Preferred Caliber for Deer Hunting

[TN Whitetail Freak]

A poll would be good for this question but I cant do one for some reason

Gonna be getting a rifle later on in season......just wanting opinions

 

[RUGER]

You will get as many answers as there are calibers.

I will start though:

.300 win mag

 

[Diehard Hunter]

One you are comfortable with.

One that has the range you want/need.

One you can get ammunition for in this day and age.

Like ruger said, you will get many different responses. I have killed deer with 7mm mag., .30-30, .243, 12 gauge, .45 cal muzzle loader, .50 cal muzzleloader, .45 ACP, .44-40, .35 rem, .357 magnum and .44 mag.

They are all equally dead.

 

[BlountArrow]

Whatever tickles my fancy on that given day...

 

[TN Whitetail Freak]

Yea i knowed there would be variable answers thats why a poll would be better suited Ruger start one

 

[ImThere]

Which ever one that ends up in the stand with me on any given day! Lol
I have killed deer with a few different cals
30/30, 30.06, .270, .308, 50cal ml, 243wssm, 270wsm, 357 mag
But my go to is my old faithfull .270

 

[bigtex]

Whatever tickles my fancy on that given day...

X2. It just depends on the situation for that specific hunt. When I had my lease in Middle Tn. I could hunt a large soy bean field where the shots might be long. On those hunts I would use my 7MM mag. If I was hunting a spot and the shots were not expected to be long I would use my .243 etc.
To me having just one rifle is like playing golf with one golf club.
Of course when I first started hunting I only had one rifle and that rifle was a 30-06. IMO the old aught six is one of the most versatile calibers out there.

 

[mimitk]

270

 

[Snake]

You just can't go wrong with a 7mm mag. enough said !

 

[W.Seay]

270

 

[de novo]

.30/06

 

[Scioto]

.300 WSM

 

[tailchaser]

hard to choose 30/06, 7mag,270,are all my favorites ,lease favorite is 243.

 

[rem270]

love my 270's.. also like a 30/06 and 300 mag

 

[CATCHDAWG]

Hay fields and long range usually gets action with the .270 but my go-to rifle is the old 45-70 guide gun and every now and then it's hard to turn down the model 94 30-30 or the model 94 .44mag. I'm pretty fond of the lever guns! ;)

 

[barkscaler]

7mag here.

 

[Boll Weevil]

What...no 25-06s? Depends on where I'm sitting but either the 7mag or 25-06 for me. Both are absolutely pure whitetail poison.

 

[SharpMuzzys]

I use a Ruger .44 when hunting short range, a 3006 for the "out to 150 yard spots", and the 7mm when the looking across the field.

As others have said, situation dictates the "ideal" caliber for me. Depends on where you do your huntin.

Hard to beat an old 3006 for versatility and ease of finding ammo.

 

[deerhunter10]

270 also have a 300 and about to build a 280

 

[Greg M]

.30-06 is probably my favorite. The deer just don't seem to go far afterwards

 

[Rob R.]

7mag here.

Me too!

 

[AllOutdoors]

350 Remington Magnum. The rifle is a Remington 673 Guide Gun.

 

[WGK]

It is hard to beat an 30-06. Ammo is very easy to come by and with all the new modern bullets it is a very versatile caliber.

 

[Solo Hunter]

7mag or a 7mmWSM

 

[mike243]

300wm or 243,both are great deer calibers imo

 

[MUP]

Since childhood, my ol trusty 30-06 has sufficed in many a hunt. The frames may have changed a couple of times, but the caliber has remained the same. :)

 

[Hunter 257W]

257 Weatherby, 25-06 - if I had a 257 Roberts, I'd use it. Also use a 270, 7.62x39 and occasionally a 460 Weatherby (downloaded!). Love the 25's though.

 

[bowriter]

.308 for everything up to and including moose. Has been for many years. Now and then a .270.

 

[rrhoghead]

the age old question

 

[Winchester]

I own several and have used even more, all with good success. Accuracy is my #1 concern, and good glass and a good bullet are also important. I find myself carrying my 7 mag more often these days but mainly because my Son has laid claim to my favorite lil .308 mtn rifle.