What do you think is the best deer rifle caliber? I like discussions about this topic. People always fighting over the best caliber. Anyways post your thoughts on this important matter. I think 30-06 in 165 grain is pretty good.
But my favorite cartridge is a 264 win mag. I shoot 140 grains at milk jugs around 300 yards.

25

Very good choice.

06 for sure! allways use 165 b-tip. maby pt if i think something bigger might show up. just bought another steyr back up just like the go to gun so imm covered.

I also like the 30.06 (Ruger) buy my favorite is a 30.30 (Marlin)

Wilkeshunter- I like the 30-30. I shot a Winchester model 1894 with the top eject. Best group i ever got from open sights.

Dang. Beat me to it.

.264

25

I personally think the best deer caliber varies day by day and can only be decided by a careful study of the solunar tables. On a poor hunting day with the best time of day being either early or late, the only successful caliber would be a 30 something magnum capable of ultra long range. On a great day you can use a 22 caliber for less close range meat damage.

This'll go a couple of pages..... With todays bullets (read TSX TTSX) no need anymore for anything above 25 cal. Any fast 22-25 cal with aforementioned slug through the lungs equals venison. Killed a couple dozen with a 30/06 way back when, can't see me totin that much artillery for a deer ever again.

In case you meant favorite CARTRIDGE, I will vote for the 257 WBY. Rockinist sexyist round for medium game goin, IMO.

The best deer rifle caliber is the one in your hands when you see a deer.

Bob, anyone old enough to have read any Jack O'Connor articles/books knows the answer; it's the .277 in the .270 WIN of course!

Yep.

6.5mm for me. But, I could be happy with a 6mm, or 7mm.

Not killed with a 25 yet, but someday, a 250-3000 will get checked off my 'want list' and change that

Bobin, I agree, whatever you can hit vitals is fine!

.243 has always filled my freezer.

All the 7MM's great bullet selection.

7mm-08

My sentiments exactly ...

I have a .243 that is my "big" deer gun...otherwise its centerfire .22s

I also keep my beloved 7x57...just in case I ever want to hunt something bigger than deer in the future...

Ingwe

A .22 will work on dinks, but some folks shoot adult deer.

My vote is for the hotter .25 cal./257 Rob & Roy or 25-06.

A personal favorite is 7MM./ 7-08, 7X57, .280, .284, 7Mag & 7WSM.

YMMV.

According to my hunting notes, I've seen deer taken with around 50 different cartridges ranging from the .22 Savage High Power to the .45-70, along with handguns and shotguns. Probably twice that many types and styles of bullets were involved. They all worked. I kind of like .25's myself but don't feel handicapped with something else.

All of which it's kind of amusing to read that this or that bore size or cartridge is better because of the variety of bullets and loads. Aside from having seen a great variety of bullets work well, generally I have found that only one bullet can be shot at a time.

Though a guide I know in Wyoming told me that one of his recent clients showed up with his pockets full of different loads. When it came time to actually shoot a deer, the client couldn't remember which load he'd used to sight-in his rifle. And yes, the deer got away.

.264. Especially in the .308 case. Low recoil, good ballistics. 120-140 grains seems to work well for me.
Second place is the .257. Especially in the '06 case.
Available from 95 grains to 160 grains pretty much covers anything I need to do.


stumpy

I like the .25 but in a pinch the .30 works just fine.

35

There are so many that work about equally well...I don't think there is a "best".

My fav is .25 (Bob, Better Bob and '06,25-type)

Centerfire with quality bullet (TSX Nos etc), that you can put one through the lungs.

Tacksmacker

1st .284 140gr......
2nd .264 120gr......
3rd .257 100gr......

The best (caliber for deer) is the one you own, that is capable of placing a decently constructed bullet into the kill zone. From 24 to 54 cal, dead is dead. For far too long I placed too much emphasis on caliber for deer, when I needed to have been focusing on my ability to shoot my rifle more accurately from field type positions. I should have been more in tune with whether or not my current rifle fit me well, or if I tended to shoot a lighter recoiling gun better, perhaps I needed a gun with more heft forward of the action, etc. A deer shot with a 243 Win or a 54 cal muzzle loader who has been dealt two broke shoulders, deflated lungs, central nervous system damage and major blood loss simply dies...

