Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin deer hunters...what cartridge and rifle?

ah that old 444 isn't a recoil monster...don't think it kicked anymore than the 06 shooting the 180 or 220 grain RN factory loads...

it sure would smack the deer down tho... biggest buck I took back there was in No MN in 84... it field cleaned at 265 lbs..

shot it at about 30 below zero also...some of our party went driving into the swamp... at that cold they kicked up about 40 plus deer that came rocketing out of there, in a low spot, with two banks on each side...

I was about 20 ft up in the air, on the roots of an old tree that had been blown over in a storm the summer before..I was about to drop the hammer on another buck, when out the corner of my eye, I saw that big one out the corner of my eye and shifted the scope onto him...

DNR biologist estimated him to be between 330 to 340 lbs on the hoof, when we turned him in at the check in station in Chisholm...

my buddies use to be impressed how that same rifle with about 3 well placed shot, would cut a good sized swamp pine in half... my hunting buddies called it my logging gun...

of course there is always oneupmanship in a crowd like that, so at least two guys, bought Marlin 45/70s after they saw what that ol' 444 would do....

with 300 grain Handloaded XTPs, loaded to even velocities in the 1800 fps range, anything within 150 to 175 yds is toast when that bullet smacks it....

and as Jeff O is often quoted as saying... it will definitely "over penetrate"..but so will my beloved 30/06 with a 220 grain Round Nose....


if you are going to load heavy, then by God, LOAD HEAVY!

confessions of an avid 260 with 100 grain bullets user..

Huh? not hunting anymore or you stuck in slug-ville?

My weapon of choice last year was a Marlin 1895 in 45-70 with a leupold 1-4x shotgun scope shooting horndy leverotion ammo. A buck and doe were taken and they didn't travel far with lung hits.

7x57 SR mauser & 140g handloads...

I didn't see this one listed.
Semi custom M700 .223AI 62 TSX

30-06, 257 Weatherby and 300 WSM

This is a little six point buck that crossed the powerline right of way on opening morning at 8:45am.
I shot him with a Browning Safari Grade 30-06 that I picked up at a gun show a few years ago and never hunted with. I had always lusted after one when I was 16 years old drooling over it in a local gun shop but I was always broke. So anyhow I picked this up at the gun show and let it season in the safe for a few years. It has the FN Belgian Mauser action which IMO is the best you can get for a hunting rifle. I wish I had the money to pick one up in .375 H&H Magnum. You never know when an escaped circus tiger could be in the neighborhood.
whelennut

whelen,

That's one quality rifle you have there in your hands. I'm in lust.

custom 270 24" pac-nor

I grew up in Northern Minnesota, deep woods. WWII Mauser with a peep site, all I needed. Most shots were within 50 yards. Different areas and different rules, some southern MN areas are shotgun only. Really depends on where you hunt. Any decent centerfire will work, provided you can shoot it well.

The "stuck in slugville" comment got me to thinking. first of all, I use a Beretta 390 12 ga with Federal Barnes Expander slugs (only the 2nd 12 ga on the list). It shoots 3" groups out to 150, which, if you compared it to every caliber on this list wouldnt be the worst I am sure. Many people here love some not so common calibers, yet loath slug guns. Why is that when today's modern slug gun is pretty much the equivalent to sum of them?

I wouldn't say it's equivalent to them, but they're a lot better than they used to be. An inline MZLDR usually gets you better accuracy and a more distance, albiet, not a bunch of either.

Recoil on a slug gun sucks ass too.

In most situations, I would take my slug gun hands down over a muzzleloader. The exception would be when you need that last 50 yards of range. But inside 150, no comparison, the slug gun wins. I just find it ironic that there is such disdain for a slug gun, yet the calibers that give you little over the slug gun are revered. If you are gonna run the slugger out of town due to ballistics, then I assume you are shooting a 300 WSM or similar, not a 30/30.

I was trying to ask the poster why he couldn't use his 35 rem and 3030 rifles... not disdain for slugs, but possibly disdain for hunting in a restricted area if he replies.

I think you over thunk this one a bit.

Tom- I agree. Having used various slug guns and ML's (inline and side lock) - if I am sitting a stand that even has a chance of a shot over 100 yards, I am rockin' the 50cal inline. But if I am on a drive, or still hunting etc. the 12 or 20ga pump slugger gets the nod.

This past year (see earlier in this thread) I had some does at 250 yards on the last night of the season. I dropped one with my ML - no way I would have tried that with a slug gun. (note: I have not tried Savage's new bolt slugger - heard good things though)

In the thick stuff I carried my Model 99 chambered for 300 Savage. On a big clearcut I carried my 30-06 Mauser. Also logged some time during ML season with my .54 cal. CVA Hawkins.

Took two favorites last season.

Savage 99 300SAV



Husquvarna 1640 6.5x55





Didn't connect this year, though.

Roundoak,

I used the 8x57 Mauser and the 9x57 Mauser last year. Pics are on this thread:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...ening_day_in_Mi_or_Lady_Dian#Post5821620

Slug zone.

I would like to make a 6.5x55 my favorite when I tire of a 250-3000.