Auburn1992
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+ 1 7mm-08
Best gun for deer hunting?
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rantingredneck
Member
Personally........
.243/6mm or above and avoid any rifle cartridge with "Magnum" at the end.
I have two "deer" rifles. Remington 700's in .243 Win and .30-06.
.243/6mm or above and avoid any rifle cartridge with "Magnum" at the end.
I have two "deer" rifles. Remington 700's in .243 Win and .30-06.
eflatminor
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It's all about shot placement
So a .243, a .270 or a 30-06 will work just fine. What you have to ask yourself is how far a shot you might take. Out here in the West, where a far shot may be desired, I would go with a 7mm if I could have only one deer gun. Whatever version you like, 7mm-08, a WSSM, or even a Belted Magnum will shoot very flat and with a lot of punch at the end. I think it's the ideal deer rifle for anywhere.
On the other hand, if you think you might ever want to hunt elk, I'd stick with a 30-06 where a heavier bullet will work great on the bigger deer.
Hey, I grew up in Ohio too; near Akron. HATED having to use a 12g slug on deer but shot mostly bow anyway.
So a .243, a .270 or a 30-06 will work just fine. What you have to ask yourself is how far a shot you might take. Out here in the West, where a far shot may be desired, I would go with a 7mm if I could have only one deer gun. Whatever version you like, 7mm-08, a WSSM, or even a Belted Magnum will shoot very flat and with a lot of punch at the end. I think it's the ideal deer rifle for anywhere.
On the other hand, if you think you might ever want to hunt elk, I'd stick with a 30-06 where a heavier bullet will work great on the bigger deer.
Hey, I grew up in Ohio too; near Akron. HATED having to use a 12g slug on deer but shot mostly bow anyway.
ColeK
Member
Shawnee, My list is a little different from yours but there is not a bad one in either bunch.
The Truly Great deer calibers are:
.250-3000 Savage
.300 Savage
.257 Roberts
6.5x55 Swedish Mauser
7x57 Mauser
8x57 Mauser
.30-30 Winchester
.32 Winchester Special
.35 Remington
Some very good cartridges that enjoy very good reputations on deer are:
.25-06 Remington
.270 Winchester
.280 Remington
.30-06 Springfield
Some good cartridges that have good reputations on deer are:
.260 Remington
7-08 Remington
.308 Winchester
The Ol’ man said, “Son, don’t brag to me about the long shot you made! Brag to me about how close you got!”
The Truly Great deer calibers are:
.250-3000 Savage
.300 Savage
.257 Roberts
6.5x55 Swedish Mauser
7x57 Mauser
8x57 Mauser
.30-30 Winchester
.32 Winchester Special
.35 Remington
Some very good cartridges that enjoy very good reputations on deer are:
.25-06 Remington
.270 Winchester
.280 Remington
.30-06 Springfield
Some good cartridges that have good reputations on deer are:
.260 Remington
7-08 Remington
.308 Winchester
The Ol’ man said, “Son, don’t brag to me about the long shot you made! Brag to me about how close you got!”
sargenv
Member
Personally, I believe that generally any center fire rifle above 243 winchester that you own, be it lever gun, single shot, semi-auto, or bolt gun that you have practiced with at short as well as long distances will likely be the best rifle for you. We can discuss calibers till we are blue in the face. It all depends on shot placement, range, and skill of the shooter. You can kill a deer with the newest 338 caliber whiz bang round or the lowly 30-30 Winchester. If you place the shot correctly and within the designated range of that cartridge and your abilities, there is no reason for the bullet NOT to do it's job and make a clean kill.
If it were me I'd feel at home using a 30-30 at woods distances (under 150 yards), a 308 or 30-06 out to a few hundred yards, and if I felt like being beaten up and walking long distances to retrieve my game, something in the 300 Win mag or above would be my next choice.
If it were me I'd feel at home using a 30-30 at woods distances (under 150 yards), a 308 or 30-06 out to a few hundred yards, and if I felt like being beaten up and walking long distances to retrieve my game, something in the 300 Win mag or above would be my next choice.
+1 for the .25-06
I have been a .270 shooter for 15 years. I have also used a 30-30 in the thick stuff for longer than I can remember. Recently I purchased a .25-06 and I am in love. No recoil, accurate as hell, and you can get it in the new Weatherby Vanguard for $399. No brainer dude
I have been a .270 shooter for 15 years. I have also used a 30-30 in the thick stuff for longer than I can remember. Recently I purchased a .25-06 and I am in love. No recoil, accurate as hell, and you can get it in the new Weatherby Vanguard for $399. No brainer dude
KINGMAX
Member
REMINGTON 700 ADL in .270
My choice is a REMINGTON 700 ADL in a 270.
