# Favorite firearm to deer hunt with dogs?



## lonewolf247 (Feb 10, 2020)

What is your favorite firearm to use to deer hunt with dogs? Is it a shotgun, a rifle, do you use an optic, or iron sights? 

I hunt a mix of woods, along with some pipelines, where shots can be at a distance.  That said, I find the best all around for me, is to use a rifle, with a variable scope.  I use a Browning Bar 30-06, with a 4-12x50 riflescope.  It works well for an all-around firearm.  If I strictly hunted the woods, with some open and heavy cover, I'd probably opt for a Marlin 30-30, with a 1-4x or a 1-6x riflescope. 

Many folks may prefer shotguns, I'm just curious to see what others do, thx!


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## Lineman North Florida (Feb 10, 2020)

Remington model 7600 pump 270 , killed a cowpen full of deer in front of dogs with it when I was young, not quite as many nowadays as my eyesight isn't what it was and all the antler restrictions makes me hesitant to pull the trigger.


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## Deerhead (Feb 10, 2020)

Remington 1100 12ga with 00 buckshot. We killed a bunch of deer with 12ga buckshot.   Everyone had their favorite gun. Mine was the 1100.  In the south most of the shots are 40yds and in.  So buckshot works well IMHO.


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## lonewolf247 (Feb 10, 2020)

Deerhead said:


> Remington 1100 12ga with 00 buckshot. We killed a bunch of deer with 12ga buckshot.   Everyone had their favorite gun. Mine was the 1100.  In the south most of the shots are 40yds and in.  So buckshot works well IMHO.



The Remington 1100 has always been my favorite 12 gauge shotgun.  Mine is 3" mag with a 30"full choke.  With fine shot, it was/is like a dream come true!  I've never seen a shotgun pattern any better. However, To be honest, it did not pattern 00 buckshot very well though. Took me years to figure that out, as a young teen, trying to learn on my own, without an adult leading me.

I switched to a rifle, an never revisited the buckshot thing. Ironically, a 28" modified barrel, practically fell in my hands, a few years ago, for $40 new in the box, so I jumped all over it. Wish I could have had it, to try many years back, along with some 1-buck possibly.

Anyhow, I do still own, and love that shotgun!


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## GunnSmokeer (Feb 10, 2020)

What's the typical distance of the shot when you run deer with dogs?
And, are the dogs in front of the gun when you shoot?  Should you be at all concerned with the dogs' hearing?

I've never done this type of hunting, but I'm thinking that a lever-action rifle in a straight-walled pistol caliber like .44 mag, .44 special, or .45 long Colt, would  be good for taking deer down in the woods at short distances.   Maybe with the rifle wearing a non-magnifying red dot scope.

Or, alternatively, a pump-action 20 gauge shotgun firing slugs, full bore Foster style slugs (not a handgun bullet with a plastic sabot around it).  Smooth bore would be OK for distances out to 75 yards.  I've gotten some good accuracy with my 18" smoothbore slug barrel (with rifle sights), but I think I'd prefer a red dot optic for any hunting.  

This slug-shooting shotgun would be a brush-buster, a thumper, but with less noise and probably less recoil than a big-bore lever gun would have if chambered for something like .45-70 or .444 Marlin and shooting 350-400 grain bullets. Of course it would have less range, and a rainbow trajectory past 75 yards, but within that distance it ought to be awesome.


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## GunnSmokeer (Feb 10, 2020)

P.S. As to noise, I think the 20 gauge would be a lot less. SAAMI maximum chamber pressure for 2.75" loads for that shotgun are 12,600 p.s.i, wheres big-bore lever gun cartridges like the .45-70 are around 25,000 p.s.i. and the .444 Marlin goes up to 42,000.


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## Para Bellum (Feb 12, 2020)

Browning A-Bolt Synthetic Stalker in .300 Win. Mag. with a Leupold Vari-X III 3.5X10X 50 and Hornady 165 grain Interbonds.  Kills em close, kills em far, kills em light, kills em dark, kills em in Georgia and kills em in Canada.


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## jaydawg (Feb 12, 2020)

Metro Trout said:


> Browning A-Bolt Synthetic Stalker in .300 Win. Mag. with a Leupold Vari-X III 3.5X10X 50 and Hornady 165 grain Interbonds.  Kills em close, kills em far, kills em light, kills em dark, kills em in Georgia and kills em in Canada.



with dogs??


