Favorite deer hunting caliber

[drklynoon]

I am wondering what every one feels is the best caliber for north american deer. My brother uses a 300 win mag which I consider to be a bit of insanity but it's his shoulder. Right now I'm usin a 303 british but am considering upgrading before next winter. I am leaning towards a 30-06 just becuase of it's versatility in reloading and use. Maybe the .308. Then again I doubt I'd need anything bigger than a .243. So what do you guys think?

[runfiverun]

if you can hit them with that 303 it's all you need
just think of it as a funny looking 308.
if you re-load [ and i know you do]
fire form some brass for it and read your load books or p.m. me i have 1 or 2
pretty good and easy 303 loads

[drklynoon]

:lol: My 303 shoots around .5 MOA so she'll hit what I point her at for the most point. I have been wanting something else for a while and here within the next couple of months I should be getting some inflow of monies and I thought it'd be a neat topic to see what everyone is using and why.

[runfiverun]

if you think you are going to start casting in the future and want
to use it for both, cast and jacketed
i would look for a 308 with a 1 in 12 twist bbl

[drklynoon]

That sounds like a solid call run. What do you use?

[runfiverun]

for deer and elk i have a 7 mauser ackley improved
my wife shoots straight 7x57 [ i have the reamer just havent done it yet,
my oldest girl shoots 7.7 jap, my youngest girl shoots 7.65 arg and 6mm rem
my boy likes 7.5x55
i have a 308 and shoot both cast and jacketed through it, if i am going rough or far
i'll take the 308 as its the light ruger they used to sell.

my wife and daughter both had 270's untill they shot my ackley
i have quite a few others and will take what matches where i am going to hunt
shot my deer with 45 colt last year.
the biggest gun i have is 25-06 unless you count 348 win but that aint goin hunting!

[jlb300]

drklynoon
It sounds to me like you are comming in to a little money and need a reason to buy a new gun? I understand , I like to have a good reason to buy another one too. I dont know about how far south in Ga you are but I know you dont need the 300 win mag all too often on the south east part of the state . How ever if you are considering a hunting trip to texas or even colorado some day then you may want to rethink a longer faster flatter shooting caliber. Even though the 303 brit will do a number at greater distances than most give credit for. I like the .30's for the versatility in #' of reloading options as you mentioned in an earlier post. maybe a .300 win short mag is an option? the .308 win is very popular as well. I would look for the gun that makes sense to you and find one that you like and go for it. I hope you get another gun reguardless of the type or cal. just getting a new one makes good sense to me. Remember you NEED this

[dale clawson]

308 or 30-06, can't go wrong with either. That said, I absolutely love my new Weatherby 257 mag. I haven't shot cast with it yet, and may not for a while. If you are going to shoot cast, go with the 30's. DALE

[crossfire]

Given the influx of surplus Mosin-Nagants and accessory parts for them, the 7.62 x 54R is a nice budget option with power close to the .30-06.

[C1PNR]

I am wondering what every one feels is the best caliber for north American deer. I doubt I'd need anything bigger than a .243.
You're probably right about the .243. It's a great cartridge available in a wide range of rifles. It's even been used quite successfully on elk, if at shorter range.

I think I'd go just a little larger in diameter, say a .257 or up. The .257 Roberts in a rifle that allows the bullet to be loaded at a longer OAL than most (longer action/magazine well) would kill anything you put the sight on. Or the 25-06, or even the .257 STW.;-)

Or maybe a .264 diameter, like the 6.5 x 55 Swede. Or like my friends .264 Win Mag, if you want to Really Reach Out:-D.

And of course the .270 Winchester is legend for killing deer, even if the options for bullets are a little limited.

And then we get into the 7mm (.284) range. There are a LOT of options there. The old and proven 7 x 57mm Mauser, the .280 Remington, just to mention a couple, would work well and not beat you up shooting them.

Once you hit the .30's, the arena is even larger. Lots of surplus rifles, in a wide variety of cartridges, are available. And many at very reasonable expense. The .303 British, .308 Winchester, '06, just a few of the options.

Didn't mean to add confusion, but you really do have a lot to choose from.:-D

Let us know what you end up getting.

