Best Caliber for deer and why?

[Qbn Hunter]

I would have to go with the most popular caliber, the 30-06. I think it is perfect for deer and almost all North American big game. Great trajectory and many bullet weight to choose from. I would have to go with the 150 grain bullet for deer.

[Speckmisser]

Dang, Qbn!

Is it just getting too quiet around here? Looking to stir a little habanero into the discussion?

What a question! 50 lashes for you! http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-whipping.gif

http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-biggrin-aqua.gif

[Qbn Hunter]

Its just getting way too quiet in here. Hellooooo! is anyone out there. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-wavin-yellow.gif

[MULEY51]

Partially agree with Qbn....30-06, but I always use 180 grain ammo. I have yet to have a buck run off on me using the 180 grain; one well placed shot and down they go. I had to track a few when I was younger and using 150 grain, but not a one since I changed about 20 years ago. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-biggrin-aqua.gif
Oh yeah, the question was about the gun wasn&#39;t it? Got sidetracked there. 30-06 can&#39;t be beat.
http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-cool-shades-down.gif

[niels]

Well, this is definetely a matter of opinion, there are many adequate calibers out there today for deer, I shoot a 7mm-08 and shoot 140 grain bullets out of it, and it has plenty of knockdown power, and doesn&#39;t drop much out to 300 yards. I think any short action round that is capable of shooting at least 120 grain bullets is sufficient for deer sized game with the exception of 22 centerfire rounds, which should never be shot at deer size game, the 22 centerfires should only be used for varmint sized game.

[Wheelchair Bandit]

Well,I&#39;ve killed deer with everything from the little 218 Bee on up to and including the 45/70 and 50 caliber muzzeloader.They all killed game cleanly and the deer never knew the difference.

Three of the best blacktail rounds I&#39;ve ever seen used on deer were the 222,22-250 and 257 Roberts.Lung shot deer with the 222s and 22-250s had them on the ground within 30 feet.The Roberts drops them in their tracks with shoulder shots or they&#39;ll run 30 or 40 yards with a lung shot.

The 243 and 7mm/08 ain&#39;t bad either.They&#39;re all good cartridges,17 Remington through 460 Weatherby.You just need to use them within their capacitys and put the bullet where it needs to go.

Brian.

[tmoniz]

The 257 Roberts is definately a fine one. Shot the barrel out on mine I used it so much. One of the largest muleys I ever took was with 100 grain partitions in Colorado at about 250 yards. Now I use a model 7 ss in 308 if I&#39;m climbing a lot, and a 700 ss in 3006 if The hiking is flatter. My 3006 has become my primary with 165 ballistic tips. I got tired of carry large magnums around. I do like the 35 whelen a lot.

[niels]

Ok, as far as the deer not knowing the difference, this is true as long as you put the shot where it needs to be, but you have to admit this much when it comes to using 22 centerfires on deer, you have very little margin for error with these types of calibers, where as using bigger calibers even if you make a less than perfect shot your chances of recovering the animal are a whole lot better because the energy of the bullet from a bigger round will do more damage internally than a 22 centerfire round will. Of course just my opinion, certainly doesn&#39;t have to be everybodys. Looking forward to your rebuttal, because I know it&#39;s comin, lol

[grtwythunter]

Thank you niels! http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif
Scott

[JDC]

Originally posted by niels@Dec 5 2002, 04:20 AM
Ok, as far as the deer not knowing the difference, this is true as long as you put the shot where it needs to be, but you have to admit this much when it comes to using 22 centerfires on deer, you have very little margin for error with these types of calibers, where as using bigger calibers even if you make a less than perfect shot your chances of recovering the animal are a whole lot better because the energy of the bullet from a bigger round will do more damage internally than a 22 centerfire round will. Of course just my opinion, certainly doesn&#39;t have to be everybodys. Looking forward to your rebuttal, because I know it&#39;s comin, lol
Whoo-Hooo!! I didn&#39;t start it this time!! http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-dancin-red.gif

Okay, but you take 100 gr. .24 cal (as a general size) traveling at 3300 fps. When it hits anything, the explosion that happens is intense, and extremely damaging

You take a 180 gr. .30 cal (as a general size) traveling at 2500 fps. Yes there is a serious THUMP difference on initial impact ( kinda like the difference between being hit with a marble and a golf ball out of a wrist rocket) But, the .30 will expand and travel through instead of explode.

