in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

I'm not sure on what caliber of gun i want to get for deerhunting. I'm not really concerned about make but what caliber is "the best".

I know there are many different answers but if you could choose one and only one, what would it be.

Ps... I'm lookin for a flat shooting, VERY accurate gun (ofcourse)

[Deleted]
 

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RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

my brother has a .270, very nice deer hunting gun

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

Caliber is basically the bore size which has very little effect on accuracy or flatness of trajectory.The cartridge designation describes both the caliber and shell casing which is what really decides the velocity potential.The velocity and ballistic co-efficient decide the trajectory of the round.The accuracy of a gun is decided by the quality of the barrel,bedding,trueness of the action and the suitability of the ammunition for the gun.There are many suitable cartridges and rifles available but if accuracy and flat shooting are your primary concern I would consider such rifles as the remington sendero in chamberings such as the 25-06,7mmrem mag or 7mmstw.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

for shots out far to up close...


30-06sprg.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

Depending on what your looking for the BEST could be anyting from .243 to ???? I like the 30-06 best if I had to have only one gun, Ive taken deer from 10yds to 438 yds with mine. For flat shooting the .270 25-06 and many of teh 7mm mags. But again it depends alot on what you like and comfortable with. Again for me its the 30-06.

3DNWV

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

Most people would say the 30 caliber since it makes up so many popular guns. But i prefer the 28 caliber, the long slender bullet gives more penetration, and flies better. I have recovered bullets from deer from both 30 and 28 calibers and there is more bullet left behind the mushroom on a 28 caliber. That means more bullet to drive through. The 30 calibers are usually short and fat which mushrooms into a ball and slows down quick. Just my opinion, so you decide for yourself,

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

The 30 calibers probably offer the most versatility in bullet selection. A lot of deer hunters like the light recoil of the 28, 27, 264, and 25 calibers though. I personally like the increased frontal area of the 338 caliber bullets which I believe offer a little more thump than the 30's. I guess there isnt a best one or we wouldnt have so many to choose from. Get one of each and try them out.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

I use a .270 for deer. That said, I don't think it's the "best".

If I had to choose the ultimate caliber to use on whitetails...it would be like 3D said, the 25-06.

If you can shoot...and you hit a deer in the vitals....the following calibers are wonderful.

243
6mm
264
270
280
7mm
30-06
308
anything larger....too!

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

30-30 Winchester

Guns cause crime, like flies cause garbage.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

I prefer the 250 3000 savage but sinxe these are hard to find i would go with the 25-06

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

.50 BMG...no need to worry about range, if you can hit it you WILL kill it! <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Sorry, couldn't resist!

Mike


Gun control means putting the second bullet through the same hole as the first- Ted Nugent
NRA Member
&quot;They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.&quot; -Ben Franklin

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

It all depends on your style of hunting and the terrain, but in all honesty there is no &quot;best&quot; deer cartridge. The one that comes closest for me is the 7mm-08 Rem. Hits hard, shoots flat and has little recoil.

[Deleted]
 

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RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

12ga smoothbore. The most versatile gun in the world.
Rifled slugs, out to 75 yards, GREAT BIG HOLE!!!, awsome knockdown power, massive (and short) bloodtrails. Add a scope and go to 100 yards if you can cut it. And bullets are cheap under 3 dollars a box.

Or if you want, use buckshot if legal, 45-50 yards, great bloodtrails, smackdown power, and it's easier to hit a moving target.

And when you get tired of those dang squirrels under your stand, use
#7 1/2 or #6 shot and get some meat for the pot.

Practice practice practice, and know your gun and it's limitations, then go have some fun.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;

Edited by - Kodiakhuntmaster on 12/15/2002 22:47:46

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

Anything between a .243 and a .458 winchester mag all of them put deer on the ground the rest is personal preference.Is recoil a factor?,Do you want high velocity, or higher energy at longer distances? What type of action do you want the rifle in?

