Deer Rifle

[Catmaster]

What is everyones favorite deer rifle? my favorite deer rifle is DADDYS OL' 22 RIFLE.
:big_smile_2:
JUST kidding. 243 and 30-30

[223reload]

ive only got two rifels for biggame same as yours243 and 30/30

[FishMan]

I can't say for sure any deer hunting I have done in the past was with a shotgun. I have become interested in big rifles and from the charts and other paper I have studied it seems the 270 would be hard to beat when you consider speed knock down power and recoil. This is on paper I may not say this as I gain more experience. How do you find the 243 ? It seems many people start out with it.

[bluejay]

I shoot a .270 and my wife has a .243. Both are great guns. Got the .243 for her because it has a little less kick.

[trnsmsn]

Marlin 30/30 with 170 gr. Federal Premium Fusions.........

Have yet to shoot one with it & it get away:big_smile:

[Stainless]

I have a Weatherby 7mm rem mag that I use for deer hunting. If I had to pick another to add to the collection it would definitely be the 270.

[stoney]

my boy shoots a 30 30 and i aslo love shooting it its a very nice gun shoots good.i have a remington 30/06 automatic very hard knock down power,love it...

[Cherokee]

Ive always like a 30.06. But i have a marlin 30/30

[smokey]

I have a win. model100 308,and dads win. 32spl.smokey

[SeedTick]

My favorite rifle is my model 700 Remington in 7mm Rem. mag. I've killed several deer with my .243 but the 7 mag gives me more room for error.

st

[buckshot]

What is everyones favorite deer rifle? my favorite deer rifle is DADDYS OL' 22 RIFLE.
:big_smile_2:
JUST kidding. 243 and 30-30
i like something that has a little bitt more power such as my 30-06 and 243.
1 shot 1 kill:big_smile_2:

[derbycitycatman]

My favorite deer rifle is my only deer rifle, 30-06. Wouldnt mind getting a 30-30 though just to have one.

[Mark J]

I like the .30 calibers and I've had several but now exclusively shoot the .308 .
A Remington 700 VS SF or Varmint synthetic stainless fluted. 26" inch barrel with a Harris bipod.
When we target practice we start out at 350 yards on 2 liter drink bottles.
Where we wind up is usually around 500 yards.
I use a 6-24x44 sillouette scope.
The reason I dropped back to the .308 was that I can shoot it all day long if I want to and its only somewhere around a 10% reduction of performance of an 06. Even less or about equal with the barrel on mine versus the standard barrel length on an 06.
I shoot Winchester factory ammo and do very well with it. Seldom do I get a "flyer" from Winchester.

In being able to shoot this rifle as long as I want to without the pounding of the magnums and belted cases I am able to shoot at these ranges at such a small target at 94% with factory ammo.
Would I pull the trigger on a 450 yard deer with a .308? With mine I wouldnt hesitate. I've spent alot of time laying behind that rifle at long ranges. Something I wouldnt do with a magnum or even the 06.

You have to first shoot what is comfortable for you and preferably something you will want to shoot more then 4 or 5 times and cry uncle.
My rifle is far more capable then I am but I hold my own only because when I shoot its usually 2 boxes of shells in a session but 5 in a session is what I prefer.

For folks that think a .270 is a flat shooting rifle I debunked the thought that it was flatter shooting.
My best friend brought his over. We started out out shooting at 200 yards and worked up to 375. I was digging trenches with the .270 holding over 3 inches. Holding three inches over, the 308 to hit dead center.
We stepped back to 200 yards and were both hitting dead center.
Rifles are different. This particular .270 was a Winchester shooting the same style Winchester ammo as the .308. Had we used Federal Premium in the .270 it could have improved or even got worse.

There isnt enough difference between the 06, the .270, or the .308 as far as drop is concerned to pick one over the other because of it. But there is bullet caliber to think about. Remember when I said I liked the .30 calibers? I do. That 168 grain piece of lead my barrel is twisted for drops em like a rock.


Happy shooting. I enjoy it.