Both will kill, even on a marginal shot, but IMHO internal damage is extremely important.. But so again is the initial THUMP of the larger cal., which has more of a tenancy to take them off thier feet upon impact.

Heck, I don&#39;t know. Dead is dead.

[Wheelchair Bandit]

The 222 and 22-250 literaly turn the heart and lungs into jelly.What more internal distruction do you need?

WB.

[Shane]

Just wanted to explore the mention of .22s. I haven&#39;t had the opportunity to use any of the .22 calibers on big game. Partly, since they are illegal to use in the states I&#39;ve hunted. But maily because I just never know if I&#39;ve got a 10 yard or 200 yard shot, broadside or quartering away shot, rib, shoulder bone, brisket....

If you folks have shot many hornets, swifts, Bees, 22-250s, 222s or the like, you know how marginal your trust can be for their effectiveness on iffy shots.

I&#39;m completely down with "matching" the caliber and bullet (siz & type) to the game hunted. It&#39;s just that I&#39;ve seen crappy bullet performance from 180 grn, 300 win mag ammo and I&#39;ve seen brisket to butt-hole penetration from a 40 grain, 220 swift V-max. Hydraulics, physics, and all that fun stuff plays a part in every shot being completely different than the last. But, I have to side with the many rule books on using a minimum of .24 caliber.

I guess that brings me to my personal favorite deer caliber - until I&#39;ve had the chance to shoot them all I&#39;m sure. LOL I&#39;ve watched the 6mm and .243 fold more legs and bounce more chins off the ground than any other I&#39;ve actually seen. I mean, turn the lights off NOW!! kind of hits. I contribute this to matching the bullet weight and speed, to the animal weight/density. What I think is happening is the animal is just the right size to absorb all of THAT round&#39;s energy. It&#39;s a small-ish, fast, and resonably explosive round that is big enough to knock the snoose out of 100 to 250+ pound animals. Just like (for example) using a 220 grn bullet from a 340 wby on elk. Works really well.

I rarely get that performance on deer from my 300 win mag. The only times I have seen the 300 do this is when I&#39;ve loaded hyper-expansive bullets (Nosler Ballistic Tip) ammo. When the round spends all of its energy inside the animal, that is when they drop in their tracks.

Best

[Wheelchair Bandit]

Shane,
Broadside,head or neck only.If you can&#39;t commit to that,don&#39;t pack a 22.When I pack a small caliber rifle as such,I accept the fact that I can only make certain shots on deer.

Brian.

[woodseye]

That takes away about half of your potential shots when hunting where I do.Quite a sacrifice to make if you see that buck of a lifetime and he doesn&#39;t turn just right for a perfect broadside shot.I guess you would have to really like a CF 22 to pass on shots that much.If you hunt where deer sightings are few and far between I notice caliber and bullet choice becomes more important to take advantage of the fewer shot opportunities and their less than perfect shot angles offered sometimes.Different strokes for different folks I guess.I would no more get out my 22-250 to go in the deep woods hunting for deer than take my lever action 99 308 for long range ground hog or crow shooting. Although I guess they would work in reversed roles just not at their optimum.Come over the whitetail forum and take part in the deer caliber survey.





woods

[Wheelchair Bandit]

Woodseye,
I usually don&#39;t shoot deer in the ass with any cartridge so I don&#39;t think about that.With a 22 CF I just don&#39;t take any shots where the bullet has to go through intestines.I can still take 3/4ing away shots as long as I can place them in front of the diaphragm.

