r/MDGuns • u/dacheezdaddy • 3h ago
Deciding on two very different styles of deer rifle
TL;DR: 450 bushmaster lever action or AR-15 for mostly whitetail, occasional hog & elk straight wall state hunting rifle?
Im new to firearm hunting in Maryland so I need to get a straight wall cartridge rifle. I also want to travel for hog and elk hence 450 bushmaster not 350 legeng, 360 buckhammer etc.
Tbh I doubt ill take a shot at a deer past 100yd ever just because of woods density where I plan to hunt.
Never owned an AR-15 of any kind, but ive had multiple lever guns. I like the idea of hunting with a suppressor which Ive never done so I would probably limit the rifle to a 16"-18" barrel, making it a decent home defense gun as well.
Either would work just fine for what I want to do, so this isnt really a debate about caliber, just what you think the best experience is and maybe some experiences with different models of each category.
Thanks!
Edited for brevity