Short range weapon ideas

[silverbullet555]

Well, I have an extra deer tag next month in a short range weapons only area.

Limited to archery, muzzleloaders, shotgun, pistol (must use pistol cartridge).

I'm not going to learn to shoot a bow. Our muzzleloader rules are really strict (ID).

I must hunt from a tree stand. I don't know what the max distances will be, but I'd guess well under 100 yards.

So, that leaves me a 12 gauge or a pistol.

For pistol, I can borrow a friends scoped 44 or use a pistol AR15 with red dot. I have one in 9MM and could easily buy one in 10MM. If I went with an AR pistol, I could put a can on it and run suppressed.

Alternatively, I could buy a rifled slug gun and use it for the occasional short range weapon hunt here or in Wyoming. Who doesn't like to buy more guns?

Lastly, and not my preference, run rifled slugs through one of the shotguns I have which would require some work/parts to mount a red dot.

Most of my time between now and then is filled with filling other tags so I'll go into it a little unprepared I'm sure.

Thoughts?

 

[EastMT]

If have 77gr 5.56 that would work. Another option is a 300 blackout upper, they almost reach 30-30 speeds in a pistol barrel with 125gr, 2200 or so. Be just fine up close.


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[Michael54]

Savage makes a badass 20gauge slug gun that is accurate to 200 yards. I'm not a huge savage fan but i own one of those slug guns...

 

[Rob5589]

If have 77gr 5.56 that would work. Another option is a 300 blackout upper, they almost reach 30-30 speeds in a pistol barrel with 125gr, 2200 or so. Be just fine up close.


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He says must be a pistol cartridge.

I'd pick up a CVA Wolf and check out Robby's thread on it. It is set up for Idaho use.

 

[Wrench]

I've taken them with 44, 45lc, 10mm....they all worked well.

 

[Wapiti1]

Borrow the .44 and get in some practice. .44's do just fine on deer.



Jeremy

 

[GunsAreFun]

I’d go rifled slug gun personally. Muzzleloader second choice. Scoped 44 third choice.

 

[HuntInWild88]

The muzzleloader restrictions in idaho are only for muzzleloader specific hunts. On the "Short range" weapon hunts there are no restrictions with muzzleloader. You can use scoped, online, sabots and pellet powders.

 

[JAC40]

Just get you a 45-70 BFR they are fun as heck to use...if there specific parameters on what is a pistol cartridge or rifle cartridge get it in a s&w 500

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[Sandstrom]

Another vote for the 20 gauge savage! Scary accurate!!

 

[vhr1079]

My preference for short distances. 45 colt. 300gr round nose flat points going 1100 FPS.

 

[Clarence]

Another vote for the 20 gauge savage! Scary accurate!!

Another vote for this if you want to put meat on the ground. Quality sabots seem difficult to find right now.

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[Gorp2007]

20 ga savage, mine seems to like the Hornady sabots. You'll be far more accurate than a handgun and it can come in handy if you ever want to hunt some units in the East that are shotgun only.

 

[wildwilderness]

As mentioned the easiest will be a rifled barrel slug gun. With a scope.

second will be a muzzleloader which may open more seasons for you. But there is a learning curve with muzzy rifles. I think it’s a pain to take care of them.

I recommend Barnes solid slugs. I have shot a few deer with Regular lead and it doesn’t penetrate well.

 

[260madman]

Michael54 hit it on the head. That 220 is the way to go. If I didn’t have shotguns with slug barrels I’d get the Savage.

My muzzleloader wears a 6X Super Chicken though...

 

[Rich M]

44 handgun would be 1st for me.

2nd would be to buy a rifled choke for a shotgun I already own, get a side mount scope mount and use a red dot or 4x scope.

3rd would be ML.

Xbow makes a nice addition to collection too. Handy for quiet times.

 

[Wiscat]

I would go for a slug gun. We used to be limited to slug guns at our farm. I had an H&R slug hunter that was a tack driver with Hornady SST slugs. I could keep a consistent group on steel at 250-300yards.

 

[Lawnboi]

I’d first look into what you can find ammo for and go from there

 

[SirChooCH]

The lower half of Michigan is like this all gun season as "straight cartridge" or shotguns only. Look into Hornady SST slugs for a rifled barrel 12 or 20 gauge. I have used these with a scoped remington 870 and its been great.

The recent trend everyone is switching to savage or ruger american rifles in .450 bushmaster or .350 legend to get a bit more range. Or else an upper in these calibers and you would also need a short magazine to be legal most likely.

 

[w squared]

I would be very tempted to use a rifled barrel slug gun. The single shot versions are quite inexpensive, and the sabot slugs fly very well - and also give you a greater likelihood of a very ethical harvest.