[woodseye]

For me,I just don&#39;t carry any caliber where I may have to give the deer a free pass because of his position.I&#39;m sure its a personal choice thing,I just don&#39;t trust Murphy http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-biggrin-aqua.gif Good huntin&#39; by the way, I was going from your post that said "head or neck broadside only" when I spoke of hard angled shots where you may have to shoot directly into a shoulder when facing you.As far as Texas heart shoots go I have a buck hanging on my wall that wouldn&#39;t be there if I had to pass on that shot.Lost some meat but a lot better than losing ALL the meat by never shooting I guess.I suppose if you know your limitations and shoot accordingly the CF 22&#39;s are OK just to many slips tween the cup and the lip in hunting for me to ever consider one.Just give me a 7mm-08 with nosler paritions and there isn&#39;t an angle that buck can be at that I can&#39;t get one into the chest cavity.

woods

[Wheelchair Bandit]

Woodseye,
Within 200 yards you can still bust &#39;em through the shoulders with the 222 or 22-250.They&#39;ll hit the dirt just like you shot them with a 300 Weatherby (have killed one with that one too).You might need an on-the-ground finisher with the 222 though.My reference to head/neck was more in reference to the 22 Hornet or 218 Bee.I actualy prefer headshots over all other shots and will take them if presented no matter what rifle I&#39;m packing.

Now with the creation of the Nosler 60 grain Partition,I&#39;d think a 22-250 so loaded would penetrate through the intestines and into the vitals.

I don&#39;t like to take Texas heart shots since they ruin a lot of meat with most cartridges and it&#39;s quite messy.Been there done that.Now if I&#39;m packing my 45/70 or 45/120 I&#39;d take a Texas heart shot right now,since you&#39;ld ruin zero meat at the rather sedate (under 2,000 FPS) velocity.

Brian.

[Wingshooter]

I guess I&#39;ll jump in and get my feet wet with this one.
My caliber of choice is the 25-06. The way I see it, it&#39;s got it all, shoots flat, shoots far, shoots sub 1 inch at 100 yds, and with 115 grain partitions will put down any Blacktail. However, I agree 100% that the name of the game is SHOT PLACEMENT!!!!! Last year I saw someone loose a small buck shot within 100 yds, with a .338. Got him in the paunch. That little buck went about a quarter mile away to die. We found him the next afternoon. That really sucked!!!
My 2 cents.

[niels]

WB, you were saying that you might need an on the ground finisher with the .222, that being said tells me that you&#39;re not using enough gun, yes I realize that can happen regardless of what caliber you shoot, all I&#39;m trying to say is this, the little 22 centerfires were not made to be big game rounds because they are not capable of shooting at least 100 grain bullets which should be the bare minimum used for deer hunting. In a nutshell little bullets are meant for little game. Also I do realize that a tiny 40-60 grain bullet is capable of killing a deer, but why would anyone want to use such a small bullet when big game hunting?

[woodseye]

Agree with niels 100% Save the 22&#39;s for coyotes and chucks and crows and use at least a 24 caliber on deer.If its legal in your state(its not in some)to use a 22CF than be ready to pass on less than perfect shot positions and use a good rest cause bullet placement has become VERY important!At 200yds the 222 has very little punch left for a 100#+ deer,500fp of energy isn&#39;t much.I prefer 1200fp myself as a minimum.I notice on the forums there are always a couple guys who support and use 22 CF for deer,OK if its legal but hope no young or beginning deer hunters read and think they are set with the old 222 or hornet.There&#39;s no room for error when you choose to use the small calibres for large animals.Worst thing a new or just starting out hunter can do.Elephants have been killed with 7x57&#39;s also but its not the gun of choice for the job.


woods

[Wheelchair Bandit]

Niels,
I have several friends that put two-three finisher shots in deer EVERY time-and they shoot 30/06s!They just aim at "deer".

