Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Dedicated deer rifle

Trying to fill the gap between my .223 and my 7mm rem mag hvy barrel. Looking for a sporter weight rifle to be used for whitetail a only.
Will be a wby vanguard s2 or Winchester 70 ultimate shadow. Shots to be out to 400 yds max.

Down to
6.5 creedmoor
.308
25-06

Any one stand out over others?

.25/06

.270 win!!

25-06

If I could only have one deer rifle, it would be a .25-06. Thankfully I don't have to settle for just one.

Any of those mentioned would work, but depends on the situation. Deep woods rifles are different from one that the shot might be 400 yards. For distance, I'm settling on a 6.5 Creed. Deep woods I still have my original '44 98K 8mm with peeps.

From your choices .308, But I'd go 7-08/7-08AI.

Used a 270 M700 exclusively for 38 years then used a 308 Montana for the last 2 years.

What he said.

Out of those I’d 25/06

When I made that decision of handful of years ago I went with the 243AI and have never regretted it for a second. Today I would go 6 Creedmoor.

Last year I took a full grown mulie with it at 381 yards. A 90 gr Scirocco at 3300 FPS. It pounded the onside shoulder and exited far back on the offside. What more does a guy need?

From your choices I would go 25-06 or 6.5 CM. Same same out to 400 yards.

7x57

I currently have a T3X SL 308 and a T3X 6.5 creed. I also hunted whitetails for a few years with a 25-06 as well. I swore I would never own a creed but then grew a man bun and drove my buddies prius to pick it up.

I honestly can say that the creed is growing on me more and more. That rifle is just as accurate as some customs I have had and better than some as well. The lack of recoil also helps as well.

If I only could choose one for whitetails out of what you listed it would still be the 308, but ask me again in a year and that creed might take the cake.

Ditto

I am a .30 cal guy so id pick the .308 Win but any of your three choices are excellent deer cartridges along with another half dozen or so cartridges there's really not a bad choice for deer.....Good luck ...Hb

Tikka 6.5CM. No need to handload to achieve .5 MOA from a variety of factory ammo.

25-06

The 6.5 Creedmoor makes a lot of sense here.

.223 + .284 = .507 divide by 2 = .2535 looks like .25-06


Mike

Since I've become a light rifle fan, one of the short action cartridges. If going .25/06, I'd consider monos to minimize meat damage on closer shots, or careful shot placement. My neighbor has whacked a bunch near and pretty far with a .25/06 and 100gr TTSXs.