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## Para Bellum (Feb 12, 2020)

jaydawg said:


> with dogs??




Oh.  My.  Goodness.  I didn't even see the part about the dogs.  Haha!  My apologies to the OP.  I know NOTHING about hunting deer with dogs.  Jaydawg, I bet you thought I was looney tunes.


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## jaydawg (Feb 13, 2020)

Metro Trout said:


> Oh.  My.  Goodness.  I didn't even see the part about the dogs.  Haha!  My apologies to the OP.  I know NOTHING about hunting deer with dogs.  Jaydawg, I bet you thought I was looney tunes.



negative...I was gonna get some shootin lessons from you


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## lonewolf247 (Feb 15, 2020)

GunnSmokeer said:


> What's the typical distance of the shot when you run deer with dogs?
> And, are the dogs in front of the gun when you shoot?  Should you be at all concerned with the dogs' hearing?
> 
> I've never done this type of hunting, but I'm thinking that a lever-action rifle in a straight-walled pistol caliber like .44 mag, .44 special, or .45 long Colt, would  be good for taking deer down in the woods at short distances.   Maybe with the rifle wearing a non-magnifying red dot scope.
> ...




A 44 mag in a level gun or the 44 Ruger Carbine would be ideal, if you were strictly hunting where shots are under 100 yards. A lot of my hunting with dogs consist of that, but I often still hunt in the evenings on pipelines where the shots can be out to 300 yards, so I need a rifle that can cover that as well. Otherwise the 44 mag and the 30-30 lever guns are great for dogs. 

Usually the deer are a little bit in front of the dogs, unless it’s on a hot jump, or it’s a large pack, and they are running the deer really hard. 

Red dot scope and low power scopes, work fine as well, especially on running deer at close range!  

My thing, like I said is having to cover a dog hunting and still hunting rifle, all in one, because I don’t bring two firearms. All good suggestions though.


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## lonewolf247 (Feb 15, 2020)

Metro Trout said:


> Oh.  My.  Goodness.  I didn't even see the part about the dogs.  Haha!  My apologies to the OP.  I know NOTHING about hunting deer with dogs.  Jaydawg, I bet you thought I was looney tunes.



All good ? I actually tried one season hunting with an Abolt in 7-mag, it was just too long and bulky with a 26” barrel, to swing around quickly.


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## Para Bellum (Feb 17, 2020)

lonewolf247 said:


> All good ? I actually tried one season hunting with an Abolt in 7-mag, it was just too long and bulky with a 26” barrel, to swing around quickly.



I bet.  I hunted deer over dogs one time down at the Savannah River Site when I was a kid.  We used shotguns but I never got a shot.  The school bus ride through the woods was an experience I'll never forget.  Had a little pup come up to me and lay his head down in my lap wore slap out form the hunt.


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## Mr Bya Lungshot (Feb 17, 2020)

I always felt a rifle was better with open sights and dogs.
Either you killed it or you didn’t but scope and my dogs “if i wanted a dog”
No thanks. I’ll take open sights and a rifle on that hunt. Maybe a low power scope.


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## lonewolf247 (Feb 17, 2020)

Metro Trout said:


> I bet.  I hunted deer over dogs one time down at the Savannah River Site when I was a kid.  We used shotguns but I never got a shot.  The school bus ride through the woods was an experience I'll never forget.  Had a little pup come up to me and lay his head down in my lap wore slap out form the hunt.


? I’ve heard about the school bus thing, but we never did that. We’ve used pickup trucks, amphibious atv’s, and boats to put groups of people out.





Mr Bya Lungshot said:


> I always felt a rifle was better with open sights and dogs.
> Either you killed it or you didn’t but scope and my dogs “if i wanted a dog”
> No thanks. I’ll take open sights and a rifle on that hunt. Maybe a low power scope.



Several guys on the club started with rifles and open sights. They did ok, about the same as the guys with shotguns. Most of us have gone to variable power scopes. If I only hunted with shots under 75 yards or so, I’d definitely use the low power scope option. I’m just a scope man! ?