My choice is a REMINGTON 700 ADL in a 270.
qajaq59
Member
Hmmmmm, after careful consideration I'd say......
Just buy one of each and then everyone will be happy.
Just buy one of each and then everyone will be happy.
uk roe hunter
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- Jun 30, 2006
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- 350
deer hunting calibres.
In my opinion.
there is no such ting as overkill, there is such a thing as underkill.
I use 7mm08, .30-06 sprg. I also have a 243 win which i use for foxing, i don't like it as a deer round.
most of what has been said i agree with. 270 win is also a classic. If i started again i would buy a 7mm08 remmy sps. It would give me the ability to take all deer and flexibility to load according to what i was to find. the barrel length would mean i would get the best from a slower powder for a better heavy bullet performance.
i load 7mm08 with 120gr sierras
i load .30-06 with 165 sgk
In the uk we don't use calibres like .30-30 because they struggle to reach our legal velocities, i understand they are very common in the states. I would ask myself before buying one "do i want a rifle that will limit the range i can take the shot"
uk
In my opinion.
there is no such ting as overkill, there is such a thing as underkill.
I use 7mm08, .30-06 sprg. I also have a 243 win which i use for foxing, i don't like it as a deer round.
most of what has been said i agree with. 270 win is also a classic. If i started again i would buy a 7mm08 remmy sps. It would give me the ability to take all deer and flexibility to load according to what i was to find. the barrel length would mean i would get the best from a slower powder for a better heavy bullet performance.
i load 7mm08 with 120gr sierras
i load .30-06 with 165 sgk
In the uk we don't use calibres like .30-30 because they struggle to reach our legal velocities, i understand they are very common in the states. I would ask myself before buying one "do i want a rifle that will limit the range i can take the shot"
uk
moooose102
Member
the perfect deer rifle, thats easy, 700 nitro express! guts it, skins it, and cust it up all with one shot! all you have to do is bring the freezer wrap! lol! there is absoloutly nothing wrong with the 30-06 for deer, unless the rifle is to much for you. if it makes you flinch, you definitly need a milder cartridge. you have to be honest with yourself here. nobody else will know your reason for selecting the gun you do. with that said, a 270 isnt going to be much less recoil than a 30-06. i would sugest something like a .243 winchester if recoil is an issue. being able to place the shot well is way more important than the power of the cartridge, at least to an extent. NOBODY belongs out in the woods with a 22 rimfire to hunt deer with. many have been taken illegally with this little round. but it isnt enough gun! the reason poachers use it is because it is quiet. so they are more likely to get away.
Hank Hunter
Member
All seem good But I recently read that the 7mm magnum is popular in the flat country. I've taken a lot of woodchucks with 243,270,& 30-06 but rarely over 300 yds.
Carlos Cabeza
Member
I shoot a .270, it is accurate and deadly to 225yd. +. Probably more. Most of the animals I have taken were inside of 100 yd.
I've hunted Kansas whitetails for 30 years. My gun of choice has been the 270 and 30-30 depending on distances involved. . Last year I made two shots with a rifle. Both 200 and 400 yards. I made them with the newer 308 Marlin Express. I've always preferred Marlin lever actions, but always was a bit subdued because of the limited range possibilities. This caliber has all the ability and none of the blast/recoil associated even with the 30-06 size calibers. It recoils less than a regular 308, and yet has killing ability and supurb accuracy way out there. I am a handloader, and will never probably see the bullet offered or the powder enabling me to load this cartridge to its capacity. I still will use factory ammo in the gun, and enjoy its very effective loading. My gun is stainless and has a 24 in. barrel. It recoils just a bit more than a 30-30, and kills way out of proportion to reported ballisitics.
Here is a link:
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/308MarlinExpress/default.asp
I'm just a tad biased, but this gun and the 270 would be my first choices.
