Best Whitetail Cartridge

[Dr T]

The right answer, of course, is that it depends. I was tinkering in my safe tonight and reflected on the cartridges and loads that I have used to take whitetails over the last 50 years. Not including the 22 WRM Ruger Single Six that I use to administer the coup de grace on wounded animals, they are:

6 mm Remington Factory and Handlandloads, 85 gr and 100 gr
270 Winchester Factory and Handloads, 130 gr.
7 mm - 08 Handloads, 145 gr
30-40 Krag Handloads, 165 gr
308 Factory Loads, 150 gr and 165 gr
30-06 Factory and Handloads, 150 gr, 165 gr, and 180 gr.
300 Weatherby Magnum Factory Loads, 180 gr.

The two longest shots were with the 6 mm (325 yds, 100 gr), and 30-06 (315 yds, 150 gr).

The two shortest shots were both with a 30-06: about 20 yds (from the top of a windmill to a water trough with a 150 gr bullet about 48 years ago), and 40 yards with a 180 gr about 7 years ago. The 40 yard shot is the only kill I have made with a 30-06 where the bullet hit the heart, failed to exit the body, and spoiled no meat.

The only shot I have intentionally made through brush was with a 300 Wby Mag (I only hit one twig about 1 mm in diameter. The bullet was canted slightly at impact based on the entrance wound about 1 m past the twig. The bullet impact, however, was close to point of aim)

As far as I can tell, each one of these deer was just as dead as every other one.

So the bottom line for me is, the best whitetail cartridge is going to depend on the most comfortable gun you have in your hands when the opportunity presents itself.

When I see discussions of 308 vs 30-06, or 300 Super vs 300 Win Mag vs 300 Wby Mag, I take pleasure is examining the vary points of comparison. But the cartridge is only one part of the system you use to hunt. The performance of the system as a whole (Rifle, Cartridge, Bullet, Load, Shooter) has to be considered. IF the selection of a 6 mm Remington over a 243 Winchester gives the the shooter more confidence and allows him to shoot better, the shooter should take the 6 mm. But if selecting a 300 Wby Mag over a 30-06 would make the shooter overconfident and enable him to choose a bad shot that he would not consider with a 30-06, he should stick with the 30-06.

As I write this, I am planning the rifles to use on the ranch this coming fall. Right now, I am leaning on taking my Ruger Frontier in 308 with a Marlin 336 Big Loop in 30-30 as a back up. But I also have a 243 Tikka that is begging to go. The decision will likely be made at the range. Based on my shooting lately, I have a lot of practicing to do.

 

[Panzerschwein]

40x311mm Bofors.

Drops 'em every time.

Really though, make mine a .308/7.62x51mm NATO. It fits the bill for me, enough power but not too much recoil. Ammo is easy to find, rifles are typically fairly light with shorter actions. I like them a whole lot, also for hogs as well.

 

[ontarget]

I have always believed the bullet is far more important than the caliber.

 

[Dr T]

I tend to agree on the bullet.

For me, the bullet factors are:

Bullet placement (accuracy component--but shooter, rifle, bullet and cartridge must all perform)

Bullet performance (Favorite bullets: Hornady Interlock Softpoints and the no longer available Nosler Solid Base Softpoints. Least Favorite: Remington CoreLokt--and I know some people swear by them, but I every one of the 100 gr 6mm bullets I recovered had a jacket separation; none exited, and some I simply never found.)

Impact momentum (I am still considering whitetails, On dangerous game, it would be higher)

 

[LeonCarr]

.458 Winchester Magnum

Of the ones mentioned, I like the .308 with 150 Grain Nosler Ballistic Tips.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[Swing]

40x311mm Bofors.

Drops 'em every time.

LMAO!

 

[greyling22]

I don't really hunt, but my boss is a big hunter of all the deer in the Midwest and down into south tx. He has had and tried most calibers, and he says that for Texas deer nothing knocks them over like a 30/30. For the bigger mules at longer ranges he uses a 300 win mag.

