Half or full stock

[Walks with fire]

Which do you prefer for whitetail deer hunting? A full stock longrifle or a half stock with a shorter barrel?

 

[Protrucker]

Full stock with a swamped barrell.

 

[roundball]

Which do you prefer for whitetail deer hunting? A full stock longrifle or a half stock with a shorter barrel?

Never hunted with a typical 42" full stocked long rifle.
Started my ML hunting with half stocked 28" barrels, then tried a 33" barrel and prefer the longer 33" barrels so much more than 28" that they are now all I use.

Technically / ballistically I can't imagine anything at all lacking when hunting with halfstocked 33" barrels in the woods instead of a 42" full stock longrifle, so I assume the selection would be more of a matter of personal interest/choice.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I had a .45 caliber " carbine " with a 25 inch barrel. I sold it. I hunt with a .50 caliber full-stock with a 39 inch barrel. I don't have anything against half stock guns, however, but I think using a short barrel ( under 28 inches) is counter-productive, particularly if you are shooting PRB.

I know a man who has severe physical limitations on how much weight he can carry, and how much recoil he can now tolerate. He has made a zipgun to shoot .40 caliber pistol bullets, with a light charge, that will give him both accuracy and killing power out at 50 yards, the longest distance he could see a deer from his usually tree stand. He also put a small scope on it. The gun weighs less than 6 lbs. but because of the light bullet( 185 grains) and the powder charge he uses, it does not recoil enough to hurt him. The barrel is very short- to cut down the weight of the gun.

This is an example of a special gun( he could not get the weight limitations to his desired "specs" using a traditional sidelock, or underhammer action, BTW.) made to allow a fine gentleman hunter to continue to hunt deer in his old age, when his physical limitations would prevent him from hunting otherwise. He has killed hundreds of deer in his life, and is quite a good enough shooter to take head or neck shots with his little gun. He also has enough discipline as a shooter, and hunter, to pass on chancey shots. If he fires, he will make meat. The gun is a " half stock" as those guns usually are, built on a break-open action. But the light weight, short barrel, and small caliber( He could not legally use it in Illinois, for instance) were not designed to let him " bust brush " with his rifle. He walks game trails to get around brush, rather than busting through it. If he could have made a longer barrel gun, with a full stock, that met his weight limitations, he would be shooting it. :hmm: :thumbsup:

 

[rabjr]

Hunted with both. I prefer a full stock cause it just plain looks best to me. My .58 is a full stocked 34" barreled gun.

 

[PGTMG]

Which do you prefer for whitetail deer hunting? A full stock longrifle or a half stock with a shorter barrel?

Depends on how you hunt. I hunt fom the ground and move around if it suits me. I choose a half stock and shorter barrel for that reason.

If you are mostly a stand hunter and distance to the stand is not to great then your rifle weight is not an issue.

To tell the truth I like the look of full stocked guns better. My time hunting is special and if I had to do it over again I would have gotten a full stock (but mine was a gift) so I am happy half stocker.

I guess that is my advice get what appeals to you and you will be happier.

 

[Headhunter]

I have both and hunt with both. Its entirely personal preference.

I hunt with the Half stock more than the FUll stock. Thats due to the fact I don't want anything to happen to my Full.

Right now, I am building a .60 Hawken stictly for hunting. Its a half-stock.

HH

 

[BrownBear]

I'll take either, but with one provision. I really prefer hooked breeches and stocks with keys. PC or not, that's how I'm likely to build any future full stocks.

It all has to do with the wet I'm dealing with here plus the sense of "security" I feel in easily popping out that barrel for cleaning and stock maintenance after hunts and shooting in general.

I've got a couple with fixed breeches and pinned stocks, and maybe I'm just plain sloppy. But even using the plastic tube trick, I'm still getting water and BP residue under the barrel when I'm cleaning. PITA!

 

[paulvallandigham]

BB: Have you tried using a gun cradle to hold the gun upside down while you clean it? That is the only way I have figured out to clean mine without suffering the same fate you describe.