Preferred Caliber for Deer Hunting

Diehard Hunter

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Joined
Aug 1, 2008
Messages
7,380
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.
 

ImThere

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Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Messages
15,499
Location
Lewisburg, Tn
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

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Jun 6, 2004
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4,939
Location
Brush Creek
BlountArrow said:
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.
 

CATCHDAWG

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Joined
Apr 2, 2004
Messages
9,090
Location
Bradley co. TN
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! ;)
 

Boll Weevil

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Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
3,741
Location
Hardeman
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

Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
17
Location
Lexington TN
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.
 

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