For recoil purposes, I favor the 25's

Well said and spot on.

When feeling sentimental and conditions permit it's my little 30-30. (first centerfire rifle) Otherwise it's been a .308 of late. If I know I might just be sitting on some long shooting lanes I might break out my 7 Mag but it's a little heavy to carry far, especially for deer. For just heading out the door after a deer it's the .308.

At some point I'm almost certainly going to give in to the utterly superfluous urge to get some trim little number in something like a .260. It's a sickness but at least here I'm among others who can also rationalize a need for such things. (I bought a .500 S&W recently though, so my purchase urges are somewhat abated...for now)

Plain Jane & vanilla flavoured, I know, but I'll chose from the following:

.243
.270
.308

Bullet construction & shot placement are far more important, than calibre !

Paul.

No wrong answer to this question, as long as the caliber is legal. Deer are just not that hard to kill. Over the years I've tried the 270 Win, 35 Remington, 358 Win, 444 Marlin, 350 Rem Mag and 500 S&W. The 500 S&W I still use for the MS Primitive Weapons Seaseon. All of these calibers worked well for deer hunting. However, I started hunting with a 270 Win and that's where I'm at now and where I'll probably finish.
For me (and I realize this is a subjective statement) the 270 Win just seems to have the right combination of shootability (or lack of recoil), flat trajectory and effectiveness on deer. Couple all of this with numerous factory loads (I don't reload yet for this caliber) and the fact that this round descended from the great 30-06 and for me it just fits me like a glove.

338WM

Any 24 or 25 caliber with a good 100 grain bullet is the ideal deer killer IMO.

Me too...

Like many my favorite is any standard .284 caliber. 7mm-08, 7x57, .280 great selection of bullets and relatively mild recoil. I do have to say that the I have a .257 caliber itch that needs to be scratched in either 257 bob,257 better bob, '06 or even .257 Bee.

For a dedicated deer rifle I really like the 270 with a good cup and core.

Also love the 30-30 in a marlin or winnie.

For serious dead right there and eat up to the hole an 1895G 45/70 with hard cast lead is cool too.

I have hunted deer with all of these and really enjoyed them.

Ditto

Too many to choose from but if I had to pick one it would be the .270 Win.

I'll take a .30. Specifically, 308 WIN.
.277 has been known to work well for me also.

October: 1 1/8" Broadhead
November: rain/ snow 30-30 or 41 Mag
still hunting 308
stand sitting 257 Roberts
December: 50 muzzle loader

A .955

I prefer the .270 for long range and 30-30 for short range

22lr with a good light atatched up top...... The quality of the light is more important than the caliber or bullet used. Aim right between the blue-green marbles.....

Rollin'............

Caliber, is a bore diameter.

You're referencing cartridges.

Trying understanding wtf you're talking about first.

Hazarding a guess that 'tard is MAYBE 15, though I know a few 15 year olds that'd have it over this troll for the rest of his life already.

As for "caliber"; .22 to .72 work just fine, if you pick the right cartridge, load, and projectile.

6.5mm is ok, but the .264 is way mo' bettah

If I didn't love my 7mm WSM so much, I would think that a 270 is probably the ideal.

Sean you mighta missed the other thread this morning when freind outdoorcali was reccomending a Sako extractor on a Mauser...






Yeah, you read it right....



Ingwe

"Being a little hard on The Beav aren't cha Ward?"

Dooooooooooooooood!!!


Ingwe

Kal-eye-4-ny-A

ROTFLMAO

Favorite? The one I am holding when a nice buck appears.

I have shot quite a few with many different cals. The last few were with 7x57, 250 Savage, 264 WM and 300 Wby. All of the deer croaked pretty quick. But with the 264, I can hit stuff WAY out there.

RAS

Whatever's in my hands at the time I stand over my next dead deer.

