deer rifle caliber
 

hey everyone. i am looking at getting my first deer rifle. i would like a gun with a flat trajectory, but that can shoot a heavy enough load in case i ever go for bigger game. I am considerin 270, 280, 308, 30-06. i may even look at 300 mag or 7mm mag if the price is right. any opinions? thanks!;)

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I shoot a 7MM RM, and I like it very much! If I had it to do over again, I'd opt for the .280 Rem.
With the .280 you get magnum quality at regular prices! Good luck!

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:D I used a Remington 742 in 30.06 for both moose & deer for years......Brampton Mike ;)

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Hi pointerDixie214,

I would think any rifle you happen to like in any of the calibers you mentioned would work! A couple of notes though. Find the rifle you like, that fits you, and you can afford. If it happens to be a short action.....then it's .308 by default. If you are interested in always saving a few dollars or more per box of ammo......then it will be a standard cartridge as opposed to a magnum. (Same goes for a little lighter rifle, less recoil, and slightly handier rifle........standard again.) The magnums are great cartridges......but seldom necessary for deer hunting. And there is always a price to be paid for the slight increase in performance. (See the above three reasons.)

If however the rifle you find is chambered for one of the magnums. You like it.....it fits you.....and you don't mind those characteristics as noted above.....then a magnum may be for you!

Any of the cartridges you've mentioned work well for what you've mentioned. And to a large degree the difference in their effect on game....is in the minds of the user!

Good luck in your selection!

Dave

P.S. The exception to that statement of course is a .300 Magnum with premium bullets of 200 grains or heavier. Then it acts more nearly like a true "medium caliber"........but is decidely not "a deer rifle" thus loaded!

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Ditto...any of those would work fine. It's really up to you. My preference is the .280:)

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I'm hooked on the .30-06 myself. It offers excellent ballistics, a wide selection of rifles and loads, and it's quite capable of taking any North American game. For the most part, I think that bigger is better, but there's really no need for the magnums until you start doing some long-range hunting.

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RE: deer rifle caliber
 

Like most of Life's questions the answer is "depends..."

Where do you hunt? Are long range shots the norm? Do you need a "brush" gun? Want a bolt action or a lever? We need more info to give you the best suggestions.

I hunt out west where the ranges can extend to 350 yards and beyond. I need a rifle that can kill out to 400 yards (my ethical limit for distance to shoot) and the bullet must fly fast and flat. Since I hunt deer and elk I want a bigger round so this may not apply for what you need. I'm glad to see you realize recoil is a consideration and are honest about it. To that end a 30-06 or 7mm are about the highest you'll want to try due to recoil. If you only hunt whitetail deer (generally smaller than mule deer and elk) a lighter caliber with lighter bullets will due. I'd probably recommend a .270 Win as great deer-only and smaller rifle. That is what my wife shoots and I hand load for it. I think it's great for deer size game. She hunts elk with it too but in my experience it's just a little light for elk. Don't get me wrong, she and several others in her family kill elk with 270's but I haven't seen really good results. All of the elk I've seen shot with it have been spikes and cows so it's probably adequate for that size but a huge bull I would choose something bigger myself.

Again, give us some more on the type of hunting you'll need it for and we'll give you some better advice based on your region and type of hunting you expect to encounter.

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If you want a flat shooting caliber,, get the 7mm and use 165 grain boattail,, I use this combo and it has done fine..

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I like the 30.06 as well. Couple of reasons; Ammo, huge selection and you can get it almost anywhere with plenty on the shelf. They are pretty cheap too. But having an 30.06 will allow you to hunt whatever. I will be using mine for deer, but i would not be afraid to use it for anything else in N.AMerica. IMO, it also shoots flat enough to be considered a long range caliber and you can get 150gr up to 220 gr bullets fairly easy. That being said, recoil is not that bad with a 30.06 either. I put a pad on my gun cuz i have a bad shoulder from years of weights and such but i have no problem with it.

Any of the calibers you mention are good for what you are looking for. I guess if i had only one gun it would be the 3006. it's truly versitile.

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7mm Rem Mag is my choice as my all arounder. It is flat for long range shot ops, big enough to handle the likes of bull moose or elk and does wonderfully on deer. The 280 is a solid choice but up here ammo is as much as the 7 rm mag, harder to find and less choice which in that case makes it less favorable for my area. The 270 is an excellent deer cartridge and can be used for bigger animals such as elk or moose but one must limit both distance and shot angles to ensure the best results. Bullet selection is key with most cartridges but more paramount with the 270 for the bigger critters. I still own a 270 and have used it previously on bothe elk and moose with no problems bit a solid bullet/proper limitations used...I would have no problems using it for the odd bigger game hunt but if it was more than odd elk or moose or where shots would be stretched it may not be the best choice. 3006 does everything but nothing great, it is a ok choice...just wouldn't be mine;). If I just needed a 30 cal I would go with the 300.

