Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Advice strongly needed...

Really worried guys...i have a 223, 257 Roberts, 243, 260, 6.5x55, and 308. Y'all think I will be ok for deer season?? I got that huge gap a 7mm should fill...

Only 6 deer rifles...i shudder at the thought that the backup to my backup's backup might fail...

What no straight-walled Ohio legal rifle? Tsk tsk.

In that case I'd go 7 mm R U M !
U know go big or.....

Jerry

I had a pile of them before last season, put 3 on consignment and now have 3 more then I originally owned. Its a Sickness

If you culled all but the .257 and .308 you’d be just fine. “ Hi, I’m Bob and I have a rifle problem “.

Fixed it for you....

Thought you guys might understand lol

That's what I'd do.

Jerry

Not that I would, but for deer season I could cull all but the 260.

Ditch the 308 and replace it with a 7-08. Or, keep the 308 and add the 7-08 anyway.

Ditch a 308? What kind of madness is this?!?!?!?!

“Am I mad.... or am I so sane, that I just blew your mind?”
~ Kramer

I’d ditch’em all but the .223 and .260.... then add a 7 Mag.

No madness;

There is a 308 IN every 06 !




I've seriously thot about making that my sig line.

Jerry

You need something bigger than 308.

No can do. Above 150 grains at 2600 fps i start getting nasty headaches

Isn't it against the law to not own a 30-06? Come on Matty-step up to the big boomers.

No need for an 06 and a 308. He’s gotta make the jump to 7mm RM. or 300 WSM.

Ignore that, I HAVE IT! - 35 Whelen! You MUST!

Sorry there bud. That DO make a diff.


Jerry

7mm-08 OR 7x57 for the class win!!! I have both.

The problem with your thinking is you need more rifles, not cartridges. Ignore cartridges, think more rifles.

For 20 years I used a Sako FIberclass in 30-06 and a Remington 700 7mag FS for all my hunting, out west local etc.

Since I have joined this site I have honestly lost count of the number of rifles I have owned.

I would get a good 7mm-08 and a 444 marlin and be done

Sorry about that. I'm pretty recoil averse also but not quite to that extent.

I'd be thinking more along the lines of different roles and uses, versus chamberings. I see nothing wrong with having a pretty walnut/blued rifle and a stainless synthetic sporter in the same chambering, or a heavy, butt-sitting rifle and a carbine, both in the same chambering. And then there's bolt guns versus autoloaders and single shots. A guy could have 3-4 different .308 rifles with little actual overlap.....

Fireball, you're either on to something, or on something...........not sure which!

Most of your stuff is way to modern. You need a 32 win spec. Or if it's gotta be 7mm go with the 7mm Mauser.

I agree, you need an AR-15 .450BUSHMASTER like mine!

I have brass and bullets and dies for 357 max. Will order a barrel later this year

Sigh, I remember the year I took 5 rifles to deer camp in November and by the end of January had sold all of them a bought 6 more. It is a Sickness indeed.

KC

No 6.5 Creedmoor?!!!

Glad to see i am not the only Looney. Wife went to a gun Show with me and said she was relieved since there were worse cases of Looney there than she has at home lol

You're looking at this from the wrong angle. These aren't backup's, they're simply utilized for different weight classes. It took years to convince my wife that ethically, I NEED different rifles according to the size deer I was chasing.

So if I'm filling my doe tag with a hundred pounder I need the 223. But if she's a fat one after munching on corn, I need to step up to the 243. Mature bucks fall into the 308, '06 and 35 Whelen class, again based on live weight. Woods or swamp bucks, 30-30 for smaller, say 140 - 156lbs. But you need a 35 rem or 348 win once he hits 200lbs. Magnums are for elk. So if you have a cow tag, something like the 270 bee is a must. Maybe a 7mag for satellite bulls but you might actually require multiple rifles chambered in various 300's for herd bulls depending on bull sizes in your hunting unit. Moose and bear opens up whole other needs.

So by my calculations, your selection is lacking at least 9 and possibly as many as 12 more rifles, starting with something chambered in 270, 7-30 Waters and a good 7-08 (or 7x57, you have to choose one. You can't get everything by her). After all, what happens when you know there's a nice 168 pounder that hangs out in your favourite food plot and all you have is your "inadequate" 6.5x55. You go home with an unfilled tag because you didn't think ahead and have a 7x57 in your stable.

