308 or 7mm/08
Favorite Caliber for 300 Yards and Under?
- Thread starter Double Drops
- Start date
squirrel_hunter
Well-Known Member
280 rem 140gr berger vld
7mm mag 168 gr berger vld
300 wby 125 gr nosler bt.
New favorite gun on order
Browning x bolt 280 Ackley Improved.
168 or 180 gr berger.
7mm mag 168 gr berger vld
300 wby 125 gr nosler bt.
New favorite gun on order
Browning x bolt 280 Ackley Improved.
168 or 180 gr berger.
7/08 is for catch and release
Rakkin6
Well-Known Member
I said a .300 win mag also, but I am a fan of the 180 grain bullets. The 150 just seemed to blow up on me on the 2 deer I shot with them.
I was curious about the answer, so I did a quick tally. By quick I mean I quickly looked for an answer in a single caliber. If I saw multiple calibers or long dissertations I skipped them. 
I'm a 308 Winchester fanboy and was pretty sure it would be the hands down winner; it's hard to improve on perfection.
But I was surprised how close the 300 Mag variants and the 7MM's came. I was also surprised at the 30-06 numbers. I would have guessed them to be much higher. I guess the availability of the .308 ammo has impacted modern sales of the 30-06.
Another observation is that there aren't a lot of lever deer hunters in Tennessee.
.308 (17)
.300 Win Mag & Variants (14)
7mm & Variants (13)
270 (12)
.30/06 (8)
25-06 (6)
6.5 Creedmore (2)
.243 (2)
6.8 (1)
6mm Rem (1)
35 Whelen (1)
45-70 (1)
.338 (1)
.280 Ackley (1)
.458 Barnes (1)
.264 WM (1)
.280 Rem (1)
I'm a 308 Winchester fanboy and was pretty sure it would be the hands down winner; it's hard to improve on perfection.
But I was surprised how close the 300 Mag variants and the 7MM's came. I was also surprised at the 30-06 numbers. I would have guessed them to be much higher. I guess the availability of the .308 ammo has impacted modern sales of the 30-06.Another observation is that there aren't a lot of lever deer hunters in Tennessee.
.308 (17)
.300 Win Mag & Variants (14)
7mm & Variants (13)
270 (12)
.30/06 (8)
25-06 (6)
6.5 Creedmore (2)
.243 (2)
6.8 (1)
6mm Rem (1)
35 Whelen (1)
45-70 (1)
.338 (1)
.280 Ackley (1)
.458 Barnes (1)
.264 WM (1)
.280 Rem (1)
Rakkin6
Well-Known Member
I like the .300 because it can be used for just about anything in the lower 48. In my initial post I did say I would take my .338 Lapua for bear though.I was curious about the answer, so I did a quick tally. By quick I mean I quickly looked for an answer in a single caliber. If I saw multiple calibers or long dissertations I skipped them.
I'm a 308 Winchester fanboy and was pretty sure it would be the hands down winner; it's hard to improve on perfection.
Another observation is that there aren't a lot of lever deer hunters in Tennessee.
.308 (17)
.300 Win Mag & Variants (14)
7mm & Variants (13)
270 (12)
.30/06 (8)
25-06 (6)
6.5 Creedmore (2)
.243 (2)
6.8 (1)
6mm Rem (1)
35 Whelen (1)
45-70 (1)
.338 (1)
.280 Ackley (1)
.458 Barnes (1)
.264 WM (1)
.280 Rem (1)
Omega
Well-Known Member
Add me to the .270 crowd, while I have other calibers, and have warmed up to the .308, I still prefer my .270. I have never got into the magnum calibers, never seen a need for them.
Thank you for the quick tally! Interesting results. The lone 45-70 if they can shoot accurately out to 300 yards they are a hell of a shooter!
I am with you I still shoot 243 95gr BT and never had a deer walk and never had one explode once they hit the skin now once inside well we know what they do
CHRIS WILSON
Well-Known Member
There are plenty of folks who hunt with lever guns in TN but the OP mentioned a 300 yard range. My guess is that most folks dont consider the traditional lever gun calibers 300 yard shooters. Because of the areas I primarily hunt, the majority of my hunting is actually done with a Henry 45-70. Love the gun and caliber but don't see it as a 300 yard combination. I have other calibers for those areas where the expected shot might be longer than 150-200 yards.I was curious about the answer, so I did a quick tally. By quick I mean I quickly looked for an answer in a single caliber. If I saw multiple calibers or long dissertations I skipped them.
I'm a 308 Winchester fanboy and was pretty sure it would be the hands down winner; it's hard to improve on perfection.
Another observation is that there aren't a lot of lever deer hunters in Tennessee.
.308 (17)
.300 Win Mag & Variants (14)
7mm & Variants (13)
270 (12)
.30/06 (8)
25-06 (6)
6.5 Creedmore (2)
.243 (2)
6.8 (1)
6mm Rem (1)
35 Whelen (1)
45-70 (1)
.338 (1)
.280 Ackley (1)
.458 Barnes (1)
.264 WM (1)
.280 Rem (1)
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308 or 30-06. 7.62x51 vs 7.62x53. I've got good rifles that I trust in both and lots of ammo. I don't need the excitement of a magnum caliber at this stage in my life.
squirrel_hunter
Well-Known Member
I have a kimber 280AI and a 700 7 mm mag. The 280AI will just about do the same thing as a 7mm mag. And 280AI less powder and less recoil. If i had to pick one . It would be my 280AI with a 168 gr berger or a 180 gr vld. If i didnt have a 280AI. I would go with my 300 wby. I load a nosler 125 gr bt. Never had a deer run with that gun. A shoulder shot is unreal the damage it does. But i am 1.5 grs over max. With no issues with pressure shot this load since 1992.
41Magnum
Well-Known Member
When I hunt with a rifle, which is very little now, it's a 243 for me with 95 gr. Partitions or Ballistic tips in reloads, for factory I use the Federal Fusion in 95 gr. Taken deer to 290 yds with the Fusion and around 340 ish with the Partitions. Always had complete penetration on broadside shots.
I built a 280AI 30 years ago to hunt these beanfields here in western KY, A lot of IMR 4831 behind a 140 Barnes TTSX. Flat shooting, fast and deadly on whitetail's. There is a lot great calibers mention here to kill deer at 300yds!!
My all time favorite rifle for deer hunting is a 270. But with the 270wsm well that is my favorite now. My Savage 270wsm is my all time favorite. I have all the others but that 270wsm gets it done. Bottom line buy what you like.
jaybird62
Well-Known Member
7mm-08 all day long.