Best of luck

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Skeeter 7mm, Can you explain what you mean by the 30.06 does everything but nothing great.. ? So far i love mine but i have been a shot gun hunter most of my life so i am curious to learn more about my 30.06.. From what i can tell, it will take anything at reasonable ranges without a problem.

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Semi, there is absolutely nothing wrong with an 06'. My comments are to the fact so many choose it b/c it is the "all arounder of NA standards" due it being 30 cal and bullet selection...I will not argue that one bit it has range but it really doesn't excel in any area over other choices...it is plain ole' good. It isn't flat, it isn't fast but it will chuck a crap load of different grains of bullet to me I say WHOOPI(seeing todays bullet construction and overlap I really find the grain thing to be moot and hence I say good but does nothing great - look at the data and tell me where the 06' excels...it doesn't!) Obviously I don't consider the 06' the be all and all but it is a OK for a lot of applications but I certainly don't think it is the only choice either. 7 rem mag will do it as well but faster and flatter...really all a matter of opinion. I have owned several cartridges and the 06' never made a lasting impression on me, hence I choose others.

OK let the flame throwing start but like the back end we all have one...OPINION:D

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thanks for all of your opinions, i think i am leaning toward a savage or a rowning a-olt in 30-06 or 280... i love brownings, but i love the price of the savage and from what i hear, they are hard to beat in the accuracy dept. thanks again for all your help, and keep 'em coming.. i haven't totally made my mind up yet... btw... i just got a new 11-87 premier, and that is one awesome gun if you are looking for an autoloader... just thought i would put that out there;)

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The 30-06 is by far the most popular and widest spread big game rifle on the planet. It didn't get that way from not being great at anything. My choice of what you are talking about would be the 280. As someone above said it will do everything the others will do with a lot less blast and recoil. However as AK has said, study your options and if a Magnum rifle fills your needs best then that would be a good choice for you. As Skeeter says, every has an opinion. I have had five 7MM Rem mags and you couldn't give me atother one. Not since I have been shooting the 280.

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J.R. Sundra had a great article about why he did not like the '06 a few years back. He summed up my sentiments exactly!' The '06 is a jack of all trades, but a master of none.
It can handle lighter bullets, but the smaller calibers handle them better!
It can handle larger bullets, but if you really need larger, you need something bigger than the '06!
It is a good caliber, and if I had only one gun it would probably be at least an '06, but since I can have more than one gun, I don't have an '06 at all!

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Hi JagMagMan,

I read the article you've mentioned and the reasoning is sound. But what so many forget to mention is that the exact same reasoning applies to every caliber!

There are many cartridges that do many different jobs very well. The truth is......a great many calibers between 6.5mm or so......through 8mm or so......have so much overlap of function that except for extremes....they can all be made to do pretty much the same thing! And the biggest differences in them (other than their user's minds) is in reality, very little difference at all.

Frequently, the gun scribes (as well as many users), have difficulty saying something "good about their favorite cartridge or two"........unless they also "take a kick" at another one or two! Almost as if they try to make "their choice" look better.....by making "another's choice" look bad.

In reality there is very little "any of the cartridges named in the first post" can do in hunting fields......that can't be done with any of the others cartridges as well!

PointerDixie214 can choose any of the cartridges mentioned in the post....and accomplish the task(s) as described in the same post. And be utterly confident that a "good choice" was made!

Dave

P.S. Not everyone either can afford.......or chooses to spend for.......more than one rifle! In that case.....a "Jack-of-all-Trades" has much to recommend it!

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I have a 30-06 Savage synthetic stock with a Bushnell scope. I love the gun. bullets aren't too expensive and it loves the Remmingtons 165 grain boat tails. I have killed many deer with it and I very rarely miss one. The kick isn't too bad using the 165's versus 180's. Give it a try and you'll love the gun too.

T

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Thanks for the opinion. IN no way was i being sarcastic, just looking for honest opinions. Again, i was able to buy what i wanted at the time of my purchase. Here is what i considered.
1. all around use... use an 06 on any game
2. price of ammo.. i am getting a box of 30.06 carts for $8 Can't get that price on the 7mm mag..
3. available anywhere. I think i can get 30.06 ammo at ACE hardware now..
4. poplularity - usually someone is hunting with a 30.06 so you should be able to get a few bullets if need be in a pinch.
5. Middle of the road recoil. (the price you pay for a .30 round) but not as much as some of the other magnum calibers. I came from shooting 12 gauge slugs so i know recoil.
6. Ballistics are not to bad on the 30.06. They are up there with all the other calibers in the same size wieght and range.

