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Why Hunt With a Brush Gun

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1 year ago

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brush gun

There are many different animals and types of hunting that you can do, each one requiring different kinds of techniques and tools. For example, if you're hunting duck or other water fowl, you'll need a specific type of shotgun that delivers a certain shot spread. But, if you're walking through the thick woods, stalking your prey, you may need what's known as a brush gun to make sure that you're as effective as possible on your hunt.

A brush gun has a shorter barrel than most of the other hunting rifles/shotguns on the market do, enhancing its maneuverability through the thicket. Because, let's face it, the last thing you're going to want to happen, is to have your rifle snag on something when a big buck walks 50 yards in front of you.

One such brush gun is the Marlin lever action 336C. This hunting rifle comes chambered in .30-30 or the devastating .35 Remington cartridge. Make no mistake, these rifles are for taking deer and bear home for dinner.


Generally speaking, for it to qualify as a brush gun, it needs to have a shorter barrel—with 20 inches being the most common. Some hunters utilize a shorter barreled shotgun for hunting in the brush, but this can come at a disadvantage.

While it is possible to be accurate at 50 yards, or more, with a shotgun slug, there are a lot of variables that come into play that can cause issues. For example, most shotgun barrels are not rifled. They can be, but for the sake of shooting different types of ammo, most are not.

However, this is not true of a brush gun like the Marlin 336C lever action. The rifling grooves on these guns are precise enough that the bullet actually hits where the shooter wants it to, more often than not. This causes the rifle to shoot more accurate at longer distances as well.


When you decide that you want to stalk your prey when you hunt, or just make it easy getting to your tree stand in the wee hours of the morning, a brush gun like the ones Marlin makes are a great option. They get the job done with a devastating round and are superbly accurate firearms that are designed to kill the bigger animals that you need to feed your family.

When bringing food home is paramount, what is your go-to gun? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading, and make sure you check out and like the Gun Carrier Facebook page.

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4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Doc Smith

    November 29, 2016 at 6:57 PM

    Man o man, do I ever love hearin’ others talk about lever-action Marlins, ‘Chesters and Brownin’s. God’s fav’rites! Btw, little heads-up here: #1: for those of you enamored with the .44 Mag, use ’em for very close range, only! The .30-30 has greater velocity & kinetic energy @ 100 yds than the .44 does @ muzzle!
    #2: More deer have been killed in North America with the .30-30 than all other calibers combined! This is a tall statement considering the longevity and ballistics of the venerable .30-06 (my favorite!)
    If you get the chance to pick up a Marlin in .45-70 (the ones made prior to the sellout to Remington), DO NOT pass it up! Even if you don’t wanna shoot it, you can always make a quick sell to those of us not finding them.
    Those things speak with authority!!

    Reply

  2. Shane

    October 31, 2016 at 11:38 PM

    I have had the best luck with a Marlin model 30a. most of my hunting has been deer and elk in thick stands of Lodge poll pines in Montana.

    Reply

  3. Sam Bankston

    April 21, 2016 at 10:51 AM

    Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to hunt in CO, WY, TX, AR, MS. I’ve carried the 280, 8mm Mag, 35 Whelen on these various hunts. But most of the meat I’ve put on the table came out of south Louisiana, my home state. South of I-10 hunting is primarily in the heavy woods, read swamp, and my weapon of choice has always been the old Ruger Model 44 Carbine. The Model 44 is quick, light and devastating up to a football field when loaded with a 265 gr Hornady jacketed bullet. The big heavy bullet will brush aside leaves, limbs and Spanish moss to get to it’s intended target.

    Reply

  4. Alan

    April 20, 2016 at 10:28 AM

    I agree, I have two.
    A Marlin 1894 in .45LC, with a low power QD scope setup and Williams firesight aperture and front.
    Handloaded to max specs with 335 gr HC Keith’s, it will take anything on the Continent at short range.
    The other is a Ruger Gunsite Scout, similar set up as the Marlin, it’s also accurate out to 400+ yards and is an excellent point and shoot setup.
    Versatility is the strong suit of this Rifle.

    Reply

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