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What's your favorite saddle hunting firearm for whitetails?

I used to have a TC Contender in 357 Maximum with a tapered 18" barrel. It weighed 4 lbs 14oz including scope. Forgot the overall length but it was really short, a Marlin 30-30 dwarfed it. It was easy to carry in the woods because on sling, the muzzle was well below my head so it wouldn't hang up on vines and low hanging branches.
 
In states that allow straight walled centerfires, that .450 would be at the top of my list.... Meanwhile in MO, I have a hankerin for a Howa Mini-Action in 7.62x39mm right now. But my main deer hunting rifle, for the past few years is a Savage 110 in 7mmSTW. Them 162gr. A-Max's do a number on em.
 
BudgetBuck1 said:
I had considered this but was wanting a barrel that's threaded for a suppressor for when I am hunting near houses. They don't make the 18 inch barrel threaded. I guess I could take it to a gunsmith and get it threaded. How was the kick on the .450 in your buddy's ruger ranch?
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Not too bad, kicks less than a 20ga with slugs.

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EricS said:
Have you tried shooting it with the brake removed?
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I've never shot one with it... I would take 450 with no muzzle break recoil over a 20ga slug any day.

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1968 Browning BAR .30-06 is my favorite!

Although this year it was my awesome Weatherby .30-06 - I alternate all my weapons so none of them miss the great outdoors!

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EricS said:
I really like my tikka t3x lite in 308. I thought about the compact but decided against it for no real reasons. Shorter barrels are louder. To the shooters ear. I really only wish for a shorter barrel when hunting from tower stands because there is a top to the window. Normal length barrels don’t bother me but my 25-06 and 7mm magnum both sport 26 inch barrels and routinely hit the top of a window in a tower stand.
My biggest likes for the tikka is it is lite. Has a decent stock unlike the Ruger American and most savages. It’s accurate. It’s stainless and synthetic. It has become my beating around gun but is also my travel gun. It’s about as nice a gun as I could have without worrying about bumps and scratches or getting misplaced on a flight.
I guess cons would be magazine capacity of only three and louder to load from the magazine but that only applies in comparison to Mauser type actions with controlled round feed. I’m still testing loads but once I’m completely satisfied that it is my rifle it is getting painted, cerakoted or dipped. It has a Matt stainless finish but when I see something coming I like to lay it across my bridge. While waiting for critters to come in and positioning for a shot. The matte stainless still shines in woods. Most likely if I decide it’s my forever rifle it will just be painted with krylon. It will scratch easy but if I ever get tired of the color I can give it a whole new paint job for about 3.50.
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My Savage 30.06 is painted in krylon with a matte clear coat on it and it has held up for 10 years. It has a few scratches on it but considering the abuse I have put it through hunting public thickets with it you would think it would look worse.
 
JBDaddy said:
I have a Rossi M-92 carbine lever in .357 that's fun out to around 100y, and my son has pretty much claimed it from me... and so I replaced it with a 450bm upper for my AR. The recoil's not bad at all, but it makes me wonder about having a longer tether so I can go "wheeee" as I swing around the tree.
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What round do you use with the .357 Rossi? Also, how heavy is the AR with the .450 upper on it? I have two AR lowers so I am curious as that would be an option.
 
I can only use shotguns here... A Winchester SX3 sabot slugs and a rifled barrel.
 
Tikka T3 in 338 Federal with a 1.5-5 Leupold. It’s very light and compact. Lately I have carried a old school pre Safety Marlin 30/30 with the same scope as the Tikka.
 
Where I hunt in the thumb of Michigan we have restrictions on our deer hunting cartridges I use the Ruger 450 BM 16 inch barrel with Leupold scope that they designed for that round I love it lightweight compact very accurate good range
 
EricS said:
Have you tried shooting it with the brake removed?
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Eric, I thought about removing the brake but it performs so well with it I don’t think it’s worth messing with. If it’s not broke don’t fix it.
 
Usually a 300 blackout AR unless I am sitting out on the edge of a field or marsh the the Tikka comes out. Going to build a 6.5 Grendel this year so that may replace them both.
 
BudgetBuck1 said:
What round do you use with the .357 Rossi? Also, how heavy is the AR with the .450 upper on it? I have two AR lowers so I am curious as that would be an option.
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.357 Hornady Lever Evolution 140g FTX. They're spendy but I shoot better groups than with flat nose defense ammo, and don't shoot it that often.

The AR is about 8lbs as I carry it into the woods (scope, 4rds in a magazine, sling, etc). That's about 1 pound heavier than it's normal 10in barrel 5.56 config (I built it from a solo lower so I can change it back and forth from pistol to rifle). It's my first AR so I didn't prioritize light weight, and didn't really plan to tree hunt with it, but did anyway.
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