minimium caliber for dear in PA
 

In a thread in the big game forum{.270 & elk}someone post the min. size caliber for deer in PA is .270.I could find anything on the Penn. game comm. website about it.Anyone know if that,s true?

RE: minimium caliber for dear in PA
 

I'm thinking all it has to be is a center fired round I know people that use 222, I would not but some do.

RE: minimium caliber for dear in PA
 

Any manually operated centerfire is legal where rifles are permitted

RE: minimium caliber for dear in PA
 

Why would anyone want to use the smallest ?? Should use te biggest for a instant kill. I started with a 8 mm mauser at age 10. And for the past 8 years use a 10 gauge slugun. A half step gun. Half step is all the deer takes after the bang. I never have to trail a deer or watch the 50 people in trees around me fill my deer with lead as it falls.

RE: minimium caliber for dear in PA
 

OTHERS are right.

250-3000,300 sav,243 are my favorites for many reasons.

for long range shooting i use a 7mm rem mag or 270.

but 99% of time i use 250-3000 sav lev action with a 87 gr speer bullet with 3031 powder.

lately i am using my T/C HAWKINS FLINTLOCK.50 CAL WITH RMC V-PEEP I MOUNTED AT FRIZZEN.

.490 RB,90 GRS OF 3F
295 PB ,80GRS 2F OR 70 GRS OF 3F

HOW DID I GET OFF TOPIC:)

RE: minimium caliber for dear in PA
 

Manually operated centerfire rifles in caliber.22 and larger. Even the .220 swift is legal, as well as 22 hornet and 22 savage hi-power. Not that I reccomend it. A better regulation would be a bullet no less than 100 grains. Btw, 100 gr Nosler partition is an excellent bullet for use in 243 win...my personal smallest caliber choice for deer.

RE: minimium caliber for dear in PA
 

same as in NY ,any center fire cartridge.i dont know if i would say 100gr to be minimum wieght on because barnes & sierra both have 85gr bullets in .243 that some guys have had good success with.also it might be tuff to enforce.how would the conservation officer know if you're shooting 100g or 85g? i think a minimum caliber would be a better way to go.
but where do you draw the line? i'm not a ballistic expert so i wouldn't really know what would be a good minimum caliber.

RE: minimium caliber for dear in PA
 

If you can hit a groundhog at 150yds with a 22-250 consistently and you are willing to pass on marginal shots, then using a small caliber centerfire is fine.

The problem is that most lead-flingers don't wait to pick their shot, or they hunt where deer are constantly moving.

If you hunt where 1/2 of your shots are at moving deer, then usinga small caliber is pointless.

RE: minimium caliber for dear in PA
 

87 grain bullet will take down a deer faster than a 100 grain.;)

this was proven in depression by my family and others who used the 250-3000..still is PROVEN today.

deer hit with 100 gr bullet would run, hit with a lighter bullet behind shoulder, down they would go.

to this day i use the LIGHTER 87 gr bullet in my 250-3000,not the 100 gr.

i shot a big buck 2 years ago with that gun right next another hunter who decided he has to always sit right next to me.[:@]

that buck never moved.;)

this same hunter uses a 30-06 with a 150 gr bullet.:D

he shot buck right next to me and hit it behind shoulder,IT RAN 200 YDS.:)

i seen this for 47 yrs and i own guns like 270/7mm rem.

same with the .243 ,use the 90 gr bullet over the 100 or 105 gr.

this is info that you will not read in BOOKS but its PROVEN by deer we killed over 85 years,my dad is 94 and tells storys of living in depression and which bullets and guns worked the best and WHY on whitetail deer in pa.

i continue to see it and its a REASON to go light in calibers for deer like,250-3000,243.

if anyone is interested in more info on like which gun to buy in those calibers and WHYfor whitetail deer,drop me a PM;)

RE: minimium caliber for dear in PA
 

Hi sproulman,i'm interested in some of the loads you use in a .243.
i just bought a remington 700 in .243.i don't handload yet but will be getting into it sometime in the future.are there any factory loads in the bullet wieghts you mention?

RE: minimium caliber for dear in PA
 

jerry, yes, bullet manufactures sell a 90 gr FACTORY LOADEDbullet.

they may be hard to get a little ,so if they are ,just stay with 100 gr ones they have avaialble.

i am big SPEER man.

at times i guess i should have called me SPEERMAN,not SPROULMAN.:)

FIRST THING TO DO IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ME, I HIGHLY REC YOU DO ,47 YEARS at it from ole school.

now, get yourself a SPEER RELOADING MANUAL.

the kits they have out today are cheaper than buying the items seperate if you price around.

sometines they come with manual too,dont know if its speer.

SPEER was first manual out back in early 1800s.

he was tough ole fart that knew his guns.:)

anyhow,my favorite powder for the .243 is IMR 3031.

IMR 4064 is good also and IMR 4895.

everyone has favorite powder/bullet.

i like only 1 bullet for the .243,its 90 speer.

speer bullets have ogive that allows you to seat them out farther in chamber and still stabilize.

hornady has SPIRE POINT bullet that is hard to stabilize.

i am getting too far ahead:eek:

get your book, kit if you want,can of 1 of those 3 powders,i like 3031,pack of cci200 primers.

oh, only 1 shell goes in my gun, its a factory loaded remington or empty remington to load.;)

their brass is thicker,that means more reloads.

when you get that stuff, give me a PM and i will help.

never ever load on rec load from the internet without first having a loading speer manual.;)

RE: minimium caliber for dear in PA
 

Thanks sproulman I wrote down the info you posted & I'll get a manual & check it out also.I should be getting started in about 6months.Thanks for the tips
Jerry