Favorite rifle/caliber for deer

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Kachok

The article is "Classic Cartridges" by John Haviland in the March edition of "Rifle" magazine and I quote
" baffeling how the 7mm-08 Rem has become the darling of dedicated shooters, while the.280 fades from the picture."
" The 7mm-08 shoots the same weight bullets about 200fps slower than the .280"
"shooters and their fickle fasinations"
I have to agree with that last statement,
I like the .300 Savage, 8mmx57 mauser, .375 winchester, .41 mag, and 16 guage shotgun along with the .280 to name a few of my oddities.
 
.270 is my favorite all-around caliber. It can pretty much take anything in the lower 48 minus a bear or two. My runner-up would be .308, it's the "efficient" 30-06.
 
My all time favorite is a Marlin .30-30 lever gun. My second choice is my XL7 in .30-06. Between the 2 of them, I'm pretty much good to go for anything around here.
 
I'm a fan of the .308. It's plenty medicine for deer with the added bonus of being enough for just about anything in North America. It comes in a short action rifle, doesn't belt you with unreasonable recoil and has a reputation for accuracy out of nearly any halfway decently made rifle.
 
Deer aren't that hard to kill,

An effective deer rifle is one that the hunter is confident in and able to hit the target first shot.

For me it is more about the total rifle package not just the Caliber
That said anything from a 243, through 30.06 will do.

My current two deer rifles are...

Today, Savage 110 LH 7-08 with a 20 inch barrel wearing burris 3.5X10 fullview
Tomorrow Old LH Remington 721, 25.06 with a 24 inch barrel wear Leopold 3X9 VerII

Next year,,, ;}
Ruger #1 international in 7X57 ?
 
Just thought I would post what Chuck Hawks thinks is ideal for deer sized game. He went on a quest of sorts to find the perfect CXP2 (deer/pronghorn) class rifle. He goes into the finer points of the ballistics, formulas, and wounding effects which I will spare you, but here are his conclusions.

"I am going to suggest that the .260 Remington, 6.5x55 SE, 6.5mm Remington Magnum, 7mm-08 Remington, and 7x57 Mauser are the best of the general purpose CXP2 game cartridges. The available rifles and the preferences of the individual will determine the final selection."


"For those who are curious about the outcome of my personal quest, I decided that I wanted either a .260 Rem. or 6.5x55 SE caliber rifle. The final choice came down to the Remington Model 700 LSS Mountain Rifle in .260 or the Winchester Model 70 Classic Featherweight in 6.5x55. I ultimately purchased the Model 70, and I have never regretted that choice. I wish you the same success in your search for the ideal general purpose CXP2 rifle!"

See mabey I am not not as crazy as most of you think LOL :D
 
Good to see the 6.5x55 on here. I just bought a Winchester M70 in 6.5x55. It is in 98% condition. I missed the last two deer seasons and figured if I bought a new gun there was no way I would miss a third.

Otherwise 30-30 and .243
 
I shot my first mulie in Utah with a newly acquired Remington Sportsman 78 in .270. The deer was 410 paces away and the 130 gr. Nosler went through the tops of both shoulders, clipped the backbone, and exited. The deer was DRT. To get significantly flatter trajectory than a .270, you have to either endure significantly more recoil or go to a significantly smaller bullet. IMHO, the .270 is the perfect balance of recoil, trajectory, and killing power for deer sized critters in a light weight rifle, at least in the wide-open West.
 
Ruger Hawkeye in .300WM. It's my only hunting rifle so it is my favorite. Certainly gets the job done.
 
Vanguard in .270 Win. It's been turning deer into venison for many years. It turns coyotes into hamburg, too.
 
Usually grab my '94 Timber Carbine chambered for the .444 Marlin as it is quite handy and can take anything from squirrels to elephants. Don't think I would require anything more for anything that walks this earth.

But, still very partial to my little '94 Trapper chambered for the .44 Magnum cartidge. Little bugger has taken 13 Whitetail, one Black Bear, and a fine Bull Elk in the Bitteroots, down by the Clark Fork.

'spose a thirty-thirty would be all that was really necessary...just for deer anyways. Knocked many a deer down with one of those.
 
I have killed whities with everything from a 22-250 to a 300. Different conditions warrant different guns for me but my favorite is the 30-06. I do not believe the saying that a particular round is "too much gun" because the end result is to put the animal down as humanely as possible ad preferably before he runs 150 yards . Where I live 150 yards can take a long time to track. Good shot placement is MUCH more critical than the size of the bullet. I also dont buy into the recoil factor since I have never felt the recoil when shooting at a deer, even when I cut my eyebrow open at dusk a couple of times. It does have an effect if the recoil means you are flinching while practicing but a lead sled should handle that. Stalking in pines or hardwood bottoms I often use a Marlin 336 because of the compactness of the rifle. I will be trying the Swedish Mauser in 6.5x55 this year as well as possibly shooting my SKS on a couple of hunts.
 
jrdolall said:
I have killed whities with everything from a 22-250 to a 300. Different conditions warrant different guns for me but my favorite is the 30-06. I do not believe the saying that a particular round is "too much gun" because the end result is to put the animal down as humanely as possible ad preferably before he runs 150 yards .
Click to expand...
If you are a meat hunter there is such thing as "too much gun" though that usualy has a little less to do with the caliber and more to do with the bullets speed. Ever hit a deer through the shoulders with a 7mm Rem Mag 140gr 3,300fps at close range? You can forget about eating any part of those shoulders that is for sure. I started hunting with more practicle cartrages several years ago and won't touch another hot magnum unless I am shooting WAY out there. 308, 7-08 6.5x55 SE, 30-30, 7x57 will kill them just as dead just as quick with proper shot placement, my friends hunt with larger calibers and magnum, and we track many a deer they shot, mine never make it more then a few feet. Of course I have passed on several shots last year when they did not persent a good angle, just picky like that. But what makes more difference then caliber is the deers mental state, if you spook one before you shoot him he gets a chance to get his adrenaline pumping, once that happens it does not matter if you hit him with a 22-250 or a 416 Rigby he is going to run, I have seen them run with their heat and lungs turned to liquid, it does not matter, the brain still works for a few seconds. Shoot them without spooking them they are much more likely to go streight down.
 
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When deer start attacking and I know I need to protect myself and my loved ones I go straight for my trusty .50 BMG. When I want to make SURE they are dead I only go for the baddest round I can find.

Just last year I was attacked by a full herd of deer, it was late December. They approached en-mass, I counted 9 of the things. I was able to drop the first one easily as he had a physical deformity that made him easier to get a good hold. The rest dropped quickly afterward. That's why I trust my .50 BMG, it's proven effective as a deer deterrent.
 
1 - Marlin 336 "Texan " in 30-30
2- My build H&R Mannlicher stocked Handi rifle carbine in 45 Colt
3 - H&R Handi rifle in 30-06

Were I to hunt out West where you enjoy wide open spaces it would be a Mannlicher - Schoenauer in 6.5x55
 
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