ruger Ranch rifle.
Thinking about getting one in the 300 BO myself. Think they offer it in the 450 as well.


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[Spoonbill]

Savage makes the hog hunter that has a short barrel and iron sights. Barrel may be longer than you want but the rifles are 5-600 if memory serves.

 

[6bailey]

So I have been trying to come up with a sort barrel bolt rifle design that i can take everywhere but keep running into issues of speed/energy from the rounds. I am also looking at a barrel of 14.5 to 16 inches because I want it to be able to fit in my harleys saddle bag. Anything you would take with it you would have to be close for ethical shots when it comes to energy impact. Waiting to see more on this 270 furry sig has might run something like that. I'll be interested to see some solutions to your topic.

 

[LightFoot]

I bought a Savage Hog Hunter in 308 from Gander Mountain when they were going out of business. It is the best $367 I have spent on firearms. Sure, it's heavy and the stock is sub-par. But damn does it shoot. It shoots Winchester Power Point 180gr and similar loads within 1" at 100 yds. It shoots Hornady Precision Hunter 178gr ELD-X into 0.5" groups. Add a silencer co harvester big bore, and it kicks like a butterfly and punches tight clover leaf groups at 100 yds. Shot off bags, no vice or bipod.

I would like to load some Lapua Mega bullets or Swift A Frame and deal swift deaths to bucks and bulls in cover.

The hardest question is, "What optic to use for this gun?"

An answer depends on manny factors including those based on usage and budget. The big barrel at on 20" makes the rifke hold well from standing and seated positions. Iron sights a a grea backup, but the rear sight may interfere with scope objectives. You will have to remove the rear iron sight, raise your scope above the rear iron sight, or you will have to choose a different scope.

I went with option 3. That gun wore a variety of scopes.Tried Zeiss, Leupold, Vortex. Using a picatinny base made all this tinkering quite easy. My favorite was a Steiner TX5i 1-4x24 which is now on another 308. Right now it wears a Leupold VX!3 4.5 - 14x 40mm (1inch).

I got the Leupold on super sale fro new-old stock when the VX-3i. It a little heavy which soaks up recoil. I added a YHM suppressor and the gun really starts to shoot.

I would go with quick research rings to allow access to the iron sight.

Good luck.

>>>----JAKE----->

 

[6bailey]

I bought a Savage Hog Hunter in 308 from Gander Mountain when they were going out of business. It is the best $367 I have spent on firearms. Sure, it's heavy and the stock is sub-par. But damn does it shoot. It shoots Winchester Power Point 180gr and similar loads within 1" at 100 yds. It shoots Hornady Precision Hunter 178gr ELD-X into 0.5" groups. Add a silencer co harvester big bore, and it kicks like a butterfly and punches tight clover leaf groups at 100 yds. Shot off bags, no vice or bipod.

I would like to load some Lapua Mega bullets or Swift A Frame and deal swift deaths to bucks and bulls in cover.

The hardest question is, "What optic to use for this gun?"

An answer depends on manny factors including those based on usage and budget. The big barrel at on 20" makes the rifke hold well from standing and seated positions. Iron sights a a grea backup, but the rear sight may interfere with scope objectives. You will have to remove the rear iron sight, raise your scope above the rear iron sight, or you will have to choose a different scope.

I went with option 3. That gun wore a variety of scopes.Tried Zeiss, Leupold, Vortex. Using a picatinny base made all this tinkering quite easy. My favorite was a Steiner TX5i 1-4x24 which is now on another 308. Right now it wears a Leupold VX!3 4.5 - 14x 40mm (1inch).

I got the Leupold on super sale fro new-old stock when the VX-3i. It a little heavy which soaks up recoil. I added a YHM suppressor and the gun really starts to shoot.

I would go with quick research rings to allow access to the iron sight.

Good luck.

>>>----JAKE----->

Just curious Do you know what you muzzle velocity is.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I used a Ruger Gunsite Scout in .308 for a lot of years hunting thick woods in Northern Minnesota. Was also nice and handy to throw on the quad cruising the ranch for coyotes. A friend of mine bought 40 acres with a big hog problem and didn't have a rifle, so I sold him that rig. Kind of miss that thing sometimes.

 

[16Bore]

RAR and a rusty hacksaw blade.

 

[LightFoot]

Just curious Do you know what you muzzle velocity is.

No.

>>>----JAKE----->

 

[rayporter]

cutting off the barrel is easy and if you feel you need a crown you can do it yourself with a brass screw.

these combos are not know for benchrest accuracy, so you are not going to hurt it.

have fun with it.

 

[John Jason]

Ruger scout rifle 308 Win, 16.25" barrel. MV 2700 fps with Barnes 150 TTSX. Box velocity 2900 fps. Longest shot has been on a pronghorn buck 349 yards, 1 shot and done placed by my son. Burris 2×7 scout scope reticle lines up pretty well with bullet drop. Handy and light weight.

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[chefcreed]

Ruger Ranch and CZ offer 6.5 Grendel in a short barrel bolt gun would be fun. No problem on game up to deer. Not sure about bears though. I have no use for it but a 338 Federal is pretty interesting.

 

[Shraggs]

The new 350 legen can be had in a couple of 16 barrel bolt guns from Ruger and Winchester.

if you not married to a bolt gun, I find lever actions are faster. The browning BLR gives no accuracy up to a bolt. I highly recommend the 358 win...

 

[TxxAgg]

CZ 527 Carbine, .223 Rem., 1:12" Twist - CZ-USA

Discontinued 2014. The 527 Carbine, 223 Rem., 1:12" Twist

cz-usa.com

 

[TREE ‘EM]

My quest for a short barrel brush gun ended with a Ruger 77/357

My daughter has one too and she’s killed several deer with well past 100 yards.

 

[Dave0317]

I have a Savage Scout that I like. I think the Ruger Scout would be good too.
A good bolt action with a shorter barrel and iron sights was incredibly difficult to find a few years ago, now there are several on the market.

Will you actually use just the irons or will you add a scope to it?


If you can live with other action types, a Marlin Guide gun would probably work well for you. The scout type rifles are probably closest to what you describe though.

 

[Corvus Corax]

A used Remington 788 carbine? They came with irons, though most have been removed. I’ve got one in .243win.

 

[robtattoo]

Out of the box, the Savage hog Hunter in .308 or .338 takes some beating. Had one, sold it, regret it.
Nowadays I have the option, short brushy wise, of my little cutdown 16" Marlin .44 or an 18" barrel rem 700 in .358. Inside of 100yds up to elk sized game, I'm completely comfortable with either.

 

[robtattoo]

If truth be told, if i had to go into a thicket tomorrow with the chance of running into a bear or hefty pig, I'd really struggled not to take my braced, 8.5" AR pistol in .300blk. 20+ rounds, real quick like, will put down most anything.

 

[JBradley500]

To answer a couple of the questions, lever action is a good idea but I'm covered there. I thought a short bolt action would be a fun addition.

I will not add a scope to it. Irons will be the only sight. Last year I put together the quintessential 22" .308 Win in 700 Remington configuration with a 3-9x40 Leupold last year if I want a scoped gun in this area.

Speaking of the area, where I want to use it the longest shot is typically 60 yards becuase of the dense trees. One spot has an old logging road that has a 125 yard shot but I don't have a stand there yet, and that's still obviously a short shot.

I like the Gunsite Scout too but they aren't giving those away!