Thread: What would your ultimate Bush Pig rifle build be and what NZ gunsmith would you use?

thanks Zimmer......somethings still work just as well today as they always have....... they just arent trendy anymore
mercator pocket knives
buller gumboots
frame packs
sugar bag pikau
and last but not least...fishing with worms LOL

Fished with worms onnthe Murrey river last year, was so funny going and buying them from the gas station

16 inches suppressed and good old 308, optic a 2-7 vortex so when it shits itself at-least you got the vip warranty . what rifle/suppressor you buy is your decision. personally tikka/dpt

Originally Posted by turner nz

16 inches suppressed and good old 308, optic a 2-7 vortex so when it shits itself at-least you got the vip warranty . what rifle/suppressor you buy is your decision. personally tikka/dpt

This. Mine: Remington/Leupold VX2/DPT.

This works for me, 308 russian cut to 18 inches, ati stocked with timney trigger and long eye relief scope. It doesn't seem to rust, and to 200m is deadly, after that guessing the drop makes it interesting.

I must be boring my bush rifle is a Sako AII in 308 with 4x Burris. I like because of the positive half cock and handy weight.

16 inches suppressed and good old 308, optic a 2-7 vortex so when it shits itself at-least you got the vip warranty . what rifle/suppressor you buy is your decision. personally tikka/dpt

This would be ideal and I would use Allen Carr just down the road in Paraparaumu

Do you really need something with a massive pill for short range bush hunting? My experience level with this is zero. I would have thought that for close range work pretty much anything would have enough wallop, the main thing is to put the lead sleeping pill in the right place?

Alan did my 308 russian off a 1943 mosin nagant bloody good job on a relic, i like it more than my remington.

Originally Posted by gadgetman

Do you really need something with a massive pill for short range bush hunting? My experience level with this is zero. I would have thought that for close range work pretty much anything would have enough wallop, the main thing is to put the lead sleeping pill in the right place?

I believe the advantage of a heavy pill is less deflection off twigs/small branches etc that you often end up shooting through when bush hunting.

Originally Posted by GWH

I believe the advantage of a heavy pill is less deflection off twigs/small branches etc that you often end up shooting through when bush hunting.

I believe that was tested and completely debunked a few years back.

Yep.... but how fangible a projectile is will make a difference...

And while the debunking was conclusive if I remember, basic physics would suggest that the deviation caused by projectiles at the same speed, but with different masses should vary... I have always been puzzled by that. Perhaps it is why the idea persists?

Originally Posted by deer243

99 % of all my hunting is bushstalking. Ive never found the need to do a "bushpig build"" as such. Using a standard 22 inch barrel in a 243 has been my go to rifle since i started out and its been great. People chop their rifles, suppressor them and chop as much weight of them as they can. They also tend to want to go to a bigger Cal . Its their choice, and thats all fine.Nothing wrong with it, i handled mates rifles that are deemed "bushpigs"but does nothing for me.
I find the longer barrel length no problem what so ever, even my back up 308 is 24 inches and i use that often in the bush and again no problem. Getting a lighter stock prob makes sense if you really want save weight, bolt fluting etc is just a look thing and waste of money. The 243 is awesome in the bush, esp for those ranges, underrated in my opinon. Certainly doesnt lack any fire power at all for the bush. Still, if you want go the Custom "bushpig way"" others on here will be able to help you out. Everyman and his dog has a "bushpig"if a bush hunter, i just find theres no real need if you cant be bothered.
Just going a standard 22 or 20 inch, maybe a light weight stock and use a light weight scope and you good to go.
No need to go 308 or bigger, something lighter is find but you not going wrong thou using a cannon lol instead of a "ratgun"like me. Theres always times where a longer shot in some country comes up, hence why i have a 308 as well, as the 243 is darm awesome but i limit it to 250 tops so the 308 has more options and works well if its chopped so its the popular choice

What he said,

Run a .243 with 22in barrel and the Sierra 85g HPBT have such good hydrostatic shock nothing has walked away. Have considered chopping it but just can't justify it...

It seems like everyone is missing the point... the bush pig thing is only an issue if you want a can, and don't want the extra length and weight on the end of your barrel that a good can creates.

If you don't want a can, good luck to you and your increasing deafness.... or your fumbling for something to stuff in your ears...

If you do want to use a suppressor; personally I don't like putting cans on anything over 20 inches in length, and preferably about 16" so that the extra 4-5" forwards make it a total about back to where we started. People who started doing this soon worked out that a small amount of velocity loss made little difference to the thing you point it at, and in fact if you reloaded, using faster powders still got you back to almost the same velocities as what you are buying in factory boxes with the original length barrel.

Now there are 2 reasons, why you might not want to chop.... you have a nice original rifle or you don't want a suppressor. Don't chop if you don't want a supressor. Its almost all minuses. If you can live with an original length rifle and a suppressor, good luck to you also... some do just because they don't want to chop a nice rifle.

Outside of that, for me at least it's purely pragmatic.... I've already lost as much hearing as I want to and I don't want to cart a telephone pole around in the bush.

I have no problem with standard length barrel and a light can. I mostly use a 23" barreled .243 and 85gr tsx. I have a nice Carbon fiber can which i dont really notice the weight or length. I dont mind using it without the can for the odd shot either.
Hearing is just a part of your overall health and we all sacrifice our health in some way or another, prolonged loud music, smoking, alcohol, sugar, overweight.