Just because you need a finisher DOESN&#39;T mean you&#39;re not using enough gun.MOST times the 222 kills very quickly.SOMETIMES with a shoulder shot they&#39;ll still be alive when you get to them,but it&#39;s usually just that last little bit left in them.Pop em through the ear with a 38 and pull out the knife!Heck I&#39;ve seen that happen with deer shot with much larger guns.I shot one buck through the eye and out the back of the head with a 50 caliber muzzeloader,blowing a nearly fist sized hole out the back of his head.One would think it&#39;d kill him cleanly,but it didn&#39;t-still had to cut his throat.Now,a 50 caliber muzzeloader is more than sufficent for deer,wouldn&#39;t you say?This sucker was still game after the shot.

But that&#39;s hunting.You can pack a 460 Weatherby and still go through the same thing.

BTW,remember all those pictures I sent you?3/4s of those bucks were killed with 222s and 22-250s.That giant one with the 8 inch spur was killed with a 222.One of the big 4x4s was killed with a 17 Remington.

Woodseye,
How many deer have you killed with a 22 CF?The 120 pound forky I wacked during rifle season this year with a 218 Bee sure didn&#39;t know he was getting killed with less than 1200 pounds of energy (a number,BTW,that is commonly reffered to,because Jack O&#39;Connor pulled it out of the sky.KE bears nothing on killing power-any knowledgeable gun nut will tell you that.A deer doesn&#39;t own a calculator).And BTW,that 218 Bee kill was the quickest,cleanest kill I have ever personaly witnessed-and that includes cartridges ranging from 222 through 45/70 with most inbetween.

Brian.

PS-Go over to 24hrcampfire and talked to a guy by the name of Big Stick.He has wacked mucho BIG bodied Sitka blacktails with the 22 K-Hornet and 223 AI and has yet to have a failure out of around 20 kills between the two guns.

[woodseye]

Don&#39;t shoot deer with a 22 WB,it don&#39;t appeal to me.I didn&#39;t use Jacks number its my own personal minimum for deer although I feel good to be in such good company using it.You seem to be quite the expert so I&#39;ll just say use your 22&#39;s and shoot em&#39; as many times as needed.I don&#39;t pass shots at any angle, so I stay with something shall we say a little more adequate for my purposes.Lets agree to disagree and go our seperate ways on this one,nothing to be accomplished debating.Good Hunting.The post question was BEST caliber for deer and I&#39;ll vote for the 7mm-08 or 308.


woods

[Wheelchair Bandit]

Woodseye,
The don&#39;t knock it if you ain&#39;t tried it brother. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-wavin-yel.gif

Never said I was an expert on ANY subject,and don&#39;t consider myself to be.I have just witnessed to many clean deer kills with said 22s to nay say them.I can only speak of what I have witnessed.

Also,I never said they were "best"-just said they worked.There is no "best" deer cartridge.Put the bullet in the right spot and they all kill deer deader than a doornail.A 22 through the brain is just as effective as a 458 through the shoulders.That&#39;s my view on it at least.

BTW,in case you were thinking I&#39;m a small bore nut,that is not the case.The opposit really.I am from the Elmer Keith line of thought and mostly hunt with a 45/70.Hvae a 458 and a 378 Weatherby that I plan on packing next year,along with a 45/120 3 1/4 inch if I can ever get the sucker shooting.

Brian.

[niels]

WB,

I will end this discussion with this, since we are kind of beating a dead horse, if your friends are just shooting anywhere they can get a shot at deer, sounds like they shouldn&#39;t be hunting, we as hunters owe it to our quarry to only take shots at deer that are capable of killing the animal with the first shot.

[DILPRXO]

I like a Rem 700 Mountain rifle in 7x57 Mauser....Federal 140gr Nosler Partition loads.Nothing I &#39;ve shot with it to date seems to notice its an antique cartridge http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-wow-eyes-yellow.gif ... but then again my hog gun is a 45/70!!! http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-7-bouncin-aqua.gif

[Wheelchair Bandit]

Niels,
Didn&#39;t our very own Woodseye just claim he liked to be able to shoot a deer from any angle??His exact words-"I don&#39;t pass shots at any angle".

Maybe Woodseye shouldn&#39;t be hunting either eh??