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## ishootlittlebucks (Feb 17, 2020)

The part of Fl I hunt is thick. Almost all of the folks who hunt where I do use shotguns and buckshot. I shoot a Benelli SBE 2 with a buck kicker full choke. Factory Rmington  3.5" 00 or my hand loaded 3.5" 00 will put the entire pattern into 13-14 inches @ 40 yards.  I feel very confident in my setup out to about 70 yards. I used to carry a rifle also, but I seemed to always gram the wrong one.


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## lonewolf247 (Feb 17, 2020)

ishootlittlebucks said:


> The part of Fl I hunt is thick. Almost all of the folks who hunt where I do use shotguns and buckshot. I shoot a Benelli SBE 2 with a buck kicker full choke. Factory Rmington  3.5" 00 or my hand loaded 3.5" 00 will put the entire pattern into 13-14 inches @ 40 yards.  I feel very confident in my setup out to about 70 yards. I used to carry a rifle also, but I seemed to always gram the wrong one.




70 yards is pretty darn excellent for a shotgun setup! Benelli, is a good shotgun too! I love my Franchi 20 gauge, it’s similar.

Yeah, we used to have an elderly man hunt with 2 guns, when I was a young-in. He actually did pretty good with it, but for me that’s too much hassle carrying two guns.


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## Para Bellum (Feb 19, 2020)

lonewolf247 said:


> ? I’ve heard about the school bus thing, but we never did that. We’ve used pickup trucks, amphibious atv’s, and boats to put groups of people out.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Brother I'm not kidding when I tell you this lady was mowing down 4" dbh sweetgum trees in this school bus.  Peoples sack lunches were everywhere.  Apples and cans of Beenie Weenies rolling from the front of the bus to the back.  It was hysterical.


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## lonewolf247 (Feb 19, 2020)

Metro Trout said:


> Brother I'm not kidding when I tell you this lady was mowing down 4" dbh sweetgum trees in this school bus.  Peoples sack lunches were everywhere.  Apples and cans of Beenie Weenies rolling from the front of the bus to the back.  It was hysterical.


That’s funny right there! ?


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## asc (Mar 4, 2020)

I carry a Remington 1100 with buckshot and a Ruger Ranch 6.8 spc in my truck.


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## bilgerat (Mar 4, 2020)

I use either My old Marlin lever gun in 44 mag or My old marlin in 444 , killed the one in My avatar with the 444 up in Ontario back in 2014, heres a few pics from that trip


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## lonewolf247 (Mar 6, 2020)

Man those pics are awesome! Thanks for sharing!


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## PastorJosh (Apr 28, 2020)

Back when it was legal to Run Dogs in Randolph County Alabama we hunted in a lease that was a big mix of thick woods, hardwoods, power lines and cutover.  My dad always used a Browning BAR .243 with a scope, didn’t matter the terrain.  I hunted with a Remington 11-87 12ga with 00 buck in the woods and my BAR .270 on Power line and in Cutover.  Man I miss it and would love to do it again!


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## across the river (Apr 30, 2020)

Ive been on two dog hunts years ago in the SC low country.  Seeing some of those people handle shotguns, I wouldn’t step in the woods with anyone carrying a rifle, of any caliber, on a dog hunt.


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## king killer delete (Apr 30, 2020)

lonewolf247 said:


> What is your favorite firearm to use to deer hunt with dogs? Is it a shotgun, a rifle, do you use an optic, or iron sights?
> 
> I hunt a mix of woods, along with some pipelines, where shots can be at a distance.  That said, I find the best all around for me, is to use a rifle, with a variable scope.  I use a Browning Bar 30-06, with a 4-12x50 riflescope.  It works well for an all-around firearm.  If I strictly hunted the woods, with some open and heavy cover, I'd probably opt for a Marlin 30-30, with a 1-4x or a 1-6x riflescope.
> 
> Many folks may prefer shotguns, I'm just curious to see what others do, thx!


I live in South Georgia. If you are invited to a dog drive in Georgia you better be carrying a shotgun. I grew up in Mississippi where dog hunting with a rifle was a norm . 3006 semi automatic rifles were used in Mississippi. Buckshot and a 12 gauge for dog drives in Georgia.


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## Buck70 (May 2, 2020)

12 ga 3" mag copper plated #1 buck in a Rem 1187 with a full choke.