It's the operator that messes up....not the equipment.Have confidence in yourself and shoot straight.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

7mm Mag. Good luck.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

Like the farmer said when he saw the Giraffe....&quot;There ain't no sech annymal!!&quot; There are a number of excellent deer-killing rifle calibers/loads that perform so similarly that there is no real difference! As far as shotguns go, I have seen enough deer hit with slugs,(&quot;awesome knockdown power&quot;), which never even showed the slightest sign of being hit before running off up to half a mile, that I recommend NEVER using a shotgun if a high-powered rifle can be legally used instead, and buckshot is even worse!! The reason buckshot is illegal in most jurisdictions is that it lets more wounded deer run off into the woods to die later than any other possible type of load!!

Keep yore powder dry!!

Edited by - eldeguello on 12/16/2002 09:59:35

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

7 mm. (You decide if you want .08, mag, ultra, wsm or other)

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

In addition to all the great rounds posted, I'd like to add 6.5MMx55 Swede. Mild recoil, plenty of knockdown, and fairly flat shooting.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

My choice would be a 25-06...for today anyway...<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Hunt Safe!

Jack

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

There are so many great deer calibers it would be impossible to say which is the best.I like my 270,30-06 7mm Rem Mag to name a few.It's all depends on the hunting you plan on doing. In a heavy thicket or brush you wouldn't want a small caliber using a light weight bullet.I think the 30 caliber rounds are most versitile and would probably pick one of them if I was only going to have one rifle to deer hunt with.
Ruger Redhawk

Support the NRA...Protecting our Gun Rights and Freedoms is everybody's responsibility. Ruger Redhawk A proud NRA Life Member since 1977.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

270win or 280rem. Zeak

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

The best deer hunting caliber is the one that you are most accurate and comfortable with from any position. That being said, if you could only have one gun, 30-06 Springfield, If your like most of us on this board you can never have enough guns. Currently my favorite is a Remington 700 ADL in 257 Roberts, or Sporterized Swedish Mauser. Both are under 1&quot; accurate, mild recoil and have some pretty impressive results on deer.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

Pretty tough to beat a .270 Win. Devastating at 30 yards or 330, mild recoil and ammo available anywhere in the world.

Having said that, I also like the .257 Roberts, .25-06 Rem, 6.5x55 Swede, .260 Rem, 7x57 Mauser, 7mm-08 Rem, 280 Rem and .308 Winchester.

All of these are near perfect deer rounds, with mild recoil and close-in/long-range versatility.

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

I have always had good luck with .308, 30-06 , and the .300 mag but the 06 for the first choice.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

i love the .30-06 myself..i dropped a few deer with it and seen many others dropped with it...you hit them in the boiler room with a good 30-06 bullet(like nosler balistic tips) and at the most you might track 50 yds...ive never tracked over 25yds with a well placed hit...and that hit was actually a bit to far forward...and its a good round for just about anything in NA...i wouldnt go after grizzlys and might rethink about moose..but most anything else you should be good...and like quilly said..it has long range power also..there are tons of other rounds out there that are great too..but i love the 06...you cna get bullets real big..or pretty light...its pretty versatile and has great power for deer...

good luck with what you choose

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

.30 cal. or the 7's as a second choice

ALL DAY, EVERY DAY,IN THE WOODS...

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

Alot of thought and research led me to buy both a 30-30win and .308win, I use them both equally during the season depending on what kind of hunt is planned; iron sighted lever 30-30 on drives and scoped bolt .308 when sitting.


&quot;guns aren't for killing people, guns are for killing dangerous and delicious animals&quot;
- Homer Simpson

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

I have shot a lot of cal. but the one that I enjoy the most for average deer size game is the 7mm-08 rem. I have stacked the deer up with this cal.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

For all around deer hunting you would be hard pressed to beat the 270 winchester because of its wide chambering in different action types that would correspond to the terrain you would be hunting in. For instance it would be hard to beat a good Remington 7600 for pretty much all Northeast hunting. You can then use a lightweight 270 for mountain hunting the South westt if that is your desire. That same lightweight gun will work in the Northwest. A standard bolt action 270 is all you would need to hunt the Southeast. 270's tend not to be finnicky about handloads or factory ammo in fact I have never had one that didn't shoot well right out of the box irregardless of brand.