Well Odessa of course you're completely correct LOL!

I would toss in the 7/08 as well

There...Fixt it for you two.....


Ingwe

There you go, being turd-like again!!

.270s just don't seem to have enough detractors....

I wonder why that is...?

Ingwe

I go away for 40 minutes................look what happens!

Odessa we are under assault by the 7x57 faction!

If I don't have a 223, 223AI, 22/250AI, 243, 250, 250AI, 25/06, 260, 6.5x55, 6.5/06, 7mm08, 7x57, 280, 30/30, 300 Savage, 30/06, 308 Winchester, 8x57, 358 Win or 35 Whelen handy I'll grab a 270.....

I know......I know......

I grab a 270 so I don't have to mess with all that other stuff.

"Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative."

O.W.

Which leads right into the "caliber or cartridge" debate.

At least a couple of people have pointed out on recent threads that caliber properly means the bore diameter, not the cartridge.

This is true insofar as the dictionary goes. But dictionaries are based on "common usage." Somebody does not invent the definitions in dictionaries out of thin air. Instead they are what most people understand the word to mean.

This is a large part of why English keeps changing. Many people understand "caliber" to mean "cartridge" or "chambering," even the Federal ammo company, since when you log onto their website they ask for "caliber" when you do a search for cartridges of a certain kind.

This happens with a lot of words. The dictionary definition of "moot" is "debatable." But because of moot courts (debate courts, or practice courts) a great many people think moot means "irrelevant." And someday it will, even in dictionaries.

I have lots of imagination....I save it for important stuff.

I concur!! There are many cartridges that will get the job done, but IMO the 277 caliber is perfect!

For more open country where the ranges might be long, a 22 Magnum with a xenon bulb flashlight atatched to brighten up the irridescent green marble sighting point references. Not for the recoil shy though, and too loud for urban deer hunting.

SH,

Everytime I see your posts, I gotta read them because you say the funniest stuff. You dont let anything slide.

All the best,
RAS

280 Remington with a 150 gr bullet.

I had always shot a .270 Win in a bolt, until I discovered the Sav 99. Now it's a .308 Win. Life is good.

Anything based on the 308 Win case. 7-08 prolly being my favorite........

Ever try the 6.5-08

Got a new one lying in pieces on the bench.......

257 AI ROB...got rid of it 7 yrs ago...somebody kick me!!!!

Been having fun with a 250AI lately, but no blood on it yet. My favorite is still the .308 Winchester for everything.

I like the old school stuff. Anything with Savage or Ackley or Newton, or some gun writers name after it. Anything that has two numbers, like 25-20, 30-30 or something to say it was once a BP load. Military loadings have a lot going for them, such as they are always around a loong time.

Can't complain about that one...Have two hunting buddies that use their 308's for everything!!!!! Hope you get to pull the trigger on something with your ROB...one of the all time great short calibers!!...........FLEM

Kinda partial to the quarter bore.. Have a Bob, Better Bob, 25-284, and the Roy... Havnt got to whack anything with the last three yet but the Roy will get real bloody this fall, I will wager...

T-Hawk...just was wondering what platform your 25-284 was on??

FLEM

I've successfully and quite handily taken whitetails with .222 to 45-70 Govt. And I've seen some rather heavy swamp bucks (200+lbs. dressed) taken with .222 Rems and .223's. So, I guess somewhere between the .222 and 45-70 would be fine in my opinion. Or, in other words, whatever you shoot the best.

Hey Brinky...you are right lots of good stuff out there for a guy to use these days...one thing I've witnessed over my many years of deer hunting is some guys just can't handle recoil and make bad shot placement because of it...I think this is a prime factor in choosing a particular deer caliber.Many of these guys would do well to downsize from say a 7 mag to anything 243/6mm/257/7x57/6.5x55...all [and I know I've missed some] are plenty potent for average deer hunting...I have always felt that shot placement and good marksmenship took presidence over caliber and components!! TNX....FLEM

For a dedicated deer rifle, I will go with .257 Rbts.