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thanks again. i think i have finally decided on the 280, but keep the opinions coming sinc i won't be getting it for a while! i like the lower recoil in case my girlfriend or little brother ever want to use it, and if i get the 280 for deer, then when i get to go for elk, i will just have to up and go get another rifle. we all know how crappy that is!;) thanks again!!!

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pointer, there is no need to go get a new rifle for elk with the 280! Match the bullet to the task and it is up to the duty. The 280 is great round, it's only shortfall is over the counter buyers for ammo but at that even there are ones available like: nosler parts(federal line), win failsafe, etc. My hunting partner uses the 280 for deer, elk and moose with no complaints. In fact any of the ones you mentioned will work on an elk hunt or two, like I said match your bullets and limitations/expectations to the game your chasing you'll be just fine.

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Pointer, the .280 is an excellent choice1 You will get near 7MM magnum preformance with a little less recoil and lower cost too!

Akbound, I can agree with everything you've said! There is a lot of overlap in anything from 7MM-08 through the 30-06!
I also have nothing personally against the '06, It is a good choice too.
It's just that if you have a very specific job to do, there is usually a better preformer than the '06!
I guess my other phobia against it, is when I hear "it's killed more deer than any other" argument! That's just not a good enough reason in itself, to choose an '06 or the other very old .30 caliber1
Because actually the .22 LR has probably accounted for more deer than any other caliber, and that certainly does not make it a deer caliber!

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This has been a very interesting discussion, but I'd like share a simple hunting philosophy of mine.

It's great to buy specialized hunting rifles if you have plenty of disposable income, but most of us don't. Rather than buying a rifle for each particular species, it makes more sense to buy a good rifle and make it fit a variety of situations. The shooter, not the weapon, makes the difference between a kill and an empty freezer.

So yes, one cartridge might excel in a given setting from another. But in the end, the challenge of testing your skill in making a chosen rifle work for you is what is most rewarding.

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Hi again JagMagMan,

I'm not faulting your logic at all. Only attempting to point out (to someone with less practical experience) that there are very few differences between any of the cartridges they mentioned. Particularly for the uses iterated. It doesn't sound from your posts that we disagree on anything of merit, for certain.

The article mentioned pointed out some interesting information. As a long time reader of John Sundra......we probably both understand he has a "long time relationship" with the 7mm Rem Mag., which is indeed a good cartridge. But as Jack had his .270......Elmer his big bores (especially .33's).....Jamison his .300's......Wooters his .308 (later his 7X57 and muzzleloaders).......Milek his .25's and .280's......J.R.Sundra is a "big proponent" of the 7mm Remington Magnum. He recognizes it's many sterling qualities and likes to point them out. And there is nothing wrong with that! We all have our favorites.......some of us more than one! And we like to show our favorites "in the best light". Which of course means we "make the comparisons that show it best". (Which also means that we compare it's advandtages.......as opposed to it's competitor's weaknesses.)

And I know.....we both agree the .22LR is not a good deer rifle. (Though I read a newspaper article years ago of a circus elephant accidently killed with a .22LR handgun. Not a good elephant gun either.;))

But for nearly any "normal hunting circumstance" particularly for what was suggested in the original post......any of the cartridges named would probably be good choices!:)

Dave

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Just bought a Savage in 7mm-08 for my son. Great caliber shoots flat, lots of knock down, and extremely low recoil. Price was excellent 300 w/ 3x9 mounted and bore sighted. But anyone of calibers you mentioned would be good. As an opinion however , I think the mag calibers are a bit much for whitetails , but again thats my choice.Look at the savages there great guns and reasonably priced. Can price most of them by goin to local WalMart and asking to see the Gun wishbook. Hope this helps

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Aught six, I agree not everybody has extra cash to line the gun safe with application only rifles but in todays world of bullets and cartridge choices, the 06' IMO no longer can be stated as the "jack of all trades" choice it once held. I however will not argue 06' will get the job done but merely point out so will others and arguably some more effeciently!

TWIG a magnum certainly isn't reguired for wt. However some of us hunt wt of a larger size than others or areas where long and short shots are offered, where we may find the extra umf and range welcome. It really boils down to assessing the needs/wants, then checking the box and finding the best choice personally.

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This has been a very good topic! I know caliber selections has been debated, and will be debated again here on these boards. It has been refreshing to see some disagreements, without the ugliness and name calling!

Ak, I think we do have much common ground, and are basically in agreement, not only in this thread, but in many others I've seen also!

I will be the first to admit, that not ALL of my caliber selections are based on facts, or sound reason! I do have some minor prejudices for and against some calibers!:)
I do always try to take into account the fact that I do not know someone else's experience and/or abilities when I am recommending a caliber, that is why I will always steer them to a "middle of the road" caliber! Neither too small or to big!

Again, Pointer, you've made a very good choice! Good luck!

