SwampCollie

If most of your shots are at 30 yards... becuase you are hunting bottle necks... well me personally I would just be carrying the bow. No point in ringing my ears for a 30 yard shot.

My deer caliber of choice is a 7mm-08 or a 30/30 Ackley Improved. Neither is really too terrbily much... but just about right for the job at hand. You can certainly get away with less, but much more for the little tiny deer we have in SE VA is overkill.

oldelkhunter

I used to be a bowhunter and loved that over rifle hunting that is until I screwed up my shoulder and elbow. I do kinda like the flame coming out of the barrel at last light.

HEAD0001

It is hard to beat a Remington Pump Carbine in 30-06 with the 18-1/2 barrel, with a Zeiss 3X9 scope. Oh ya-That is what I hunt with in tight spots like you are speaking of. I have also went to an Encore with the Swarovski A-Line 3X10 scope.

I realize the pump will obviously give the faster second shot. But I can not remember how long it has been since I took a second shot at a deer(over 20 years). I like the Encore because it has a Left Handed Thumbhole stock. And It handles better than the pump rifle, and I can shoot the rifle from the off handed position considerably more accurate. Tom.

SwampCollie

In that case I'd say you should consider a muzzleloader!

I didn't want to insinuate based on your name that you were out of commission with regards to the bow hunting game.

Have you ever considered a handgun? .357, .41 or .44? Heck perhaps a contender in a caliber you already have ammuntion for?

Pawildman

Uhhh....OK.......????

ShatoDavis

"Overgunned"??????

What the heck does that mean. Is that like "that girl is too pretty"??

No such thing. Dead is dead. The only person that is overgunned is the one who cannot shoot the "magnum" well.

For deer my favorite rifle is a browning a-bolt in 280 rem. It may be a tad on the large size, but so what. I shoot a 338 win mag for elk hunting. I try to stay on the large for species side of the spectrum. Thats not to say that the others aren't capable, because they are.

salukipv1

If I was going hunting, to a spot/stand where I knew the shot was going to be 30yds, my 300mag wouldn't be my first rifle choice. If I was out west or wherever and a deer appeared at 30yds, he's going down, my point is that if you konw you're shot is going to be 30yds, why would you ever use a 300mag? at 30yds you'd be better off with a .375H&H than a .300mag.

zrexpilot

My gun list for a 100 yds an under would be .22 Hornet, .222, .223 and a 30-30.
100yds to 400 yds .243, 25-06, 270, 7-08 30-06, 308
over 400 yds, 7 mag 300 mag.

hammer06

I have taken over 40 deer with a Remington Model 7600 .30-06 with a Leupold 3-9 X 40 from 6 to 130 yards walking, bedded, and running in the past 7 years. I couldn't imagine a better deer rifle for stand hunting in the woods, making drives, or still-hunting. Some people shooting longer ranges out west or in fields may use something else, but it sure gets the job done for me. I wouldn't buy another rifle even if I did get the chance to go out west. I couldn't bring myself to watch big fields anyway as far as food plot hunting goes. That's just a personal preference that contributes to my rifle of choice.

.30-30s just don't have the same power. Yes they kill deer, but honestly if a marginal hit does occur and it does I don't care who you are, a .30-06 will kill deer that get away when hit in the same marginal spot with a .30-30. .243s kill deer too. They're just a step above the .30-30 in my opinion though. I'd stick to the .270, .308, .30-06.

CommonSense

Heck, overkill isn't a bad thing, use whatever rifle makes ya happy! no such thing as too dead