Thread: Bush rifles

Best rifle to build a bush gun from is something cheap, ideally as thin a profile as possible to reduce snags eg, monte carlo or similar style stock, flush fit/internal mag, recessed or shrouded mag release etc. I started mine with a blued 20" hbar Howa 1500 chambered in .308win that I picked up new for $700 (from memory). I would have preferred a lightweight model but wanted to be able to use my already owned suppressor which has a minimum barrel dimension requirement that is incompatible with thin profiles.
I then had it chopped down to 14" barrel length, fluted for weight reduction (howa 1500 aren't known for being light), and cerakoted as the fluting stripped the bluing. I topped it with a very light and smallish optic, Leupold VX-3HD 1.5-5x20 and have zeroed it at 50m, it's a tack driver. With the suppressor on, it's pretty much the original overall length, approx 1070mm. With it off, it's very (but still well within legal) short, sitting next to the 24" barrel waypoint looks almost comical. Please excuse the dog hair, no one told me springers shed that bad, nor that they had such an affinity to human chairs...

Originally Posted by ojc2

With it off, it's very (but still well within legal) short, sitting next to the 24" barrel waypoint looks almost comical.

24" barrels look comical to me

Originally Posted by MB

24" barrels look comical to me

That all comes down to packaging too though, even with a longer length of pull my 24" single shot is shorter than my 20" r700

Originally Posted by MB

24" barrels look comical to me

They do look a bit retro don’t they…
But there will never be as many deer shot in the trees with so called “bush pigs” as there all ready have been with 25” SMLE’s. Dunno how they did it.
The majority of ‘bush pigs’ and their owners spend most of their lives in open country and scattered/open bush. Not many bush pigs go real bush hunting.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Not many bush pigs go real bush hunting.

there used to be alot of bush pigs hunting the RSL club when i was living on central coast NSW........ dangerous times for a young kiwi

Originally Posted by Tahr

They do look a bit retro don’t they…
But there will never be as many deer shot in the trees with so called “bush pigs” as there all ready have been with 25” SMLE’s. Dunno how they did it.
The majority of ‘bush pigs’ and their owners spend most of their lives in open country and scattered/open bush. Not many bush pigs go real bush hunting.

@Tahr I've been "real" bush hunting (at least I think?) with an old sported 303, a 7mm rem mag (terrible idea) and a bush pig, and now with my 18" suppressed 7mm08 - I would rather have the bush pig for dedicated bush hunting any day of the week. I do think the "bush pigs" are attractive because they get close to a quiver killer in that they are very handy in the bush but with the right hand loads can shoot reliably out to most common hunting distances. Maybe this is why, as you say, many of them spend their lives in open country too.

Originally Posted by Tahr

They do look a bit retro don’t they…
But there will never be as many deer shot in the trees with so called “bush pigs” as there all ready have been with 25” SMLE’s. Dunno how they did it.
The majority of ‘bush pigs’ and their owners spend most of their lives in open country and scattered/open bush. Not many bush pigs go real bush hunting.

I'll put myself in the minority then.