Does anyone hunt with dual long guns?

[Tallest]

It seems like a dumb question... after all whether we own one rifle or 99, we're all searching for the perfect hunting rifle. And realistic or not, we mean that said rifle will efficiently kill anything at almost any distance with minimal meat loss. It will also serve as a contingency arm should any possible predator, from rabid raccoons to velociraptors, attack.

But with all those rabbit trails forestalled (hopefully)...

I have a great hunting situation that I'm starting to realize is a little complex. It's a permanent blind at the crest of a flat, wooded ridge, and it has 360 degrees of possibilities. Imagine a 4-sided structure, 12 feet off the ground, with wide sliding windows on each side. It sits right in the edge of a tree line of oaks, walnuts, and patches of cedar.

The north east 180 is open sloping field, and occasionally offers great opportunities at 50 - 480 yds. I have taken several large bucks and ample does, but I have passed on an equal number of both when I came gunned for the other 180.

The other 180 is the flat, wooded top with one large clearing. The longest shot is about 90 yds, and the best shots present right in the tree fringe. Occasionally one will walk right under the blind itself.

I can make an educated guess as to where I'll see one. When I go for an evening hunt, I anticipate a close shot, something for the 30-30 or the muzzle loader. When I shoot them that close with 7-08, the 270 or the 30-06, I lose a lot of meat. And generally speaking, the longer shots seem to present themselves in the morning. But sometimes it's the opposite. So the quandary is not having the right gun for the distance. In fact, this past season, I passed on what would have been the nicest buck to date, a very elegant 10 point. But at a little over 240 yds, it wasn't a shot I felt good about with an ancient, bolt action 30-30.

Also, a pistol for close shots is out of the questions. I trust myself to take a headshot on a doe at 200 yds (not my preference! but I have done it successfully) with a rifle! But I don't trust myself to hit a basketball at 10 yards with a handgun.

The simple solution would be to take two guns. Nothing in the regs here are against it as long as the guns are legal for the season. But I can't bring myself to do it. Is seems like a breach of hunting etiquette... eating my cake and having it too, so to speak.

So I'd like to glean a general consensus from the membership here. Do any of you hunt with more than one long gun? If you don't or don't like the notion, why?

 

[Fla_dogman]

Tried it didn't work, always had the wrong gun in hand and the extra weight sucked. I always wanted one of those combination rifle shotgun. Unfortunately they're not very popular but seem so versatile. A 243 over a 12ga seems a perfect for swamp hunting down here, of course you're limited to two shots.

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[FITASC]

When I shoot them that close with 7-08, the 270 or the 30-06,

Then shoot them in the head or neck.....

 

[Tallest]

Then shoot them in the head or neck.....

Hmmm... I have never shot a deer in the head with a 30-06... haha... would be interesting!

And the headshot is certainly an option with the closer range targets. But if the right buck comes out, I'm not too interested in blowing his brains out that close to those beautiful antlers... at which point I'm choosing between a mountable wrack or meat preservation.

 

[Tallest]

And have you ever had a neck roast?!

 

[FITASC]

Neck meat makes some good chili or stew meat, assuming you tenderize it enough - which a 30-06 would be good for....

 

[Art Eatman]

My hunting years were with two "pet" tight-group rifles: A .243 and an '06. I was mostly a walking hunter. If the terrain to be hunted was mostly open and longer shots were likely, I carried the '06. Brushier country, the .243, since distances were likely to be less.

Were I to use a stand with distances to "out there", I'd choose the '06. Just because a buck shows up at close range is no reason to worry about whether the cartridge is "too big".

The last mule deer buck that I killed was at maybe 25 yards, with my '06. He was napping at mid-day and never heard me easing along. Should I have passed the shot because he was in handgun range?

 

[Doyle]

If you are ruining meat then you are either using the wrong bullet or shooting them in the wrong place. Ballistic tip bullets do expand violently tending to ruin meat. That's why I won't use them. But, the bigger question is where are you hitting the deer? Don't shoot Bambi in the eatin parts - a through and through heart/lung shot ruins little to no really usable meat.

 

[FrankenMauser]

In a stand or permanent blind, I might consider multiple rifles. ...Maybe.
As with other forms of hunting, I'd probably just select one rifle that fit the majority of likely situations/ranges. And if something came up that was outside of optimum parameters, I'd pass on the shot or do something to change the situation.

For still hunting ... not a chance. Carrying two long guns is a pain in the butt.

Hmmm... I have never shot a deer in the head with a 30-06... haha... would be interesting!

With the right bullet, it just punches a hole.
I have made a fair number of head shots on antelope with .243 Win, .270 Win, and .30-06.
Clean holes with good bullets (Partitions, Norma Oryx/Vulcan, Sierra Pro-Hunter, etc.).
Red mist and a big mess with weak/soft/explosive bullets (like Core-Lokts, Power-Points, Ballistic Tips, etc.).

