outdoor338

Ok, deer hunters, which rifle do you use for deer hunting and why? What do you feel is the best load and bullet weight, for mule deer and whitetail. Thanks.

Dr. Mike

Mailman29680

No bests
Placement that counts

Hunt2Kill

30-06 Loads vary so much, it doesnt matter... A little softer balistic does the trick nicely.
This Rifle carries big punching power, but doesnt do 2 much damage at close ranges. You can also stretch this shot a long ways.

Ive never shot a deer over 200 yards till last year, i shot 1 at 400 yards with my new 30-06 and i was amazed at the great trajectory.

stubblejumper

Brand is not a big factor but I would recommend a bolt action in a cartridge such as 25-06,7mm-08 or 280rem.You do not need a .308" caliber bullet for any deer as the .257" to 7mm bullets are large for any deer and recoil is quite mild if that is a concern.If elk or moose are in the picture the 280 will still work fine but I prefer the 7mmremmag.

Power

I think anything from a .243 on up will take deer cleanly out to 300 yards without hardly any difference. Like they said, shot placement is the only important thing when shooting a deer. They are pretty easy to kill over all IF you hit them in a good spot. Most deer won' t go very far if you hit them with a good heart/lung shot from any rifle.

Just try not to shoot at them if they are walking or running, keep your breathing under control, and sqeeze the trigger. If you' ve done your work at the range all summer (everyone is out there right now practicing right???) and your gun is shooting good you won' t have any worries.

mauser06

i have a 3006...it does a number on deer......hits them like a brick...but ive never shot past....50yds....lol...my favorite deer round though is the 308 winchester...small...light recoil....good accuracy....ammos common in diffrent grains and designs.....and it will do the job out to where most guys cant accurately shoot...i rather have too much gun then not enough....

skeeter 7MM

I agree shot placement & confidence are keys to what makes a good rifle to carry for any game. I have taken deer and other game with a number of different calibers and cartridges and all work but at the end of the day what makes a rifle the fav is confidence and the ability to handle that choice effeciently.

Personally I use a 7mm Rem Mag and 150 grain Ballitic tip style bullets for both Mules and WTs. My main reason is I can accurately shoot the gun to my disered distances and know it will get the job done on the game end. I can also use this by changing bullet style and weight to tackle moose and elk, so imo it is the perfect all arounder for my area and hunting situations. Again complete confidence in the my choice and abilities.

My suggestion is buy/use what you like, want and can shoot/handle accurately, this will equal confidence which in turn translates to success in the field.

FlDeerman

30-30,I hunt thick areas and shoot close shots.Works for me.

JagMagMan

Take your pick! Anything that you can accurately shoot, with at least 100 grain hunting bullets, in any caliber from .243 on up will do for most any whitetail hunting that you will do!

timbercruiser

I like my old .270, but placement is most important. I like a bonded bullet though, I' ve seen too many blow-ups and erratic behavior from the ballistic tips.