Your Best deer RIFLE and why

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My best is my rem 700 sps in 7mm08. It's easy enough to carry through brush carries enough energy to take game at over 700 yds, not that I shoot that far, and moderate recoil. Highly accurate rifle that sees the range all year long pinching paper and steel at 300 meters.
 
For the conditions I hunt in:

Stand or still hunting, shorter ranges. REM M7, .260 Leupold 2.5-8x36 LW Talley mounts, HS Precsion stock with Timney trigger:
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Open country, "KS west side": Nolser M48 .270Win, 24" barrel with Leupold VX6HD 2-12X Firedot BDC Reticle with the CDS dial set for my 130 Nosler AB load at 3174FPS.
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Of all things, a Remington 700 ADL Box Store special in .270 bought about 10 years ago. Cheesy plastic stock, bottom end Simmons 3-9x scope, no sights at all, rough manganese finish, thin pencil barrel and about the worst trigger I have ever pulled. But, from a rest I can make 3 holes touch at 100 yards every time. Now, I can't shoot it enough to get the barrel hot and get those results. The string walks when the barrel gets hot. But if I wait between shots for a cold barrel, it is the most accurate rifle I have ever shot. Paid $330 at Sportsman's Warehouse for my daughter 10 years ago for a javelina hunt that was followed up by a Junior deer hunt and then another javelina hunt. She was successful on all three and I have used it for a Bobcat and a deer.

I have visions of putting it in a nice stock I got recently for pretty cheap and putting a Timney trigger in it. Removing the manganese finish and rust bluing it. I has a much nicer scope on it right now as it wears my Nikon BDC.
 
I've been using a ruger american ranch rifle in .450 bushmaster and I have it topped with a redfield revolution 3-9x40 scope with the accurange reticle (has about a 6 moa circle around the center, not the original accurange).
I haven't shot it for groups really, but it can hit a 3 inch steel plate at 150 yards consistently, and keeps shots touching at 50 yards when I do my part. I thought I'd want a longer barrel and something a little heavier when I first handled it but I have to say its a handy rifle for getting in and out of tree stands and hiking around. Its always in your hand and ready because it isn't heavy enough to be bothersome. I am about 6'3" tall and with it on a sling it really doesn't even stick out enough to get tangled in things so it really isn't even a bother when dragging a deer.

The scope has really grown on me. I originally bought it for a .22mag single shot I built myself. The price and features were very attractive for a scope made in the USA. The glass quality is as good or better than most of the scopes I've gotten to play with (I haven't made it out of the $200 dollar range) and it reliably holds a zero. I never warmed up to the reticle for target shooting though. The circle just seems to be a distraction on smaller targets. When I bought the ruger, I didn't have the cash to buy a scope right away so I "borrowed" the redfield to get through deer season. Turns out I really like it in that role. It gathers light well, holds its zero, and I find the reticle to work really well on deer sized targets. You can use it to roughly estimate range and it also works well to figure lead on moving targets in a pinch.
 
A well used 1954 Rem model 760 in 30x06 mainly for sentimental reasons. This was my late father’s rifle that he used when I was a boy. I have personally taken 22 deer, a bear and a hog with it. After 65 years of use and abuse it still can shoot a tack driving group of roughly half a foot at 100 yds :). Yeah it’s probably about time for me to make a trip to the gun shop....

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I too live in a shotgun/ muzzleloader/ handgun only state.
My favorite deer rifle is my kit built Hawken that assembled (crudely) while in college in 1983. That was back in a time before sabot slugs and rifled barrels and scope mounts for shotguns. The .54 Hawken was far more accurate and better sights than any shotgun at the time. It also led me down an enjoyable path of muzzleloading and BP competition and rendezvous.

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I am thinking that I have probably taken over two dozen deer with my Hawken, including my largest buck ever.
My NEF ultra light 12ga gets honorable mention.
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If Illinois ever adopts straight walked cartridge as legal for deer hunting, I will treat myself to a Sharps in .45/70.
 
When you have more than one and they`ve all done their job for me, I really can`t say, this is the one. Each one is a specialist in it`s own right.
Hunting different terrain I use the one that best fits where I`m going.
This has been said before and it a truism. The one I`m using at the moment is the best.
 
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When it comes to my favorite it would have to be my 65 model 700 bdl that I got a few years back due to the classic look the smooth action and probably the cleanest rifle I’ve ever owned also took my largest buck to date but as far as the best it would have to be my 7-08 savage 100 that my pawpaw give to me two years ago I don’t hunt with it but the memories and stories behind that gun mean more to me than any rifle money could possibly buy.
 
Don't have a favorite. I have several and all of them have a special purpose. If I had to pick one it would be my Savage 10 Sierra in 300 WSM. It has a 20" barrel and shoots 165 gr. Accubonds under an inch. The rifle wears a 2-7X Leupold Vari-X II. It will serve for 80% of my hunting. Another rifle that would be high on the list is gone. It was a Compact Ruger 77 in 260. With 120 gr. Speer HotCors it was a deadly combo on whitetails. If it had been walnut and blue it would still be in the safe, but stainless and gray laminate is not to my taste.
 
Browning X-bolt Stainless Stalker .308 Win. I bought it when they first came out in 2008?
I bought my first new center fire rifle in June 1977, there's been more than 30 between then and now and none could compare with this one.
 
Marlin 336 in 30-30 circa 1971. Light and handy. With a Vortex Viper 2-7x scope and 160 gr Leverevolution rounds it is very accurate out to 100 yards which most of my shots are under. I haven't had a deer, including a 200 lb plus axis buck go very far with this rifle. It is really beat up so I'm not afraid of abusing it.
 
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