Here is a link:
http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/308MarlinExpress/default.asp
I'm just a tad biased, but this gun and the 270 would be my first choices.
ronto
Member
In the thick woods around here where shots under 100 yards are the norm, the Marlin 336 in 30-30 is easy to lug around and does the job with standard FN ammo.
ishredinmysleep
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- Nov 25, 2008
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- 16
my favorite gun is a browning stainless stalker in either a .270 win or my choice 7mm rem mag with a leopold vx III 50 mm 3.5 -10 scope considering u think a 30-06 is too much the .270 is the better choice for you
If you're looking for a multiple-purpose gun, a .270 or .308 is a great bet. I personally would lean more in the .308 direction - but both those calibers are extremely versatile. Loaded up with a lighter bullet They pack more then enough punch for deer, and weighted down a bit heavier they'll do fine on Elk or even Moose at shorter distances.
I also lean more towards the .308 due to the availability of cheap(er) ammo. (obviously right now may be a bit of an exception). .270 ammo is everywhere, but there's no milsurp .270 to be found.
I also lean more towards the .308 due to the availability of cheap(er) ammo. (obviously right now may be a bit of an exception). .270 ammo is everywhere, but there's no milsurp .270 to be found.
MAGNUM44
Member
This subject has been beat to death for years on guns & cartridges etc what ever works , remmember its where you place that bullet that counts in a dropped deer or a no can find deer.
Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow
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- Nov 14, 2007
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- 13,146
What Shawnee said.
nitetrane98
Member
"There ain't many problems a man can't solve with a 30.06 Springfield and 60 bucks." Unknown
There's a pretty good reason it's been around over 100 years. One word, versatility.
There's a pretty good reason it's been around over 100 years. One word, versatility.
cliffy
member
Favorites for Deer Hunting
Favorites are what work! My favorite is a .243 Winchester with 100 grain Speer Grand Slam bullets. If .223 Remington were the maximum LEGAL load, I have a favorite for that scenario too. We, hunters, are essential regarding balancing nature, since massive starvation is not a pretty option. Either let hunters cull the herds or let Wolves quell the herds, but either way nature will cull the herds if in a sickening way. Using the overwhelming wolf packs to cull the herds does not work toward human benefit, as soon we will learn regarding loss of human children and pets. cliffy
Favorites are what work! My favorite is a .243 Winchester with 100 grain Speer Grand Slam bullets. If .223 Remington were the maximum LEGAL load, I have a favorite for that scenario too. We, hunters, are essential regarding balancing nature, since massive starvation is not a pretty option. Either let hunters cull the herds or let Wolves quell the herds, but either way nature will cull the herds if in a sickening way. Using the overwhelming wolf packs to cull the herds does not work toward human benefit, as soon we will learn regarding loss of human children and pets. cliffy
Well, my deer rifle is a Savage 12 BVSS with a 3-12 x 50mm Burris XTR scope on it. It will make killing deer at well over 300 yards a piece of cake.
I went to it as a challenge gun. I was hunting deer and antelope with a 12 lb 30'06 with a fixed 4x scope. It worked fine to 300, and I could stretch to 400, but I was not confident shooting over 300 yards.
Now that I think about it, my money on a new rifle might have been better spent on a new scope for the old rifle, but the old rifle was my dad's rifle, so I needed my own.
This was all based on hunting in eastern MT, which looks alot like Kansas!
In OH, I have been hunting with pistols, but this year, I broke down and bought a slug gun! So, as you can see, I'm going the opposite way you have gone.
I also really fancy the 308 or 260 Rem. Whatever you do, get a good scope and shooting sling. Learn how to use them. Also don't shy away from a total weight of 10 - 13 lbs. 8lb scope and rifle combos feel nice in the store, but take a lot to hold on target in the field.
I went to it as a challenge gun. I was hunting deer and antelope with a 12 lb 30'06 with a fixed 4x scope. It worked fine to 300, and I could stretch to 400, but I was not confident shooting over 300 yards.
Now that I think about it, my money on a new rifle might have been better spent on a new scope for the old rifle, but the old rifle was my dad's rifle, so I needed my own.
This was all based on hunting in eastern MT, which looks alot like Kansas!
In OH, I have been hunting with pistols, but this year, I broke down and bought a slug gun! So, as you can see, I'm going the opposite way you have gone.
I also really fancy the 308 or 260 Rem. Whatever you do, get a good scope and shooting sling. Learn how to use them. Also don't shy away from a total weight of 10 - 13 lbs. 8lb scope and rifle combos feel nice in the store, but take a lot to hold on target in the field.
Marlin95
Member
It doesnt take much to kill a deer a regular 22lr will do the job if done correctly. The 243 win imho is the best.No recoil,great at almost any distance(providing good shot placement)
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