Favorites include 6.5x55 and 7x57. Mine are Rugers. They shoot any bullet well, including the heavies I prefer.

Guess I gotta git me a Bob. So many guys here dote on them. I actually had a couple in the past but never found a jacketed bullet that worked like I wanted it to. I guess the TTSX is the way to go in the Bob, eh?

FLY BOY, its a Remington 600 action with a Lothar Walther Mountain contour at 22in... Its not screwed together yet, however..

100gr hornady is the [bleep] for MV's under 3200... Anything above that, I run the TSX... I might try the Berger Hunting boolits and the Scirroco II in the Roy...

I think you will find your 6.5 to be every bit as effective on game as the 7mm, and a tad less recoil depending on bullet wt. A 130 Accubond is a very accurate deadly bullet if you want a recommendation as to where to start for a great deer load. A 129 Hornday SP is also a good standard. As I am sure you know, any bullet from 100 SP to 160gr is deer deadly, most use 120-140s. The 130 offers a higher bc than 120s, great accuracy, and the ABs reputation is growing.

You may find as I did that it kicks a tad less than the 140/7mm loads.

Powder, H4350 and IMR4350 are very good, the H giving a tad more speed. H4831 is also a great powder to start with, others may like other things.

I built a 6.5-08 around 95-96, and over time, sold my 7/08s. Those rounds are VERY close.

OCC, the 250 AI and plain 250-3000 is on my 'want to try' list, and the venerable 308.........well, have I been saving the best for last??? Not tried one to date. After convincing a good buddy to try the 6BR for local paper matches, he never misses the 308's recoil. Hunters won't shoot extended rounds on a hunt, or should not be, but if one likes to practice, the 25cal thru 7mm with bullets 100-140 at 2700-3000 will sever most all deer hunters VERY well, with shot placement. 6mm bores using good bullets + shot placement will also kill fine.

If I did not load my own the 308 and 7/08 would be top contenders, though there are a good many 260 loads out now, and more coming (Silver State Armory for one).

Tnx....sounds like a great light weight setup....hope it works out for you!!!........FLEM

All-around big-game: 30-06 rules, balance of power, manageble recoil and moderately priced, widely available ammo. & 308 for the same reasons. SPECIFICALLY deer: I would opt for 7mm-08 or similar. Plenty powerful enough for any deer and highly efficient and accurate. I reload, so I also like the 6.5 x 55 and the .243 Win AI.

Anything bigger than .25 is masochistic.

I think I would choose the 7mm/08 just because of mass quantities of bullet styles and weights to ponder over!!!!FLEM

Sounds like a post w/ADD Just kidding, never a bad choice. I bet if one did a survey or TEST rather of shootability, as one goes DOWN in cartridge size, ones HITTING goes UP overall, esp. amongst average shooters who get little practice. Just as many found the 270 did as well in the field as the '06 and 7mag, w/less recoil and perhaps better shot placement, so have others found in using 243, 250/257, 260/6.5 Swede, and 7x57/708. They will all work just great, and shot placement percentage may well go UP measurably as owners have more 'Flinch Free' practice under their belt.

Odds are, if you can HIT vitals well, you have the right weapon for you, or an adequate one none-the-less.

BR..you were talking about shot placement which I think most of us agree on regardless of what caliber we shoot...reminds me when I purchased my Ruger 77 in 220 swift back in the 70's ..I mainly got it as a match to my 77 in 6mm REM and used both praire dog hunting.We had a super dog town to shoot on and barrels would heat up quickly... so I had both zeroed at 200 and alternated back and forth to save steel and then mostly used the 6 if it got breezy.One morning a coyote came smelling around the dog village and we knew our fun was over if one of us didn't get him...so we flipped a coin ....I won and totally dispatched him at almost 300...we had no ranging equipment back then but would set out color coded range stakes....Anyway I killed that big dog so quickly dead without a flinch and it impressed me so much that I worked up several loads to try on praire goats the following year.Found out that good shot placement and good bullets would kill deer and goats just as cleanly and most with less mess than than my 264...of course I always limited my shots to usually 200 yds or less...that old 63 gr Speer accounted for many a deer and goat back then!!!.......FLEM

Now tell me this. What in the hell, is fun about posting practical good sense crap like that?

