Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

Hey guys, what is the smallest caliber you would use for deer hunting these are mine, .22 at 20 yards or less, .222, .223, .22-50, .243. I have not and will not use anything bigger than a .243, personally I have been out with a .22 when money is tight so did all my uncles. father , grandma, etc. Remember in Tennessee where we live it was legal at the time and during hunting season. But we were all very good shots being able to hit a nickel at 50 yards with open sights.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

I've killed a doe with a 22. mag before. head shot. Not something I'm proud of.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

.223 is the smallest I would go.

I personally have never shot a deer with one, but my buddy shot one for years.
I wouldn't suggest shooting a good size deer in the shoulder. I would shoot most any deer in the neck with the .223

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

In general I wouldn't go any smaller than a .243, but if I was hunting in a spot where I know I wouldn't be shooting any further than 25-30 yards, I'd take the .22-250 and be comfortable with it.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

Personally .243Win.

I'm sure with a .220 swift or .22-250 loaded heavy and fairly close range, could probably do the job, but why push how light you can go....

.243 win, or .270win, no kick, plenty of power to get the job done, even those cartridges can lose deer with good shots etc...ad with less than perfect shots why risk wounding anything.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

For average ranges ( 20-100 yds), just about any of the centerfire .22's is plenty of gun, provided the shooter can put a bullet where he means to, and knows where to put it. Most of us, myself included, use something a little larger.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

If money is very low since we own crops and stuff we use the .22 mostly because it works every time you just have to know your range and how far the deer is. I have the same rifle my great grandpa used to shoot management deer and to feed our family, and guess what it is a .22, and I will continue to use until they peel it off my dead body. he reason I use is because it is totally legal, Because the warden knows our family and gave us the go ahead. Bottom line is don't use the .22 if you don't know how it shoots our family is very familiar with the gun and we shoot very good.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

I normally use a .177 caliber pellet gun. Shoots real nice.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

lightess i would go is a .243 thats what i use

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.243

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

regardless of caliber, a 100 grain bullet should be the lightest you go...this is the lightest. you are taking a big chance of wounding and losing a deer to suffer, if you don't make a near perfect shot with anything smaller..270 and larger calibers aren't that much more expensive to shoot, when it comes to humane hunting...
you can kill a deer by hitting in the head with a 22lr; but if you miss by a couple of inches, you hit the jaw...the deer starves to death over the next few weeks..

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

Same here....was actually thinkin bout goin for elk with it this year.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

Why waste lead? I sit in a tree wearing a loin cloth, I jump on their back and then slit their throat.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

Whistle chickens are also profoundly moved by this caliber.

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I have killed deer with 223, 22-250, and 243, and though I just bought a Sako 75 Finnlite in 243, I won't be deer hunting with it. The smallest caliber I will use is 6.5x55 with 120 gr bullets.

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I wouldn't use anything smaller than a .243 Win, but I wouldn't hesitate to drop the hammer on a deer with a .243 either. My current deer rifle is a .30-06 (in addition to my .50cal muzzleloaders), but I'm considering getting a lighter cartridge for deer. IMO, at ranges less than 400 yards, the old -06 is borderline overkill for whitetail deer. There are a lot of people who might disagree with me, but then there are those who insist that a magnum is bare minimum to humanely kill a deer. To each their own... but I like having a little meat left if I clip the shoulder.

Mike

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

Why not 6mm?

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LMAO.....so while you guys who were hard up for money were poa...err using .22's was "YA'll" sharing the batteries in the spotlight or did ya have a car with a functional cigarette lighter????

shooter.....just callin like it probably went down.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

The smallest rifle I would ever consider using for deer is a .243. To me a big part of hunting is clean, humane kills. Just my opinion.

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Using a .22 rimfire is illegal in Tn but they did make all centerfires legal a couple years ago. Which IMO was a stupid idea. We now have idiots with .17 cal and .204 shooting at deer. You hear all the lovely stories from the guys shooting small calibers shooting a big buck but they couldn't find a decent blood trail just a few drops. The buzzards usually find them in a day or two.Personally I won't use anything smaller than a .243

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

Your funny pretty boy. Barbie and Ken probably taught you what life is all about.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

the .243 is the smallest i would go. i would never use anything smaller than that on a deer. i use a .243 right now and it barely knocks deer over so i wouldnt use anything smaller

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I also think 30-06 isa bit muchfor whitetails however the versatility of this cal is outstanding hence I own one.My preference would be the .25-06-.270 caliber range. I have never shota .243 so I cannot comment either way.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

I would say a 22-250

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

243 bolt action is the smallest that I will go. That said, I used to shoot a 30-06 but sold it in favor of a 7mm Rem Mag based on what I've seen it do at 210 yards. I just wasn't really impressed with the 06 after that.It was a good clean shot but most likely only took out one lung due to the lack of blood trail that I witnessed. The doe ran a good 700 yards into the next property over before it gave up the ghost. The owners denied that they seen it although there was blood all over next to thier cabin and I did some scouting on my own after hours. Oh well, I can't prove anything and only come off as paranoid.

I hear that the 7 Mag really puts them down in thier tracks and with the extra terminal velocity I figured I could not go wrong.Yeah I know, I hear a lot of arm chair quarterbacks on the web say that a 30-06 will take them down fast at distances well past that but I don't really know about that.

I round that turns the lungs and heart into jelly and produces a soft ball sized exit wound is the round that I want to use! It puts the animal down as quickly as possible. Yeah, it's a mess but it's nothting this old survivalist Marine cannot handle. :)

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

I'm making a slingshot out of some large paper clips and good sized rubber band. I used to make some awesome slingshots as a kid so I plan to take some African Lions with it on safari next month. I wrap my own paper projectiles using the finest color copy paper. The outfitter I contacted agreed to take me as long as I pay in full up front.

