Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Most iconic deer cartridge?

For me it's the .30-30 Winchester.

+1

In New Zealand it would have to be the .303 British, used by deer cullers to kill thousands and thousands of deer.

Both the 30-30 and 303 British deserve #1 position. The 303British has likely killed more animals considering the size of the British Empire.

Honorable mention goes to the .44WCF.

My mind, too, jumped first to the 30-30. I suspect, however, that more deer have been shot with the 30-06 than anything else (at least in the US)

30-30 for me

You may well be right!

I would agree with that BUT I'm NOT certain because of the 30-30s head start. I'd NOT think the 06 came into vogue as a hunting round BEFORE the end of "The Great War", (WW I)

Also over the years I've known more 30-30 hunters than 06 hunters. (that's very subjective)


My opinion only.

To me it’s the 30-30 but I guess we all have our own ideas.

The first several deer I killed was with a .30-30, which I still own and use.

I don't hunt with one, but I gotta agree on the 30-30.

Iconic for me would be 300 Savage, then the 30-30. As said earlier in this thread, 30-06 has probably killed more! But I think of Grandad and the 300 Savage, that slick looking lever action really stands out in my memories!

My answer would differ by if I was going by what I READ or by what I'VE SEEN.

Not regarded as a "cartridge" I guess but living in the area I do...........when someone had a 12 ga slug, you knew what it was going to be used for and WAS that way for decades and decades so HERE that would be the round most think of. Even with rifles now legal, a huge number of hunters still use them. Majority or not, I've no clue but I bet it's close.
Don't know how familiar most are with the number of deer killed annually in this state...........but it's a pile.
I wouldn't venture to even guess how many deer have fallen to a shotgun slug here so...........my location taints my views.

The 30-30 is probably always going to be an iconic round, but for more than just deer. Not many do NOW but stories still survive it's use in about every hunting situation imaginable including bear, elk etc...........yet I've never in my 65 years of hunting have I known a single person who owned or shot one.
But hey, this IS Indiana. lol

I am surprised a bit the 35 Rem hasn't been thrown in the pile yet unless I missed it. Even the 35 has been used here by me and others, in handguns, for deer. Yep even here the 35 Remington made "the list".

Being the oddball...........again.
God Bless
Steve

As a 13 year old, my first buck just fell over from a .30-30 which was a perfect way to start my passion for deer hunting, so how could it be anything else? I've shot them with everything up to a .300 WM and none of them went down any faster than that first one.

What? Nobody said the 30-06? It has to be up there on the "iconic" list.

.270 Winchester

Well yeah, this is the FIRST mention of the 06. I know there's at least 1 more.








I think the 270 is ALSO an iconic WT cartridge.

30-30 was first before the 06 which should be second place

.30-06