25!

Good to go from 25-20 (WITH VERY WELL PLACED SHOTS!) to 257 Weatherby.

My Grandmother killed LOTS of blacktail with a 25-20 and I've used a lot of 25's including the 257 Weatherby.

Virgil B.

Flem, Why did you let the deer free past 200 yds? Guarantee that Swift with 55 SPs or heavier will kill at 300 and more with lung hits, everytime. I think PO Ackley bragged on the Swift and even the 17. I am no speed freak, but not ignorant to it's virtues with properly placed slugs. Jello'd lungs kill no matter what does it.

Pat, LOL.

On the 25/20, read an article like Field and Stream or Sports Afield around the 70s or 80s about a record deer, seems around 400 if not more lbs. Yes, a COW. It was hit, and recovered w/a 25/20 if not mistaken. Far from ideal, but it did him in.

I would reckon the new 327 Magnum in a nice Marlin Lever would be a woods killer on whitetail. My 357 did great with 158s at 2,050 mv, near 30/30 performance w/factory loads.

I don't do 17s or 20s on deer, not used a 22 either, but with an accurate rifle, they all can be lethal, again when properly aimed. My minimum that I have used with great results is a 6mm BR. You'd never know the difference from it and a 243 in the field. At least my deer killed up to 400 yds never argued!

I do not do it any more, but have taken deer with a 22 lr when a lad. furthest shot 30 yds, closest 7 yds. I was a sneaky little begger back then.

Randy

Anyone who could pull that off KNOWS how to place their shot! Have some 'Injun' in ya? Lol.

BR...I have smacked a few alittle farther but mostly its the wind.....took a shot at a fork muley late in one season to fill my tag....had a real good rest..think it was about 275 or a bit more...put the scope on the sweet spot and hit him high and to the left right on the shoulder...busted him up pretty good but did lots of extra hiking..I'm guessing we had about a 20-25 mi/hr blowing that day...I think I know what you are going to say...with that speed it shouldn't make that much difference...another problem in those days was bullet construction...most 22cal pills were not made to withstand Swift velocities with penetration on big game... this experience was one I didn't care to revisit !!!.......FLEM

These are CARTRIDGES not calibers.

My present favorite is the 30-30 Winchester.(So 30 cal. I guess)
I did recently aquire a Savage 111 in 270 win. though, so we shall have to see.

6 mm Remington.

What was the question?

Now I see what RugerM77270 was talking about.

Can somebody PLEASE clear this up for me? I have always used them interchangeably. Please define. Thanks

i'm a 30 cal slut.....

You and me both. I do like my 30-06.

Surely, you jest ?

i don't think so.....?

"Best" is subjective....

My youngest son dotes on the quarter bore. He is complete enamored with his .250-3000 we built.

My oldest son and I prefer the thirty cal.
Mainly due to the rifle. The Kimber 'lil Sky .308 Win for use just has the perfect blend of everything. Now, having said that, we recently acquired a Kimber Classic Select in 7mm-08.... so our mood and affection is subject to change.

Not that I am aware of, but I was and am a very patient man. A stalk on a mountain reedbok had my PH stop at 125 yds as I worked my way 75 yds, and clear of interference. That 50 yds took 45 minutes. I am not very fast, but I am really stubborn er I mean determined.

Randy

.30 seems about right. I've had 30-06 and .270, and... a few years went got a 336 in 30-30, and wondered why I didn't start with one of these. Yeah, yeah... I know... some call it short ranged... it is sufficient for my hunting purpose. And the deer taste better, taken with a 30-30 lever rifle...

Catus Lapus (Member #9485)
Registered On: 12/11/05 04:36 AM

W W!!

Welcome out of lurkerdom!

That's too funny! Been biding his time fo sho!

That is heavy wind, something I don't have to contend with as often in my area. A fellow bought a 221 I had awhile back, used a 22-250 AI routinely with 55 Sierra SPs IIRC, and out to 275 and further and no deer went over 40 paces or so. Broadside lung shots.