Brian.

[woodseye]

niels reply was to your post "I have several friends" "they just aim at deer" WB.I said I use a caliber and bullet that allows me to take any angle shot and put one in the chest cavity.See the difference?I just aim at chest cavitiy from any angle and your friends just aim at the deer.BIG DIFFERENCE! I was done with this thread till you started on me WB so let it die now,I&#39;m not interested in going on and on about this I&#39;ve give my opinion about my choice on the best deer caliber.See ya!


woods

[Qbn Hunter]

Guys,

This was to be a fun discussion not a heated one. Please lets have some fun. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-dancin-red.gif

[HaveGunWillTravel]

you guys are arguing over stuff that doesnt really matter. theres no right answer, this topic just opened up can of worms. a dead deer doesnt know the difference between a .22 mag or a .416 rigby. what does matter is the hunt that puts you in the postition to make that shot. wave this thread goodbye http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-wavin-yel.gif

[Wheelchair Bandit]

Dang,you guys don&#39;t have any spirit for the great debate.Don&#39;t wonder over to HA or AR,those boys will scare ya to death!

BTW Woodseye,I was just using what you said as an example.Nothing against you personaly.We see eye to eye on most subjects.

What I meant by shooting "at deer" was that they&#39;ll take whatever shot is presented,which BTW is what I interpeted you said in your post,where you said quote "I don&#39;t pass shots at any angle, so I stay with something shall we say a little more adequate for my purposes."

Brian.

[JDC]

Debating person to person is much easier because you can hear voice tones and see facial expressions. On paper, you can&#39;t see that stuff, so it&#39;s easy to misinterprit (sp) how and what is being said.

The more and more this thread continued the more harsh it was appearing to me, and I truly expected to see it locked.

Keep it fun guys! Save the heavy debates for when you meet face to face... Please!

[woodseye]

Fellows,WB and I had a debate over the best caliber for deer hunting.No one called anybody names or resorted to profanity.A debate is just that,two differing opinions.If we can&#39;t differ in opinions with anybody what the use of discussing anything? The moderator was in full control and stepped in to lighten tone of discussion.Job well done.I&#39;m surprised with all the members so few even have an opinion on this caliber question.I don&#39;t mind agreeing to disagree,and I like a good debate over the merits of each others opinions.WB and I don&#39;t dislike each other,heck we&#39;re on several different forums together.Qbn hunter was on top of things.WB and I may never get the chance to talk face to face cause we live on opposite ends of the country,but we can talk on here which we did.Most people don&#39;t mind hot debates but when one person starts to loose the arguement and resorts to name calling and personal attacks thats when its time for a moderator to say whoa.This didn&#39;t happen.Lets go back to topics at hand.

woods http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

[Wheelchair Bandit]

Woodseye,
Amen.If we all agreed on everything,this world would be pretty darn boring.We&#39;d also all be living in England.Now THAT&#39;S a scarry thought. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-hair-raisin-blue.gif

Yup,me and Woodseye just had a good ole civilized debate.Over on AR they&#39;ll go 100 posts or more debating on NOTHING.Those boys get nasty too.I figure they only do that when they don&#39;t know what their talking about!!

Now,it isn&#39;t my fault Woodseye doesn&#39;t know anything about deer rifles. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-biggrin-aqua.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

WB.

[doghouse95]

Hey, I have to jump into this one.
I&#39;ve shot every one of the calibers all of you have been talking about, but I prefer the 280 Rem, or the 06.
The reason behind this is that I want the extra impact energy if I need it. There are times that I want to break an animal down at 300 yards. I have this natural, read that lazy, hate of following something downhill just to pack or drag it back uphill.
The other reason is the energy retention at longer ranges. The .22&#39;s just don&#39;t hold up at longer ranges. They will drift more with the wind, and then drop like a rock.
I shoot 168 gr bullets in the 06, and 162&#39;s in the 280.
This question is like asking a room full of guys what color hair the perfect woman has...