A .45-70 pushing 300-350g Oregon Trail LaserCast bullets using 13.5g HS-6 yields 1167fps and 1081fps respectively in my Marlin 1895. Recoil is less than a .30-30. Very accurate but limited range. LOTS of fun - my girls love them. Have not used them on critters but have killed a lot of rocks with them. Would not hesitate to use them at 50-75 yards.

And isn' it against the law not to own a .30-30 for fun, even if you cant hunt with it locally?

Only 6 deer rifles? What a light weight. Sheesh. No redundancy in cartridges? How can we take you seriously?

I know. Deep apologies. Please help me mend my ways

Gunbroker is your friend and therapist.

I might be the only one on this website to ever admit this: I have 1 rifle and I use factory ammunition.

You guys consider a 223 a deer rifle? It would work, I guess, but I have mine for smaller animals. I have some deer rifles but not as crazy as some folks. I have a 30-30 lever, 25-06 bolt, 6.5 CM bolt, 308 lever (BLR), 308 bolt, and a 30-06 bolt. Two of them get most of the use on deer.

Blasphemy

I only use factory ammo. For years I only had one centerfire rifle (also had a 22 LR). It is a Remington 700 30-06. I could have never bought another rifle and would not have had any less success. I have fun playing with different rifles but if you buy a versatile chambering, you only need one.

You seem a little light . Buy more rifles.

30-30

I’d start with adding a 30-06, 25-06 and a 280. (Bonus for 7mm express)
Maybe your nutz will drop then.

Well you have a great deal of redundancy for deer hunting, but there’s nothing wrong with that. The question would be which one is your favorite to use and which one puts down deer with more authority? If you were wanting to escape the redundancy I would keep the 223 Rem and 308 Win. The 223 Rem for all 120 lbs game and under. The 308 Win loaded properly for deer through moose. You could sell the rest except for the 6.5x55 SE and rebarrel to 9.3x62 Mauser if specifically tackling moose and bear on a yearly basis. Have fun out there and be safe.

Not sure what my nuts have to do with a joking post about rifles. But i sure do want your approval. Lol

Well played Matty. Now seriously-go get an '06!

Spend the new gun money on a hunt for a new critter or an critter you've hunted but hunt them in a place you've never hunted them.

Did you read this?

Yeah...definitely something for long range. Go with 7mm RM of 300 WM and take the recoil down with a brake. Then you won't notice the headache due to the ringing in your ears!

Hey, you can easily do a 1502600 with an '06. Been doing about that for a while, and maybe 2500 with .308s😜. Bambi doesn't seem to notice. Even my .270 usually gets 160s at about 2700. I squint my eyes and pretend it's a .275 Rigby.

Of course you can, but he already has a 308 which is even better for loading to those levels. Most of the time I don't load my 308's full throttle.

But that would require one less rifle. Can't have that.

Giving my Ruger Hawkeye Predator .308 to my son. Still have a nearly new-to-me Husky '06, but need to replace that .308 or sell off a bunch of brass and dies, etc. More cost-effective to replace the .308 to use up all that "free" stuff.

True.

I got a bunch of 6mm bullets in a sales lot of variety bullets I picked up cheap. So I had to get a 243 to shoot them in.

You did the right thing. It's practically almost like a rule.

Wouldn't want to get into trouble.

Lol see. You guys are as bad as me

Probably worse.

DF

And proud of it!

I resemble that remark!

Ever bought a rifle cause you had some extra scopes? Check
Ever bought a rifle cause you had dies? Check
Ever bought a rifle cause you had a bunch of brass? Check
Ever bought a rifle cause you didn't have one like it? Check
Ever bought a rifle cause the prices was just too good? Check

The big opening I see is for a cast bullet rifle or two. Say a 38-55 or 35 Rem for timber hunting, or another 308 for steel or longer distance cast bullet hunting. This opens the door for lots of fun. Scrounging for lead and tin, buying molds and equipment, experimenting with different alloys and lubes/powder coat. Just a whole nother addiction for the looneys.

Lol you shut your mouth before i start considering your ideas

You're missing OUT! I shoot probably 4-1 cast to jacketed anymore

I have four 7 mags and a 7mm ultra mag. You need to catch up.

I'd keep the 223 for varmints. PIck any one of the others and let the rest go. Or let them all go and buy a 7-08.

