Biggest caliber you would use on whitetail?

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.45/70 was popular 'back east' for a lot longer than it was out west. The recent renewed interest in the cartridge can be blamed almost entirely on Marlin's success in marketing it to elk and bear hunters. .45/70 is moving so slow it doesn't blood shoot the meat like belted magnums can, it's plenty of gun for the job, without being overkill.
 
I once saw a doe charge a guy I knew years ago(she was acting seriously aggressive), he was shooting targets with a 45-70, at 30 ft away the entire top of her head came off in tiny pieces (everything above the lower jaw). She dropped like a sack of potatoes, but had a lot of forward momentum yet.
 
I have never used anything bigger than .458 Winchester. :D I know, I know.... but when you reload you can get it down to below 45-70. I have a 420 grain lead flat nose that's around 1,300 fps and recoils like a kitty cat.

J.B.
 
Don't know about the largest caliber, but I hunt deer with a 300wsm and when I'm hunting in thick brush my gun is a Marlin 45-70.
 
I have nothing against folks using belted magnums. I don't think it's necessary, love my .308 and my .257 Roberts for deer hunting, but I've shot a handful with my 7 mag and it's a good gun, especially if ranges stretch. Best buck I have was shot with that gun, behind the shoulder, quartering away, DRT. It's an accurate rifle, don't keep inaccurate ones.

Main thing is, if you're going to use a big gun, know how to shoot it. Some folks don't do well with recoil. The big 7, though, really ain't much worse than a .30-06. Put 120 grains equivalent of Pyrodex in my Hawken, it's worse than the 7. 90 grains is almost as bad. 120 grains will wake you up! :D I've only shot that load a few times, 90 being my standard. .375 and up take some getting used to. Some folks just never get used to 'em.
 
I used a 300 win mag, and every body had 308's and 30-06's, and called mine a cannon. I did know a guy who wanted to try out his 375 h&h magnum on deer. He hit one well and it ran off-got about 100 yards before it went down. You just never know.
 
I`m in Greenville county upstate S.C. .308win. and .270wsm perform well for me on deer. Woods fields clearcuts powerlines. All are covered. Coyotes have about nearly wiped out decent deer hunting in Laurens and Newberry counties. If you have deer enjoy hunting while you can.
 
I guess I lied above when I said 7mm remmag. The biggest 'caliber' I'd use (and have) is a .50 caliber muzzleloader.

I wouldn't be opposed to using a .54 or .58 cal ML either, or even a .73 caliber rifled 'shotgun' slug, but so far I'm happy with my .50 cals. I suppose technically, the answer to the question is ".73 caliber", since I would use a 12 ga slug.

I've also killed deer with .45 cal ML, and hunted deer with a .45-70.
 
You ought to hit one with a 12 Ga slug. The Brenneke slug I used literally drilled a 2 inch entrance wound. It clipped a lung and the blood trail was like someone had thrown buckets of blood on the ground, on the sides of trees.

The deer bled out very quickly, did not go far.
 
I`m in Greenville county upstate S.C. .308win. and .270wsm perform well for me on deer. Woods fields clearcuts powerlines. All are covered. Coyotes have about nearly wiped out decent deer hunting in Laurens and Newberry counties. If you have deer enjoy hunting while you can.
Click to expand...
We don't have any problems with the yotes up this way.
 
Largest Caliber

In Wisconsin, where deer can weigh up to 250-300 lbs. I have yet to see anything walk away from my .270 or my 30.06. The 30.06 with max bullet weight of 165 grains; anything larger and you're just wrecking meat. You don't need anything more than the 30.06 for any North American game, you just adjust the weight of your bullets to match what you're pursuing. It's the most versatile gun ever made in my opinion. For Whitetail though the .270 is an excellent caliber as well; flat shooting and you could literally shoot it all day long and not get a sore shoulder. Excellent Lower 48 State Round.
 
I have shot quite a few mule deer with 30-06 and a few with 300 win mag, not much dif they all die IF you hit them good and run off it you don't. The most damage I have ever seen on a deer is from a 270 weatherby+hot handload+nosler blistic tip+under fifty yards. The front right corner of that deer was dog food.
I fully intend to carry my 375 hnh this year with 300g nosler partitions and I figure thay won't open up in a deer so prob won't be a bad as my 06.
 
i have a new 375 H&H that I piced up a few months ago, I have worked up loads in the gun with hornady's 300 grain interlokt and i fully intend to take a deer with it this year for ****s and giggles, im quite sure it wouldbe an ethical kil and to be honest, ijust wat to see what it will do,

im thinking of moving down to the 200 grain speers though, as they would be moving mush faster and likely give more expansion/penetration ratio on the thinner skin game.
 
In .375 H&H, I'm a fan of the 250 grain bullets for non-dangerous game. Works fine on hogs, turns the smaller one sideways when you hit'em.. :D
 
I love the 250gr Sierra GKSP in .375 Holland. You should try their 300gr GKSP. I might switch to them.
 
I shot a doe for camp meat one time while out bear hunting on Afognak Island , she was walking up the trail towards me at about 20 yards. I shot her in the front shoulder at a slight angle, the bullet tore the rib cage in half and exited through the right rump roast still moving supersonic through the alder and spruce thicket. It was a Ruger #1 in .375 H&H with a hot 270 Grain Nosler handload. Never again, I dont like wasting game animals. The whole right side of the deer was totalled and the internals were like gelatin. I should have shot it in the head but was kinda surprised by seeing it so close and "Willing" to hold still for the second I needed.
 
My deer load is a 300gr Sierra GKSP at 2400fps. Almost zero bloodshot meat, very little damage to meat but I take broadside heart shots.

Throttle the .375 back to a 200gr at about 2400-2500fps like the 375 Winchester and it's a perfect deer load.
 
Borrowed from my cousin, his .444 and his .45/70 Marlin lever guns...

I have a friend who has used his .458 Lott/Win Mag a few times...

I have used all three 9.3mm versions...

EDIT
I lied I did take one with a .425 Westley Richards once, sorry!
 
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