What caliber do you deer hunt whitetail with?

[pokey074]

I'm hoping to take my very first deer this year. If I can get good enough with it, .45 Colt out of a Ruger Blackhawk. If not, .303 British out of a No. 4 Mk. 1 Enfield.

 

[Shaun]

Lets see you missed a few I hunt with


6x45mm
6mm Rem
7mm Mauser
8mm Mauser
7.62x54R
32-40wcf
33wcf
38-55wcf
45-70 gov
357 max
307win
308 win
45 colt
303 brit
44C&B
54MuzzleLoader

 

[Lonestar.45]

.270 Remington BDL 85% of the time
30-30 Sears Ted Williams Model 100 beat to heck, 15% of the time.

Bought the BDL in '87, had it glass bedded and a slight trigger job on it before I even shot it for the first time. Wouldn't trade it for anything, and looks almost like the day I got it, even though it's been through many many hunts over the years. It's my do everything rifle, and it does.

 

[HKGuns]

300 Wsm

 

[MassHunter2190]

12 gauge, then .50 black powder.

 

[only1asterisk]

45-70
38-40
44 Mag
45 Colt
6.5x55
8x57
30-06
260 Rem
30-30
12ga
35 Whelen
30-40 Krag
338 Win Mag
222 Rem
22lr (a stunt of my misspent youth)
243 Win
250 Savage
25-35 WCF

I can only think of a handful of shots were the 30-30 would not have done as well.

 

[Byron Quick]

I usually use a Browning BAR in .300 Win Mag with a Redfield 3X9 scope. I also use a Carolina Precision Arms rifle built on an Argentine 1909 Mauser action in .35 Whelen.

Need to try out a sporterized M1903 Springfield that I bought from Art.

I've several more nice rifles in appropriate calibers that I haven't hunted with yet.

 

[JShirley]

Johnny,

Good luck with the Whelen. It worked great for me.

Last times I went hunting, I was likely to use Mossberg 500 with Ghost Ring Sights, loaded with Remington Reduced Recoil Slugs, if prowling, and sporterized '03 if stand hunting.

John

 

[killzone]

For deer

270 WSM
243 WiN
308 w
300 WIN mag
375 H&H
12 G (one time only)
308 patriot
300 wea MAG
338 WIN
280REa
7 mm RUM

 

[1911 guy]

I chose .308.

My savage is very accurate, more than enough for where I hunt in W.Va. I'd feel comfortable from spitting distance to several (2-3) hundred yards which is all I need for whitetails. Plenty of whuppin' to stop a deer if I place my shot correctly, don't care to find out how it will perform if I mess it up.

 

[Charles S]

What I utilize to hunt with changes with the season and the terain. In October I hunt with my Bow. Early in the season when I am hunting from the ground, most of the time, I hunt with my Winchester 94 30-30 or my Remington 600 308 with a scout scope. If I happen to hunt from a stand I like my Remington 700 30-06. If I know I am going to have to walk a long distance, and if brush is not too much of a problem I really like my Tikka T-3 Lite in 270. There are plenty of others, but those are the guns I use the most.

Charles

 

[Legionnaire]

Mostly .308 from a Remington Model Seven. Have also taken deer with a 12 gauge slug gun, Ruger SuperRedhawk in .44 mag, and an Encore pistol in .243. This year I plan to hunt with a Marlin 1894S in .44 mag set up with a Leupold scout scope in an XS Sight Systems scout mount.

 

[04SilverSCFX4]

50BMG!..........j/k, I previously owned a Ruger M77 MKII All Weather in 300 win mag. Like it so much I sold it and upgraded to a Remington 700PSS in 300 win mag.

 

[Mannlicher]

Where I hunt, I prefer the Marlin .44 Mag with my handloads. 30-30 ranks up there too. Where you hunt has a large influence on what you use. I like swamps, and feeder/drainage creeks, lake sides, and thickets. Thats the terrain in North Central Florida, and South Georgia, where I hunt.

