A serious hunting dilemma

[am44mag]

Well guys, I have a serious problem and its keeping me up at night. Hunting season is approaching quickly and I just don't know what to do. The stress of the whole thing is causing me to lose my appetite too. I think I might be going crazy!

I don't know what gun to take with me! [emoji14]

I'm stuck between my T/C Compass in 6.5 Creedmoor, and my Husqvarna in 9.3x57mm.

The T/C will out shoot the Husky any day of the week by a large margin, the scope is very nice, and it could easily be used for long shots (300 yards) without a second thought

The Husky is a classic though and is lighter. The scope is old, but very clear. Long shots are possible but not ideal. It also hits like a freight train.

Either will kill a deer without much trouble.


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[beechbum444]

Husqvarna 9.3

[Duster340]

Husky sounds awesome. How far do typically shoot.

[Houndog]

Just get the War Department (Wife) to choose! You can't go wrong either way.

[GL49]

Same dilemma, different calibers. Lever or bolt? Old one, or one of the newer ones? Shotgun for grouse instead, and take my 44 revolver in case I see a deer? Which 44? Which shotgun? My old 30-06 got the nod. However......Houndog has the only right answer so far.

[hc18flyer]

Husky 9.3

[Texas by God]

I will use(on opening day) either my War Dept's Howa .30 carbine, my .300 Blackout AR, my stub Topper 44-40 or my Win 94 38-55. I've not taken a deer with any of these yet. I've always liked to hunt with a different gun for each deer. Weird that way I guess.

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[lefty o]

how many tags do you get? ive been know to take more than 1 gun. kill a critter then switch guns.

[osteodoc08]

Use the 6.5 to increase chances of putting meat in the freezer. Once that’s done, take the husky and pass up sub optimal shots. You won’t stress cause there will be meat in the freezer already.

[Wayne Smith]

How long of shots will you be taking? Any chance of other game - around here now bear are almost as likely as deer in the right places. Long shots - 6.5, other game, 9.3? Gotta think about terminal ballistics and likely game.

[redhawk0]

Go big bore....I faced the same dilemma for this year....the old trusty 30-06 that I've hunted with for the past 21 years taking about 18 deer, the new to me (this year) Marlin in 35 Rem, or my proven 45-70.

I have mine figured out though. NH I plan to hunt with the 45-70 again...and I'm going with the 35 Remington to the PA woods. I'll give the 30-06 this year off.

redhawk

[Thundarstick]

Take the 9.3, if it's about hunting, the 6.5 of its about shooting deer, easy, peasy! I'll be taking the 375 H&H cast loaded, or the. 500 S&W Encore.

[725]

kill two deer

[lightman]

I often take more than 1 gun. If I'm sitting in the bottoms I'll have my Ruger #1 in 45-70 and a cast bullet. Out in the open I'll have my old faithful 308. If I'm sitting on a timber company road I'll have my 300 WSM with the Nightforce scope. And if a deer comes up close enough I'll have one of my "N" frame Smiths.

[Thumbcocker]

My delima is always which Ruger .44 mag to use this year.

[RED BEAR]

problems problems problems lifes just full of them but it sounds like you have the type problems most of us would welcome. i will tell you like an old boss used to tell me. think of three different options and then choose the best one. good luck and happy hunting.

[eric123]

The 9.3 for sure...

[Chad5005]

this sounds like a common problem for most of us,im leaving the trusty long range guns in the safe this year,i got out my glenfield 30a 30-30,my ruger 44 carbine and my tuarus raging bull in 480 think ill see what happens

[Smoke4320]

Switchout... take the 9.3 one day then the 6.5 the next and on and on
that way they both get a workout

[nagantguy]

So our labor may be induced today; but today is also the opening day of bow season; so last night I shot the compound bow; the long bow and the cross bow. All dead on ; the crossbow is wicked accurate out past 60 yards; my self imposed archery limit for
Now. Had the wives blessing to go gather meat this morning; just couldn’t pick one! The decision was made for me with heavy rain and strong wind and a little lightning. All a bad combination for being in a tree. So archery goes from now till January and I can get 2 bucks and 3-5 does! So I’ve time but I sure feel your dilemma; Nov 15th is fire arms deer opener; 50 cal? 357 max? 12 gauge ? 20 gauge? BlackHawk? 94/44 trapper? Going further North? 30-30? 06? 7mm? 7-30 waters?

[white eagle]

use the 6.5 Creedmoor
with 143 gr Hornady ELD-X bullets

[Hardcast416taylor]

My dillema falls to my favorite 2 rifles. Either my .338/06 or my .416 Taylor. The Taylor would be using a 335 gr. slug reduced in vel for 100 +/- yd shooting, the .338/06 using a custom 235 gr. FN also figured for 100 yd shots. The 50/50 + 2% tin alloy usually ends all arguements concerning trailing a wounded deer.Robert

[am44mag]

The area I'm hunting in is heavily wooded and is full of rocky hills that make long shots unlikely. 300 yards is pretty much the max. 100-150 is more likely, though I have had deer walk literally 25 feet in front of me on a fairly regular basis (taking a 6" S&W 629 44 Mag for those kind of shots). I can get one buck and one doe. Either cartridge will get the job done, but the guns themselves are what I'm having a hard time choosing between. They're both just so fun and awesome to shoot.

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[TCLouis]

I have been a 6.5 kinda guy since the sixties, but the Husky would be in my hands!

[modified5]

I feel the pain of indecision. I am going out on Sunday for a cow elk/deer hunt. I thought I had it down to my Contender handgun in 45-70 and two rifles as back up since we are going to be so far out.
Now I’m thinking I should take my wildcat barrel too. It’s a .444 Marlin necked to 7mm that I shoot sub moa at 100 consitantly all day long with 139 gr Hornady SST.
It is killer on deer, but I’m afraid it would be marginal on a cow elk.
Gah! Choices![smilie=l:

[richhodg66]

I have a lot of rifles in the que to use on deer, seems I have rarely taken more than one deer with the same rifle.

This year's primary is a sporterized 93 Mauser in 7x57 using cast. I would also like to use a Rossi '92 clone in .45 Colt, and have a good producing stand where the ranges will support using that.

The reason for the Rossi is I'm trying to kill a few using not my cast bullets but my dad's. I got most of his stuff when we moved him and mom into assisted living and I got a ton of his cast bullets. Dad wasn't a hunter, he was a target shooter and most of his bullet designs I wouldn't use (all his .30 caliber rifle bullets had nose shapes that wouldn't give good terminal performance) and he cast things way harder than I tend to. Last year I used one of his in my .45-70, figured it wouldn't matter if it didn't expand and I was right. A big .45 SWC from that Rossi ought to do well.

I have a lot more confidence in the 7x57, and it'll probably get the nod. This weekend is our pre-rut antlerless segment, so this will likely put meat in the freezer. Then if the crossbow doesn't get the rest of the season, I'll use a rifle in December.