Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Are axis tougher than white tail

I’m thinking 257 wby for a axis hunt the next choice is 300 win
100gr lead tip vs 180 acu bond shots will be 250ysd plus opinions please

I'm sure the 257 could handle the task,but the 300 Win Mag would be my choice.

No, anything that will kill deer will take Axis. You will like Axis meat better!!

Mine dropped quickly with one round (130 grain blue-box Federal) from a gay .270.
Bob

They can be a good bit bigger than your average whitetail but I don't know that they are any tougher. I've shot 2 bucks. One with a 30-06/Federal Fusions that went straight down and another with a 7-08/ballistic tips that went about 35 yards. The heavier of the 2 weighed about 265lbs and neither bullet exited. Although a soft point in a 257 weatherby wouldn't be my first bullet choice, it will do the job without question. It's more than enough gun, you just may destroy allot of very good meat in the process.

Not tougher..I'd say about the same...I've had no trouble at all killing them with a .243...likewise whitetails.

I second that. If you order venison in a restaurant it's really Axis.

I don't believe they're any tougher but the few I have have see run off after the shot didn't leave blood trails like whitetails.

Good luck and shoot straight and have a great hunt. Axis make really good table fair.

Bob

Any thing that you would use for Whitetail will work on Axis, .243 with a good bullet kills the hell out of them. Rio7

As did my one and only axis. He didn't take a step, but did tumble down into an abyss.

I'm planning on whacking one with a 7-08/140 partition combo come May.

Guys I've hunted Axis for over 20 years and there is nothing magical about their ability to absorb a round. As stated most any WT round will work if placed in the kill zone. Now...... on the table is where they become magical.

.257 Weatherby Axis

Nice buck Dan!

I remember that buck Dan.....

How big is that buck Dan? I don't know squat about them. Looks like a good one to me though.

It was over 30" but had all those extra points,wish that point wasn't broke off but he's an 8 pt Axis

I used to guide where they were free ranging... from what I"ve seen, like any deer, bullet in the right place its over. They have a thick hide on the neck, the bigger ones, MUCH thicker than whitetails.... Use a good bullet.

Hit em in the wrong place and they are longer for life than a whitetail typically. But they are generally larger, so that makes sense.

Nothing real magical about them though. Although I would not use a varmint type bullet like you can get away with on our whitetail, just due to size mainly.

Ranch owners shot em all the time with 223. We shot em now and then if the gals needed a deer for the pit, with 22 mag in the head.

I don't know much about them, but the free range axis I saw and chased in Hawaii were about the same size as the whitetail I know well in Montana and Idaho. The axis may have actually been a bit smaller actually.

What is an average axis weight/size in Texas? What about your whitetails (south Texas whitetails are generally really small right)? Could it be that axis deer are generally the same size in Texas and Hawaii but the whitetail you all are comparing them to may be smaller than northern whitetails, which IME can get somewhat close to average mule deer size?

Ah Spring time in Texas, just around the corner. Nice deer.

Is an Axis male a buck or a stag traditionally? I always called them bucks.

I have to be careful not to collect one with the Jeep here but finding a place that doesn't charge out of state rates is another story. Maybe it would be cheaper to use the Jeep and then buy a new vehicle with the insurance money.

RE: Rifles
Anything you would use for Mule Deer is ideal.