Going Hunting in Pennsylvania in 3 weeks. (Questions)

[Guest TankerHC]

Going Hunting in Pa in a few weeks. I havent been Hunting in close to 15 years. Hunted every year, even in Europe but gave it up after 3 dry years. Been wanting to get back in the woods, now I got the chance to Hunt several different species.

 

Currently I have the following Calibers to Hunt with. 30-30, .44 mag (Rifle), and 12 gauge. I am up for buying another inexpensive rifle and scope for an all round gun. The .300 AAC and 223 in my case is not an option because both I have are in AR's and rifles in Pa must be "Manually Operated".

 

We will be Hunting over a period of 3-4 weeks:

 

Deer

Black Bear

Fox and Coyote

Turkey

 

We may also hunt some Snowshoe Rabbits and shoot some Crows. We will be Hunting on 3 and maybe even 5 WMU's with over half a million acres to Hunt on. (For those who have Hunted Pa, we will be on WMU's 5A and 5B and 5C and 4A , B and D)

 

So a few questions. (I have the shotgun covered)

 

Are any of the above Calibers what you would consider "all around". Are any of those Calibers sufficient for Deer and Black Bear (singularly).

 

You can Hunt Fox and Coyote with Rifle or Shotgun. For you, which?

 

If I were to buy an under say $400 gun in any caliber today, that might be used as an all round gun for what I am going to hunt, which caliber would it be and any gun suggestions?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

 

 

[peejman]

The .30-30 and/or .44 Mag rifle are adequate for deer if you're close (<75 yds), but marginal at best for bear.   I'd get something like a .308, .30-06, 7mm, etc. to do a better job on the bears. 

[DaveS]

30-30 without a doubt! There have been many a bear taken with a 30-30. peejman mentions .308, 30-06 and 7mm. Those rounds will handle most things that walk on this continent. If you want to spend the extra money, those are fine calibers to own with my first choice being the .308. But again, there's nothing wrong with a 30-30.

 

 

 

Dave

[whiskey]

So long as your 30-30 is a modern gun, I wouldn't get anything else. Check out the 30-30 offerings from Buffalo Bore. If a 190gr JFP in 30cal won't kill it, you need to leave it alone.

I love to hunt. I love to shoot. Get all the guns you want, I encourage that. However, nothing will be more dead because of it. Take the 30-30 and HUNT to within 100 yards of your game. Ain't no shame in that.


Yup.

[Joe357]

When I lived in PA, my favorite all round deer and bear rifle was a 30.06. Turkey was 12 gauge. Didn't hunt small game.

[Guest TankerHC]

So long as your 30-30 is a modern gun, I wouldn't get anything else. Check out the 30-30 offerings from Buffalo Bore. If a 190gr JFP in 30cal won't kill it, you need to leave it alone.

I love to hunt. I love to shoot. Get all the guns you want, I encourage that. However, nothing will be more dead because of it. Take the 30-30 and HUNT to within 100 yards of your game. Ain't no shame in that.


Yup.

 

Only issue I have is getting up close and personal with a Bear, which for me would be about 200 yards. As you may know by previous posts Im skeered of Bears at close range.

[whiskey]

Only issue I have is getting up close and personal with a Bear, which for me would be about 200 yards. As you may know by previous posts Im skeered of Bears at close range.

Haha, I don't want to cuddle one either. :)


Yup.

[peejman]

Only issue I have is getting up close and personal with a Bear, which for me would be about 200 yards. As you may know by previous posts Im skeered of Bears at close range.

 

 

I'd only shoot at a bear 200 yds away with a .30-30 if I knew for certain that I could hit the vitals.  Google tells me that bullet energy is 30% less at 200 yds compared to 100 yds and 50% less than muzzle.  If you can get inside 100 yds... sure. 

[DaveS]

1982, Alaskan Black Bear, 35 yards with a Marlin 336 30-30 with a 150 grain soft nose bullet. I say "good morning" to Barney D. Bear every time I walk past his head hanging on my wall. I'm not knocking those that hunt with large calibers, (there are places for that) but they are not generally needed. Now under no circumstances would I hunt bear with a 223 or maybe even a 243, but 300Mags, 45/70's and all those other anti tank rounds are just not needed. Good shot placement and a good bullet are keys to success. They act just like deer when hit. I've never been "charged" by either one.

 

We all hear how dangerous it is to pig hunt. HOG WASH!! I've killed more pigs by stalking within 25 to 30 yards of feeding pigs and putting a cross bow bolt through their necks. They hit the ground kicking, never to get up again. I've only been chased by a pig one time. And that was my own fault. I got to chasing after her little 5 pound babies to catch me one...momma sow didn't like that too well. She only chased me about 10 yards. To this day I have no idea where she came from.

 

DaveS

[Smokin45]

Hunted in PA for many years. Always carried a 270 win. with 130gr SP. If Bear hunting 150gr.

[enfield]

Don't believe what you saw in "The Deer Hunter".  Ain't no mountains like that in PA.

[Patrick Henry]

FYI: I believe PA does not allow semi-autos for big game hunting, but you should verify this. 

[Guest TankerHC]

FYI: I believe PA does not allow semi-autos for big game hunting, but you should verify this. 

 

They dont. Mentioned in the OP.