[JDC]

Originally posted by doghouse95@Dec 18 2002, 04:06 AM
This question is like asking a room full of guys what color hair the perfect woman has...
Sandy colored with natural blonde streaks!!! http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-sideways-laff-aqua.gif

[niels]

extremely well said, Woodseye. http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-faces-toast-beers.gif

[Bill W]

My vote goes to the 25-06. There are lots of guns that&#39;ll do the job, but for small-bodied deer like blacktail I just think the 25-06 is as good as it gets. I&#39;ve got two rifles in that cal that are flat shooting tack-drivers and you can kill deer (and any other california game or varmit) with that caliber for as far as you are capable of hitting them.

My longest hunting shot ever was with a hot-loaded 120 gr bullet out of that gun on a broadside coyote at over three tenths of a mile-measured on my odometer. (That&#39;s at least five hundred and ten yards.) The round hit him just behind the left shoulder, went straight through both lungs, and made an exit hole the size of a baseball. I would expect the same basic performance on a blacktail.

The other thing I like about it is that it has much less recoil than an &#39;06. But, more than anything else, I just like that round. And that&#39;s what this thread is about.

Bill

[RidgeRunner]

I&#39;ve been shooting a 25-06 for the last 25 years and I&#39;ve handloaded it with 75 grain hp up to 117 gr and its just a great all around cartridge up to about Elk. But everybody has there favorite round just depends on where ya hunt and what ya hunt.



RidgeRunner http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-shootin-green.gif

[Wingshooter]

B.W. & R.R.
That&#39;s what I&#39;m talking about! The good ole 25-06 is the caliber of choice for me. It&#39;s not to big, it&#39;s not to small, it&#39;s just right!
Now B.W., what bullet were you shooting at that song-dog? I use a 115gr Partition and haven&#39;t had an exit hole much larger than a quarter. Just this past fall, I hit a buck in the right shoulder and exited low in the neck on the left side, the holes almost matched. I even shatered the right shoulder............Christian :xmas hat:

[huntducks]

50BMG never go under gunned http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-bag-on-head.gif


:xmas hat: :xmas hat: :xmas hat:

[woodseye]

http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-shootin-green.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-biggrin-aqua.gif http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-biggrin-aqua.gif


woods :xmas hat:

[Bill W]

Wingshooter,

I don&#39;t remeber what it was for sure. It would have probably been either a Sierra or a Blastic tip. (It could have been a 117 grain rather than a 120) I used to load a bunch of both of those in both brands. It would not have been a partition as I have never loaded them. I&#39;m told those partitions do stay together well though.

Bill

[niels]

Bill. W Yes the partitions do stay together very well, and they hit very hard as well, ya can&#39;t beat them as far as knockdown power goes. I killed two blacktails this past season with a 270 loaded with 150 grain nosler partitions, I hit both of the bucks in front of the shoulder where the shoulder meets the base of the neck, both of them dropped like pianos had been dropped on their backs, I smacked the bigger of the two bucks (dressed at 130) I killed so hard that the impact of the bullet actually lifted him off his feet and laid him down, he was dead on his feet. Needless to say I&#39;m a big fan of the nosler partition.

[woodseye]

Nosler Parition the standard by which others are judged,not too soft,not too hard, but just right!


woods

[niels]

Amen! my brother. again, very well said.

[BLASTMASTER]

Well I&#39;ve been hunting blacktail for 30 years now. Shot alot of them. I think what matters most is not caliber, but that the rifle/cartridge matches the situation.
Where I hunt 90% of my shots are 100 yards or less. I used my dad&#39;s typical "deer setup" of 30.06 bolt action w/4x scope and I have a little 7mm Mauser w/peep-sites, but neither has given me the versatility of my 30-30 Winchester lever-action w/3x-9x on see-thru mount. I&#39;ve taken them at 40 feet and running with the iron-sites, and standing there looking at me at 150 yards with the scope at 9x. I know the 30-30 gets little respect, except with me. I have never had to shoot a deer more than once. I get the lungs and they&#39;re on the ground in about 100 feet or less.