[dougc]

Mark, I'm a bowhunter and not a rifle expert, but I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. I haven't seen a trajectory table yet that shows a 308 to shoot flatter than a 270. Most charts will show a max point blank range of 300+ for a 270, and around 250-260 for a 308. Shooting sessions with a buddy who has a Browning 308 proves this to me as well. It's going to take a 7mm mag or 300 mag to get a flatter shooting gun, and they can kick your butt if you shoot a lot.(There are a few others as well).

A 270 caliber rifle is perfect for my home state of Missouri(you're not going to have any 450yd shots, and you don't need 160-180 grain bullets to bring down a little ol' Whitetail). The 270 caliber is easy on your shoulder(kicks less than my 12 gauge with 3" turkey loads), and not nearly as loud as the 308.

My 270 might not knock 'em down everytime, but they aren't going very far!

[223reload]

i would like to add that i bought my 243 a model 788 when i was 17 years old my first new rifle and with my handloads and lots of shooting over the past 20 odd years im not at all worried about useing it on anything up to and including elk but i might want to close the distance some say 100yrds or less but i love this gun

[Fishnhuntforever]

I own and use a 7mm remington magnum by savage arms and a browning a bolt 30-06. I also have a ruger M77 in.223 that I use for varmint hunting. Though this season I have taken a deer and two boar with my over and under 20 gauge and my 12 gauge pump. I have not even pulled the rifles out of the closet because the area I am hunting in is shot gun only. If you are looking for a flat fast round you have got to choose a 7mm rem mag in my opinion. I am not exparienced enough with the 308 to comment about Marks post but I do beleive I watched a hunting show that took place in new zealand where they used a 308 at 780 and 1000 yards to drop billy goats. Everything they had was high tech though, the scopes they topped the rifles with were swarovski. Everyone knows you would be lucky to buy one for under $1000. Truthfully I think you should shoot what you are accurate with. If you aren't accurate with a magnum because you are afraid of recoil then please don't shoot it so you don't wound any game. Unless you put alot of rounds down range you should also think hard about shooting long distances. I can successfully get myself within 50 yards in most terrain without spooking the animals I am stalking. So why shoot at longe yardage if you can shoot closer?

[coltsfan]

You Guys Are Lucky.here In Ohio No Rifles Allowed. So I'm Going With My 12ga. Remington 1100 With Lightfield Sabots.must Be Nice To Be Able To Use A High Powered Rifle.

[Backwater]

If I'm in a tree:
Browning A Bolt in 7MM/08. 120 Grn Nosler ballistic tips over a load of Varget at 2950 fps

If I am on the ground:
Marlin model 1894CL in 44 mag. 210 grn Sierra Hollow Cores over enough WW296 to push them at 2000+fps

BUT my favorite Deer "rifle" is my .357 Blackhawk 4 5/8" barrell.
Handloaded with 180grn LBT's over a stiff load of Unique. Maybe it's more of a "loud bow " (broad-side 40 yards or less) than a rifle, but it's always on my hip during deer season.

[rebelzgrl76]

300, 30/30, 30.06 just to name a few. Had on old army rifle of my uncles that was nice shooting, 7.62, smooth. But I guess any of those would would work well. :cool2:

Prolly the one that made me the most nervous was that 300 Wetherby, lol...took quite a few deep breaths on that one. :wink:

[squirtspop]

I'm with Stoney....Remington 30.06 auto.

[FishMan]

300, 30/30, 30.06 just to name a few. Had on old army rifle of my uncles that was nice shooting, 7.62, smooth. But I guess any of those would would work well. :cool2:

Prolly the one that made me the most nervous was that 300 Wetherby, lol...took quite a few deep breaths on that one. :wink:

Amy you old 7.62 is sure to be a good old gun and the 7.62 is a 308. As I said before it's been years but in my army days I could hit at 1000 yards with my 7.62. But I shot it so much I knew it's arch at almost every yard. I do believe the 308 to be the round that can be tracked to the most accurate rate of drop or rise. If I am correct I think the modern day snipers still use this round. We loaded our own rounds or I should say we adjusted our loads.

[riddleofsteel]

I put a .270 Savage together for last season. Here is a link to the story and pics;

http://www.yerfrockethellhound.com/RiddleofSteel2005rifleproject.html

As far as the 30-06, .270, .308, 7mm Mag type debate.....this is the stuff that keeps campfires burning long into the night at deer camps as each fellow champions HIS particular caliber. In the real world there is not 10% difference between most of the popular deer rifle calibers. If most shooters spent less time on ballistic tables and more time shooting deer size targets under real conditions they would be better off.

