NorthJeff

I' ve used my 30-06 for deer for quite a while. Other than my home area, most of my shots can be long, from 100 to 300 yards. I replaced my 30-06 with a .270WSM and better scope-a 35 gr. lighter bullet, and better trajectory out to 300 yards.

Now the question. In my home area my shots are limited-150 yards tops, and many stands of 75 yds or less. I' ve used a 165 gr. Federal premium out of my Rem 721 for years, with 1" 100 yard groups and good success on deer. I don' t want to reload, and am considering a heavier bullet to sight in for the close to home " brush country" . Any suggestions for weight, brand, and type of bullet to improve performance in the sticks? In this way I' d have my heavier, slower, brush gun for home, and my 130 gr. speedster for the more open other states of PA, WI, and AL.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan

mauser06

pa being open?!?! i live hear and the farthest shot ive had was maybe 50yds...but maybe you hunt the fields or big mature stands...i hide in the thickets and ambush them...but anyway to answer your question no matter what when a bullet hits anything its going to move off its path...heavier flat round light pointed whatever it all deflects off of whatever it hits...and say you hit a twig 60yds in front of the deer and it moves your bullet just a little bit..by the time it gets there it may be enough off for you to wound or miss...id say your best bet is to wait for the open shot....i was going to set up a slug gun until all the reading i done pointed this out to me saying even an ounce slug will deflect off of whatever it hits.........good luck.....

bigbulls

The only real definition of a " brush gun" on a gun that is short enough, light enough, and quick handling enough that you are able to cary it around all day and be able to get a quick shot off if needed. If a bullet hits anything it will deflect off of it' s intended path. A good test of this is to take a top and spin it as fast as you can. After it stabilizes touch it with an object of some kind and see if it moves. I guarantee you it will. The differance in the ammount a 130 and 150 grain .270 bullet deflecting or not will be absolutly zilch.

frizzellr

There is no such thing as a brush busting bullet. Even 12 gauge slugs get deflected by twigs.

Quilly

rick jameson did a wonderful article on this topic.he used a 22-250 all the wat up to the 375H&Hmag.

out of all the types he used the 375H&Hmag and the 22-250 shined. the 22-250 actually made it through to the target every time without deflecting.
i always used a NON lead tipped bullet when i hunt where shots could be up close in the brush. i don' t know if the round hits a twig with a lead nosed bullet compared to a NON lead nosed will help out.

i would go with whatever shoots best in your gun. but i would stay away from the BT' s due to those plastic tips snapping off when hitting a twig compared to a lead tipped that wuld deforma bit. but that is my opinion.

BTW.. how' s the kick and price of the ammo on the 270WSM?

NorthJeff

Quilly,

The price of ammo on the .270WSM isn' t much of a concern, but the kick initially was. I shot the .300WSM and didn' t enjoy it. I have not shot my .270WSM yet, but according to a couple of charts I' ve seen, it should be less than my current 30-06 by as much as 2 pounds, not even considering my 06 is lighter, and does not have a recoil pad. It also looked like the 7mmWSM was almost the same as the .300WSM, so I didn' t consider that one either. The .270WSM was rated around 25% to 30% less kick than the .300WSM. I wouldn' t have even considered the .270WSM if I didn' t think I' d enjoy shooting it. Most of my friends from lower MI don' t own rifles, but it' s nice to have the 06 for them when they come up, especially for my brother.

Also,
I' d never consider trying to snake a bullet through brush, but when you are taking a 100 yard shot across a tag-alder swamp in an opening you can very clearly see the buck in, or at a buck back in under a few hemlocks or pines, it is possible, especially as the bullet is within several feet of the deer, that a lone skinny little leafless alder, birch sapling, dead pine branch, or swamp maple may be waiting to intercept your bullet. I' d rather the bullet at least hold together and wonder if there is a better choice than my 165 gr. boattail.

The area I hunt in PA is the Alleghany National Forest, near Bradford. The deer populations have been so high, for so long, that there is little to no browse/brush throughout the entire woods-almost all mature hardwoods, except for the hemlock stands in the bottoms. This past season I was walking with a friend and stood by him as he was able to get 2 shots off at 250 yards across a hollow. He hit the deer both times and the deer went about a 100 yards, While at the same time I had shot my deer the day before at about 20' . I' ve glassed deer at 250 to 300 yards on the oak flats on the tops of the hills that were easily shootable if there had been a big enough buck.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan

seattlesetters

If you want to use your ' 06 in the brush, stick to the 165gr bullet that shoots well in your rifle. Weight of the bullet doesn' t matter if it hits a twig, so shoot what gives you the best accuracy so you can put it between the branches.

eldeguello

Stick with the load you have always used in the ' 06! There' s no such thing as a " brush buster" anyway. All calibers perform poorly after hitting sticks and limbs!!

Nomercy

I can' t recall now which it was, G&A or Sports afield, or petersons hunting, one er the other.....but anyway, they put out an article a couple years back that tested different cals/velocities/bullet types for brush hunting/penetration/flight. The worst performer was the age old brush gun .45-70 with their flat nosed bullets, while one of the best was a .22-250 (because it has a flat trajectory and will fit through narrow windows with it' s TINY bullet). Typically, a brush gun should be a fast handling gun that you can carry easily through a lot of crap. I love hunting with M-1Garands, but danged if I' ll be found hauling one of those long heavy things through underbrush!!!! I' ll keep my SKS (paratrooper model with folding stock)or .45-70' s or .44mags (in either lever or wheel guns) for that type of hunting, a lot lighter and a WHOLE lot faster handling. They should have open sights too, or a huge front objective so that you can quickly aquire your target (4x40mm is ideal) I like to use my SKS because the scope mount allows me to use the open sights with it mounted if need be, so I can reachout AND snap shoot.

I' ve shot through quite a bit of dense stuff with my .30-06 from time to time (find great deer on the way in or out of a stand) and it has done VERY well, however, it has also done VERY poorly too, I took two shots that trimmed a .25" branch I couldn' t even see through the glass and completely missed the deer, Finally she moved and I adjusted my POA, and broke her neck through a little clear window in the brush.

JagMagMan

I have to agree with Big Bulls definition of a " brush gun" !
There are no " brush buster" calibers!