What caliber would you chose trust to drop a deer down from 100-500 yards..... and why???? My cousin has a .270 and says with a 150 grain bullet 10 out of his 12 deer have dropped on the spot, and the other two havent went more that 15 yards... his longest shot with it was 534 yards he said... is he fibbing? what ya'all think???


Thanks

NONE!

I don't care what any one tells you there is not a single shoulder fired rifle made that can be counted on to drop a big game animal in its tracks every time unless you break back/ neck bone or shoot it in the head.

Good answer bigb. I dont understand why this keeps coming up for discussion. Do some people think that there is this magic rifle/bullet that is going to just blow an deer in half or do something mystical that nothing else can do.

I have shot deer with 300 savage, 243, 8x57, 308, 30-06 with a variety of bullets all shots have been in the lungs or heart but two every deer ran at least 5 yards with thaaverage being a 40 yard run, but always have good blood....the other 2 shots one was a neck shot and it dropped, and one was a high shot that hit the spine.....I dont think dropping a deer is imprtant, getting a good lethal hit and having good blood is what I want....

I don't know why this keeps coming up either. Bullet/caliber selection is important but it has more to do with shooting skills! I have had only one time where the cartridges I was using was not worth a dime and that was way back in the seventies.

As far as long distance shots, certainly feasible and have been done quite a bit. I shot a antelope out to 437 yards in Montana with a .243 so it is possible. Did the animal drop in it's tracks, nope, but it only ran about 50 yards, stopped and then slowly collapsed.


Shot placement
Shot placement
Shot placement

"is he fibbing? what ya'all think??? "

I would vote yes hes fibbing. Its not impossible but with that bullet you have to aim about 5-6ft higher then the deer and unless you practice that it would be a very hard shot.

I like reading the word fibbing. Havent heard that for a while.

I think a 75mm Howitzer would do the trick.

I agree. What's the difference if it falls in it's tracks or runs 50 yards? Both deer are dead. Is one degree of dead better than another?

Or a 50 BMG

With a 140 gr slug sighted in 3.9" high at 100 yards will give you a 300 yard zero. You would have to aim roughly 30" high at 500 yards. A far cry from 5-6 feet. A 150 gr slug would have a little more drop, but not that much. It could certainly be done if you practiced and knew the exact yardage. I wouldn't try it, but it can be done.