[AimHigh]

Best answer yet Blastmaster! I bought a 7mm Mag when I was 16 so I could kill everything with one gun. It works great for me but my wife uses a 30/30. She killed a 19" 3x3 (2000) and 16" 3x3 (2001) at 45 yds and 50 yds respectively - in the Trinity Alps. Both times with open sights and one shot in the lungs. Each deer went 15 feet and died. It&#39;s less about caliber and more about skill and selectivity of the shooter.

[1SoCalHunter]

I agree with huntducks, never go undergunned, 50mm rockets.....

[boarbuster]

my vote has to go to the 7mm rem mag. my bullet choice just depends on where i am hunting. in cali i use 140s. in az or co 160s in arkansas i use 150s.

[james marquess]

I agree with its not the size of the bullet as much as type of bullet or placement . I have a national match M1 A1 and about 3 years ago I shot a deer and it ran like it never was hit, I knew I could not have missed him so I went looking and found him about 150 yds away by a fench.
Looking at him I knew right away that I had put the wrong mag in the gun and had use 169 Match boat tail which are full mettle jackets. The shot was perfect but the bullet went strait through him with out slowing down. The exit hole was the same size as the enterance.
I have not used the 308 for deer since, but still use it on hogs, but I have color coded my mags.
By the way the deer is on the wall... 108 point 6 pointer.
I am now use a 270 with core- lokt or a 32win.

[One Track]

Is this thread dead?

I just bought a Savage Model 110 in 308. I know it is a very versatile caliber. Just got a great deal on it, and thought it would be a nice addition to my humble gun collection.

Any thoughts?

[BDB]

One Track,

Love that gun, had one for a while. I&#39;ve always been a fan of a .308 but don&#39;t have any anymore. Travelling back and forth to Canada for residense gets to be a pain with guns so my collection has taken a beating..........

[shooter44]

Whatever gun/cartridge/rifle you shoot best is the best "caliber". For me that&#39;s a 30-06 Rem. 700 with a Leopuld Vari-X II on a Tasco see through mount. Within about 75 yards the iron sights are great, especially on a moving target. Farther out the scope is better. For me. Whatever you all use is best for you. Like they say, beware the man with one gun, he probably knows how to shoot it.

[Speckmisser]

Hey Brent!

Congrats on joining the Savage parade!

I&#39;ve seen the .308 put down a lot of deer. You can&#39;t go far wrong there!

Gonna take that toy to Tejon in March?

[wmidbrook]

I don&#39;t know what&#39;s best for deer but I think someone said it&#39;s situational and depends on what fits the shooter...I buy into that thinking.

What I&#39;d really, really like one of those flat shootin&#39; wildcat cartridges that zips a 120 or 130 grain Nosler Partition along at a really good clip....but that would be years down the road...the 6 mm-300 WSM or 6.5-300 WSM springs to mind--might even have to go to one of those BTs at those velocities or a Swift Scirrocco. If I couldn&#39;t hold on hair, I wouldn&#39;t shoot it.

But, my old love and favorite is my 1957 Win M 70 Featherweight chambered in 30-06. I use a 150 grain bullet for just about everything except Large Game. For that, my gun likes the Federal High Energy 165 grain TBB bullets. For all else, I use my own pet reload with 150 grain Partitions these days...great terminal performance on deer.

[One Track]

Thanks Speck and BDB:

My 308 has never been fired. It&#39;s my first virgin gun. Should be fun breaking it in. Don&#39;t know if it will make the trip to Tejon, as I am comtemplating leaving the rifle at home and going with only my bow.

My favorite deer rifle has always be the 30-06. However, I have grown to love my Weatherby in 7mm. Rem. Mag.

Good stuff.

[Mattk53]

Originally posted by boarbuster@Jan 16 2003, 10:59 AM
my vote has to go to the 7mm rem mag. my bullet choice just depends on where i am hunting. in cali i use 140s. in az or co 160s in arkansas i use 150s.
You read my mind. the 7mm rem mag is a flat shooting hard hitting caliber with a 150 grain shot it doesn&#39;t do to much damage and usually drops them in there tracks even with a bad shot!

