skeeter 7MM

I agree with TXCowboy, it boils down to what you can shoot comfortably, accuratley and your preference not someone elses. However i might add that another thing to consider is your area in which you hunt and the animal or game you plan to hunt. I know you said deer, but deer size is drastically different from different parts of NA. Up where I live shooting 250-300 whitetail bucks is common, other areas it might be 150-200. Also the range of game you may hunt, again here I can hunt lopers, bear, whitetail, mule deer, elk and moose. So for me or guys here buying a 243 would not be a good all arounder choice.

Ask yourself
1) what are your needs today (150 yards whitetail deer)
2) will my needs chang and will the gun be adaptable?
3) what can I shot effectively and accurately? (Recoil)
4) what do i really want and will that fit into my above answers as well?
This will not only have you satisfied but will relate to confidence.

MoNoFletch, is confident with his 300 and 200 gr bear claws...it is not required but it transpired to a successful hunt.
Txcowboy, is happy and confident with his 22-250. It transpired to success in the field.
I am comfortable with a 7 rem Mag...all equals confidence.

Don't buy b/c somebody says it is the best. Buy one that you think is the best and it will be the best. You can see many different answers to your question from different people..they use what they like, need and want.

As far as 150 deer only 243 and up will equally work, as long as you do your part. However if you want a more all arounder I would say 270 and up, this would be if the bigger stuff may be in the future for you. Ah hell you can always buy a new toy if the time arises too..so have fun!

halcon

243 win and larger will all work at those ranges .

Tumbo

Olmossyhorns

You have many choices that would work well for you.

There is the 243,260rem,7mm-08 & 308 all based on the 308 case necked down.I would probably give the 243 a miss for something with a little more bullet weight,I particularly like the 7mm-08,I wonce shot a large wild bull with it,dropped it on the spot & it must have been atleast 800 pounds have also shot rabbits with it at over 300 yards.
The 308 might be a better cal though if you dont handload.All these cals have mild recoil & muzzle blast & are very accurate.

You should also look at the 25-06,270,280 & 30-06,all based on the 30-06 case,all would work well for you but expect more recoil & muzzle blast,all of these cals are accurate.

Good luck with your choice,personally I wouldn't go any heavier than the 308 & definately not go heavier than the 30-06.

Tumbo

Jolly Rogers

The 35 Whelen is perfect for what you are looking for. I shot three deer this last season and none went further than 20 yards and I don't rip up half the meat that my freinds and their 300 magnums do.

Swampdog

JMHO,But a 7mm-08 would not be a bad choice.

Danville Va.LAST CAPITAL OF THE CONFEDERACY

TxCowboy

Skeeter 7MM, brings up a good point that I didn't really think about. The size or your deer does make a difference. Here is East Tx out deer are pretty small. We've killed 4 mature does this year and only 1 broke 100lbs <u>with</u> the guts in. A buck over 150-160 lbs (with guts) is considered pretty big for our parts. Sure there are a few 200 pounders but that is very rare. That being said, even though I'm 100% confident that I can take down a buck with a neck shot with my .22-250, I'd still opt for a larger caliber if I was hunting up north were the deer were bigger.

You might even want a caliber bigger than a .243? However, I would think a .270 would be plenty big for any whitetail you could hunt. Good luck!

--------------------------------------------
Hunting the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas.

bandgod

It doesn't really matter what rifle you use as long as you shoot it well. Heck a .22 would bring down a deer but I wouldn't recommend anyone trying. Even your lighter calibers like the .243 will leave a good blood trail as long as you have a pass through with the bullet and that all depends on where you place the bullet. I have hunted with a .30-.30 for a few years and have taken deer at the 150 yard range and even a little further. I now have a .280 and use that and feel comfortable taking deer out to 300 yards. The key is shot placement, not rifle caliber.

Fullback

I'm pretty partial to my Rem 7400 30-06.......3x9x40 Leupold with see thru mounts......where I hunt is brushy and shots over 60 or 70 yards are a rarity.......but I site in at 100.....I also like the 165 grain winchester Fail Safe bullets.....but that's just my pref......you may like a bolt action...I'd bet there has been more deer taken with a mod 94 winchester 30-30 than any other rifle out there.....it's all what you like...

In our line of work, we must be able to play Dixie and the Battle Hym of the Republic, With Equal Enthusiasm.

.243 Grundy

This goes to MoNoFletch, I've used a .243 for years now, and have NEVER had to track a deer. And as for the .270, my dad has used a .270 since he was little; if he has had to track a deer, it hasn't been any farther then 50 yards or so. He's also dropped a Pa. 320 lb black bear with a .270. You see, the way I see it, if your a good shot, and can down an animal cleanly, why use anything bigger then you have to and chance blowing up meat. Just my beliefs. But if your starting out hunting here in Pa. a .270, will cleanly down ANY animal to hunt for here. GOOD LUCK!

Tony300wby

As you can tell from the other posts, there is no perfect deer round. I always say the best round is the one you are shooting at the time. I have shot deer with .257's, .270's ,7mm's, 30's and 35's. I have been with people who were shooting from .22 cal. thru .45 cal, they all kill deer. I have seen deer drop in their tracks when hit with a 100gr. bullet out of a .257 Roberts, yet I have had deer run 40 yds. when hit with a 180gr. bullet out of a 300 Wby. That just proves to me that its not the &quot;caliber&quot; that kills, its a properly constructed bullet placed in the vitals that kills. Im not saying that you wont have a deer run after being hit with a leathal shot because it does happen, but if you place the bullet right they will just be moving on adrenalin. I have shot deer that were calm and they will usually drop on the spot, but if they are worked up from something they sometimes will make a mad dash after being hit. As far as meat damage goes any bullet will tear up some meat. Some people like to hit them in the shoulder, some in the neck, and others behind the shoulder. To each there own, I aim for the area that best presents itself at the time. If I had to have only one gun for deer hunting here in Pa. I would go with a .308, 30-06 or one of the 30 cal. magnums. My reason would be that the 30 cal. has a very wide range of bullet weights available, from 110 grs. up to 250 grs. I would stay in the 150gr. to 180gr. range for deer. Because of this I feel it is more verasatile than other calibers, just in case you go after bear or elk in the future. I also lean toward the magnums because I feel you cant &quot;overkill&quot; something. I really think some of the new short mags are the way to go, almost the same power as the full size magnums in a short action gun. The magnums will kick more than the .308 or 30-06 but they are not that bad, I am 5-6, 140 lbs. and dont have a problem shooting my .300 Wby. accurately. Top your gun off with a good quality (Leupold) variable power(3 to 9) scope and you are good to go.