[versifier]

I grab my .308 90% of the time. It will do everything I could wish for with cast of jacketed to as great a range as I can still see clearly, but there is no practical difference in performance between it and the .303 you are now using. (If you are going where the ranges are longer, borrow your brother's rifle. :-D) If I were just starting out today, I would probably go with something a little easier on the shoulder for longer sessions at the bench, (maybe in .25 or 6.5mm) but I didn't have the patience for a lot of testing when I was younger. I can understand you wanting something lighter to carry around all day than a SMLE, but the truth is, you may be hard put to beat its accuracy with a new rifle. I am not one to be at all impressed with the newest this or the latest that, and most of the rifles I buy are used (except Contender Carbine barrels). I am awfully partial to Mauser actions, but I'm happy with just about any decent bolt for a deer rifle, as long as it's accurate. Find one with a stock that properly fits you first, then worry about the chambering later. You can handload, so factory offerings mean little or nothing. The better it fits you, the more you are likely to practice with it. You could have a .458mag that will shoot one hole groups, but it will beat you up so bad that you can't pass the pieplate test at 50yds offhand and will end up gathering dust until you can find a sucker to sell it to. I would rather something more user friendly that will come to the range to be shot regularly and know that when I pick it up, I can hit what I'm aiming at.

[kodiak1]

25-06 with a 120 Grains of leaded Stopping power has worked extremely well on all deer.
Ken.

[Bullshop Junior]

Never have had a chance to shoot a deer... But the old 06 will take down a moose just fine and a moose is alot bigger then a deer!!!

[The_Montanan]

I like the ol 45-70, never hear a complaint from anything I ever hit with it [smilie=w:

From the 300-gr JSP, 405-gr JSP, 405-gr RNFP, 500-gr Elk Buster
http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/5118/300to500grvx5.th.jpg (http://img369.imageshack.us/my.php?image=300to500grvx5.jpg)

[Bama]

You might try a 7mm-08 or even a .270.....Somehow that 7mm cal. works magic.......

[jlb300]

Let us know what you decide to go with. I am interested and excited for you and your new (up comming)purchase

[testhop]

Hey What About The 7mm-08 Big Enough To Get The Job Done On Any Thing Maybe Except Bears Moose And Long Distent Elk Thay Are Light Easy To Carry Low Kick
I Learned Along Time Ago That You Carry A Rifle More Than You Shoot It So
Get A Light One It6 Makes No Diffance What Cal. Youuse And What Range You Shoot Em. You Cant Kill Em.past Dead

[missionary5155]

[QUOTE=drklynoon;4749]I am wondering what every one feels is the best caliber for north american deer. My brother uses a 300 win mag which I consider to be a bit of insanity but it's his shoulder. Right now I'm usin a 303 british but am considering upgrading before next winter. I am leaning towards a 30-06 just becuase of it's versatility in reloading and use. Maybe the .308. Then again I doubt I'd need anything bigger than a .243. So what do you guys think?[/QUOTE

:-DThe swamp bottom ground I hunt requires acuracy of 75 yards... My longest shot was 33 yards..closest was 10 feet... so my favorite caliber right now is my 58 flintlock or my 58 Navy Zouve Replica.... Hit something square with a pure lead 57 caliber ball and it will not go far... hopefully towards the tractor trail.[smilie=w:

[405]

There's probably no one topic discussed more around the campfire than- Whats the best deer cartridge/bullet/gun?

I guess anything that will cleanly kill a deer, at the range it is shot. Bullet selection is also important. I've seen quite a bit of too much gun used and seen a few instances of not enough gun. I've seen too many instances of poor marksmanship and shooting too far! Too much gun/wrong bullet would include big fast bullet that blows up a lot of tissue... makes a mess of the animal. Too little would be small/slower bullet that doesn't do enough damage or penetrate enough for 100% animal recovery after shot. Good calibers abound for my choices.... .270 Win, '06, 308 Win, 280 Rem, 7-08, 7X57, etc. Tough to pick one!

[missionary5155]

Well where I hunt I cannot see past 70 yards so my getting older Navy arms Zouave 58 cal. muzzle loader usind patched round ball (.57)is my weapon of choice. No deer has ever been lost and so far complete penetration.. even got two with one shot once. Two does standing side by side at 32 yards... Filled my 2 doe tag with one wollop... But if I had a field to shoot across any one of my 30-06 rifles (military) would sure do the trick. :)

[miken54]

I still like the lever actions so my favorite for deer is the .250-3000. None of the deer I've hit with that one have gone far at all. Other rifles and calibers have been tried but I always go back to the old .250.

[shooter39629]

My favorite is the 7-08 followed by my 270. I have several 30-06's, and a 300WSM. The 7-08 and 270 are in my favorite rifles a Remington model 7 and sendore

[35Rem]

New here..first post. I vote for using my Marlin 336 lever action in 35 Rem when hunting here in Wisconsin. I use my handloads of 200gr Rem Cl's or 158gr Horns jhp's. Both have been very successful for me. Great forum just because I love to reload ALL my centerfire guns. Birds of a feather..you know...lol

[testhop]

try the 7-08or the best cal ever made 270 winchester i think you carry the rifle more you
shoot it so get a light one there is nothing wrong with the 3006 eather

[Hunter4Life]

My favorite deer caliber is my .25-06 followed by my .270 Win, then my .30-06. All are great deer rounds.

