Best backyard deer caliber?
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Flight01
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I will second this. I’ve heard my heavy 38’s go plinking off trees like shooting a ball bearing From a slingshot
I knew a guy who carried a blunt small game tip on an arrow in his quiver. Whenever one of those wise old does winded him and started blowing.....he would educate her of the dangers of lingering near a human. He used this trick probably a half dozen times in as many years. It seems that they graduated from the university of "Thump in the Ribs" and never needed a refresher course.
Archery or crossbow is the way to go when neighbors are involved. No ATF. No trusts. No background checks. No FFL. No dead deer to haul off.
Judging from the attached photo those deer would be in xbow range. Paint your arrows neon or hot pink so you can find them.
You will be looking forward to having deer in your yard with great anticipation!......
...and what perfect practice for archery season. You'll be a regular Robin Hood.
That is a thought, I need to take up archery. Uh, one thing, I was in a car crash where a woman thought her texts were more important than double stops on a crossing road with a 60 MPH speed limit. My right shoulder is torn up and I had surgery so it will be a while before I can pull any sort of bow but I guess a crossbow, forgive me as I am unfamiliar, uses a lever? I could use a PCP air bow as I am into PCP air rifles I suppose.
The lens is zoomed, that steel target is 100 yards, the back fence is 200 yards and the beaver pond (gonna get them too) is out around 250 yards.
3C
Air bows are a thing, there's some of the three or $400 range if I remember correctly.
You could also run a bigbore PCP air gun.
What's your budget?
Chuck R.
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Crossbows are legal in KS during archery season.
There are some models with cranks, very user friendly.
There are some models with cranks, very user friendly.
I probably did not do a good job with this thread. Among many, I own two Marlin SBLs (.45-70) and a CVA Scout in .44 Magnum. I bought the Scout as my backyard deer rifle but do not like the supersonic crack. Breaking out one of the SBLs and loading up 405 grain 900+ fps Trail Boss loads is an option but I want to build a barely subsonic load for the CVA that will come close to or exceed the killing power of my .45-70 plinking load. As I have learned, it is the supersonic crack that a bullet makes going down range that echos all over the countryside garnering unwanted attention.
I do like the idea of a deer knocker arrow fired from a crossbow
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WisBorn
Contributing Member
Of the two rifles I would try both. I don't think you can be wrong with either. I'm not sure about your noise concerns? If you have a suppressor and shoot subsonic you can get the noise down to a point that it may not bother the neighbors. With out the combination of a suppressor and subsonic ammunition the noise will be noticeable. If you can hunt/shoot on your property to heck with the neighbors...
Newtosavage
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No, not "the heck with" the neighbors. Poor relations with neighbors can last decades and make a person's life miserable, not to mention making the neighbor's lives miserable. What ever happened to the high road and doing unto others, etc., etc. ?
While it may be legal, that is very different than what constitutes a good neighbor.
This is a concern for me as well since technically it's "legal" for me to shoot a deer on my 3 acres so long as the projectile doesn't leave my property, but I also need to live next door to my neighbors and if my house is on fire and I'm at work, I'd like for them to at least call the fire department for me.
What is wrong with people these days?
WisBorn
Contributing Member
I'm not disagreeing with being someone that follows rules. And respectful to your neighbors.
I have owned three homes in HOAs and three other homes with close neighborhoods. If someone was not being respectful, I would talk to them. When my one neighbor didn't mow her lawn I talked to her. When she continued to neglect her property I call the city and they fined her. She had a responsibility to her neighbors.
But if you can hunt on an acreage safely you should be able to if it is within the rules of your community.
The sad thing today is people that don't help one another. I have a hunting acreage in Central Wisconsin. If a neighbor shoots a deer and comes on our property they better come and get it. They have our permission we gave them it 30 years ago. It works both ways. I have finished wounded deer and went and found the hunter that shot the deer first.
Armored farmer
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I rolled a semi two years ago.(today, in fact! 4-6-20)
I'm certain that there is a xbow that's easy to cock.
The distances are farther than I guessed. An xbow may not be your best solution.
The rifle I'm holding is a fully suppressed custom barrel from a Kansas barrel maker. It is on a ruger 77/44 chassis. The scope is a night vision scope. The ammo is 300gr subsonic. It's about like shooting a large pellet rifle as to noise and recoil.
If your willing to $pend the jack, I can hook you up with the details. It was a nice shooting rifle that hit with authority, but not much good for longer range shots.
I'm certain that there is a xbow that's easy to cock.
The distances are farther than I guessed. An xbow may not be your best solution.
The rifle I'm holding is a fully suppressed custom barrel from a Kansas barrel maker. It is on a ruger 77/44 chassis. The scope is a night vision scope. The ammo is 300gr subsonic. It's about like shooting a large pellet rifle as to noise and recoil.
If your willing to $pend the jack, I can hook you up with the details. It was a nice shooting rifle that hit with authority, but not much good for longer range shots.
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someguy2800
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They do that to me. They always pick the trees I transplanted to rub the bark off of and kill.
someguy2800
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I would have taken a walk around your lawn with a weed sprayer full of gas
Remington1911
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You said noise and the animal running off on adjacent properties is the concern, if the noise side of thing is really a deal killer anything that is "deer worthy" I think is going to make some noise, a bit of noise. Supressing it might help but you are going to need to keep things sub sonic, not hard with a 45-70, but you are still going to know that guy is doing some shootin. Same goes for big bore air rifles, ever shoot a 50, you should wear ear plugs with that, they are that noisy.
