what is the all around best caliber for whitetail deer hunting?
12-07-2003, 12:34 PM
#12
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Canton MI USA
Posts: 118
RE: what is the all around best caliber for whitetail deer hunting?
308 Winchester.
I love my Ruger Mark II bolt action, and it has proven it's worth in the field. This gun has shot aprox 12 deer between me and a friend who has borrowed it and out of these only one deer has moved any distance after being shot, and that was my fault in bullet placement, that deer made it aprox 40 yards before he died. Most just seem to fall over. I usually use 150 grain bullets and currently shoot Winchester Supreme's in 150 grain.
I love my Ruger Mark II bolt action, and it has proven it's worth in the field. This gun has shot aprox 12 deer between me and a friend who has borrowed it and out of these only one deer has moved any distance after being shot, and that was my fault in bullet placement, that deer made it aprox 40 yards before he died. Most just seem to fall over. I usually use 150 grain bullets and currently shoot Winchester Supreme's in 150 grain.
12-07-2003, 01:27 PM
#13
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The Wild Turkey Capitol of the World......Missouri
Posts: 1,027
RE: what is the all around best caliber for whitetail deer hunting?
.270 Winchester works for me. Don't see any need to change to something different. I've deer hunted with this caliber for 28 years and it works today just like it did back then. Only thing that has changed is the variety and choice of guns that you can have this fine round in.
12-07-2003, 03:40 PM
#14
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Watertown, SD USA
Posts: 13
RE: what is the all around best caliber for whitetail deer hunting?
If you reload, there is nothing better then the .257 Roberts!!! If you do not reload then the 25-06 would be my choice. These 2 calibers are what I would consider the flattest shooting mid range calibers available. Others may disagree. My .257 reloads using 100gr Sierra Gameking bullets at 3200fps only drop 31" at 500 yards with a 300 yard zero, they are devastating to deer.
Mark
Mark
12-07-2003, 06:13 PM
#16
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Nowhere
Posts: 262
RE: what is the all around best caliber for whitetail deer hunting?
Best all around is something shooting at least a 140 grain bullet at something over 2500 fps and whatever you can hit the best with. A weaker round that you can hit with will serve you better than a supermag that scares the crap out of you. You cant miss hard enough to kill a deer. 3006 is probably the most versatile round that fits the bill for most folks. Lots of people get by with the 25 and 24 calibers but my opinion is that 140 gr 6.5 mm bullets is where it should start for whitetails. The guys in my hunting club have all been at it for thirty or more years and collectively we have shot well over five hundred deer and here's the list of rifles for each. Three use 3006, one with 150 gr, two use 165 gr bullets, One 35 whelen using 225 gr, One uses a 300 H&H with 165 gr, one 338-06 with 200 gr, one 300 winchester with 180 gr and a 338 mag with 200 gr bullets. I might also mention that all of these folks started out using lighter cartridges and have moved to heavier loads as they became more experienced. I'm not saying this is the only way or even the right way, but its the way some who know how to kill a deer prefer to do it.
12-08-2003, 08:04 AM
#19
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 917
RE: what is the all around best caliber for whitetail deer hunting?
I like either the .260 Rem or the 7mm-08. They will do everything you could ever need and they don't hurt when you shoot them.
That being said, I would have to consider the .270 Win the greatest deer hunting cartridge of all time.
That being said, I would have to consider the .270 Win the greatest deer hunting cartridge of all time.