[missionary5155]

In revolver 41 Mag

[jlb300]

I am wondering if Drklynoon ever got a new gun?????????? If someone notices him posting see if he will come back here and post which way he went. I hope it worked out.

[atr]

I use either a .257 Roberts with 117gr spitzer or a 7x57 with 120 gr. spitzer...my hunting is generally done with ranges from 75 yds to 250 yds. My 308 and '06 pretty much sit in the corner during the deer season. I find both the .257 and 7x57 really easy to shoot accurately, and they are lighter in weight than the 30 cals and magnums.....

[Bill Church]

I am wondering what every one feels is the best caliber for north american deer. My brother uses a 300 win mag which I consider to be a bit of insanity but it's his shoulder. Right now I'm usin a 303 british but am considering upgrading before next winter. I am leaning towards a 30-06 just becuase of it's versatility in reloading and use. Maybe the .308. Then again I doubt I'd need anything bigger than a .243. So what do you guys think?
Its awfull hard to beat a 180 grain 30 06 when it comes to Deer if you are aloud to shoot em in your state.

I have one in a Remington 700 and in a 710 (I know every one shutters at the mention of a 710) but The 710 holds a better group but you can't tell anyone what your shooting.

[chris112]

Probably the 7X57 in a Ruger M77. All one shot kills with it.
Only tried the 308 once. Satisfied but not any better than the 7X57.
Need to take the 6mm Rem one of these days. But I have a feeling that it will work just fine.
Don't plan on ever triing either of the 22 centerfires. Just don't think it is a good idea.

[1Shirt]

Agree w/Chris 112, took my 77 Rug in 7x57 to Africa, took 10 heads with it out to over 400 yds. That said, I hunt deer in central Ne. and shots can be to infinity (or so it seems) Little to no timber, so I seem to have grabbed the 7Rem Mag. the past few years, but would be just as happy with 7x57. Have taken deer with 222 (where it was legal), 243,7x57,7Rem, and 06. If I were woods hunting would probably be satisfied with on old 94 Win in 30-30. You have to hitum to gitum, and you have to hitum in the right place. It is bullet placement that counts regardless of what you shoot.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[casullman]

Definately a 7MM make mine a long action

[lon_in_thewoods]

I think my favorite has been which ever I was carrying at the moment. Indiana has just recently went to rifles(pistol caliber) I currently have a .44 mag and .357 maximum. I am just starting to reload. With the prices of shotgun slugs vs rifle (handgun)ammo, you can bet .44 mag and .357 max will soon be my favorite deer cartridges.

Lonny

[ISME]

I am a deep woods kind of hunter for the most part . I occasionally get to hunt around corn fields. My two choices are .44mag mod. 92 trapper and .308 Mossberg ATR100 I really like both of these and they seem to get the job done, if I do my part.

[airborne556762]

No doubt has to be the 300 WSM and 280 Rem calibers. Very easy to handload for and in my Browning Abolt II composite stalkers (in both calibers) topped with Leupold scopes that are absolute tack drivers in both factory ammo and the handloads.

I have hunted in 30 different states (from Alaska to the southeast US) and now live in the upper midwest where long range shooting reigns. You have got to have really accurate rilfes or in some cases you will be eating deer tag soup for the winter.

These two calibers are not only my most favorite deer rifles but I would use the 300 WSM on everything in North America using the right handloads for it. Works for me!!!!!!

[Huntbear]

Hmmm lets see.

Browning BLR in .308
Remington 700 Custom in 7mm-08
Howa Custom in .257 A.I.
Remington 760 in .300 Sav.
Ruger Redhawk .44 mag.

To many to choose a favorite. They have all killed deer. They all shoot great. All have been easy to reload for.

I guess my favorite would be whatever I grabbed from the safe as I was going out the door that day.

[stick_man]

My favorite would have to be a toss-up between the '06 and the '06. I have taken many deer with my .30-06 Rem 760 and also lots of deer with the Parker Hale in .25-06 Both are very competent to do their job and it primarily just depends on the area I am hunting and who I am hunting with. Lately, my son has wanted to use the .25-06 so I get to use the .30 a little more often. Although, as I get older, the 6mm Rem is looking a lot more like a deer rifle instead of just a varmint gun. :mrgreen:

If I am on a combo deer/elk hunt, it is definitely the .30-06 loaded with the 168gr Barnes TSX. Quite the performance and accuracy.

It's all about the shot placement. Your favorite should be the one you feel the most comfortable with.

[DKA]

My favorite Deer Hunting Caliber is a 25 06 & 7mm 08. Both of these calibers are easy on the shoulder and very accurate. I also have some big guns for different situations.