Author Topic: Hunting with Military Guns (Read 985 times)

Seagoon · « **Reply #30 on:** May 10, 2007, 12:13:30 AM »

I hunt with a scoped Lee Enfield Mk. 4.

I love the gun, but I have to tell you that it's a mite too heavy to carry into the tree stand and a lot more awkward than comercial hunting rifles. Hunting with a nice lever action 30-30 was miles easier and a lot faster to the shoulder. The Enfield also has a considerably heftier kick, and you better be using hunting rounds (I prefer Hornady) as the military surplus FMJ stuff has a nasty habit of going all the way through the deer.

My advice is get a purpose built deer hunting rifle in a reasonable calibre, hunting with a military rifle is too much like flying a Wildcat in the late war arena.

- SEAGOON

lazs2 · « **Reply #31 on:** May 10, 2007, 08:28:57 AM »

I have nothing against the little m1 carbine but...

there is a reason it never got real popular.. you would think it would be.. millions of em made... semi auto.. light and no recoil... I have owned a few.

They have a following but it is not huge. I think it is because of the round. The power level is at a strange place... powerful enough for deer and zombies if you are careful but.. heartbreaking if you are not. a small dia. bullet that has little chance of expanding at long range or not expanding too much at short range with bullets that will expand. A very light bullet.

What most people into guns think is that the carbine would have been improved if it had been .35 caliber instead of .30 It was at first. It would have been much like a 350 win self loader in a small handy package.

I don't think a 4" .357 is a good hunting gun either... 6 or 8 inch would be better and a 44 mag WAY better.

The carbine uses very light bullets..if you make em soft they will explode at close ranges. There just isn't enough bullet weight and.... they aren't long enough to stableize that well. The guns are not really much more accurate than a good handgun... practically speaking tho... most should be able to use the extra sight radius and rifle length to shoot them better than a handgun.

I know that if I had to shoot a wild hog or bear I would rather have hard cast 160 grain .357's at max from a revolver than .30 carbine hollow points from an M1.

An interesting fact is that Ruger made a single action blackhawk in .30 carbine.. it never sold well and is discontinued... my brother has one.

lazs

Halo · « **Reply #32 on:** May 10, 2007, 01:25:26 PM »

The M1 Carbine seems to be just what it was designed as: a more effective pistol for most shooters but a less potent rifle than heavier calibers.

Still kinda amazing the .223 success in military carbines and rifles although the .308 is always there wanting to push the .223 into the background. I just talked with a Virginia Guardsman back from two tours in Iraq and he says he thinks the M16 in .223 (5.56 mm) is a great weapon, no complaints at all, although acknowledging that a .308 has more oomph.

Airscrew · « **Reply #33 on:** May 10, 2007, 01:40:35 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by lazs2
What most people into guns think is that the carbine would have been improved if it had been .35 caliber instead of .30 It was at first. It would have been much like a 350 win self loader in a small handy package.
lazs

wouldnt the .357 Maximum equal what you're talkin about, M1 carbine chambered for the .357 Max... if i recall correctly Ruger made a blackhawk chambered for it and someone else had a lever-action rifle

john9001 · « **Reply #34 on:** May 10, 2007, 02:17:13 PM »

Winchester, Marlin, Rossi, Uberti, and H&R make rifles in the .357 caliber.

Airscrew · « **Reply #35 on:** May 10, 2007, 02:45:35 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by john9001
Winchester, Marlin, Rossi, Uberti, and H&R make rifles in the .357 caliber.

yes .357, but what about .357 maximum, longer case. I'm just thinking that a M1 carbine chambered for the .357 Maximum would be close to what Laz is suggesting would have been a better gun than the .30 M1

G0ALY · « **Reply #36 on:** May 10, 2007, 03:28:27 PM »

There is no high power rifle season here in Ohio. But you can use a muzzleloader for deer during shotgun season…. So here is the military rifle that I hunt with!

It’s an 1864 Springfield rifle. It was fitted with a reproduction .58-caliber barrel back in the 1960s for a Civil War reenactor. I bought it at his estate sale.

I carried it for the first time last season, but never had the chance to take a shot. At the range it easily shoots six-inch groups off hand at fifty yards. That’s better than most 12guage slug guns with open sights, so I shouldn’t have any problem with it.