But if I cared about head ornamentation, I wouldn't be doing so on a buck/bull.

 

[Tallest]

ART - Certainly not. And I am certainly more likely to pass on a shot too far over too close.

And DOYLE - You may be on to something. I generally shoot Win Ballistic Silver Tips because I find them to be astoundingly accurate out of most of my rifles. But they seem to pulverize far-side muscle tissue... especially shoulders. Over Christmas I started reloading, and the first order of business is a medium velocity Sierra GK load for the 7mm-08.

 

[Tallest]

FRANKENMAUSER - It's a permanent stand on private land, and it locks securely. I have contemplated leaving the 30-30 in it for the duration of rifle season, then just hiking in with one gun. The approach is about half a mile, uphill, so minimizing carry weight would be nice. There's just that one change some hoodlum might find it and break in. You'd only have to hop one fence.

 

[jmr40]

Rifles that will kill em at 500 yards work equally well at 50 yards. The ones designed for 50 yard shots don't work well at 500. If you're losing meat you're either shooting them in the wrong spot or using the wrong bullet.

My go-to rifle for 50-500 yards from a stand is a SS/Synthetic 308 with a 22" barrel with a 3-9X scope on it. If I'm going into the thick stuff the same caliber, same bullets, but with an 18" barrel and a 1-4X scope.

There is nothing special about 308, just my personal preference. Anything from 243 on up to as big as you want will do the same thing.

You have bullet and shot placement options. A soft bullet in the lungs will often result in the deer running. Even with a good shot, and regardless of caliber 100 yards isn't uncommon. The other option is a harder bullet in the shoulder. You'll lose meet, but not the deer. They go down fast.

But a hard bullet in the lungs means an even longer run. A soft bullet in the shoulder means more meat damage and it may still run.

And if you just want to justify another gun this is as good a reason as any. But it certainly isn't a need.

 

[Mobuck]

I don't remember dragging two long guns on a deer hunt. We do often pack a suppressed 17HMR or .223 to the deer house to plink coyotes w/o ringing our ears or spooking deer.

 

[lefteye]

Your 7mm-08, .270 or .30-06 would be fine with the proper bullets and shot placement from 0 to 400 yards (and possibly 500 yards if you, your loads and your rifles are capable of accurate 500 yard shots.) I've taken many deer over the years including a Pope & Young Whitetail 10 point scoring 163 with a bow, a 5 x 5 Mule deer with a rifle, and a 10 point Whitetail with a shotgun using a rifled barrel and sabot slugs. (All three are on the wall.) I would never burden myself with two long guns while hunting.

 

[Art Eatman]

I always took two rifles to the hunt camp, "in case of in case" that one of them had some problem. But just one when actually hunting.

 

[625TC]

My answer for a very similar situation is a 7mm-08 with a 140 partition at about 2800 fps. Nosler actually offers this as a factory load

 

[Panfisher]

Your 7-08 that you can take a 400 yard deer with is a fabulous 50 yard round as well. Turn the scope down to lowest power (get different scope if necessary). I have shot deer at 25 yards with a 3-9 Leupold with nonproblems. If you are worried about bullet point of impact take a target down there during the off season with rifle sighted in as normal and see where it hits.

 

[T. O'Heir]

Isn't legal everywhere to have 2 rifles in the blind. However, if you know where your rifle shoots at 50 to 480 you're good for all distances in between too. Regardless of the terrain. The terrain isn't a consideration when sighting in anyway. And there isn't enough meat on Bambi's ribs for there to be significant meat loss.
"...the crest of a flat, wooded ridge..." So your shots are all down hill?
"...the right gun for the distance..." It's not the rifle. It's the shooter.

 

[3Crows]

If I travel to hunt, I might carry two guns but I would only carry the one favored for the days conditions. Thus my Savage "Scout" reconfigured as a multi-role hunting rifle.

3C

 

[BIGR]

I always took two rifles to the hunt camp, "in case of in case" that one of them had some problem. But just one when actually hunting.
__________________

I have done that several times since my Deer Camp is 242 miles from my house. As far as carrying two rifles into the woods, nope never done that. I mainly use a 7 MM Magnum these days with 150 to 160 grain bullets, Sierra Gamekings or similar. Carried the 30.06 for years and used the same brand of bullets except in 180 Grains. I shoot those deers in the shoulder and have had great success.

About ready to put the 7 Mag aside and try something different except in a left hand rifle. I shoot long guns left handed and am ready to try a lefty rifle, any suggestions in a different caliber guys? 6.5 Creedmoor, .308 or maybe the .280 AI Majority of my deer hunting is 100 yards and closer. Have one corn field where I could stretch it out to 300 yards but don't hunt that field much.