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## Bob Wallace (May 18, 2020)

For safety reasons we only use shotguns since we usually have 20-30 of us on the hunt spread out throughout the woods. I love my 11-87 with 00buck.


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## specialk (May 19, 2020)

Belgium a-5, 12g, modified 2 3/4inch, 0 and 1 buck in the woods.....belgium '06 open sites in fields/open areas....


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## firewalker78 (Jun 5, 2020)

I mainly carry a 12 gauge that's been patterned to what it likes. Remington 1100 with #1 or Stoeger 3500 with 00. But I've been trying to get on one with my Marlin 336 lever 30-30 open sites, haven't had the chance yet. What are some of the better low power scopes you guys like?


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## lonewolf247 (Jun 9, 2020)

firewalker78 said:


> What are some of the better low power scopes you guys like?



There are several great options for low power scopes.  Back in my early hunting years, many folks used 2-7X, 2.5-8x, or something similar to that.  Now-a-days, the 1-4x, and the 1-6x scopes, have become really popular options, with the AR-15 crowd.

Basically any quality brand scope in a lower power, would be fine.


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## 3chunter (Sep 27, 2021)

Easy. Benelli SBE. Rectifier choke.


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## gawildlife (Sep 27, 2021)

I come up hunting with dogs. Rifles were forbidden since you generally fired in the direction being driven and dogs and drivers were in there. No firing up or down the stand line, period. No moving from where you were set out until someone come to get you. Buckshot only.


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## ThatredneckguyJamie (Sep 28, 2021)

king killer delete said:


> I live in South Georgia. If you are invited to a dog drive in Georgia you better be carrying a shotgun. I grew up in Mississippi where dog hunting with a rifle was a norm . 3006 semi automatic rifles were used in Mississippi. Buckshot and a 12 gauge for dog drives in Georgia.


Grew up dog hunting my entire life in South GA and NE Fl, my Uncles always had a rifle and a shotgun in the front seat. Sitting on top of the box over looking a clear cut with a rifle was the norm, if you were in the S crossing then you better have the shotgun. Might not be the same for all of GA...but we always used the right tool for the circumstances


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## SakoL61R (Oct 24, 2021)

Of the dog hunts I've been on in the GA low country, it was shotguns only.  Rem 1100 12 ga, 2.75, 00 buck with the vent rib, two bead 30 in full barrel.   
Sometimes, depending on the area and hunt, some "select" hunters had rifles to cover wide open areas / clear cuts.


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## pacecars (Nov 1, 2021)

Most of the time I used a scoped bolt action in .270, .280 or .30-06 when running dogs. Most shots were at deer that would stop before crossing a road or trail. I have shot a few walking or running but most were stationary


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## Chrisco6 (Nov 10, 2021)

1187 12 Guage and Ruger Deerfield 44mag carbine for me.


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## georgia_home (Nov 10, 2021)

Realize ima bit late on this thread. Leaving in 24 hours to hunt back home.

we stand hunt and drive (2 legged dogs). Shotgun with slugs on stand. (Shotgun, straight wall cartridge only state) and switch to buck on drives. condition set by land owner.

As far as gun, it’s whatever owner has laying around. i am not interested in going through tsa with my own. So, i just use his. Preferred, when I take my own, is 1187 or 870. 12g, 3” 00buck, or 2 3/4” sluggers or brenneke ko. If available. Otherwise whatever owner provides.

i do hope there’s ammo there this year. There’s usually a stash, but with the ammo shortages, ya never know.


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## LTFDretired (Nov 22, 2021)

I never have hunted with dogs


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## Big7 (Nov 22, 2021)

870. Have had it for years.

Just got a new TriStar Viper that I'd like to try because it's a self- shucker. Only Dove hunted with it this year so far. Great shotgun.

Iron sights for me with deer being run by dogs.
You will likely be be shooting at running deer.


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## Big7 (Nov 22, 2021)

across the river said:


> Ive been on two dog hunts years ago in the SC low country.  Seeing some of those people handle shotguns, I wouldn’t step in the woods with anyone carrying a rifle, of any caliber, on a dog hunt.


Exactly


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## DRBugman85 (Nov 29, 2021)

Browning A5 buckkicker choke (3 inch 00 buckshot).  NO rifles on dog hunting ever on our lease's.


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