Biggest caliber you would use on whitetail?

[Arkel23]

What's the biggest caliber you would use on whitetail? Me well hmmm I heard about a guy dropping a deer with a gut-shot from a .338 win mag. With good shot-placement you could use any gun.(Maybe) Max 225-350 yard shot. Open Field lined with woods. SC rifle huntin!!

 

[gvnwst]

Well, maybe a 20mm HE round or something, just head shot. (i think some meat might still be left, even shooting it there...)

Really, i would think anything over 4000 FPE would be a "bit" much, and time to step down to a less harsh caliber. Probably closeer to 3000 FPE would be my max.

 

[edelbrock]

I would say the MOST I would ever use would be a 300 Win Mag. I still think that is overkill for most shots you would make on a whitetail.

 

[Coyote_Hunter_]

.50 as that's the largets I have. Muzzleloader.

 

[PT1911]

Caliber is an incorrect designation. I would hunt a deer with a .45 colt but that doesnt mean i would use a similar bullet diameter in a high powered rifle cartrige. if you are speaking of purely "rifle" cartiges, I would not hunt a deer with anything LARGER than a 45-70 (bigger/slower), and nothing with more punch than a 30-06 (smaller 'by comparison to previous' and faster). there is no need in getting into the magnum rifle cartriges for whitetail deer.

muzzle loaders are another story altogether...


funny story, had a kid come into the shop a while back wanting something different for deer hunting (in alabama) and made no reservations that money was of little object. Showed him some nice guns including a custom Mauser .257 roberts (will be mine tomorrow), weatherby Van-guard 270 with a leupold VXIII (700!!!!!!!!! may be mine soon) kimber 308, kimber 30-06...etc... he wasnt interested... nothing unique enough. I checked out mentally when he said a 45-70 was too small for whitetail.

Damn deer and their kevlar hides... this should do the trick..

http://www.chuckhawks.com/825_magnum.htm

 

[LeonCarr]

I have a buddy who shot a whitetail with a .460 Weatherby Magnum shooting 500 grain SPs, and it was no different than shooting one with a "deer" caliber. You could eat right up to the bullet hole.

Most dangerous game type rounds are loaded with super stout solids or soft points, and they seldom expand on deer size game. By the way, the deer dropped like a stone, DRT.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[Uncle Mike]

Biggest caliber you would use on whitetail?

For real...300 wby, win, wsm. I have, they work, but... damn!

If I had it.. .600 Nitro Express

For $h1ts and giggles.. 20mm HEI something to tell the grandkids

Biggest I do use.. 30-06!

 

[edelbrock]

Damn deer and their kevlar hides... this should do the trick..

http://www.chuckhawks.com/825_magnum.htm

That is hilarious.

 

[MCgunner]

.50 BMG if I had one. Why not? Is there a law or something? I won't use .22s, a little light IMHO, but I don't think there is such a thing as "too big" ethically. Now, yeah, an HE round would mess a little meat up. Hell, a 7 mag messes meat up if you're too close and shoot the shoulder. I know this from experience.

 

[P.B.Walsh]

For $h1ts and giggles.. 20mm HEI something to tell the grandkids

ROTFL Made my day!!!!!

 

[Uncle Mike]

eer... we had something like that in the Navy.... SEE POST #8

One of those turret thingies with the three barrels up on deck...lol

I'd pay a dollar to see one of you guys shoot that beast!

 

[PT1911]

I guess I hunt with too much of that whole respect for the creature mentality. Why blow it into pieces when you can kill it just as quickly while preserving it.

Same reason I dont strap dead deer to the hood of my car I guess..

 

[rangerruck]

I think an 8mmslow would be perfect; such as a 323, or the end all be all of hunting rounds, the 338 federal. It is a great round, and will drop anything in north america.

 

[P.B.Walsh]

Really though, the largest I'd hunt with one would probaly be no larger than .300WM, or mabey 7mm Rem. Mag., or a .338LM (this would really be pushing it). I like my .308.

 

[HB]

Well, I use M94 in .30-30, a Savage in .243, a .50 muzzle loader, or a bow, so max would be a .30-06 for me. Maybe a 7mm mag for long shots.
My goal this year is to get one with each gun I use and one with a .357 Blackhawk I just bought I love Missouri!

 

[Matrix187]

I've use everything from a .223 to a 7mm mag, and everything did the job just fine. I've used .308, 7mm mauser, 7.62x39, 7mm magnum, ,223, and all did equally fine since I always had good shot placement. I think the 7mm mag works fine, but it's power isn't necessary at all for white tail.

 

[Arkel23]

i checked out mentally when he said a 45-70 was too small for whitetail.

wow lol.

 

[redneckdan]

I used a down loaded .375 holland an holland before. Worked pretty well.

 

[browningguy]

I shoot one almost every year with a .458 Winchester Magnum. We have a group that does a big bore hunt and the smallest cartridge you can use is a .375 H&H.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Probably a 7mm Rem mag, for really really long shots.

 

[mongo4567]

I'm going to shoot one with my 50 bmg when I get around to it. I'll do a neck shot so it won't mess up any meat.

 

[gvnwst]

I shoot one almost every year with a .458 Winchester Magnum. We have a group that does a big bore hunt and the smallest cartridge you can use is a .375 H&H.

So, any guys there with .505 gibbs and similar??? If so, got pics of what must be carnage?

 

[jpwilly]

Same reason I dont strap dead deer to the hood of my car I guess..

YEA, they gotto ride on the roof!!!

 

[sarduy]

maybe with this...

 

[Maverick223]

The way I figure it...the bigger the cartridge the less work. No tracking, gutting, cutting, er' tenderizing necessary.