[Deleted]
 

[Deleted by Admins]

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

I have a .243 Win, .270 Win amd a .30-06 Springfield all work well but, from what I've read here and in magazines the 7mm-08 is about wha the doctor ordered. When I find it chambered in a NEF I'll own one of them too.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

My vote goes for the .270, period.

>>>------------>
Let's Go Shootin' ! Pinmaster
>>>------------>

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

The 270 is my favorite, but the 7mm-08 is probably the closest to &quot;Best&quot;

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RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

I don't know. I own a 7mm Remington Mag. and have dropped several deer and none of them ran off, therefore, I guess it is very good deer rifle.


Herb

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

I have shot a lot of deer with a lot of different rifles and handguns. I have shot by far the most with a 308 and a 6.5x55 mauser. My wife has taken ten deer with ten shots with her 250-3000. I have also taken about eight or ten with her 250. We have never fired it twice at the same deer. I started out with a 30-06&gt; Nothing beats it for deer or about any North American game. With a 200 grain Nosler Partition, it is the equal of anything in this country and most others. Having developed a real bad shoulder, I have a real problem any more with recoil. I will stick to the 250, 257 Roberts and my 260 Remington. A friend of mine this year took a nice bull Elk with my 260 Rem. The shot was about 300 yards with a 140 grain X bullet. It destroyed most of the vitals and exited the oppsite shoulder and droped where he stood. Love those Barnes Bullets. I quess I would have trouble picking a best but any of the 25's6's and that ballpark would be fine with me. NO More Magnums. I sold my last one a couple weeks ago.

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
I have shot a lot of deer with a lot of different rifles and handguns. I have shot by far the most with a 308 and a 6.5x55 mauser. My wife has taken ten deer with ten shots with her 250-3000. I have also taken about eight or ten with her 250. We have never fired it twice at the same deer. I started out with a 30-06&gt; Nothing beats it for deer or about any North American game. With a 200 grain Nosler Partition, it is the equal of anything in this country and most others. Having developed a real bad shoulder, I have a real problem any more with recoil. I will stick to the 250, 257 Roberts and my 260 Remington. A friend of mine this year took a nice bull Elk with my 260 Rem. The shot was about 300 yards with a 140 grain X bullet. It destroyed most of the vitals and exited the oppsite shoulder and droped where he stood. Love those Barnes Bullets. I quess I would have trouble picking a best but any of the 25's6's and that ballpark would be fine with me. NO More Magnums. I sold my last one a couple weeks ago.


<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

AMEN, brother James!! No more magnums!! .260 Rem's forever!! <img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

&quot;one would question statements made, little truth in words&quot;
12ga smoothbore. The most versatile gun in the world.
Rifled slugs, out to 75 yards, GREAT BIG HOLE!!!, awsome knockdown power, massive (and short) bloodtrails. Add a scope and go to 100 yards if you can cut it. And bullets are cheap under 3 dollars a box.

Or if you want, use buckshot if legal, 45-50 yards, great bloodtrails, smackdown power, and it's easier to hit a moving target.

And when you get tired of those dang squirrels under your stand, use
#7 1/2 or #6 shot and get some meat for the pot.

Practice practice practice, and know your gun and it's limitations, then go have some fun.

&quot;Hey ya'll, watch this&quot;

Edited by - Kodiakhuntmaster on 12/15/2002 22:47:46
[/quote]<font color=red></font id=red><font size=5></font id=size5>

RE: in your opinion, the best deer hunting caliber...
 

Like to have a dollar for every deer killed with a 06 the last hundred years might have more money than Jordan or Bill Gates