[Cat catcher10]

Like most of the other guys.....i shoot a 30-30 and a 30-06.They both have plenty of knock down power!

[riddleofsteel]

Oh yeah..comparing the .308 and the .270. How do you do that objectively? Do you compare the 150 grain .270 projectile to the 150 grain .308 projectile? Or the 130 grain .270 to the 130 grain .308?
I think not.
The 130 grain grain .270 bullet has a nearly identical sectional density than the 165 .308 and has a better ballistic coefficent. So you have to use a 165 grain .308 bullet to match the .270's performance with the lighter 130 grain bullet.

.270 130 gr. ballistic co .460 sectional density .242
.308 165 gr. ballistic co .415 sectional density .226

Now the .270 has a larger powder capacity than the .308 plus it is launching a lighter bullet. End result...higher muzzle velocity.
The lighter bullets shoot flatter and hit just as hard.
Now lighter bullets don't buck wind as well or retain as much energy for as long as heavy bullets.

Tight string vs. arc both hit the target.

HUMMMMM

Can you see Elmer Keith and Roy Weatherby sitting by our campfire?

LOL

[rebelzgrl76]

Amy you old 7.62 is sure to be a good old gun and the 7.62 is a 308. As I said before it's been years but in my army days I could hit at 1000 yards with my 7.62. But I shot it so much I knew it's arch at almost every yard. I do believe the 308 to be the round that can be tracked to the most accurate rate of drop or rise. If I am correct I think the modern day snipers still use this round. We loaded our own rounds or I should say we adjusted our loads.


I dont know all about guns. Never claim too. I enjoy shooting and dont really take the time to learn all I could to keep up with you guys. I know a little here and there. When guys find out that I love to target shoot and hunt and sorts they try there d@mne$t to out wit me..Which on most accounts they can. I take it as constructive criticism.

I basically just stick with allowing the shooting to speak for itself. Id rather shoot than fish or hunt anyday, always been like that. Nothing feels better to out shoot a man and leave with a grin on my face. Its an empowering feeling, girls arent suppose to be good at things like that:cool2: and are rarely taken seriously, which is where I usually find myself most of the time. I love beating a man at his own game. :tounge_out: Its all in fun...till I am being smiled at :roll_eyes:.

Thanks for clearify that for me. Much appreicated, enjoy learning something new every now and then. :wink:

[Mark J]

The point I try to make is that so much emphasis is put on the term flat shooting.
You,ve seen the .270 outperform the .308 on trajectory, I've seen it the other way around. However I went on to say guns are different. Drop tables aren't conclusive or realistic considering all the variables that can come into play with any one of 4000 different rifles.
Drop tables only represent a gun with yadda yadda.
If you noticed, my rifle has a 26 inch barrel. the .308 gains its efficiency from utilizing a slow burning powder. The longer barrel allows a greater distance of containment for the slow burning powder to build higher pressures creating higher velocities.
I didnt cheat going up against his .270, the rifles are vastly different in more ways then one. Where my barrel has been twisted for a certain grain bullet and the chamber headspaced for one particular production round his has not.
Throw in the big difference in barrels and you dont have an off the shelf .308 anymore.

The reason you could lop off a 1/2" of the 30-06 shellcasing to create the .308 and the .308 to piggyback the 06 performance wise is because the different powders and their characteristics. The slow burning powder is the reason the .308 runs one of the highest chamber pressures in the world of rifle calibers. They are up around 60,000 PSI. Quite a bit higher then the most popular magnums.
I save all my brass although I dont reload. I save them and look at each one closely after a session for head stamping, bulging primers, smutted primers, or cracks in the casings. I've seen all of the above in "remanufactured" .308 ammo and its scarey knowing you pulled the trigger on that junk and knowing how close to death you came while looking at a smutted primer or a 3/4" long crack in a casing. I do this for all high powered rifles. Its a safety measure that will warn you of a problem like a firing pin that may be too long or stroking too long.

