Deer Hunting Calibers (And Doing My Part)

[sarduy]

^ ^ ^ ^ THIS ^ ^ ^ ^
No blood, No brain signals,
No muscles no workee = dead animal

I'll add my one thing since I didn't see it-
Know know know when to NOT TAKE A SHOT
There's no penalty for letting one walk.
If the shot feels uncomfortable, forget it.
There'll be another time

agree, a good hunter knows when to take a shot and when NOT to take a shot

 

[Poper]

I’d rather see a guy proudly carry his 243 that he has practiced with, Got good quality ammo for… knows trajectory and knows his limitations on when,how far and If he should take the shot. Compared to the 300weatherby he has fired 2x , scared of and isn’t sure if it’s sighted in.

Ha, ha, ha.....
Reminds me of the time I was testing loads for my .308 at the range. I was hammering 5 round groups in the 1"- 1.5" range. Along comes a guy that set up at the bench next to me and shoots several targets and a couple boxes of ammo through his .300 Weatherby Magnum. He noticed my targets and asked if I would shoot his gun because he was having a hard time getting a group of any kind and he thought there might be something wrong with his new gun.
At the next hot firing line, I sent three rounds downrange that resulted in a cloverleaf group 3" right and 1.5" high. He was suitably impressed.
I adjusted the scope the bring the group to center and confirmed with another 3 round group slightly larger than the first. I told the fellow: "I think you may have a flinch. Bring your .22 out and shoot some nice groups at 25 or 50 yards for an hour or so. Then strap on a Past shoulder shooting pad and shoot three rounds through your Weatherby using all the best fundamentals for rifle shooting and you will do just fine. The alternative would be to get a lighter recoiling rifle and caliber."

 

[CryptKeeper5]

The alternative would be to get a lighter recoiling rifle and caliber."

That's almost ALWAYS the correct alternative in my experience...Much easier to shoot a rifle without a flinch than to "unlearn" and use other mitigation to solve heavy recoil. Some people are simply recoil averse and there's not much to do in order to correct it AND keep consistent accuracy without aids not suitable for taking afield. It's why I never suggest the "lead sled" type contraptions. You either shoot the rifle as is and attempt to train yourself or find something with lighter recoil. Muzzle brakes are a better option...

 

[ClaymoreAKM]

Honestly, I've been sticking with .308 lately.

Either my Savage 11 or my AR10

 

[Lnf Crzr]

This thread need Photos

 

[Lnf Crzr]

Some Deer hunting firearms perhaps!

 

[Bfh_auto]

Remember cartridge's don't kill deer. Bullets do. Use a good soft point bullet and place the shot well and you will kill your deer. And no cartridge will make up for poor shooting. If you aren't sure of the shot then don't take it. Period. Learning to hunt and close the gap is the real problem. Making the kill shot is the easy part.

This.
Your part is knowing what you can't hit correctly.
The less effective the cartridge the more critical what you can't hit is.
I pass a lot of shots especially on squirrel.

 

[ClaymoreAKM]

Remember cartridge's don't kill deer. Bullets do. Use a good soft point bullet and place the shot well and you will kill your deer. And no cartridge will make up for poor shooting. If you aren't sure of the shot then don't take it. Period. Learning to hunt and close the gap is the real problem. Making the kill shot is the easy part.

Yup. Many folks here in SC use AR-15s, and many freezers are being filled with .223/5.56. 20 years ago many people would have lost their heads if someone told them they hunted deer with a .223, in fact many still do.

 

[armedwalleye]

There is no "magic bullet". DRT (dead right there) is more about placement than caliber in my opinion. Doing your part as a hunter is knowing where to place the bullet and practicing such that you consistently have the ability to do it with regularity. A poor hit is just that, and unless you're aiming for the heart and happen to spine the animal, poor hits with any calibers will lead to long blood trails, unnecessary suffereing and lost game.

 

[Bfh_auto]

1. Hunting bullet meant for deer. Not varmint and not match.
2. Shot placement
3. PATIENCE!

I have shot multiple deer with a .44Mag handgun, .44Mag carbine, .223, .30-30, .30-06 and 7mmRemMag.