Probably killed more deer at his place in central tx with a compact ruger 77 in 223 than anything else though. But central tx deer are small.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

As you said Dr T, the most important thing is shooter ability/confidence. We all have our favorites and virtually everyone you ask will have a differing opinion for the most part. For me, for whitetails, the 7mm-08 is probably the best whitetail deer cartridge ever developed. Whitetails aren't armor plated and they are not difficult to take down. Here in Illinois rifles aren't allowed so we are limited to Shotgun or muzzleloader. I prefer a muzzleloader as I have more range with my inlines than I do with any of my slug guns. But when I get time to travel and hunt other, more intelligent states that allow rifles for whitetail, my 7mm-08 barrel is the one that goes with me. Hand loaded with 139 grains of Hornady Interlock SP magic has yet to fail me. The load, rifle, and myself are very capable of taking whitetail out to 400 yards. You could realistically take it out to 650 or so according to ballistic data but I don't go past 400 for ethical reasons myself no matter what I have in my hands.

As far as bullet performance, I've always been in the school of 2 holes are better than one. It's the archer in me I guess. Terminal performance is 2nd only to accuracy in my book. Quick, humane kills is what we should all want so you want a bullet that expands, but not explosively that will hinder penetration as well as destroy that tasty meat! Lots of good bullets out there and lots of great cartridges that do a fine job of putting meat in the freezer.

 

[SwaneeSR]

I had my Tikka 6.5x55se at the range again yesterday.

Shooter ability and confidence and familiarity with the rifle is key. Yesterday, I was testing handloads for the Swede. The Hndy 140gr SST pushed by H4831SC certainly can do the job on a whitetail. Just a joy to shoot, low recoil but delivers the goods down range. But the biggest factor is that I have put enough time in to know that I can make the shot and quickly, 2nd nature.

Last year, I took a smaller 6pt buck with one of my .30-06's. From my ladder stand, he was through some brush, under 100 yards, saw an opening alley between two large trees, flipped rifle up and took him with one clean shot, whole experience happened in maybe 10 seconds. The handload using a 165gr Hndy SST took out the lower half of the heart.

Reading the OP, I pondered what rifles I had carried into the woods.

Win 94 .30-30. 150gr factory ammunition (1980 - 1989)
Loaner Browning BAR, .30-06 180gr factory ammunition
Rem 742 .30-06 150, 165, 180 gr factory ammunition (lots of deer from 1989 - 2008)
Browning ABolt - no deer, cursed gun, me my youngest son and nephew, no deer
Browning BAR .30-06 165gr Factory ammunition, 165gr Hndy SST (inherited from dad 2012 - 2015)
Tikka T3 Lite 6.5x55se, new for 2016, working on handloads

Actually the biggest improvement in my deer hunting has been the shooters ability. I shoot much more now than before and have the confidence to close the deal. Anything within 200 yards is a done deal. I hunt in deep woods, the 200 - 400 yards sightings are rare

I should say the ABolt is a wonderful gun. All three hunters that have carried it have passed on does and in my case a small fork horn heading for one of the kids in our hunting party. I have been outsmarted by a really big buck on three occasions with the rifle. It is a running joke as to who would dare take it into the woods.


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[Steve S.]

As was said, we all have our deer caliber, rifle, scope, (etc) favorites and all of the expertise/ experience to back it up; what most look for on this board is a large population of reassurance that their favorite is the favorite of others - that they made the right choice - "Ford or Chevy". Most any caliber between .223 and the big .30's (multitude of choices) will kill a deer if the shooter puts the round in the chest area - my experience is that deer are just big squirrels, most are as dumb as a box of rocks and will drop dead fairly easy - a semi-skilled shooter armed with any "deer" caliber and a working knowledge of their behavior will kill a deer with acceptable success. Deer are not magic and they are certainly not tanks; they get killed in great numbers every year by all calibers and all levels of competence. The best part of deer hunting is the freedom that the outdoors gives to your mind; the smell in your nose, the anticipation, the comradery, the field lunch, etc. - it is an endeavor that cleanses the mind and soul. Good shooting.

 

[eastbank]

if you reload the choices are just about endless. i like the .257 roberts with 115gr bullets,the .260rem with 129gr bullets, 7mm08 with 120gr bullets, .308 win with 165gr bullets ,3006 with 165gr bullets for deer and a little larger animals out to 300yrds for me. eastbank.