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NO WAY! I've always wanted to take a nice buck with a slingshot! Can you guide me in the right direction?

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223 is plenty for thesub 200 lbdeer around here, Maybe a 243 for up north and bears and elephants and stuff.:D

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None of you guys must of ever lived on a farm or went through rough times, all of y'all must think life is so easy. If it is the only thing you have use it. But if you can afford something else get the bigger rifle. But I was gonna ask you guys should I get a 10 gauge with buckshot for squirrel, the thing I was worried about is if it will have enough knockdown power, because I don't want to go hunting under gunned. Well maybe I'll go watch some pansy ass hunting shows and get myself a .50 bmg for deer. You guys can argue about .22 knockdown power all you want we have a permit to use rimfire. If ya'll did'nt read correctly we have to cull deer weekly or monthly year round. The deer eat our crops if we let them we'd be living in cardboard boxes and wiping our asses with leaves. I will continue to use any gun I want.

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2 ?s , where do you shoot the deer, and what part of TN is your farm?

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It is in North East Tennessee I'm not sure exactly where, but our farm is a private apple orchard farm on 1,000+ acres, with corn fields, bean fields, turnips, greens, cabbage, carrots, watermelon, and etc. the list is way to long. But it is way out in the boondocks.

RE: Smallest Caliber For Deer Hunting
 

A .22lr is great for squirrel, rabbits, ground hogs, and mabey even fox but it sure ain't a deer rifle. I have killed deer with a .22lr shot in the head but your sure not going to shoulder shoot deer and find them with any consistency. I have seen deer get up and run off after being shot in the head with a .22 at about 60 yds. I know it was shot in the head because we killed her later with a .270 and the bullet was still under her skin. Also if you live in Tn you have NO permit to shoot deer with a rimfire even out of your crops. I have helped kill deer out of soy beans with a spot light and a permit and you can NOT us a rimfire.

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Why would you use a .22 when you have a .243?
http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=3287905&mpage=1&key=&#328790 5
That also looks like a pretty nice truck in the picture;)

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W/ all due respect,there is no such thing as knock over or knock down power. A bullet, no matter how big ,cannnot push a deer back or to the ground, although it may appear that way somtimes. My 1st gun kill was a very small fawn, at point blank range, w/ a 30-06 180 gr, a legit 200yd elk gun, blew the things shoulder almost clean off w/ a chest shot. Tough LIL sob ran 50 yds, on what I dont know. Since then, Ive used , 12 and 20ga slugs, 308, 7mag, 44mag and muzzleloaders ,never have I knocked a deer over. Most run a short distance and some simply drop from a severed spinal cord or broken scapulas.

I have never done it ,but within 50yds ,I would have no problem taking a headshot at a calm deer,w/ any legal cal. Some guys think thats too risky, but I can hit a soft ball at 50 yds w/ my 223 more consistantly ,than a paper plate at 150 yds w/ my 7-08. Thing about those puny pills, they tend to go right where you want every time. Several guys I know, kill some pretty good bucks every year w/ single shot 22 hornets, even w/ rib and shoulder shots.

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Simply I hate getting my guns dirty so I always use the .22 It goes every where with me. But I am starting to realize the potential damage I could do by missing and hitting the jaw. I could use the .243 If I wanted to I have plenty of ammo on the farm. and with all the points you guys made It would be a good idea to start using the .243 and nothing else. I was not paying attention to my own ignorance, I will start using the .243 again. Thanks guys.

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So you went from not being able to afford a different gun to just not wanting to get your guns dirty? You're running in circles[&:]. I'm glad you're switching over to the .243 for good now.

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Iv seen my brother kill a big doe with a 17 hmr.And i know lots of people that shoot deer in the head with a .22.My self i wouldent use anythain smaller than 223 for deer hunting.But im sure i could kill a .22 if i wanted to.

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Hey, a .22LR will kill a 2000pd Santa Gertrudes Bull if you place the shot in the forehead @ 50yds, but in Florida the minimum is .243........Only poachers here use .22 on deer!

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When I was a kid we would have loved to live ina cardboard box. 8 of us lived under an oldcarpet in a swamp downstream of the municipal dump. We used to fight to see who got to go collect broken glass for use in the rat traps. Mom could make the best rat sandwiches using whatever floated by. My younger brother had a shoe so he got to go to school. He brought me home my first rubber band and that's how I made my first slingshot. After that we could have pidgeons and such. Dad heard we were living so good he came back and wouldn't give up the carpet. We took turns with 3 of us sleeping underwater. A cardboard box would have been great that winter!

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I currently use a .22 hornet for everything, got 19 kills with it, hogs and deer. All hit in the neck, hogs were hit in the head and neck. Everyone dropped right there. I havent body shot a deer with it but I know it would work too.
When I was about 17 we got broke into and all our guns were stolen, that year I deer hunted with a .22 mag, illegal but its all I had. I killed a spike and a doe with a shot to the body and he fell right there she went 40 yds and dropped, took a large doe with it to the neck and she dropped right there.
But whats the smallest I would use, whatever is legal in that state. A 22lr will do it everytime to the head, but I would step up a bit.
Ive a used a .222 on axis with no problems even body shot. My friend is a foreman on a game ranch and sometimes when I am visiting him he will get the urge and let me take an axis or two, I use his truck gun, a .222, havent had a problem with it.