Best Deer Cartridge.

[kozak6]

Part of the problem is that there is no single "best" deer cartridge. It varies too much by the range you can shoot at and the size of the deer.

It's silly to bust out the 7mm magnum if the woods limit you to a 100 yard shot at a 95 pound whitetail.

Or, if you are talking about Montana monster mule deer at several hundred yards, perhaps the .30-30 carbine with open sights isn't the best choice.

Your poll is particularly worthless since you have left out what are probably the two most popular options, .30-06 and .30-30.

 

[GunNut1976]

you are particularly worthless

 

[R.W.Dale]

allow me to clarify I am a recoil sensitive shooter 30-06 has proven to be a bit too much for me to shoot accurately. I'm leaning towards the 25-06?

NOW we're getting somewhere!!!

So what we need to be discussing is light recoiling deer rounds

IME this eliminates 308, 7mag AND 270 win all of which kick just as hard as 30/06

The 6.5mm creedmore can go as well because AFIK there are no factory deer loads available for it.



22-250, 243 and 223 work in the most experienced hands and are easy on the shoulder. HOWEVER these are far from any deer at any range with any shot cartridges. I reccomend a bit heavier

Have you thought about 6.5x55swedish?



Tapatalk post via IPhone.

 

[cottonmouth]

N0 45-70?

J.b.

 

[R.W.Dale]

.243 a little light
25-06
6.5mm Creedmoor No ammo
.257 roberts Can you buy a rifle in this one?
.270 winchester too much recoil
.308 winchester too much recoil
7mm-08
.270 wsm too much recoil
7mm remington mag too much recoil
22-250 too light

So really where does this leave us? 25/06 vs 7mm-08

 

[sixgunner455]

I don't really know what's best, but I'm about to buy a .243.

 

[FlyinBryan]

i voted 270, but it was a coin toss between 3-4.

if 30/06 had been on the list it would have my vote (and would win this poll in a landslide imo)

 

[Get R Done Guns]

Hummm.....25-06 is a little small for the monster Utah mulies. Aside from that most hunters here are shooting 7mm and 300 ultra. Shots may range from 300-600 yards on a 300 pound mule deer. I personally like shooting the 7mm Ultra mag. We don't get to shoot at those tiny whitetails in other states so most of the cartridges on the poll don't really work out here. 300 win mag is also extremely popular out west in the big canyons. We have to have something that hits hard at extended distances so a larger caliber is actually needed to get the job done at these distances.

 

[jbkebert]

.257 roberts Can you buy a rifle in this one?

I have one Winchester M70 and my buddy just got himself a new Cooper in .257AI talk about a sweet rifle.

Ruger, Remington, Kimber all have offerings in .257 Roberts

Not saying the .257 roberts is the best caliber but it's far from the worst.

 

[Tentwing]

I love my 25-06 for deer, but I've only had it a few years now.
The vast majority of my deer fell victim to a Marlin 336 in a 30-30. (most shots in my part of the country are less than 70-80 yards) Even though the 30-30 is still lethal much further out it still has very little recoil. (My biggest buck ever was taken at 147 yards with a 170 gr 30-30. proper shot placement dropped him less than 10 yards from where he was hit. )

Later on (after college and kids) I picked up a 30-06. It was and still is great for anything bigger than a groundhog. Besides as a son of a WW2 Marine Vet . I grew up around them and owning one is almost a right of passage.

My sons reluctancy to give me back my 30-06 and buy his own eventually led to my purchase of a 25-06.

Tentwing

 

[rj112275]

270 or 308 for me. My main rifle the past 10 years is a Remington Model Seven in 308. I like the short action. It kills 'em just as dead as my old single shot 270. Use whatcha got. If you got nothing, then get something. Go hunting.

 

[Dreamcast270mhz]

6.5x55 swede. Commonly available but not on the poll, odd.

 

[Tomcat47]

Both best in (MO) 30-30 & 30-06.....But not on poll!

I do like the 25-06 a Lot! Even better than 22-250 but it might be lacking for larger deer say out west...mulies etc.

And above that, Elk etc. I like the choice of .300 & 7mm Magnum.

So to the question and considering deer (whitetail) only...30-30 & 30-06!

And my 30-30 will go in pine box with me!

 

[Redneck with a 40]

For a short range brush gun, 30-30. For long range western mountain shooting, 270 win.

 

[amwdc]

Kliegl


"Where's the 30-06? It's only about the most popular deer cartridge going."

amen

 

[sixgunner455]

Hummm.....25-06 is a little small for the monster Utah mulies. Aside from that most hunters here are shooting 7mm and 300 ultra. Shots may range from 300-600 yards on a 300 pound mule deer. I personally like shooting the 7mm Ultra mag. We don't get to shoot at those tiny whitetails in other states so most of the cartridges on the poll don't really work out here. 300 win mag is also extremely popular out west in the big canyons. We have to have something that hits hard at extended distances so a larger caliber is actually needed to get the job done at these distances.

Huh. I used to live in Utah. I didn't know anybody who used a magnum bigger than a 7mm Rem Mag. Everybody who didn't just use a muzzleloader had a .270, .308, .30-06, or a .30-30. One camp I went on, the guy with the .30-30 was the only guy who got anything the first day. There's a lot more to it than big bullets at long ranges. The deer I've killed in Utah were all at relatively close distances, with a .50 muzzleloader.

They're not that big. Elk fall every year to the same cartridges.

 

[Beetle Bailey]

For your needs I would look at a 6.5x55 Swede.

 

[Waywatcher]

There are definitely some missing choices.

No .30-06 or 6.5x55?

 

[Mr. T]

Not a valid poll without the 30.06 in my opinion.

 

[nathan]

Pick any that you like and know its ballistics. Practice and practice and be good at it. ANything that comes within its effective range is dead meat.

 

[montanaoffroader]

I'm an -06 guy, but if I were looking for something with a bit less recoil I would consider the .260 Remington. Decent ballistics and fairly easy on the shoulder. My second choice would be .243 Win.

 

[doc2rn]

As others have pointed out, your missing the top two for US shooters, 30-30 and 30-06. Without them this is isnt even a question.

I am a recoil sensitive shooter also, but I have no problem with .257 Roberts or 30-30.

 

[Snowbandit]

Most of my deer shooting has been incidental to hunting elk so my observations probably aren't entirely valid. I've used a Ackley built 35-300 Win. Mag. for many years and that thing will anchor deer right now. Took a nice buck and a doe about 15 seconds apart at over 300 yards not too long ago with it. For a pure deer rifle, with no possible need for anything bigger, I would be quite satisfied with the 30-06.

 

[jleyring]

.270 Is the best

 

[Mr Woody]

In my opinion; The best ALL AROUND hunting cartridge is the 30-06, It will take anything in North America. I have used the 30-06 as my primary gun for 40 years although recently I have switched to 6.8 rem.

But the question was for a deer cartridge only with a lighter recoil. Also one that has ammo available and easy to find. On his list that leaves the .243 in first place. Again this is my opinion. I don't even own a .243. If 30-30 were on his list it may also have been an option but not everyone likes the lever gun.

You may even want to check your local gun shop and mega-mart to see if your cartridge of favor is even for sale there.
W