Choosing a deer/boar hunting rifle and optic

[DoggyDaddy]

450 bushmaster or 350 legend might be better choices for public land. Personally I took a nice buck at 160 yards with a 450 this past year. He only went about 20 feet.

Both are also available in ar15 uppers.

Oh yeah, I always forget about those. But I'm old.

 

[1nderbeard]

Oh yeah, I always forget about those. But I'm old.

well, they're a lot more expensive than pistol. 44 mag in the right hands can take deer.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

well, they're a lot more expensive than pistol. 44 mag in the right hands can take deer.

A buddy of mine hunts with a 450 bushmaster bolt gun and loves it. He said it drops them where they stand pretty consistently with a good hit.

 

[1nderbeard]

A buddy of mine hunts with a 450 bushmaster bolt gun and loves it. He said it drops them where they stand pretty consistently with a good hit.

I'm 1 for 1.
Accuracy was about 1 moa. I was more worried about zeroing range than accuracy, but was on the edge of 1 inch at 100 yrds.

 

[Jaybird1980]

AR10 in .35 Remington. With a low powered variable optic. Perfect medicine for any trouble including 2 legged out to 300 yds, possibly farther.

Does an AR-10 in .35 Remington exist?

Never seen one mentioned before. That's the ultimate combo of old school and new school if it does.

 

[DadSmith]

This would be a good opportunity for you to get a nice Henry 45/70 or a Ruger/Marlin 1895 SBL. Get a Holosun sight and you are set for some huge Hogs.

 

[koren044]

Okay, then most of the calibers suggested above aren't an option for deer. 44 magnum and 357 magnum are good to go (for deer at least, and I'm guessing 44 magnum would be okay for boar), and if you reload, 35 Remington can be trimmed down to be legal. I don't know if there are any caliber restrictions on boar hunting, since that's not all that common in Indiana. I guess worst case, you might have an excuse to get two rifles.

Oh no

 

[bgcatty]

For hogs, a lever action in .45-70 is a real thumper that stops the little piggies in their tracks.

 

[two70]

A decent bolt action will be just as fast as a lever action with similar amounts of practice. Since you will be deer hunting on public land you basically are limited to .357, .44, and .45 in a lever action, .350 Legend and .450 Bushmaster in bolt actions, or .350 Legend, .450 Bushmaster, .458 SOCOM, and .50 Beowulf in an AR. You may find a hunter safety course useful or depending on age and location, required.

A LPVO is the way to go. Better to have magnification and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

[Limpy88]

Ar15 in 350legend or 450 bushmaster.
Heavy hitting rounds. Can be had a walmarts/most stores if someone happens to your ammo in travel. I haven't seen 30-30 stuff since the pandemic. Going with a straight wall cartridge will allow to hunt in neighboring states as well.

I dont like shooting the lever guns in big calibers. They are light and short. So the kick good. And I like shooting alot. But if you only shot it 10 times a year then it isn't an issue.

I run a trijicon MRO on my 350 legend pistol. Great for everything under 150. Over 150 a scope with some bdc is needed. Hold points on heavy cailbers isn't the easiest with a red dot and magnifier.

Savage makes a scout bolt in 350l and 450bush, iron sights on the barrels

 

[BIGE7.62]

450 bm for public/ restricted
308 for private/unrestricted

 

[dekeshooter]

When my wife first showed interest in deer hunting, I set her up with a Marlin 44 Mag with a red dot. She shot it well and liked how fast she could pick up the dot and be on target when we were practicing at the range. However, on opening day of her first season we were hunting together in a ground blind and had a doe step into range right at legal shooting time. She saw the deer and raised the rifle but couldn’t see it through the red dot. She handed me the gun thinking something was wrong but it was the same for me. The lenses on a red dot are tinted to make the dot show up easier but that also blocks light transmission. I ended up shooting the doe with a 44 Mag Contender with a standard optic with no problem.

Dots work ok as long as you’re willing to give up 15-30 minutes of legal shooting time at each end of the day.

 

[tcecil88]

Another vote for .350 Legend. Be it a bolt or AR. Price is still a little high on ammo, but at least it can be found. Mine shoots into less than 2" at 100 yards with Winchester Deer season XP and Hornady 165 FTX.

 

[drm-hp]

Mine is an AR-15 in 450 Bushmaster. The scope came off a competition rifle as I didn't like it on targets, but it works great for hunting. The reticle is a circle with an illuminated dot if you want. All the deer have been down within 20 yrds at ranges from 7 yrds in a standing corn field to 178 yrds in a field that I was sitting in a fence row.