Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Building the ultimate whitetail rifle

+1!

That's a nice compact and handy lil' package.

You could make one out of say a stainless Ruger Mk II with a Kevlar stock and Zeiss scope like I did, or you could just pick up a nice used older Savage 99F in .300 Savage and mount a 1.5-5x20 Leupold with the heavy duplex and call it done. That .300 Savage recoils less than a .308 and does the same thing to deer. I always thought that those 99's were kind of ugly until I bought one for my kid at a collector gun show and shot and carried it a little. That rounded receiver and the F's light weight make it a perfect one handed carry rambling deer rifle.

It would be pretty tough to beat a short barreled (20-22”) lightweight .308 Win.

My Kimber Montana in 7-08 with Vortex Razor 1.5-8X32 fills that role very nicely. I recommend one, or a Fieldcraft in 7-08 if you can swing the $$$. A nice 1.5-8 or 1.5-6 scope is a must at those ranges deer hunting. I really like the lower power for most shots and it's great when you jump one in the thick stuff.

This will work.

+1, just make mine a 7mm-08. Sure many would argue a 6.5 creed as well. Factory ammo only, 308

Fireboss: Many years ago I decided to buy/make a "mountain Rifle" that would serve me as a Whitetail Rifle as well as one I could (and did!) take to Alaska for backpack type Mt. Goat Hunting/Black Bear Hunting.
I ended up buying a Remington 700 ADL and buying a McMillan stock for it.
I decided on a 3.5x10 Leupold variable with A/O for it and this Rifle has indeed accounted for an all time Boone & Crockett Records book Mt. Goat for me, along with Whitetailed Deer, Black Bear, Mule Deer, Antelope and Elk.
This Rifle shoots VERY well and its going along on a Caribou Hunt with me should that bucket list item come to fruition.
My 308 "mountain Rifle" has the factory 22" barrel on it. I shoot 165 grain Nosler Partition bullets in it, for everything!
Consider the 308 Winchester for more of an "all around" Rifle that also works splendidly on Whitetails.
Best of luck to you with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Yep, any of the above @ 20-21" in a McMillan edge stock would suit me just fine.
Though my barrel would be a little chubbier than most would prefer, say, Rem Mag contour - ish.

I'm with you Skane. Make mine a 7-08, 22" bbl, and not a skinny one.

Today, it's a 243 with a fixed 6x40.
Someday... might step up to a slow 6.5 Creedmoor as I suspect it might not be as noisy in a shorter barrel, and also should be a little easier on the meat at shorter ranges. And factory ammo is starting to show up everywhere.
I'd probably go with something in the six to six and a half pound range (bare rifle). Not too heavy, not too light. And I'd lean heavily towards a 2-7x33 scope on a carbine-ish length rifle with a 20 to 22 inch barrel for the 264 Creed.
Although I do still love the little 243 cartridge.

Been down the 30-06, 8mm, 308, and 270 road and they are all fine if you have one in a rifle you like.
For my personal comfort though, these don't match up as well to the weight of rifle I want to shoot vs the weight of rifle I want to carry.
Except for the 8x57 factory ammo, if you can find it, is pretty mild in a short light rifle. But rangy-ness with the factory ammo is probably more akin to a 30-30 than a 270. Also, scopeable rifles in this Mauser cartridge don't grow on the trees that sprout in my neck of the woods. And I like scopes.

And I do love the 30-30 in a lever carbine. I've had a couple and really need another one. 336 with a Leupy 1-4x20 shotgun scope should be just right.
Although I'd prefer one of it's lighter weight variarions, maybe with the half mag tube, possibly straight stock, maybe even birch. So it may be a while for my search to yield results.
I've considered a 94AE or even a Mossy 464, but haven't been able to fully warm up to the idea yet.

Rem mag contour you say? I know just what you mean. I have a 700 LVSF, 22" factory short mag contour, set into a McMillan 700 Classic.

Those 700 LVSF's do look just right. Love the heavy fluted 22" barrel. And the slimmer McMillan stock would be perfect.

Yes Sir...the 1st paragraph was tongue-in-cheek. Just having a little fun. How he could make that claim with a straight face is beyond me...lol

For 250 yards or less, I cannot see a reason for a barrel longer than 20". It is plenty for a great deal further than that and much better to handle and carry unless chambered in a short range cartridge to begin with.

Because he's a tool (or is that fool?)

You don't need to build one. Winchester offers the classic compact. I have used mine, in .308, for many years to hunt whitetails here in Minnesota. I like the 180 Nosler Partition in it. Most deer shot with it are one shot kills that are dead right there. very lightweight to carry around the woods. Accurate enough for 250 yard shots. I think you can get it in 7-08 as well.

Try one, you will like it.

A 50 does no damage to a deer when shot through the lungs either. BTDT. Not impressed at all. Deer ran about 200 steps before falling over. So much for 50s, but mine is fun to shoot and some day I'll shoot a deer with a TSX just to see.

Of course warren is a dumb ass and we know that.

To the topic, which ever round you like, the most important thing to me, a TOP smith and a TOP barrel.

I've shot more than a couple of deer and just flat have not found any round to kill em DRT with lung shots. So it doesn't much matter to me really. I've actually probably had the most DRT lungs from 243 FWIW... They run a bit no big deal.

Sure ain't a need for a super accurate custom rifle to kill deer at 250 yards. Almost any off the shelf rifle is plenty good for that. I wouldn't hesitate at that range with one of my lever .30-30's and haven't. I've killed several with my Winchester and Marlin .30-30's between 200 and 250 yards. One shot apiece.

Not to mention the judgemental short-winded ones.