My .358 is not a magnum but I've made some pretty long shots with it.Only advice I'd give you is if you get a rifle,get one that bullets are cheap and available.30-30 is fine for hogs,they bleed like everything else does.Also check out a woods and water magazine,that is a Fl. hunting publication they have lists of leases and reports on WMA's every issue. good luck.
at chazz you are allowed to hunt with rifle, at homosassa its shotgun, muzleloader or 22 mag, no centerfires. now I'm new to hunting fla and hogs but have hunted deer and alot of birds since 1976. heading north on rt 19 chazz is 10 mi north of rt 50 ( cortez blvd ) and homosassa is about another 6 mi. if you don't have a tree stand shots will be close, sometimes extremely close in the thick brush and palmettos, if you happen to catch a deer or hog in an open field ( not to likely ) shots may reach 200 yds or so. for a rifle if you want a scope and don't reload I'd recomend a 308 in a short bbl light gun like the rem mdl 7,ruger ultra light or browning a-bolt, to name a few. for scopes theres alot of debate, personaly I like the option of a very low power 1-2 on the low end variable to 4-8 on the upper end with as large an objective lens as possible, alot of people like the 3x9x50. you could do very well with a lever action winchester or marlin with open sights as well. for a one gun system that can realy do it all a mossberg mdl 500 combo in camo with a 24" smoothbore is good for turkey,buckshot and rifled slugs, and the second bbl a rifled 24" with cantilever for a scope for using sabot slugs that can reach out to 150 yds or more, there are alot of bbls to choose from and are about 100$ each. there are extensive threads about which gun and scope to use.how much and what type of hunting have you done?
Firearms during small game season?
Question
What firearms are allowed when hunting wild hogs or other animals designated as a small game animal on Florida's WMA?
Answer
Each Wildlife Management Area (WMA) has a different set of rules that apply only on that WMA. The possession of centerfire rifles is prohibited on all WMAs during small game season. Other legal methods of taking game are different on each WMA. Use of a muzzleloader, handgun or shotgun may or may not be allowed depending on the rules for the WMA. For the most part, if a weapon is not prohibited by general hunting regulations or the regulation brochure for the WMA where you plan to hunt, it is allowed.
The regulation brochures for the WMAs are on the Web site at http://www.MyFWC.com/Hunting , under "Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) - Public Hunting Lands." The WMAs are listed by region. Click on the specific WMA, and the brochure will download as a pdf file. Read all of the rules and then go to the section entitled "Small Game" for additional information on dates, what is legal to take and what methods of harvest are allowed or prohibited.
If you don't find a "Small Game" subtitle in the brochure, it is because there is no small game season on that WMA. The same is true for general gun, archery, muzzleloading and spring turkey seasons -- if it's not listed, that WMA doesn't have one.
You can also obtain brochures by contacting the nearest FWC regional office or county tax collector's office.
http://myfwc.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/myfwc.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2466&p_created=1170451623&p_sid=_3xQ7jRj&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_srch=1&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MTgwLDE4MCZwX3Byb2RzPSZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R5cGU9YW5zd2Vycy5zZWFyY2hfbmwmcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1zbWFsbCBnYW1l&p_li=&p_topview=1
skunkape, that 358 definately had a belt around the bottom of the cartridge, does yours? but I agree ammo is not gonna be easily avail or cheap. thats why I reload.
my mistake. that was a rem 350 mag
SAg,
I don't think Marlin makes a slug gun, but I might be wrong.
A good all around rifle for hunting in FL, would be anything in the .30 cal class, 30-06, 308, etc.. or even calibers like the 270, 270 wsm, 243, 25-06, and what not. I would prefer a round with at least 100 grain bullets for deer until you get some shooting time under you belt in the woods. I have seen a lot of deer killed with 22 hornet, 223, and what not, but they were shooters. Most of these calibers will let you reach out there to 300 yds and in the right hands further then that.
predator in 22-250 is a bad dude. Pretty much any gun in 22-250, 223, 204 Ruger, 22 hornet would be a good gun for varmint.
Or the last option I can give you is check out the Thompson Encore. You can switch barrels out to just about anything you want. THe gun is very short, due to the fact that it is a single shoot and has no action to speak of, but has a full barrel. You can get barrels from 17 HMR to 45-70, along with shotguns and muzzleloader barrels.
EXCELLENT--thanks, I will look at these options..great information for me!