To me a 10" drop difference between two rifles at 500 yards isnt a whole lot.
Knowing your weapon and your scope will make just about anything shoot flat.
If you spend the time to develope a cheat sheet for your scope you can quickly adjust for drop at longer ranges making the term "flat shooting" not so important.
Even a flat shooter like the .270 is categorized drops a whole lot at 500 yards sighted in at 200 yards. More then you would want to attempt a holdover on live game. Both calibers are tit for tat out to 325 yards or so, its only around 400 yards where the drops really start to seperate.
So in essence both calibers are flat shooters for the run of the mill hunter that shoots on live game. For the hunter that stretches his shots beyond weekend warrior status and really is on top of his game the term flat shooter might come into play. As long as the scope has elevation adjustment left in it they are all flat shooters in my book.

Just trying to say magazines and their writers sell rifles. Terms like flatshooter or beanfield rifle are coined terms to focus your attention on one particualr aspect of a rifle instead of really getting down and looking at the nuts and bolts of the whole picture like how efficient or accurate a particular round is or if its long action or short action.
Short actions rarely get any justice in magazines because of the push to sell magnums or belted cases. The rifles themselves are more expensive and the ammo prices are off the charts. More profits.

I'll take a short action over a long action anyday as long as they can post numbers right up there with the venerable 30-06.
The .308 along with the 06 have long successfully reigned in the shooting world.

Some folks can handle the magnums. I can shoot them but I can step back to the pussycat in a .308 I have and be 20 times the shooter I thought I was. I found my comfort zone where I can have confidence in my shots. This rifle was built for capabilities well beyond my skill but this rifle has taught me more then any other I've owned simply because I can lay behind it as long as my wallet has money in it.
Thats what I reccomend anyone do when trying to figure out what they want.

[bootshowl]

All the posts are great. But it seems like there's a little larger period in technology, almost like an empty space, than one would think. The 30-30 before the ought-6 , then twenty years latter the 270. Then years and years till the 243. I put the Weatherby calibers in their own class. (right there with Hemmingway) I find myself wondering if idle hands haven't created for the sake of marketing. A better mouse-trap when the old one worked just fine....I get a bigger hoot watching the wonderful world of handgunning technology go just mad dog nuts. And there is more chagrin in that area. These are just soft words from the dim part of the campfire.
:smile2:

[FishMan]

These are just soft words from the dim part of the campfire.
:smile2:

Oh, but how Britte they shine.

[rebelzgrl76]

Mark,

Thats definitely a mouth full.

[Cathooker]

My caliber of choice for deer is the 270
My second choice is the 7mm08

[Pastor E]

As for me I just like the 243 If I reloaded It would be a 308 as I understand you can do more with it TO each his own

[JAYNC]

My first and only deer rifle was a remington model 700 30-06 synthetic stock, bolt action and 3X9X50 scope. With such a wide range of bullet weights, from 140g all the way up to 220g, I dont think I will ever need another rifle. IMHO its the perfect deer hunting rifle.

[Bigbluefisherman]

Well, I have 3 different deer rifles! Which one I like using most, probably the ole weatherby .270, I have 2 ruger M77s a .243, and 7mm. All topped off with leupolds. I have killed deer with all of them, but the .270 is a good all around caliber! You can never have enough guns!

[derbycitycatman]

Actually the 30-06 can be loaded with anything from 110 - 250 grain bullets, dont know if it would be different between bolt action and other guns. Seems like you could take about anything you wanted to with the 06.

[JAYNC]

Thats why I will never need another gun because I will never be in a situation where I will need to take a deer or anything else over 300yds. I wouldn't say never but in eastern N.C. 300yd openings are few and far between.

[catfishrus]

270 for me. not that its any better than anything else. it just suits me.

[vlparrish]

I started out on a savage pump, yes pump, 30/30 Junk! Jammed just about every time I shot it. Then getting a job and having a money as I graduated high school I bought a brand new Remington 700 chambered in 30.06. Very nice gun. Wish I still had it. After coming back from the service I bought another savage, a model 110 chambered in .270. By far the best gun and shooting gun that I have ever owned. I prefer the slide type safety vs the flip type of the model 700s. It is very quiet and can be flipped to go with a push of the thumb. My rifle is very capable of shooting several hundred yards accurately, but being a woods hunter and with the hills we have in KY I have yet to shoot it at a whitetail over a hundred yards. Although I did take a Wyoming antelope three years ago at 400 yards give or take a few. Vern

[flathead willie]

I can't say for sure any deer hunting I have done in the past was with a shotgun. I have become interested in big rifles and from the charts and other paper I have studied it seems the 270 would be hard to beat when you consider speed knock down power and recoil. This is on paper I may not say this as I gain more experience. How do you find the 243 ? It seems many people start out with it.

