Good long-range deer calibers.

[orangeokie]

I going to chime in supporting the .260 Rem or 6.5x55 Swede. If I was forced to own just one rifle it would be in one of these. Just some random thoughts . . . The comments ( a few posts above this one) about the .280 are right on the money. The 257 Bob hand loaded can do anything the 25-06 can do with lots less powder.

[Camosteel]

Just a quick little story. When I was younger all I wanted was the big bad ultra maximum super duty magnums. I was going to shoot a deer anywhere from 40 yards to 400 yards. Well, the more hunting I did the faster I found out that very, very rarely did I ever shoot a deer over 150 yards. I've never shot one over 200 yards. I have a .338 win mag, a .300 win mag and a 7mm rem mag. Guess what? They never leave the safe anymore. I have a 7mm-08 Rem. Mountain Rifle and If I had to do it all over again I would have saved alot of money on buying guns. It's perfect for deer and plenty adequate for bear and even elk with the proper bullet. Buy what you like, heck I did but remember, the older you get the less you worry about flash and the more you care about simple results. Side note: A detached retina will make you a fan of low recoiling rifles very quickly. My eye was not damaged due to shooting a big gun but the Dr said if I didn't want to go blind I better lay off the big guns. Enjoy whatever rifle you decide on and as others have said, practice, practice, practice.

[Jarrey12]

Originally Posted by Camosteel

Just a quick little story. When I was younger all I wanted was the big bad ultra maximum super duty magnums. I was going to shoot a deer anywhere from 40 yards to 400 yards. Well, the more hunting I did the faster I found out that very, very rarely did I ever shoot a deer over 150 yards. I've never shot one over 200 yards. I have a .338 win mag, a .300 win mag and a 7mm rem mag. Guess what? They never leave the safe anymore. I have a 7mm-08 Rem. Mountain Rifle and If I had to do it all over again I would have saved alot of money on buying guns. It's perfect for deer and plenty adequate for bear and even elk with the proper bullet. Buy what you like, heck I did but remember, the older you get the less you worry about flash and the more you care about simple results. Side note: A detached retina will make you a fan of low recoiling rifles very quickly. My eye was not damaged due to shooting a big gun but the Dr said if I didn't want to go blind I better lay off the big guns. Enjoy whatever rifle you decide on and as others have said, practice, practice, practice.

couldnt put it better although im 18 not that old but id rather cut out a testicle than go blind in one eye but just one im in the same predicament as tykempster i wanted a gun to kill deer up to moose so i think im going with a browning xbolt 270wsm just cause its a little less kick and alot less powder than the other magnums and since im reloading saving powder is saving money.

[Sheridan]

Deer to Moose ?

I'd want my Sako A7 in 7MM Rem Mag.


Never did have an adversion to recoil though.

[GTOHunter]

I can't believe I read each and every Reply...even if its several years old it makes great reading to see everyones opinion on which Caliber they would buy or reccomend.I wish I got in on this when it first started......I had owned several Calibers over the years and must say my 7mm-08 is one of my favorites to Hunt Deer with!

As CamoCop and several others mentioned,it not how Big the Rifle/Gun Caliber is....the main thing is being familiar and accurate with what ever we hunt with!


Oh yeah....wouldn't it be great to find tykempster and see how his 7 year Quest with his 7mm Mag turned out and how he felt about that Caliber now?

[redgreen]

25 06 or 270 Weatherby magnum. They will shoot and kill em further than you should be shooting.

[IndyHunter83]

I've seen a lot of story posts on here so I'm going to try not to tell a big story. What I will say is that I've had rifles in 270, 30-06, 300, and 243. My two favorites were the 300 and 243. I still have the 243 because I hunt mainly coyotes and whitetails. I've seen deer fall out past 300 yds with the cartridge and coyotes much farther. My biggest problem with the 270 is the recoil. I've never shot one that didn't kick like a mule. The other three actually weren't as bad as I expected. I've also heard a lot of good things about the 7mm-08. If I had it to do over again I might have made this last purchase in that chamber.