What rifle caliber do you hunt whitetail with?

[zfk55]

7.5x55 Swiss.

 

[blackDdefense]

.58 caliber remington accutip shot from a Win 1300

 

[USAF_Vet]

Here in lower Michigan, we can't rifle hunt in the more densely populated areas. Pretty much anywhere south of I-96 is limited to shotgun and muzzle loader during firearms season.

So, in years past it was .50 muzzle loader and 12 gauge shotgun. I might toss in the 20 gauge this year also. North of I-96, anything but a .22 is legal, so if I go up north this year, I'll take my M-44 and see how some 203 gr. soft points do.

 

[Huckelberry75]

22-250, 25-06, 243, 308, 8mm, 30-06. It all depends on what I feel like dragging out o the safe.

 

[scythefwd]

Depends on county.

50 cal muzzle loader or 20ga shotgun with slugs
OR
.308 win

 

[Sniderman]

For deer?
Yeah, I've used too many calibers to list here, (I'm old and Lazy)
However, half of the deer I've taken have been with my Model 94 in 30-30, with a .150 grain SP. This rifle was made the year I was born and is the go to rifle in my cabinet.
Second choice, Savage model 99 in .250-3000 with a 90 grain Sierra game king boattail.
So, with this wide variance of bullet weights, I'm starting to think that maybe where you put the bullet has as much effect on your success as what the bullet weighs!
I'll continue this interesting research as long as I'm able and report the results here on the forum as they come in.

 

[HOOfan_1]

Depends on county.

50 cal muzzle loader or 20ga shotgun with slugs
OR
.308 win

Unfortunately most of the counties that I hunt in that won't allow rifles, also won't allow slugs.

 

[03Shadowbob]

I've used 223, 30-06, 308, 30/30 and 357. All work just fine in the lower SE states IMO.

 

[Snowbandit]

If hunting just deer I use the 30-06 but many of my deer have been taken while hunting elk where I use a 35-300 Win. Mag. That's just slightly more powerful than a 358 Norma Mag and is pretty much overkill for deer.

 

[CCCP]

6.5x55

 

[Darkbob]

No rifles allowed for deer where I hunt in SW Michigan. I've used 20ga sluggers with good success up to around 100 yards out of a field barrel. Now I use 12ga Hornady SST's out of a rifled barrel. The SST's use a saboted .50 cal (I think) bullet that weighs 300 grains and is supposed to have a MV of 2000 fps.

As far as rifles that are similar in caliber and power, that's probably closest to a 50-90.

 

[erkman]

Mostly hunt with a .250 Savage. Occasionally though the .270 Win. gets taken to the woods.

 

[Afy]

.338 Lapua at the very least.

 

[VaGunNut]

6.5x55 with 120 sst's

 

[snake284]

I voted 30-06, .270 Win., 30-30 Win., and other calibers, like my .280 Rem. and 6mm Rem. These all have worked for me and I don't have a whole lot of burning preference, although I've killed far more deer with my .270 than any other cartridge because I've owned it of 45 years and it just performs so nice on game. Bang Flop Kills are the norm with it.

 

[Smokey in PHX]

A .270 Win in a Mod 70 most of the time.

 

[wlewisiii]

.30-30, 7mm-08, 7x57 depending on which rifle I want to shoot.

 

[762X39]

6.5X55 for the last 15 years or so but once with my SKS (7.62X39)

 

[Alex23]

22-250 or a 7mm Mag lately. And yes people do make comments. Not enough gun, too much gun...

 

[Still Shooting]

I started out with a .270 many years ago, but fell in love with my .257 bob about 20 years ago. It's still my go-to gun. For old times' sake, my wife and I intend this fall to hit the swamps with a Model 94 30-30 I recently acquired, and my Dad's (and his Dad's) Remington Model 14 in .30 Rem.

 

[d vader]

caliber for hunting deer

I use a very manly 300 winchester short mag,followed by a 325 winchester short mag from two of my favorite rifles, winchester model 70 extreme weather in 300 and 325 winchester short mag, and my latest is a Nosler trophy in 300wsm .All rifles are tack drivers and kills those deer where they stand!

 

[303tom]

The Original Post was , What rifle caliber do you hunt whitetail with ? All of us including myself named a Cartridge not a Caliber , all but 3 or 4 of us & out of them 2 of them named a Caliber & then or a Cartridge. Only one person named a caliber & left it at that , congratulations (kludge) .

Well I am here to remedy this , I mostly use a .30 caliber , so there !

 

[USSR]

For those of you able to discern the difference between calibers and cartridges, please note that more than 61% of whitetail deer hunters use a .30 caliber rifle.

Don

 

[DM~]

The Original Post was , What rifle caliber do you hunt whitetail with ? All of us including myself named a Cartridge not a Caliber , all but 3 or 4 of us & out of them 2 of them named a Caliber & then or a Cartridge. Only one person named a caliber & left it at that , congratulations (kludge) .

Well I am here to remedy this , I mostly use a .30 caliber , so there !

Heck, i gave up on that fight long time ago... It would be nice if the "gun people" could at least learn proper terms/names, so we all could at least sound some what intelligent.

How about those asking what "grain" do you use? How about "Winny" "Remmy" Shotty"? I haven't heard "Ruggy" yet though. lol

I just came to the conclusion that there's lots of kids on this site... AND they should be along pretty soon to attack this post.

DM

 

[wlewisiii]

Complain all you will, but please note that while the OP asked about caliber, his poll provides specific cartridges not a list of calibers. Shurg. If there is one thing around here I note, it's the tendency to take all of this far too seriously.

If you wish, I prefer anything in 7mm caliber. I can use .30 caliber. I don't bother with anything else in a rifle for white tail.