Thread: Bush rifles

I've had heaps of different "bush rifles" over the years - half a dozen open-sighted lever actions, a chopped, scoped and suppressed lever action, open sighted bolt actions, a scout rifle, shortened, suppressed bush pig style bolt actions etc, and I hunt the tight shit in the Kaimais. Nowadays I just use a standard length, unsuppressed Brno bolt action in 243. It does everything, it isn't a hindrance in the bush, it isn't a problem if I want to hunt open country. As others have said, just buy a rifle in a reasonable calibre and get out there!

One thing I do rate on my Howa over my Remington is the three stage safety. Being able to lock the bolt closed on the Howa is one less thing to worry about when charging thru supplejack. Have had the Rem bolt flick open and eject or semi-eject a round on a few occasions.

Other than that - as has been said numerous times, just buy a rifle that fits you well, and rip into it.

Short, light, low power scope with see-thru covers, suppressor and a half cock modification so you can lock the action open but close the bolt silently when you need to is what I prefer

So for me that is a Kimber Montana 708, cut down to 16" (with a load to suit). a Hardy Can, Swaro 1.7-10 x 42.

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...

I run the Bergara B13 takedown in .308 and 16” barrel. DPT suppressor and cheap 3x9x40 scope on it. Zeros in at 100m and will shoot almost through the same hole on the target it’s a real little tack driver. Don’t be worried about it being a single shot, very seldom do you get a second chance bush stalking anyway. Only down side is it’s fairly heavy for its size but it’s a solid piece of kit and still shoots a 3” group at 300M.

I chose this as my first rifle because it’s super easy to use, not much to go wrong with it in the field and with a bit of practice you can chamber another round in less than a couple of seconds.

Originally Posted by blip

The two I mainly use now if its thickish bush would be my howa mini in 6.5 gren or my rem 600 mohawk in 243

Go the Mohawk !

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Howa superlite 308, 14.5" barrel, Vixen 2-8, weighs 2.45kg all up, good wee shooter and still puts the factory 150gr superformance out at 2750fps so good for 350 easy. If they made a floorplate for them I'd be happy, hate magazines in hunting rifles.
Attachment 259302

This is the winner so far.that speed with factory ammo is amazing, almost unbelievable.

get what @Shearer has can,t go wrong

Originally Posted by Low box

Short, light, low power scope with see-thru covers, suppressor and a half cock modification so you can lock the action open but close the bolt silently when you need to is what I prefer

So for me that is a Kimber Montana 708, cut down to 16" (with a load to suit). a Hardy Can, Swaro 1.7-10 x 42.

To the OP, apologies, as this will almost certainly hijack your thread, but here's about 7 pages explaining (more or less) the "half-cock": https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....-safety-96468/

I'd encourage you to have a read, then you can run your own risk assessment, and make an informed decision.

I personally don't do it, as I haven't yet encountered a situation where it would have made the difference. I also have a couple of experiences that support this decision:
- hunting with a mate who swore black and blue running half-cock (bolt half-open) was the safest way to hunt as he heard from a mate you shouldn't trust safety's. We stopped briefly for a map check, with him swinging his rifle hither and thither, muzzle-flashing me 3-4 times in the process. I pointed out his bolt was closed and asked if he'd unloaded. Upon checking, he ejected a live round and went rather white. He had knocked his "half-cocked" bolt closed, and had muzzle-flashed me with a loaded rifle without knowing. Rather than accept wrongdoing, his response was to try and catch me out for safety for the rest of the trip. We don't hunt together any longer.
- another mate ND'd while hunting solo, not realising his "half-cocked" (bolt half-open) rifle was no longer half cocked, and something knocked the trigger. He was honest enough to admit it, and learn from it.

I hope by now you have bought a suppressed Howa .308, and are planning on getting out into the shrubbery!

Re-read your header. What am i using
My bush rifle is a mid 1970's Savage 99 308 that I rebarreled to 358 win with a 20" SS tube and a Hardy compact silencer 80mm forward. Started with a Nikon Monarch 1-4x20 with #4 reticale. Found I was doing more shooting past 150 mtr that expected so upgraded to a Burris 1.5-6x42 with an illuminated #4 variant retical. This died and was replaced by Burris with a 2-10x42 FFP scope. This is certenly much better for looking into shadows along the bush margins. I restocked it with a laminated one from Boyds what I drilled a few more holes into.
I reload so for bush shooting it loaded with 38/357 pistol bullets at 16-1700fps. and I carry a few 225 gr loads at 2450 fps in the stock pack for when longer shots comeup.
I don't fully load the mag so if I need to add a full power load I can just open the action and push one in.
Down side is it's got heavier over the years. Scope, stock Pack sling etc.
My other 1960's Sav 99 in 243 with the oridinal 2.75x26.5 scope is much lighter, stock is trimmer and no add ons.
Thats why I'm sort of looking at the single shots, as I do like the hole a 35 cal makes. Lots of frontal area.
Z

Originally Posted by yeah_na_missed

To the OP, apologies, as this will almost certainly hijack your thread, but here's about 7 pages explaining (more or less) the "half-cock": https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....-safety-96468/

I'd encourage you to have a read, then you can run your own risk assessment, and make an informed decision.

I personally don't do it, as I haven't yet encountered a situation where it would have made the difference. I also have a couple of experiences that support this decision:
- hunting with a mate who swore black and blue running half-cock (bolt half-open) was the safest way to hunt as he heard from a mate you shouldn't trust safety's. We stopped briefly for a map check, with him swinging his rifle hither and thither, muzzle-flashing me 3-4 times in the process. I pointed out his bolt was closed and asked if he'd unloaded. Upon checking, he ejected a live round and went rather white. He had knocked his "half-cocked" bolt closed, and had muzzle-flashed me with a loaded rifle without knowing. Rather than accept wrongdoing, his response was to try and catch me out for safety for the rest of the trip. We don't hunt together any longer.
- another mate ND'd while hunting solo, not realising his "half-cocked" (bolt half-open) rifle was no longer half cocked, and something knocked the trigger. He was honest enough to admit it, and learn from it.

I hope by now you have bought a suppressed Howa .308, and are planning on getting out into the shrubbery!

I meant the modification where the safety is engaged to lock the bolt in the up position. So releasing the safety AND lowering the bolt is required to fire. I appreciate this is not as safe as having to work the bolt to chamber a round however when I am hunting in tight bush it is a balanced approach to risk that I have somewhat grudgingly accepted. I unchamber the round if the country is tricky or the stalk has turned to a walk. Its a balancing act.

A well known lightweight bolt action in 6.5 creed, 7mm08 or 308 with a 16 to 18 inch barrel dpt or similar can, and a vx3 2.5-8 is about perfect to me.

Another plug for the kimber hunter. Awesome gun for the price point. Hard to go past a tikka as well, popular for a reason.

I prefer a repeater over a single shot, the occasional quick followup or shot at a second animal does arise.

what about the ruger ranch range 16 in barrel threaded and 3 position tang safety my own is 450 bm yet to use on game but love it 250 gr ftx at 2300 or my fun load of 230 gr 45acp fmgs for $160 per 500 getting 2007 fps and 2in group at 100 . Just use a suppressor as the brake is a bit rough on the ears and Im an x gunner .

A guy I used to go hunting with in the uraweras use to use some kind of ruger ba carbine in 308. Cant remember what it was ruger compact or something like that?