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semi auto for deer hunting

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wjsmall97

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I was wondering how many hunters use a semi auto for deer hunting. I have a .44 Ruger carbine that I like, but don't use for hunting because of the loud noise when I close the bolt. I was thinking of trading it in on a lever action in .44 mag. I like the gun but it never gets used for hunting because of how loud it is. Any thoughts.
Bill
 
I use a Henry all weather 44 rifle for deer in Maine. Plenty of power for the distances I’d be shooting deer. You won’t be disappointed with a lever gun in 44 mag.
 
Those Rugers are great guns for short range/brush guns. Never had a problem with noise, as my firearms only make noise when I enter/exit my hunting area, or when I take an animal. I don’t fiddle with them once I get to huntin.
 
wjsmall97 said:
I was wondering how many hunters use a semi auto for deer hunting. I have a .44 Ruger carbine that I like, but don't use for hunting because of the loud noise when I close the bolt. I was thinking of trading it in on a lever action in .44 mag. I like the gun but it never gets used for hunting because of how loud it is. Any thoughts.
Bill
Click to expand...

I bet it is way quieter than my pump shotgun and I kill a ton of deer with that!
 
wjsmall97 said:
I was wondering how many hunters use a semi auto for deer hunting. I have a .44 Ruger carbine that I like, but don't use for hunting because of the loud noise when I close the bolt. I was thinking of trading it in on a lever action in .44 mag. I like the gun but it never gets used for hunting because of how loud it is. Any thoughts.
Bill
Click to expand...
I normally use a tree stand when I am hunting. or will drive my atv into the area I am hunting
 
as others said, chamber a round while your parking your truck. But if you want a lever go for it.
 
One of my deer rifles, AR platform, SBR, chambered in 6.8 SPC.

original.jpg
 
It’s kind of funny once I had a special hunting spot out in western Ma, well one year there were a few pickups parked on the road outside this spot and they had deer hoofs stuck in the upright posts of their ladder racks. (A sure sign the Italian army is hunting in the woods). Well that afternoon all hell broke out as a semiauto shotgun started blasting away and other semiauto s joined in. It was a nice 8 point buck with 5 or 6 holes in it. The meat was ruined.
 
71montess said:
It’s kind of funny once I had a special hunting spot out in western Ma, well one year there were a few pickups parked on the road outside this spot and they had deer hoofs stuck in the upright posts of their ladder racks. (A sure sign the Italian army is hunting in the woods). Well that afternoon all hell broke out as a semiauto shotgun started blasting away and other semiauto s joined in. It was a nice 8 point buck with 5 or 6 holes in it. The meat was ruined.
Click to expand...
Typical for the Berkshires. One deer on the run has 9 guys looking to kill it.
 
Why a 44 ? I mean it’s a deer IMHO anything bigger than a 308 or 30-06 165. Grain is overkill. That being said i chamber when I get settle in the stand since you’ve already moved and made all the noise to spook them.
 
Woodsy said:
Why a 44 ? I mean it’s a deer IMHO anything bigger than a 308 or 30-06 165. Grain is overkill. That being said i chamber when I get settle in the stand since you’ve already moved and made all the noise to spook them.
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I already own bolt actions in 270wsm, 30-06 and 7mm08,but like using a different rifles in different terrain.
 
Also stuck in Mass. I'll use my A5 in 16ga quite a bit because it carries so well and handles much better than my 870. I prefer single shots, as I've never needed the first round anyway - plus I can quickly and quietly change out my load as the situation dictates.
 
I do for NH/Maine but i'm thinking about getting out of it this year and switching to a bolt. I've done multiple seasons with the msr platform and I love it besides the weight and the noise it makes in the thick stuff. I debated going pump but scoped and loaded they're right around semi-auto weight's, i'd like to be sub 7lbs scoped and loaded so i'm likely going bolt this season. Savage 11/111 lightweight is 5.5 lbs for a great price, I also like the Howa alpine mountain. Now if I wasn't a tracker I wouldn't be even considering the switch, MSR platform is king.

Some of the older remingtons, winchester, browning semi's are "lighter" but still well over 8 scoped and loaded and they have questionable reliability at best. Not even in consideration for me. You can make the MSR's lighter but you're spending big dollars to do so.
 
wjsmall97 said:
I was wondering how many hunters use a semi auto for deer hunting. I have a .44 Ruger carbine that I like, but don't use for hunting because of the loud noise when I close the bolt. I was thinking of trading it in on a lever action in .44 mag. I like the gun but it never gets used for hunting because of how loud it is. Any thoughts.
Bill
Click to expand...
Not meant to be a snide call comment.......a real question.......why are you closing the bolt when you are actively hunting? I can only see this being a problem if you are entering a stand before legal hours. Is that how you hunt every time?
 
chopper_man said:
Why are you closing the bolt while hunting? The round should already be chambered before even going in.
Click to expand...
If your entering a stand before legal hunting hours you go in unloaded then load up when it's legal hours. I know.....here comes the big debate about if that's legal or not to do that. It is. I went on a youth duck hunt with my son that was run by the boys in green.....we went into the blinds an hour before legal hours and were told just don't load up till legal time .
 
tuna said:
Also stuck in Mass. I'll use my A5 in 16ga quite a bit because it carries so well and handles much better than my 870. I prefer single shots, as I've never needed the first round anyway - plus I can quickly and quietly change out my load as the situation dictates.
Click to expand...
I love my browning auto 5.......but "quiet" is certainly not an attribute to the auto 5! Mine is loud as hell when closing the bolt!
 
whacko said:
Not meant to be a snide call comment.......a real question.......why are you closing the bolt when you are actively hunting? I can only see this being a problem if you are entering a stand before legal hours. Is that how you hunt every time?
Click to expand...
I always try to be in my stand at east
A half hour before shooting light
 
whacko said:
If your entering a stand before legal hunting hours you go in unloaded ................................. don't load up till legal time .
Click to expand...
Yup. And frankly a lever gun, at least my 336, isn't exactly silent to load and chamber either.
 
I recently acquired a nice Ruger .44 Magnum carbine and absolutely love it! A nice, lightweight carbine after 2 shoulder surgeries was just what I needed and was looking for to deer hunt in NH. Load up the tubular magazine and throw one in the pipe before you go in the woods or after you got to your stand and wait for the action to begin. Not sure what you mean about a loud noise when you close the bolt? Any rifle makes a recognizable noise when you lock and load but that's something most folks do when they enter the woods or get to their stand. Hope your not chambering a round just before the fun starts as that may end the fun before it starts. Hope you know what I mean...?
 

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