I have a similar yet wider mix that includes the 7mm and as a deer rifle I have only desired / reached for one rifle caliber for the past 5 years now. CZ 527 in 6.5 grendel has not left me feeling I am lacking for anything. So many ways to get the job done yet I have found the Grendel to be the greatest IMHO

With a TRUE 7mm - .277 (270).... ONE rifle could fill the gap.

Jerry

Went through a rough patch and last season all I had to hunt with was a 45/70. I still put meat in the freezer, from public land at that.

Things are better now and next season I’ll have the following line up:

223/556
243
6.5 manbun
30-06
45/70

The rifle slut in me still wants more lol.

You FIXED up for a while.

Jerry

Yeah I really want to add a 30-30 and 45LC or 44mg levergun to the list.

Mat - just me but I'd get the 45 LC for the nostalgia.


Jerry

Here's my 2 cents:
Get the 7mm-08
Get the 45 LC
Finally, Get a 'big' cartridge => .358 Win


There, 3 new rifles to help fill out the stable a bit more.

I mean, what's the use of having a 42 gun safe and not over-filling it?

Extra points for use of the term "6.5 manbun".

Points deducted for the absence of a 444 given your call sign.

The 444 was my first big bore lever, opened up a new world to me!

Delete this post before someone sees it!

BURN the HERETIC !

Since 2010 when I joined I've read a very few others who said they didn't have multiple rifles but not many.
As long as you are happy !


Jerry

Ok. Well I could use a 222 and a 270 and make it really simple lol I did some selling.

Carry the afield in a golf bag.

Hate to break the news to you but the 6.5x55 and .260 Remington are a bit redundant. So you must get a new tacticool 260 and a classic preferably Mannlicher stocked 6.5x55. Sometimes I feel like I should have a rifle on each shoulder just so I can use them all. Maybe I could rig up a battery system so I could shoot a half dozen rifles at a time when a big sounder of hogs come around.

6.5 manbun......ROTFLMAO

Reading this thread had me recounting heads my bolt action stable.....was thinking I had 6....dam if I didnt find a 7th.....picked up a new rifle without leaving the house

I need a new 257 weatherby remington 700 because I have a lucas bore guide and a new Tipton Rod and 47 once fired empties.

Perhaps a 45-70 if one wants to bust some brush. Never hurts to have a spare around.

hmm sounds like you need to join the gun buyers anonymous that my buddy and I created. our support usually goes like this:

new text: INTERVENTION!!!!

reply: What now? How much?

new text: Remington 700 stainless 7 mag. $500 with Redfield Scope

reply: Well $hit man, if you don't buy it I will.

new text: Dmn it Jim! You're not helping!

reply: I am helping you to not buy a new gun by buying it for myself.

new text: *FACE PALM*

I buy a new deer rifle every time I don't draw a tag! Sickness! It the 25 06 is to light and the 270 too much I've got a 6.5 06. Looking at a 6.5X55 to compare to the 6.5 CM just before I read this post.

I realize this is an old thread, just reread it and realized that the OP does not have an 8x57...oh the humanity...

He needs a 30-06 or .30-30

Sell them all. They made the 6.5 CM for guys like you.

25-06 for varmits and way out there deer and goats.-- 308win for anything to 300 yds.--
32 win spl, 38-55, 45 colt rifle, and 45-70 for close-up in the woods.
My win mod 88 in 308 gets the most use.

"If you culled all but the .257 and .308 you’d be just fine.
“ Hi, I’m Bob and I have a rifle problem “.
(many of us have similar issues)

I kind of agree with that concept,
personally... Id add a BLR in 450 marlin, but the truth here is that for any deer hunting
a properly loaded 308 or 257 Roberts in a decent quality rifle
(I PREFER THE BROWNING BLR IN ALL THREE CALIBER's)


will do a splendid job in skilled hands. Ive seen several elk and mule deer killed with a 257 roberts
using 100 and 117 grain bullets
I prefer the 450 marlin with a 405 grain, bullet, myself
but its not power its having confidence in what you use and being very familiar in its use,
but Im in a minority,
(old geezer that likes the challenge of getting in close before squeezing off a shot)
as most guys I know prefer the 308 win with a 165-180 grain bullet

You also need either a 358 Win or a 35 whelan. I'd add a dedicated long range rig in 28 Nosler too

Saaaaaaweeeeeet


I have always wanted a BLR in .308. Wish it came in .260Rem. I would probably rebarrel.