 

[Grumulkin]

Least Favorite: Remington CoreLokt--and I know some people swear by them, but I every one of the 100 gr 6mm bullets I recovered had a jacket separation; none exited, and some I simply never found.)

So, the animals were dead and you're complaining about the bullet? LOL.



A 250 gr. Hornady SST/ML bullet shot out of a 460 S&W Magnum handgun into an Impala. The Impala dropped where it stood.

I also have some Argentine military surplus Berdan primed 308 Winchester cartridges I bought cheap somewhere (probably from Cheaper-Than-Dirt) with which I've taken 3 deer. All the shots were lung shots and two were at very close range. None of the bullets exited (the only way that happens at short range is if the bullets come apart) and all the deer dropped where they stood. I'm not complaining about bullet failure about those.

Gentlemen, stop believing everything you read. You DON'T need a premium bullet for deer. While it's true a bullet shouldn't come apart before reaching vital organs, if it comes apart in vital organs it will kill faster than a bullet that doesn't come apart and goes right on through. Read that again if you need to.

 

[jmr40]

All cartridges are a lot more similar than different. I grew up in a time where people thought they needed a lot bigger gun than they really did and based on those influences have used a 30-06 most of my life. In recent years I've used a smaller, lighter rifle in 308 a lot more.

To be honest, even the 308 is a lot bigger than needed for deer. If I were advising a new hunter today I'd tell them that there is no reason to buy anything larger than 243 if deer are the biggest thing you'll hunt. Anything in 260/6.5mm is probably close to ideal for what most of the hunting in this country.

If someone just wants to use something larger that is fine. We hunt for fun, use the rifle you enjoy hunting with. I'm set up with rifles in the 30-06/308 class that I've had for years and they have too much history to part with. I'm not changing at this point.

 

[EIB0879]

I have killed the most whitetail with the cartridges listed in descending order;

30-06
300 WBY
30-30
.270 Win
.308

 

[z7]

In my hunting experience with deer, most shots are under 200, even under 100 yds unless you are hunting a tower stand over a bean field or something. I started with a 30-30 lever action and a fixed 4x scope. I used factory ammo and shot a lot of pigs and 15 deer in 4 years. Only one deer ran off, a 125yd heart shot on a doe. We head shot/neck shot pigs and would shoot deer where the neck meets the shoulder, doesnt waste meat and the deer are Dead Right There.

In more recent years years i have used a 30-06 to take 4 deer with more traditional shoulder/lung shots, the longest was a 150yd shot, he ran a ways. The closest was 15 yds, he ran. A 40 yd shot with a 200g soft point knocked the deer off his feet like a truck would.

I have also seen deer shot with a .223 inside of 50 yds. A good bullet treated like a bow, (only good shots) leads to dead deer, blood trails with a 223 can be troublesome.

What is "ideal?" I dont know. A well placed bullet gets the job done. I bow hunt more often then not these days, because the season is longer. I will.be buying deer rifle in the next few years, probably a tikka in 30-06 or 300wm depending on where i am and the possibility of elk hunting. I also want a 6.5 Creedmoor or a 7mm-08 for deer.
If i use a rifle this fall it would either be a 308 or a 223 with a handload
I still like my 30-30 lever gun. Longest kill was 200 yds, not bad for a 12yr old

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[JimKirk]

I would venture to say that a big percentage of folks try to shoot a cartridge that is "larger" than they are comfortable shooting .... John Doe goes to the LGS and gets the biggest super duper magnum and shoots it three times at a target and he is set to hunt ....

They and the animal( talking deer) would be better served with a comfortable 7-08, .260 Rem or something in the same area of power ... LEARN TO SHOOT IT and be confident with it ...

I've been shooting a .25/06 since 1969 and have all the faith I need in it ... if I do my part the cartridge will do it's job ...

 

[PowerG]

So, the animals were dead and you're complaining about the bullet? LOL.



A 250 gr. Hornady SST/ML bullet shot out of a 460 S&W Magnum handgun into an Impala. The Impala dropped where it stood.