Most cross bows will have a crank system that you can use to draw it back, some are intergrated, others are a different thing you take off, depends on what you are looking at.
I am thinking with the things you outlined a cross bow is going to be the most quiet but offer the greater chance of the deer leaving your property, even with a good shot there is a chance, with a firearm you have the oomph to do real damage and have a DRT kill, with an arrow or bolt you need to be more exact on placement.
It is going to really be a trade off, more noise for the better chance of it not leaving your property, or less noise and a greater chance on it leaving.
Not sure the issue with the behind neighbor, but I have let people track through my property before.....some good some bad, but if you hit it I am firm in the camp that we have to find it.
Walkalong came up with a dandy .45 Colt 320 grain load* that took 10 1 gallon jugs of water to stop. From a carbine, I'd imagine you'd gain another couple of jugs' penetration, along with maybe another 100 fps.
*320 Gr lead WFN-GC, solid head cases, WLP primer, 6.5 Grs BE-86, 1.255 to 1.266 +/- (didn't measure all of the 150, but never moved the seater stem)
Use at your own risk friends and neighbors
Gtscotty
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I probably did not do a good job with this thread. Among many, I own two Marlin SBLs (.45-70) and a CVA Scout in .44 Magnum. I bought the Scout as my backyard deer rifle but do not like the supersonic crack. Breaking out one of the SBLs and loading up 405 grain 900+ fps Trail Boss loads is an option but I want to build a barely subsonic load for the CVA that will come close to or exceed the killing power of my .45-70 plinking load. As I have learned, it is the supersonic crack that a bullet makes going down range that echos all over the countryside garnering unwanted attention.
I do like the idea of a deer knocker arrow fired from a crossbow
Ravin makes some self cocking (essentially) xbows, combined with a rage broadhead, gtg....but to take a 45-70 deer lethal and quiet at 200yds? That's a quicker easier....
Random 8
Member
Honestly, I'd be more concerned about the DRT aspect and where my projectiles end up than the noise of a single shot (unless you're doing something the Man says you shouldn't).
Subsonic velocity does not lend itself to DRT kills. That is the realm of modern smaller bore center fires. Since you'll be targeting CNS anyways, my pick would be in the. 243 ballpark with a mid weight cup and core.
Subsonic velocity does not lend itself to DRT kills. That is the realm of modern smaller bore center fires. Since you'll be targeting CNS anyways, my pick would be in the. 243 ballpark with a mid weight cup and core.
theotherwaldo
Member
Research originating in Australia and confirmed in forests around the world indicates that established groves of trees will communicate amongst themselves and coordinate certain defenses when stressed.
Some will exude bitter or mildly corrosive saps, or start growing longer spines, or even start emitting scents that attract stinging insects.
New plantings will take time to join the networks and gather the resources required to erect their defenses.
That's why it's up to you to defend your new trees... .
Gtscotty
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Yep, chopped down to 16" and threaded 5/8x24. Ruger has since started selling a threaded version. Also those are 305gr cast hollow points next to it.
Gordon
Member
For that back yard shot on a deer I use a .35 Remington Remington 600 Carbine with 158 grain JHP pistol bullets loaded to 1800 fps with H4227 powder. For some reason that powder in the light load I use has way less muzzle blast than a factory round and it sounds like a .38 special pistol bullet out of a 6" barrel, or less . There is a supersonic crack of course but the overall noise is about half of a factory 200 grain corelokt Remington, which is quieter than a .308 or such to start. I too go for the instant neck shot and why not as "back yard " is less than 50 yards , more like 35 max in my small orchard. My 40 acres is completely deer fenced but they still get thru. My nearest neighbor is about 300 yards away so I have to shoot in a safe direction into a hillside from were I shoot. One shot does not ever seem to bring any attention. It is hard for the human ear at distance to locate a surprise single shot. The brain can focus a second shot much better . The load I picked was after some experimentation over 30+ years shooting the smaller less than 200 pound coastal Blacktails . I had a Python 8 3/8" scoped "Hunter and with 1600 FPS 158 grain Remington HP they would heart shoot thru the shoulder every angle up to 100 yards and open to .50 or larger. This load I use now has a couple hundred FPS more and 10" more barrel length. Out of that 600 Remington Barrel with a Leupold 1-4x heavy duplex scope it makes 1" groups at 50 yards from any rest - regularly , year after year . It is always ready , compact ,and I shoot the errant deer in the center of the neck from any side shoot. I wait for that shot and it doesn't have to be broad side 90 degrees . The deer collapse or bounce on the ground . One shot , one kill and I wait about 10 minutes before I go over to the carcass and listen fo neighborhood activity , there has been none in 15 years.
I like the .45 70 with the big bullet at about 1000 feet per sec for up close high shoulder DRT kills. There doesn't seem to be a good way to keep them away from and off our apple trees.
We get so many of them that I have used about everything I've got rifle and pistol wise, especially when the DNR was issuing land owner permits. Only with an arrow have they run more then 20 or 30 yards.
Funny to see the cattle have to head butt them out of the way sometimes to get to the bale feeder.
We get so many of them that I have used about everything I've got rifle and pistol wise, especially when the DNR was issuing land owner permits. Only with an arrow have they run more then 20 or 30 yards.
Funny to see the cattle have to head butt them out of the way sometimes to get to the bale feeder.
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