Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Which '06-based cartridge is best for deer out to 200 yards?

Good bullet placement would matter more than which cartridge for deer sized animals.

A 110 at 3350fps out of a ai is the hardest hitting round I've shoot out of the 06 based case and I've shot most all

The more I play around loading the 30-06 and also shooting over a chronograph at times,the more I like it.The plain Jane 30-06 would be my overall best choice.

Yes......

I've used all of them except the 338-06. 200 yards isn't much of a test for the cartridges listed. Pick one, put a bullet where it needs to go, and rock on.

Given the range any of them work...

But what about the shooter - bad shoulder or if one doesn't like kick puts you into a 25-06 fast.

Personally I'd use a 308 type powder column for under 200... In fact I use the 260 - no kick whatsoever ever and she does the job easily up to 300 yds.

Spot

At 200 yards everything from a .22-06 to a .400 Whelen will lay out a deer nicely.

Just pick one, shoot well, and eat venison.

that's odd I reload and took that question to be what 30-06 cartridge is best for 200 yards. I owned a gun shop for years and if someone can in and asked for a 06. That would be my immediate thought second 25-06. Anyway if I am correct interpreting your request it would be 150 grain Nosler partition. If your reloading my best results are with IMR 4064 52 grains. Buying off the shelf I am a federal person, again you can still purchase Nosler partition. Just my 2 cents

+1

I've killed a few rather sturdy deer with the Whelen.
Each one stayed in place.

If I had all of the choices you listed at my disposal, I'd close my eyes, reach into the safe and declare whichever one I pulled out to be the very best - then go hunting.

I'm sure it was an unintentional oversight that you left out the best choice of all, the 400 Whelen. Since it was left off the list I'd have to go with the 35 Whelen as a close second.

I was restricting the list to cartridges that have commercially available cases -- although the .338-06 might be head-stamped .338-06 A-Square.

3o/o6

I own them all except the 338 and my hands-down favorite is the 25-06. But what do I know, I usually grab a 22CF of some flavor if I'm going to be hunting inside 200yds.

pre 64 model 70 winchester 30/06

anything '06 based will kill 200 yard deer. .223/5.56 will work at that range.

The only think I can draw from this post....is that 200 yards MUST BE long range!!

I've found rifle weight and the presence or absence of a good recoil pad to make a huge difference in felt recoil. I used to have a Win. Model 70 Featherweight in 6.5x55 that was actually painful to shoot and would bruise my shoulder badly. I've got a .300 Win. mag. in an 8 1/3 pound rifle with a 1 inch recoil pad that I could shoot indefinitely with no pain or bruising.

I suspect that 99% of whitetail deer are shot at that distance or less.

This.

At 200, any '06 based cartridge, or any .308 based cartridge, or x57 based cartridge, and a host of others is "best".