I also have some Argentine military surplus Berdan primed 308 Winchester cartridges I bought cheap somewhere (probably from Cheaper-Than-Dirt) with which I've taken 3 deer. All the shots were lung shots and two were at very close range. None of the bullets exited (the only way that happens at short range is if the bullets come apart) and all the deer dropped where they stood. I'm not complaining about bullet failure about those.

Gentlemen, stop believing everything you read. You DON'T need a premium bullet for deer. While it's true a bullet shouldn't come apart before reaching vital organs, if it comes apart in vital organs it will kill faster than a bullet that doesn't come apart and goes right on through. Read that again if you need to.

What if the bullet comes apart before it reaches the vital organs, say because it hit a bone? I would much prefer a bullet that is accurately placed, exactly where I want it, and which stays in one piece until it exits the deer.

You cannot possibly kill a deer faster than DRT, which is the invariable result of a well placed Interlock. No thanks on the fragmenting bullet, it is a lost animal waiting to happen.

 

[FL-NC]

My personal favorite is a 243 using 100 grain winchester power points.

 

[SwampWolf]

I've killed deer with more than a few cartridges and most have done the job with a good bullet routed to the right place. That said, I do have a favorite: .358 Winchester with a 200 grain Silvertip bullet. Whitetails don't travel far when hit squarely with this cartridge.

 

[Hookeye]

I kinda like the .35 Rem.
Where I hunt the shots are under 200, and so far mine have been under 100.
Little TC Super 16 carbine is a bit too short IMHO..........but man does it carry well (even after a few ounces added to forend to help with offhand shooting).

I'm thinking of rebarreling a Ruger #1 to .35 Rem.
Just for the cool factor.

 

[Hookeye]

Have chuck hunted for decades so am used to longer D shooting.
If I lease some ground next yr I might be able to run a hotter rig.
But if the deer move to the back, it's still an under 200 yd game.
Have a few rifles that could go to 400.

But they're boring.

 

[Jason_W]

I would argue that the best deer round is one that is

A) Capable of destroying enough vital tissue to reasonably quickly kill the animal.

B) Enjoyable for the hunter to shoot. If the gun is enjoyable to shoot, the hunter is going to put in more range time, get to know his or her weapon well and learn its ins and outs and limitations far better than the hunter who defaults to a real bruiser of a round and burns out on it after five shots.

 

[Hangingrock]

In my youth I knew and older gentleman that used a 25-20 and thought it to be sufficient. For his application it was as he hunted wooded areas and the shots were close and exhibited excellent marksmanship.

As a land owner whom allows hunting by permission only, I stipulate shots taken must equate to deer taken. Its a firm and fair rule. If you can't hit with what you got don't bring it and don't take shots beyond your competency level.

 

[Grumulkin]

What if the bullet comes apart before it reaches the vital organs, say because it hit a bone? I would much prefer a bullet that is accurately placed, exactly where I want it, and which stays in one piece until it exits the deer.

You cannot possibly kill a deer faster than DRT, which is the invariable result of a well placed Interlock. No thanks on the fragmenting bullet, it is a lost animal waiting to happen.

Obviously, if a bullet doesn't reach vital organs or a major artery the animal could be lost. But if a "fragmenting bullet" is "well placed" it won't hit a bone that will stop it.

I'm also doubtful that the "invariable result" of an Interlock is a deer "DRT" which means to me it fell dead right where it stood. That is unless "well placed" means a hit some place in the central nervous system.

I have no issue with Interlocks though; I use them.

 

[entropy]

In my youth I knew and older gentleman that used a 25-20 and thought it to be sufficient. For his application it was as he hunted wooded areas and the shots were close and exhibited excellent marksmanship.

As a land owner whom allows hunting by permission only, I stipulate shots taken must equate to deer taken. Its a firm and fair rule. If you can't hit with what you got don't bring it and don't take shots beyond your competency level.

The record non-typical record that stood for many years was taken with a .25-20.

I like using my own handloads in whichever caliber I am using, slugs having been the exception. I used Hornady SSTs.

I prefer .30-06 for deer, but don't currently own one.