only_in_my_jeep

Recently, I have found out that I am going to have trouble using my bow for hunting. My right elbow has developed (for lack of a better term) tennis elbow with a touch of arthritis. It actually hurts to pull the bow when it is cranked up to light hunting weights and I want to get back into hunting as we have deer and hogs all over the place here. I am looking for a good rifle for use in close/bohunting ranges say no more than 50yrds in the woods here you can't see further than that unless someone has cut a road or powerline through. I guess I could use the shotgun but I would prefer something I could put a scope on for lowlight conditions and is accurate. I do have a good long range rifle but as I said I will be using it in 50yd or less distances. I was thinking a marlin or winchester lever action would be nice as they also are reminicent of one my dad had that was stolen. I would like it to be something in a caliber that does not scare the wife however I also want enough knock down power to take a hog. Any suggestions?

RubiCajun

hey only_in_my_jeep, I had the same problem back in the eighties. I already had a Ruger .44 mag. semi-auto that my dad gave me. He bought it in the sixties. I've never shot a hog with it, but I've shot plenty of deer. I hunt in or near very thick cover and I've never had a deer run more than a couple of yards from me and most have dropped right where they were. I use 250 grain Winchester Partition Gold hollow points. I have a 3X9 mounted on it and it sits on see thru mounts. this comes in handy for extremely close shots. you can also try mounting a suspended dot scope. Thats what i have mounted on my Ruger Redhawk which shoots the same bullets. My wife shoots mine and it doesn't bother her at all as far as recoil. I believe that Ruger also came out a few years ago with a .44 mag lever action with the same short barrell length of my auto. check out gunbroker.com. by the way there are fixes for your elbow. what you probably have is tendonitis. a steroid shot in the elbow(only slightly painful) will have you back to normal by the time you leave the doctors office. the other fix is to wear an armband. i can't remember the name brand of the one i used, but it had a plastic piece that layed underneath the webing and acted as a clamp and pinched or put pressure on the nerve that causes the pain in the muscle just below the elbow on the topside of your arm. the band is held in position by velcro. when it pinches the nerve the pain goes away and even allows you to do whatever you used to do with it. good luck. good shooting.

only_in_my_jeep

Thanks for the info. I was thinking 44mag or even a 45 but I also was thinking I don't want anything the wife will not shoot for fun as she likes to shoot.

It goes a bit more than just tendonitus. I have Mr Arthur popping up everywhere. I have a knee that is close to being bone on bone as well as trouble in my fingers as well as the elbow. EX-rays show joint damage from arthritus. If it were just tendonitus I would keep going as I have in the past but now there is some degredation at the joint. That's okay though I got two verterbrae fused in my upper back and between L5 and 6 is bad and L7 is starting to join the party. Basically I am falling apart so I plan on making the hard stuff easier so that I can enjoy it longer. Hell I am much more worried about what it is doing/going to do (it only gets worse) to my fishing than my hunting. I could give up hunting all together but I can't give up fishing.

Skoalman

Marlin used to make, (and they still may) a .45-70 Guide Gun. I believe it was the 1895G. It had a shorter barrel that was ported, and had a scope mount.
Talk about a brush gun.....

jkpirate

30 cal. M1 Carbine

yetibear

Not something that would please his wife.
I was thinking even a 30-30 might be more than he wanted, but 45-70!!And in a light weight package no less!

07JKX

AK in 5.45... low recoil... light weight... and if you miss with the first shot... you have 29 more to back you up

plus if you get the steel core 5.45... if will pop through just about anything and then immediately begin to "key hole" or tumble inside its target.

Another reason:

Romanian SAR-2 - 285.00
5.45 - 30 rd mag - 8.00
1080 Steel core rounds - 110.00

The Joker

I have an Henry lever action .44 and a Marlin level action 30.30
I LOVE my Henry, but a little big for your wife I guess. as far as the Marlin, awesome gun. the run about $325 with a descent scope and a sling at walmart of all places.
well worth the money.

yetibear

30-30 would be real good for what you want, not a real hard kicker, your wife could handle it.

I would be kind if tempted to look at some nice .243 (like the 770 Remington), and 25-06 is a sweet little number, Savage makes some great rifles with good prices. Both of these are relatively light kicking with some well priced rifles, either will take a good sized deer, and should be outstanding hog guns.

I'm convincing myself, right now, I NEED a new 25-06.

only_in_my_jeep

Dude I have seen a hog that took 10 rounds of OO buck at point blank range before it keeled over. Not that I am talking pigs that big more something for the table but an AK is not a hunting weapon it is for target shooting in my book.

Would a 30-30 take a small to medium hog? I know it is the frequent brush gun of choice for a lot of hunters around here as I sold a lot of them years ago. I think most of them had deer in mind though and many most likely would not have taken a hog if they saw one.