Bolt or Semi Auto for deer

[mmcnx2]

I have a 760 Remington in 270 and a Model 88 Winchester in 308. I've not hunted deer in a number of years but the either rifle was great out to 300 yards which in the area we hunted was more than enough. I think it depends on the turf you hunt. If I was in heavy woods I'd run a good ole 30-30. Open range I love my 270. If I hunted really big open range I'd go with a bolt in 300 win.

If you can hit what you are aiming at I personally think you should stick with what you have.

[gun_fan111v2]

Using a Savage bolt action here. One good argument I heard was for pump action rifles - they are easier to cycle during the deep freeze

If your shooting an auto, there is no cycle except to release the trigger.

Cycling as in loading another round from the magazine to take a follow up shot. If the rifle freezes up (freezing rain) it might be easier to force cycle the pump action

[smurfman]

Unless you want to buy a new gun, what you have is plenty fine. The two guns I plan on using this year are also 2" guns, a Rem 760 in 300 Savage and a Marlin 36 in 35 Rem. I don't think any deer I may shoot will care if the guns don't shoot under two inches, I know I don't.

[Sprouticus]

1948 Husqvarna Mauser in 8mm

I started hunting with an K98, and accumulated quite a bit of 8mm hunting ammo.

Switched to the Husqvarna, because it was drilled and tapped for a scope.
It was getting harder to shoot with iron sights on the K98.

[FJ540]

I've done all of them but the vehicle. Really depends on personal preference. The only bolt gun I've hunted with has been a single shot Cooper in .25-06. Never needed a second shot with it. Blew a hole the size of my fist out of the back side of a deer shot too close range. I've killed a few with AR's and they're kinda heavy IMO (I carry a 5 round load in a 10rd pmag). Same with my Cetme in .308 (heavy). I've also hunted with, but not taken a deer with a Maverick 500 pump 12 ga (lightest gun I've taken afield for deer).

Depending on how far you have to hike the rifle, and what kind of hunting you're doing (blind, stand, or spot/stalk), and the distance the shots cover; the ideal gun will vary, at least for me it would.

I'd really like to try a lever gun in something like .357 mag some time. Good balance, pointability, and not too heavy, while being plenty lethal (like 300BLK is), overall they're quite compact for a 16" barrel, and easy on the shoulder. Doesn't really matter these days though, since I've gone to trying to tag out in archery season instead of gun hunting at all. AR10's zero'd at 100yds if I fail putting a bolt through one in the next 2 weeks. I'll hunt with that because it's got a cherry yet, not because it's any better than my '15 in 300BLK.

[steve4102]

If your 7400 shoots 2 inch groups consistently and functions flawlessly, then I see no reason for you to change, unless you are just in the market for a change.

I am a little different then most hunters, I use a lot of different rifles for deer hunting. I usually use a different rifle every year for stand hunting, and I use a different rifle walking and stalking than sitting.

I have bolt actions and I have semi-autos and I use/like them all.

This year I have chosen my Win. 70 Featherweight in 25 WSSM.

Last year I used my CZ 550 American in 9.3 x 62 and the year before that I used my Browning BAR/BOSS in 300 WSM.

When I walk I carry my Ruger Custom Mini-30 in 7.62 x 39.

My selection.
M-70 25 WSSM
CZ Model 3 300WSM
CZ 550 9.3 x 62
CZ 550 Full Stock 6.5 x 55
M-70 Featherweight 6.5 x 55
AR-15 6.5 Grendel
AR-15 300 Blackout
Browning BAR 300 WSM
Rem 700 30-06 Ackley
Savage 7mm-08 Ackley
Ruger Mini-30 7.62 x 39

Yup, I hunt with them all and being a handloader, they all shoot amazing groups.

[OldmanFCSA]

steve 4102,

I did the same, hunting with a different rifle every year that I hunted in Wisconsin. But if the weather was terrible my go to gun was my Ithaca Model 37 with electrical tape on end of barrel and with my hand covering the bottom eject area which was also the natural center of balance, so easy to carry. Only once did it have so much ice on it that it took a major effort to open the action. Called falling thru ice on a beaver dam and having to use Shotgun to dig my way out of water. Temp was a minus 10 degrees - I was a walking robot frozen stiff, but knew I had to keep going to get to house.

[arizona98tj]

AR platform shooting a 6.5 Grendel. I switched over to it from an Ithaca .308 bolt gun after spending lots of trigger time with an AR-15. And it will also be my coyote rifle for this winter. And my wife can shoot it as the recoil is manageable for someone that doesn't like getting kicked.

[gbono23]

I've hunted with bolt, lever and semi-auto. I've got a 300 Win mag bolt action for larger game, had a 30.06 semi that worked will for deer in the open fields of western ND, and a 30-30 lever action for in he woods in MN.

If it were me, I'd buy one of each, in somewhat different calibers, so you can choose your weapon based on the location and type of game!

[goalie]

Bolt or single shot for me. My 223 and 300BO bolt guns are lighter than my AR pattern rifles in the same calibers.

I do love my H&R Handi in 44mag though.

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