Matt

P.S. this is a Ford, Chevy & Dodge argument noone is right.

[firedog]

My fav would have to be my .280 rem. It is a Model 700 Mountian rifle. Topped with a Leupold Vari X-II. Light weight and a tack driver with 140 nosler partition handloads. I have killed deer from as close as 25yds all the way out to 400 yds. Always get the job done.

I would have to agree though that is someone only wnated one gun to hunt deer and elk with it should be an 06. Probably the best all around caliber there is.

[Dalion]

I just have to add my 2 cents worth here. I have a secret mistress she is a slim 98 Mauser actioned rifle stocked in a way that the rifle comes up like a custom made shotgun. In 6.5 X 55. This is the most versatile cartridge I have ever used. From 3,200 fps 107gr. loads to 160 gr. pencil like bullets that will go through any animal on the top side of this old world. I have never felt under gunned for anything I&#39;ve gone after.

I can shoot it all day long it is so pleasant to shoot topped with a compact 3 to 9 Leupold I could live the rest of my life with it alone. There is no better cartridge in the world! Does it show that I kinda&#39; like this rifle and cartridge?

[pschultheis]

The best rifle for deer is the one that you own that you can legally, ethically and quickly harvest a deer with. For me that is many but I love my .270. Lite, fast shooting, accurate and I can actually shoot it afew times a week and be able to lift my right arm over my head.

My 2 cents

Paul

[rookiehunt21]

I personally do not believe there is perfect gun for deer. I think you should equip yourself for the situation. Will you be hunting in the woods, desert, open plains, rollong hills, or forest. You could argue a diffrent gun for every situation. What are your chances of shooting at a deer over 100 yards in the forest. A simple 30-30 would work here. Or how about the plains of wyoming? Here a .270 would be great for a 200 plus yard shot. Then there is the grain of the bullet. I prefer 165 grain nozler partition, but have used 180 grain remington corelock shells. I have a perfect example of a time when i used both on the same animal.
I was at V.A.B. hunting pigs. I was sitting up on a ridge when a 300 lb sow came running down the hill. between the pig coming towards me and i towards the pig. i sooned clsed the distance for a 100 yard shot. i aimed and fired. Smack! The pig spun around a couple times and took off running. now this first shot was a remmington core-lokt. Soon the pig was at 300 plus yards and at a slow walk and an occasional run. i emptied my gun which was three more rounds. i missed every time low. i had to reload. i reached in my bag for my weatherby 165grain nozler partition rounds which are 50 bucks for 20! At 350 yards i aimed exaclty where i had been aiming with the 180 grain rounds. Bang! And she was down. That is where i learned my lesson on what to shoot and when.

[JOE MACK]

http://www.jesseshunting.com/forums/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smiley-hitting-self.gif The .41Magnum of course. I am a dyed-in-the-wool handgun hunter and have found this caliber to be all I need for game in North America. I&#39;ve taken everything from dump rats to elk with it along with elk sized game in the RSA. I handgun hunt like I used to bow hunt before I was injured. My Pappy said," Son, get as close as you can, then get a little closer." I&#39;ve spent hours stalking on particular mule deer. If I can&#39;t get to within <100yds, I go looking for another one. If I had to pick a deer rifle it would be in .280Remington. It&#39;s accurate, doesn&#39;t recoil overly much, lots of components are available(bullets), and in a pinch you can resize .270, &#39;06, .35Whelen, etc cases to use in it. The rifle would be a Ruger #1S as the single shot would give me a little handicap. Diversity can be a good thing after all. RKBA!

[savethevegetableskillawabbit]

I don&#39;t know how you guys do things out there, but over hear in pennsyltuckey nothing can knock a deer off its feet like a .50 cal machine gun mounted on the side of my ford. You guys keep playing with your .22&#39;s, I&#39;m sorry to bother you.