I was ribbing you on the distance, as I knew it was 'ballistically capable' if placed.

Most intelligent post I've seen in awhile.......

+1 on that! No-Flinch=comfort=more practice=better shooting=success! Hit the vitals!

270 Win or the 30/06 it could be the 257 Wby.mag just maybe the 30/30 or the 308..

Now I am confused...

My favorite cartridge as opposed to caliber(for all of you who get real pissy about the debate) to use on deer??? Simple...
.460 Wby. Mag.

FatJack,
They are not one in the same. And you are right, many make the same mistake of thinking they are. The CARTRIDGE is the loaded round to which we give a name tag, such as: 30-06 Springfield or 30-30 Winchester. The CALIBER is .308, the same for both. Since they both shoot the same Caliber (bullet diameter) then the names are usually subjective. There is much leeway given to CARTRIDGE titles. An example being the 300 Weatherby. It is loaded with the same .308 diameter bullet as the other two I mentioned. And since, there are over 50+ cartridges of 308 caliber they can't all have the same designation so the names have to be more creative to differentiate them one from another.

More examples are the 280 Remington or the 7mm Rem Mag. They both share the same caliber, .284. The names are usually chosen by those who develop the cartridge. Some titles are concise and some border on plain goofy.

Pick up a load manual and you will soon see what I am talking about.


Here is an example of calibers:
30 Caliber (.308 - .311)
44 Caliber (.429-.430)
243 Caliber & 6mm (.243)
7mm (.284)
6.8mm, 270 Caliber (.277)
22 Caliber (.223-.224)

Here is a VERY SMALL example of calibers in .308 bullet diameter:
300 Rook
300 Sherwood
307 Winchester
30 M1 Carbine
30-30 Winchester
30 Remington
303 Savage
308 Marlin Express
300 Savage
30 TC
308 Winchester
7.62x53mm Rimmed
7.62x54mm Rimmed Russian
7.5x55mm Schmidt-Rubin (Swiss)
309 JDJ
30-06 Springfield
30 Gibbs
7.82 Patriot

Excellent explanation.

"....the .280 is better than the .270"

-Jack O' Connor-

Oh yea! the 30.06 is better than the .270 Win!!! .......................Hillbilly.

He means Cartridge and caliber, not '06 and 30-30

! I agree 100%. For the record though, both are great deer cartridges IMHO.

6mm Remington

I believe the 25acp is vastly under-rated. One should also not forget the Flobert BB cap of parlor gun fame.

He never said that .....go read his books to find out what he really thought.That quote is gunwriter fiction.Show me where he wrote it,then I'll believe it...he never even shot a single head of game with the 280,at least that he wrote of.......

You 280 guys will say anything to boost up a cartridge that's been choking on the 270's dust since 1957.....

What I have in hand when the deer comes by.

Most likely a .458 Winchester Magnum with the most premium bullets available..., as I have learned from the more knowledgeable on this site, there is no such thing as over gunned and over penetration on deer sized game !!!

Having said that: 7x57, .308, 6.5x55, 30.30, .45/.50 cal muzzleloader. In about that order.

My personal favorite is a 7x57 Winchester Featherweight handloaded with 140's or 150's. Second favorite is my 760 pump 30.06 for the tree stand.

Brush huntin deer, 303 British in a Rodda top lever hammer double rifle w/ 215 woodleighs @ 2150 unreal penetration.

semi open deer, pre-64 270 win w/ 150 NP @2925 fps.

long range deer, 7mm rum w/ 139 interbond @ 3640 fps.
Gunner

My favorite caliber is which ever one I decide to take with me that day. They all work.

Surprised no one has mentioned the .277-06..................

338. Only because most of the deer hunting I do is on Kodiak Island.

A 25/06 loaded with a 120 grain partition is good from mice to yetti and any deer that comes along.

Smart man!

No joke. I never had the patience for a pissed off man eater

Anything quarter bore (in a phase of sorts right now!)