Only 1 deer has ever gone over 20 yards, after being shot, most dropped where they stood. None were shot more than once.
The 1 was shot through heart and lungs with the 7Mag and ran 100 yards up hill.

Some match bullets are extremely effective hunting bullets. Not all are.
I'm still running AMAX in 260. It equals a dead deer within 2 jumps. Blood trail is massive for the 2 jumps. I used it after shooting coyotes with them and having excellent results.

 

[Lnf Crzr]

Last year ,Big Bick - large rack! - 50 yards walking away from me down a trail. Coulda shot in back of neck… had a very accurate Rem 788 44mag with a excellent 1.75-6 Leupold at the ready…..
I passed it up to get a better shot/ never got one.
It happens

 

[ThomasT]

Yup. Many folks here in SC use AR-15s, and many freezers are being filled with .223/5.56. 20 years ago many people would have lost their heads if someone told them they hunted deer with a .223, in fact many still do.

I have an East Tx friend who many years ago (2001) used a bolt action 223 and said he lost a couple of deer with it. The guy is a hard core hunter and excellent shot. Also a reloader. The guys at the gunshop sold him a box of Barne's Triple Shock bullets and he said that was the end of the losing deer problem. The bullet really does matter. Especially in a smaller bore. I personally prefer a 7mm on up for deer. A 7x57 and 7-08 have been my deer caliber choice for 4 decades. Other calibers used were 50 cailber BP rifle, 30-06 (excellent) 243, 8mm Mauser (also excellent) and 44 mag.

Forgot to add my last deer kill was with a 30-30 and I was really impressed with the damage that round did at 75 yards with a Remington 150gr bullet.

 

[Lnf Crzr]

The Triple Shock BT Barnes is Stellar

 

[ClaymoreAKM]

I have an East Tx friend who many years ago (2001) used a bolt action 223 and said he lost a couple of deer with it. The guy is a hard core hunter and excellent shot. Also a reloader. The guys at the gunshop sold him a box of Barne's Triple Shock bullets and he said that was the end of the losing deer problem. The bullet really does matter. Especially in a smaller bore. I personally prefer a 7mm on up for deer. A 7x57 and 7-08 have been my deer caliber choice for 4 decades. Other calibers used were 50 cailber BP rifle, 30-06 (excellent) 243, 8mm Mauser (also excellent) and 44 mag.

Forgot to add my last deer kill was with a 30-30 and I was really impressed with the damage that round did at 75 yards with a Remington 150gr bullet.

I've used .270 on my last deer. But with everything happening in the world, my wife and I have been going binary with our main rifle cartridges, 5.56 and .308. I do also have a .243 I rarely use. Lately, the Savage 11 and the AR10, both in .308, are the tools of choice for the deer stand

 

[ThomasT]

I've used .270 on my last deer.

My bud has used a 270 for over 40 years and has killed a lot of deer with it. He was loading a Nosler 150gr Partition in it. I have shot it and it kicks just as much as my 30-06. I didn't see the point since I can get 180 and 200 grain bullets for the 06. I ended up with a couple of Remington Green Box 130gr loads and gave those to him. What a difference in recoil. And they probably aren't loaded balls to wall like his hand loads. And he liked the reduced recoil so much they all all he has shot for the last 6 years.

If I had of known how pleasant a 270 could be to shoot I would never have bought a 243. I don't have a 270 but if someone ask what caliber to get to start their hunting career its the caliber I point them to. And now with the 120gr bullets made for the 6.8SPC an even more pleasant load could be made.

I helped a local school on the FFA deer Youth deer hunt and let a tiny 15 YO girl use my Remington model 7 in 7-08 for the hunt. I loaded some Sierra 120gr bullets intended for guns like the Encore and lower velocities. I loaded those to around 2550fps start velocity and she used that gun and load to kill 5 deer one shot each. The ranges were all under 100 yards. One was an even 100 yards and she made perfect heart shots on every shot.

 

[Lnf Crzr]

270 Jack thought Highly of it

 

[ClaymoreAKM]

270 Jack thought Highly of it

Yes sir, O'Connor was a big fan

 

[CryptKeeper5]

This thread need Photos

Hunting rifles and .357's. Lined them up while I was cleaning out one of the safes a week or so ago. Grandson has taken over the lower level as well!lol!

