White Tail Deer Caliber

[Patocazador]

. I probably shoot the 308 the best

Then that's the one you should use.

 

[T.R.]

I have been a huge fan of 30-30 carbines ever since 1970. Majority were one shot kills. My longest shot was about 150 yards during a hunt in western South Dakota.

TR

 

[Bfh_auto]

Thanks for the feedback, everybody! I’m going to spend some time playing around with all 3 to see which one I’m most comfortable with. If I can keep shot placement correct, then I don’t think I’ll have any issues.

Just remember to keep your scope on the lowest power when your hunting up close. My first see season I didn't know that missed a chance at a deer because I had it set in 9x.
My choices take into the amount of muzzle blast if all cartridges can get the job done.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I would use the 30-30 for the following reason. The bullets are heavy and are shot at slower velocities than the other rifles mentioned.

Really? That's odd as I find that the 150 grain .30-30 is rated at 2390 fps, while the 7.62x39mm with a 154 grain soft point hunting bullet is at 2109 fps.

I have shot deer with the x 39 and not got an exit wound, which means a poor blood trail.

Interesting, as I've found with a great many deer that I've shot that two holes = 2X the chance of collapsing both lungs in an immediate manner, and lots more blood trail, though when the lungs collapse the trail is very short.

All the calibers will cleanly harvest the animal. ..., So it will come down to the one that can take the animal & do the least amount of damage to the meat, that will mean you have to hit the heart/lung area of the deer. So the most accurate rifle is what you need to use. You will have to be able to hit a five round group at 100 yds & keep the group size to the size of a baseball.

This is quite correct. The OP has not mentioned what type of bullet is being used, but at that range and those speeds most of the factory loads should open well.

Spend some time at the range and be sure your first shot is going to do what you want. Don't count on making a rapid "follow-up" shot. I've seen too many fellows in the field turning ammunition into noise trying to hit the deer they barely scratched or merely scared, and are trying to hit the animal with the second or more shots, since they spent no time getting to know their rifle. I've also seen fellows with older rifles having a beat-up outward appearance that are mechanically well maintained and the hunter is well acquainted with how it shoots, and with iron sights at 100 yards or less, they put venison into the pot each and every year.

LD

 

[Navy87Guy]

Just remember to keep your scope on the lowest power when your hunting up close. My first see season I didn't know that missed a chance at a deer because I had it set in 9x.
My choices take into the amount of muzzle blast if all cartridges can get the job done.

@Bfh_auto Was that because you were searching with the scope and missed it with the narrow FOV...or did the higher power cause you to miss??

 

[Bfh_auto]

@Bfh_auto Was that because you were searching with the scope and missed it with the narrow FOV...or did the higher power cause you to miss??

Field of view was about 1 foot. LoL

 

[buck460XVR]

About 2 months until white tail deer season here in NH. This will be my first season hunting, and I was interested in opinions on what caliber I should use. I’m conscious of overkill - and I don’t want to cause unnecessary damage.

Overkill? No way to kill something more than dead. Meat loss will be from poor shot placement and not because of any of the calibers you have listed.

 

[d2wing]

I have used all three and each works fine at 50 yards or less with good soft point expanding bullets. I would choose the .308 as first choice as it is more powerful and likely to kill quicker and leave a bigger blood trail as well as not being as range critical. The 30-30 would be next due to better penetration and more energy. The 7.62x 39 is about the same velocity as the 30-30 but less energy and penetration due to lighter weight. That said, with proper placement each would work well. Accuracy matters as well as being comfortable with what you shoot. Enjoy.

 

[d2wing]

@FL-NC— That’s a 35-yd group (I made an additional adjustment after the first rounds to bring it from the upper right down to the center). Unfortunately that’s the best range I can manage the way my property is laid out!

I’ve never had issues with either the RAR or my AK. I think the concerns about MILSUP ammo is overrated...I use it all the time and have no problems finding the target. This target is Tula .308 Win from my Ruger GuNsite Rifle...I’m satisfied!

View attachment 941817

Military rounds being full metal jacket are not suitable for hunting. Only soft point expanding bullets are legal here and are the only ethical choice.

 

[Navy87Guy]

Military rounds being full metal jacket are not suitable for hunting. Only soft point expanding bullets are legal here and are the only ethical choice.

I’m using SP ammo for hunting. The FMJ is just for practice.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Only soft point expanding bullets are legal here and are the only ethical choice.

Except for all lead bullets like a round nosed gas check, or a patched round ball...,
Or Hollow Point rifle bullets.



LD

 

[ms6852]

Really? That's odd as I find that the 150 grain .30-30 is rated at 2390 fps, while the 7.62x39mm with a 154 grain soft point hunting bullet is at 2109 fps

You are correct. I should have been more succinct, my comment was made on my own personal reloads with heavier bullets and velocities not exceeding 1900 fps. At 50 yards it really does not matter.

 

[d2wing]

Except for all lead bullets like a round nosed gas check, or a patched round ball...,
Or Hollow Point rifle bullets.



LD

Hollow points are not legal here and may not be big game bullets. Your state may vary. Lead bullets are in effect soft points because the soft point is usually exposed lead for instance shotgun slugs are legal.. I hope that helps you understand that soft points are the only ethical choice.

 

[MacAR]

Hollow points are not legal here and may not be big game bullets.