The .243 will stop a deer but I like a heaver bullet. The .270 is a great rifle but it is still based on the 30-06 which is more versitle especially if you reload since it will handle everything from a sabot 55 grain bullet to a 220 grain bullet. The fact remains that the 30-30 has killed more deer than any other caliber. I use my 30-30 in the woods where most shots are less then 100 yards but I have killed a few deer at 200 yards with it. I use my 30-06 when there is a chance of shots being 100 to 300 yards. I shoot 170 grain bullets in both for deer.

[nitro]

When I started hunting deer back in the 50s, we had to use rifled slugs, so I used my trusty ol' Rem.1100 12ga. Later used a Marlin 336 in 30/30. I used that exclusively untill a few years ago. I fish Alaska a lot and always carried a Super Redhawk on my hip, in case a bear wanted my salmon. Found out they use the S.Redhawk to hunt cariboo, so I tried it and fell in love with using it to hunt with. When I found out I could use it here, that's what I use now. Don't have to worry about any really long shots here in the hills and woods. I have been 3 times here, and got two bucks.

[Stoo]

I use a Remington 700 bdl 30.06. My dad bought it new bout 1970. It still shoots great. He has handed it down to me and I'm looking for a new scope for it. I'm thinking bout a Bushnell fire-fly 3-9x50.

[wally_1951]

dont know never used one..i have been using a 270 since the 80s...i have shot several caribou.....and at leat 14 deer...first rifle i bought was in 1970 single shot for 150 dollar....then bought a pump about 5 year ago...rally like the 270...havnt missed yet with it

[wally_1951]

sori i misprinted....shoud have said bought in 1970-80

[wally_1951]

still wrong....should have said 1979- 80...will get it straight yet...called finger distortion

[flathead willie]

Can't take away from the .308 since that is the most popular caliber for the 1,000 meter Wimbleton match. Any of the calibers talked about here will kill a Whitetail Deer including a .22 long rifle( although please don't try it). Personally, I don't like the Magnums for deer. My ex-hunting partner uses one and I've seen him blow a front quarter right off a deer, ruin a back quarter and front quarter with blood shock. The average deer east of the Mississippi is killed at 65 yards or less. A .270 or any .30 caliber or even a .44 will do a fine job. I'm fond of a 30-30 and 30-06 because the ammo is always easy to find, it's cheap, and since I reload I can load up or down and hunt anything fron Groundhogs to Moose. I usually pay about $9-$10 for a box of 30-06 while Kenny pays more than $30 per box for his .300 Weatherby Magum.

[ka_c4_boom]

i have a 7mm savage with drop out clip synthetic stock and 3x9 with limb saver recoil pad iv yet to kill with it but iv always hunted for the rack , this year im taking what ever steps in my range which from what iv seen on the target range is my sight of view :lol: these guns are designed to kill at long range

[blackhorse83]

I have several different guns and a lot of different barrels for my T.C's, all round I think the 270 is the best, with that said if you don't want to look for them a 7mm mag will usualy drop them in there tracks. The last deer I shot was a 80 yard shot from a 14" 223 on a Contender, it went 20 yards. The point is most all of them will do the job if you put the lead where it needs to be!!

[steveg442]

I use a sporterized 1917 springfield 30-06 and a sporterized spanish 7mm mauser. I've used the mauser since I was a kid. I feel more comfortable with it plus it's a little lighter to carry. I've killed deer with both from 10 yards to 350.

[Creteus]

Win. 300 mag:hell_boy:

[jtr4324]

My most used is my 7mm rem mag Sav 110, from 8lb cats to 1500lbs horses it will drop-m n their tracks. My favorite is my lever action 250-3000, just plaine smooth for the va deer woods.

[IrishO'Brady]

havent pulled mine outta the closet in a while but its a browning A bolt 30/06