 

[ClaymoreAKM]

Hunting rifles and .357's. Lined them up while I was cleaning out one of the safes a week or so ago. Grandson has taken over the lower level as well!lol!View attachment 1029547

Wow! I'm impressed, I'm down to two bolt guns and far more semi-autos.

 

[CryptKeeper5]

Wow! I'm impressed, I'm down to two bolt guns and far more semi-autos.

"Black" rifles and other things are in another safe which I haven't gotten to yet. Besides, this is my "pretty" safe with most of the wood!lol! I'm a sucker for nice "furniture". Also, the rifle on the far left is my .300WM with a removable brake. I like that option...keeps the beating down at the range but is easily removed to take afield!

 

[ClaymoreAKM]

"Black" rifles and other things are in another safe which I haven't gotten to yet. Besides, this is my "pretty" safe with most of the wood!lol! I'm a sucker for nice "furniture". Also, the rifle on the far left is my .300WM with a removable brake. I like that option...keeps the beating down at the range but is easily removed to take afield!

I need to move up a bit heavier than .308, but building has been a lot of fun. Have another kit arriving this week.

.300 Win mag is not far down the list for "next"

 

[CryptKeeper5]

I need to move up a bit heavier than .308, but building has been a lot of fun.

The closest I've come to a "kit" was the 2nd lever action from the left. It was a "basket case" older .444Marlin. I bought it in pieces and all the pieces weren't there. It was part gunsmithing, and part scavenger hunt to find stuff. Took me about two years but now it's a nice old rifle!

 

[ClaymoreAKM]

The closest I've come to a "kit" was the 2nd lever action from the left. It was a "basket case" older .444Marlin. I bought it in pieces and all the pieces weren't there. It was part gunsmithing, and part scavenger hunt to find stuff. Took me about two years but now it's a nice old rifle!

Nice! I love building and working on rifles, just finished a Marlin 60 rebuild, so I'm pretty happy with myself.

 

[Poper]

View attachment 1029538 Some Deer hunting firearms perhaps! View attachment 1029537

Rifle #1 looks like a Rem. 788. #2 appears to be a Ruger M77 RSI.
Love 'em both!

 

[45/30-06OKIE]

OK, please forgive the common question, but I simply cannot find the answer on my own.

A little background: I’d like to start deer hunting. I’m really a handgun guy, but I do have a few lever action rifles / shotguns for general cowboy action plinking fun. While researching between handguns and rifles and their many popular calibers for deer hunting here in the southeast, I keep reading, over and over and over, the phrase, “the [whatever] caliber will be great, as long as you do your part.”

By “do your part,” I assume that means hitting where I’m supposed to hit. But isn’t that the point with ANY caliber — to hit where you’re aiming?

It’s that single caveat that confuses me. It almost implies that there are some calibers where you can totally miss the mark, and it will still result in an equally dead deer. (Is that assumption true?)

So what exactly does “as long as you do your part” mean?

And if I “do my part” (hit where I aim), then does it really matter if I’m shooting from a new Colt Anaconda in 44 Magnum or a Winchester 70 Super Grade in 6.5 Creedmoor?

Thanks in advance for clearing up my confusion.

Regards,
Chris

I may be a bit biased, hence my username,but I'm a firm believer in the versatility of the 270 Winchester. I have handloaded 110gr BTHP Hornady bullets for varmint hunting and 150gr BTSP Speer bullets for deer and elk hunting. It can be had in many factory loadings such as Hornady ELD Hunter 145gr or Remington 130/150gr PSP to name a few. It has a higher sectional density than 308 or 30-06 at the same weights and has a higher ballistic coefficient at the same weights as well. And it doesn't bruise the crap out of your shoulder after firing a box or two at the range for fun(unless it's summer and you are wearing a thin t-shirt and shooting from a bench, then it hurts a bit) . I suggest seeing if you can try a few different calibers and types of bolt actions to see what fits you. I like the Mossberg Patriot as mine from the factory with quality Federal and Hornady ammo will basically show caliber size groupings on target at 25-30 yards. Pro Tip, get your scope height measurement and dial your scope at 25 yards to be shooting that height above the center of the target and obviously centered left and right lol. Basically that will set you up to be pretty dang close to dead on at 100 yards.