You've got to be bloody joking... What raving lunatic in the game and fish office came up with that wee bit 'a madness? Whoever it was never saw what a 150 grain hollow point out of an '06 does to a deer's front shoulders. Shot a lot of critters with hollow point bullets in my time. "Inadequate" is the last word I'd use to describe their performance.

Mac

 

[horsey300]

Hollow points are not legal here and may not be big game bullets. Your state may vary. Lead bullets are in effect soft points because the soft point is usually exposed lead for instance shotgun slugs are legal.. I hope that helps you understand that soft points are the only ethical choice.

You've got to be bloody joking... What raving lunatic in the game and fish office came up with that wee bit 'a madness? Whoever it was never saw what a 150 grain hollow point out of an '06 does to a deer's front shoulders. Shot a lot of critters with hollow point bullets in my time. "Inadequate" is the last word I'd use to describe their performance.

Mac

I'll point out that by that wording, poly tips are also out, and no lead free options would work. I'd propose that the word ethical may not be accurate, legal sure, but I'll dispute that a hpbt gameking or poly tipped hps (btips), bonded, and monometal offerings (of appropriate weight to provide proper penetration and expansion) are far from unethical.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I hope that helps you understand that soft points are the only ethical choice

OH I FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS AND IS NOT AN ETHICAL CHOICE WHEN IT COMES TO DEER PROJECTILES

You wrote an inaccurate, blanket statement concerning the bullets for an ethical harvest of a deer, and in shooting vernacular, a "soft point bullet" are these because the outside of the body of the bullet is harder than the lead tip of the bullet:


See how simple that is to understand, and why the above pair are what is meant when you use the term?

I pointed out that all lead rifle bullets are ethical, which in shooting vernacular are these, and they are NOT "soft tipped" bullets because the entire bullet is "soft" compared to the bullets that are called soft tipped:



and I pointed out that muzzleloader bullets ethical, (and they are also not "soft tipped", and a round ball is soft and doesn't have a "tip") and they are these:


NOW YOU claim you meant all of the above when you wrote "soft tipped"..., and not just the first pair. While yes they are not as "hard" as a full metal jacket bullet, nor as hard a soft tipped bullet, they are not referred to as such by anybody, except perhaps you.


I hope this helps YOU to better fully understand shooting vernacular now and in the future. Here endeth the lesson

LD

 

[mcb]

Hollow points are not legal here and may not be big game bullets. Your state may vary. Lead bullets are in effect soft points because the soft point is usually exposed lead for instance shotgun slugs are legal.. I hope that helps you understand that soft points are the only ethical choice.

I would be curious where "here" is?

Lot of hunting regulations here in various states of the US forbid the use of FMJ for hunting (especially for big game hunting) but I have never run into regulations forbidding the use of hollow point ammunition for hunting. Nearly all the deer I have shot have been shot with some type of hollow point bullet. There are some hollow point bullets that are not designed for big game (these tend to be lighter, smaller caliber, bullets design to fragment and for use in varmint hunting) but there is a huge selection of hollow point bullet that are specifically designed for big game.

 

[d2wing]

My mistake, soft point or expanding type bullets. I always thought hollowpoints were for varmints as they expand quicker. A person must make sure they are big game and not varmint bullets.

 

[Captcurt]

Hollow points are not legal here and may not be big game bullets. Your state may vary. Lead bullets are in effect soft points because the soft point is usually exposed lead for instance shotgun slugs are legal.. I hope that helps you understand that soft points are the only ethical choice.

I wonder where that leaves monolithic bullets like Barnes or GMX? They expand and are mandatory in the socialist states.

 

[d2wing]

I wonder where that leaves monolithic bullets like Barnes or GMX? They expand and are mandatory in the socialist states.

I was mistaken,, the rule states soft point or expanding type bullet. Also states it must be a big game bullet.

 

[spraay]

About 2 months until white tail deer season here in NH. This will be my first season hunting, and I was interested in opinions on what caliber I should use. I have three choices:
308 Win
7.62x39
30-30

I think the .308 is the best overall, although I really like my Marlin .336 in .30-30 for close in stuff in the woods.

 

[1RedSoxFan]

You cannot go wrong deer hunting with a .308

 

[zdc1775]

Realistically at 50 yards or less any 22 WMR + caliber is capable of efficiently killing whitetails with a clean shot to the vitals or neck. That being the case, and assuming that you can shoot all three of these rifles accurately enough, I would pick whichever one moves you the most on the day of the hunt.

I routinely switch between two bows, a couple different revolvers, various rifles in different calibers ranging from .223 through 375 H&H, and a couple different muzzle loaders throughout the season as the mood strikes. Basically, I just make the decision on the night prior or morning of the hunt based off what I feel would be most interesting or appropriate to use on that day.

 

[Nature Boy]

.308

 

[The Happy Kaboomer]

Hollow points are not legal here and may not be big game bullets. Your state may vary. Lead bullets are in effect soft points because the soft point is usually exposed lead for instance shotgun slugs are legal.. I hope that helps you understand that soft points are the only ethical choice.

Cast lead bullets are not and have never been "soft points". Cast bullets are hard and usually have a wide meplat. And will cut a full caliber hole through a critter. Doesn't matter if bones are in the way. It will just blast through them.