Whitetail calibers, shot placement, etc.

JagMagMan · 06-09-2003, 07:37 PM

There are semingly endless questions and debate on what the best caliber for deer is, and where the best shot placement is. I know that this will not end the debate but, here are a few of my observations.
Number one, out of respect for the game we hunt and to the future of the sport of hunting, our main goal should be to make the cleanest, most humane kill possible! PERIOD!
To do this, it takes discipline on our part to hold off from taking shots beyond our range, (not neccesarily the guns range) or shots at poor angles.
As for calibers, the .22' s don' t have the bullet size to qualify for clean, humane shots. Yeah, yeah, I know you can shoot .25 inch groups at the bench all day long. Thats paper, this is live game. Ill winds, sudden game movement, bones, and any number of other factors can cause a " less than perfect" shot with a small caliber. Any shot that is less than PERFECT with a small caliber, is a BAD shot!
The .243/6MM, with good, 100 grain bullets, on up to WHATEVER you can shoot WELL, would be a good deer caliber. (My next gun will be a 7MM-08, with it' s light recoil, flat shooting and good power, you couldn' t ask for a better deer caliber!)
The final factor in humane ethical hunting would be shot placement! I believe in shooting for the best TARGET. Shoulder, or heart/lung shots are deadly! Head and necks are far too risky! Even with large calibers, bad head or neck shots will lose game.
As I have said, with the .22' s you have to be PERFECT, with most anything else you do have a LITTLE margin for error. That doesn' t mean that you can make poor shots with a .50 BMG!
Size and power DO NOT make up for POOR shooting!
As I said in the beginning, our number one goal is to make a clean, humane kill.
Let' s not sugar coat this! The " harvest" is a kill, but it can and should be a good, clean, humane kill!
Remember, you don' t get extra points for killing a deer with a BB gun or a Howitzer! So, good caliber, good target and good shooting, is the bottom line!

wimp · 06-09-2003, 08:30 PM

I think the fact there is so much back and forth on the subject is cause on here you get such a wide range of accepted hunting methods/styles. Guys hunting over food plots with unpressured deer can be much more choosy than guys pushing through the brush. Different calibers handle different situations. Not to mention the fact that some guys just flat out don' t like recoil. Everyone tries to imagine using that caliber in thier type of hunting and that' s where the arguing arises. Yea sometimes guys think thier shooting abilities are not what they really are, but in general as long as a person is proficient and takes the shots that are humane with what gun they are using, then have at it.

MinnFinn · 06-12-2003, 09:04 PM

Almost without exception, I look for an opportunity for a solid heart shot. A well place round (high-power or slug from a shotgun) in a 4 inch circle slightly behind the front shoulder and a few inches below the midpoint vertical will take a deer down and bleed it out quickly.

The only exception would be on occasion with a deer standing broadside still, with a scope I' d take a neck shot. But if the deer is moving or facing me I aim for the heart/lungs. It' s too easier to be a little off on a moving animal aiming at their head or neck for me to be comfortable with.

MinnFinn

seattlesetters · 06-13-2003, 11:54 AM

The .260 Rem, shooting a 125gr Nosler Partition is about as perfect of a whitetail combination that I can think of.

Rangerlab · 06-13-2003, 08:09 PM

Lets face it, whitetails aren' t all that hard to kill. Just take any gun (.243 caliber or larger), learn how to shoot it well, aim for the middle of the chest, and start enjoying BBQ backstraps. I don' t want to make light of the subject, but let' s be honest, just get comfortable with your rifle, use a premium bullet, and the rest should take care of itself. ( I also agree that a .22 caliber rifle is not suitable for deer, but then again I don' t hunt down in Texas next to a feeder).

whelen36 · 06-13-2003, 08:42 PM

all of these are excellent points and should be taken to heart , one thing that i can add is the legality of certain calibers and firearms types for example : in certain states , here in pa being one of them a .22 caliber isn' t legal for hunting big game ( deer size for this thread ) , and in bucks county it isn' t legal to use anything other than a bow , muzzleloader , or shotgun , and certain ammo types as well .state regulations play a big part in firearms choice as well, so you better choose what' s legal and what' s most important learn to shoot it well , very well , and if it doesn' t suit you then modify it legally to meet your needs , like a muzzle brake to cure hard recoil , etc....

seattlesetters,
great to see another .260 rem fan on board

wimp · 06-16-2003, 09:32 AM

Whelen
.22 caliber centerfires ARE legal in PA for deer.

GTBuzz · 06-16-2003, 10:42 AM

Funny thing you talk about caliber requirements in PA. Get this, in Georgia you are allowed to use a .22 caliber centerfire or larger rifle or handgun for big game. That includes deer, bear, boar. So that means you could use a Jennings .25 ACP pistol for hunting black bear and be within the states caliber requirements. I' d bet my money on the bear

.

I have noticed one thing about guys that use .22 caliber centerfires for deer (and to a lesser degree the .243 Winchester). Quite a few seem to think that there is something " extra" about using the smallest caliber they can. There are certainly no style points to killing a deer with a .223 vs. a .308 Winchester. I just personally like to use at least a .257 caliber rifle with 117g or larger bullets.

When I am hunting some of the really thick stuff in Georgia, I prefer to use either a .308 Lever Action, a .444 Malin, or a .45-70 Guide Gun. Especially the last 2 are overly powerful, but they blow big holes though stuff and leave massive blood trails. That is a BIG plus when you are hunting thickets and swamps.

Maybe I should take the Jennings .25 out to the thicket this year? Nah....

JagMagMan · 06-16-2003, 11:12 AM

GT, it amazes me to hear people talking like they get bonus points for making head/neck shots and/or using the lightest caliber that they can get away with!
I still feel that the .243/6MM is good for deer. However what I see from the .260 -7MM-08 class of calibers, is that you get extra power, without taking a beating!
Moving up to the bigger calibers is great too! If a person can handle them! There is no such thing as " overkill" but there is " underkill."
If someone wants more challenge, then go out and buy a bow!

neweboarhunter · 06-17-2003, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Let' s face it whitetails aren' t that hard to kill...........learn how to shoot it well......get comfortable with your rifle, use a premium bullet"

Damn good advice

Quote:

I also agree that a .22 CALIBER rifle is not suitable for deer"

Even better advice

One question though the hunters useing the .260 Rem and saying how good a deer cartridge this is, you are right, but what happened to the 6.5x55 it is the same cartridge only a little more powerfull. Hey I will go along with the .260, any round based on the .308 can' t be bad.