For the times that I hunt across peanut hay fields, or pasture, then I take my custom Mauser in 7X57 Ackley.

 

[Flyboy]

.50

.50.

Stuffed in from the front, over a charge of real black powder (no Pyrodex for me, thanks).

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I've killed a lot of deer with the .30-30 and the .30-06. These days I tend to like my 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser, and my Colt .45 (either a Colt New Service, or a Ruger Blackhawk.)

 

[Dr.Rob]

I've primarily used a 30-06 but I've also carried a 12 ga. 870 with slugs (my 'back up" rifle... gets funny looks in elk camp. Wouldn't hesitate to bust an elk with it. .54cal Hawken percussion rifle, .44 Mag Ruger Vaquero, Dan Wesson .357 Maximum. An my FIRST deer rifle, like many folks, was a Marlin 30-30.

 

[AK-74me]

12 ga.

BowTech MightyMite with 100 grain spitfire

 

[Newt]

Mainly I use a .260 Rem. Model 7

Sometimes... .243 Tikka T3 Lite

Every once in a while... 30-06 Savage Model 110

When I can... .50 CVA in-line

 

[pete f]

usually a 300 savage in a 99 but it could be
a 250 savage,
a 35 winchester in a 95
a 35 remington in a 81
a 44 mag in a 94 trapper
a 308 in a whole bunch of things
a 348 in a 71
a 257 in a #1
a 6.5 swede in a 77 or a 1901 huskvarna
a 280 in a 70
a 270 in a 70
a 30-06 in a 54 or a '03
a 303 savage in a99
a 243 in a 788 or 700
a 35 whelen in a 7600
and some others just for fun
a 338-06 in a 7600
a 45 70 in a 86 or a siamese mauser
3030 in a 36A
35 rem in 36A

 

[Charles S]

usually a 300 savage in a 99 but it could be
a 250 savage,
a 35 winchester in a 95
a 35 remington in a 81
a 44 mag in a 94 trapper
a 308 in a whole bunch of things
a 348 in a 71
a 257 in a #1
a 6.5 swede in a 77 or a 1901 huskvarna
a 280 in a 70
a 270 in a 70
a 30-06 in a 54 or a '03
a 303 savage in a99
a 243 in a 788 or 700
a 35 whelen in a 7600
and some others just for fun
a 338-06 in a 7600
a 45 70 in a 86 or a siamese mauser
3030 in a 36A
35 rem in 36A

Sounds like a very nice collection of hunting arms.

Charles

 

[askikr]

i use my grandfathers old pre 64 winchester model 70 featherweight in 30-06. i love the performance of this caliber. i have used the same gun since i was 13 yrs old. im 24 yrs old now and i dont think i will ever "out grow" this gun. by far my favorite gun. i have used other calibers out of various makes & models but i would always reach for my trusty 06 first.

 

[JollyWhiteGiant]

I am stuck hunting in this danged sloug zone so 12 guage smooth bore. Still tryin got find a rifled slug I like though (Federal classics don't do very well). I always have a .45 Colt Blackhawk with +P handloads but haven't had a chance to use it yet.

 

[goste]

Mostly, nowadays, Rem. ADL .243 / Savage 99 .250. Sometimes, my old mans sporterized no1mk3 .303.

 

[2sigs]

well lets see
20 Ga. Foster slugs in Mossy 500 w/buck barrel
12 Ga. Foster slugs in 870 of course but started with a 30" full choke then cut off the 12" I didn't need
30-30 lever guns
.243 Win. in Rem. 788 and Savage 99
7mm Rem. Mag. in Ruger M77
30-06 in way to many to mention or remember
.308 in a few models only have A-Bolt anymore
7mm-08 in a Sweet lil Remington model SEVEN(love that gun)
6.5x55 mauser
7mm mauser
.357 magnum wheel guns
.41 Mag with 275gr. cast slugs
.44mag both lever and wheel guns
10mm in witness

This Fall 308 44 lever and 10 on hip

Happy Hunting!!

-2Sigs