Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Deer rifle with mag boltface

I hunted deer with a 300wm for 14 years or so as it was my only center fire rifle. Stick with 180-200 grain bullets to keep the speed down, and you're golden, shoot from any angle. Avoid the big bones if at all possible.

I'd get a lighter gun. I had a buddy when I lived in western Oregon who was complaining about how far deer were running on him after he shot them with his 30-06. We got him a .243 and they died much more promptly.

If these are blacktail deer on the west side of WA, you really don't want to have to track them very far because it is so very brushy and often wet--unbelievably easy to lose them. Something in the .243/.257/.260 class would be just the ticket.

What kind of glass do you have on your guns?

I would rather have 2 guns that are "Just Right", set up with exactly the glass I want, rather than a 1/2 dozen compromise guns.

Perhaps consider tailoring the load to fit the game as others have suggested, and upgrading optics, to scratch the itch for something new.

300 H&H, 200 grain Partition, standard accuracy oriented load around 2750-2800 fps.

Won't "splash" a deer, will penetrate from most any angle. You probably already have a load like that in your repertoire.

Z6I 2-12 and Kahles kx 2-12