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I'm shootin a 7mm rem mag model 700....With 165 grain/ nosler partition bullets. I am in love with this caliber. It is a real flat shooter and it packs a punch. I have downed bucks at pretty long distances with this gun and have not really had to compensate my aim for the distance. I use this rifle on both elk and deer with great success. My first elk i shot was at 250 yards and the nosler busted both shoulders and continued on its way out. The rifle has never failed me and i will continue to use it until such a day comes that i may find something better but i doubt i will.

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Hi again JagMagMan,

I agree entirely! Any of those calibers are great for hunting big game.....especially the North American variety.

Dave

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That's funny, have any North American game animals changed in the past 100 years?

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It ain't that the game has changed, there are just better tools.

You could still drive a Model T and get from your home to the store. Not the best choice in tools for the job though.

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If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you can shoot it straight, it will get the job done for you.

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Did I mention anything about game 06?

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The fact that there are more tools available does not mean by any stretch that the 06 is not as good of choice as it ever was. New equipment on the other hand makes it an even better choice than it was. Better bullets and laser range finders will help improve any weakness it may have ever had. The 30-06 is not my favorite caliber at this time but If I could only have one rifle right now, my new 30-06 pump or a 308 or 270 pump would be the one. My bad left shoulder allows me to use a pump far easier than any other action. Another strength of the 30-06. ITs nearly impossible to find an action type that is not available in 30-06. For one rifle the 308, 280, 270 and 30-06 would serve the North American hunter well. As Ak and a few others point out, many other calibers would do as well. I will have to watch for a 280 Rem pump as well. there are quite a few of them still floating around. Can't have to many rifles. I still love the bolt guns and when I don't need a second shot, they are still fine. I can shoot them from a rest or tri-pod to support the wieght while I reach across with my right hand to work the bolt.

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Let me say this, the original post is a good question but one big thing is missing here, he wants a bullet that shoots flat. No one has mentioned barrels, i have two 270's a 7400 autloader and a 700 bolt sendero with a heavy varmit barrell, same cal. one will blow the other away in ballistics. Look at all the cal. they are all good but look at the build of the gun, flat shooting with knock down and good price REMINGTON 700 SENDERO awesome gun

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The Model T analogy is flawed. Whereas vehicles have improved greatly over the past century, bolt-action rifles really have not. It's true that the ammo companies are doing some really neat things with new and improved cartridges. But if a .30-06 kills animals just as dead as always, why even bother looking for some new fad cartridge?

I have my 700 ADL, and I feel totally confident with it in every state except Alaska (which most people never see anyway). The only other rifle I see a need for is an A-Bolt in .300 Win or .338 Rem for use down the road when I venture up into the Alaskan wilderness.

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you bring up a good point. I do think there is alot of "i gotta have that" type people out there. Not that any caliber is bad or that you shouldn't buy it. But i have friends that see a new caliber and they have to have it.. Why, no reason just because. but why have an 06, 270 and a 7mm ? Don't get me wrong, i would love to have every caliber myself. But for different reasons other than its newest fad going. I guess the worst part is, when we go to the range it costs them double for there ammo and we both hit the target..

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thanks trophyhunter... i think after visiting a couple local gun stores, i am going to go with a 270 insead of the 280... 1. the ammo is cheaper and easier to find 2. it shoots flatter... 3. i have only been able to find a 280 in ruger, browning and remington... i love these makes, but i don't want to limit myself to only 3 brands... i was looking at savage... but, i do have good luck with remington and i will look at the 270 you recommended. thanks for noticeing that part had een left out... i hadn't even noticed myself!;)

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Very true indeed. Obviously, though, I'm biased--look at my name! I believe in the .30-06, and it fits me extremely well for the reason I've already given.

But I'm not going to say that it is the best for everyone, or any such nonsense. Each hunter must find his/her own favorite caliber and go from there. I'm only saying that the new cartridges (which can be harder to find and cost more) really don't impress me on large game until around the 500 yard range. I say buy one capable rifle, learn to use it in any situation, and have fun.

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Actually my analogy is quite astute.

Model T & 2004 Toyota Tundra= Both get you to the store, the Toy just faster (more efficient).

30-06 & 300 Ultra Mag = Both shoot the same bullet, the UM just faster (more energy, flatter trajectory).

Don't misunderstand, the '06 will work just fine most of the time. The only difference is other rounds usually carry more energy and velocity (flatter shooting) allowing for longer shots and more "killing power" with the same bullet. For the most part this is all moot until you get out past 300 yards anyway so it really depends on the hunter and what their expectations are. Many pros and cons to both sides of the issue so there is no right answer in the end, it's really up to the person to make the decision based on all the info currently available.

For me, I want to have the most efficient weapon to give my game the quickest, most humane kill I can deliver.