Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Your favorite deer caliber and rifle?

Faux TI 700 long action in 257 Roberts topped with a VXIII 2.5-8.

I match the rifle, cartridge, and load to the type of hunting that I'm planning to do, sort of like matching the hatch when fly fishing for trout.

I'm not particularly tied to any single rifle, cartridge, or load.

The one rifle that always travels with me is a S&W C in 30-06 with an old, pre-'74, Vari-X II 3-9x40. It is a dependable spare or loaner.

I have a BLR 81 in steel , a .358 Winchester that was my dads and I'll never get rid of . I really do not have a favorite deer rifle or cartridge but I do have many favorites . I have trimmed my hunting rifles numbers over the last few years to the point that I only have the favorites left plus a few new favorites I have added . Deer hunting in my immediate area is usually 50 yard and under shots , anything I own will easily do that.

The rifle I have probably killed the most deer with is a late production 788 carbine in .243 . Not sure exactly how long I have had it but it's been mine a long time . Got a Weaver steel tube 3x9 and my load of choice is 34.5 grains of IMR 4320 and a 100 grain Nosler flat base SP . I have had it longer and shot it more than the Remington model 14 in .35 Remington I just got the other day but I still can't say I like one more than the other.. Would love to have a Savage 99 in .300 or .250-3000 to play with but the price on them has got too high for me .

PS: Was just thinking , I been shooting that 788 and load so long that you can no longer buy the Bullets or the powder I use. Fortunately I'll never run out of either . Always buy all you can afford of anything you don't feel you can do without. Big companies don't care what you want , they want you to buy whatever they want to make for you to use .

Under controlled non have to shoot situations I'd prefer whats not legal. A 22 LR subsonic HP rifle of some kind with a suppressor. Deer just aren't hard to kill with a hollow point through the heart or lungs.

After that we tend to use whats require and whats enough mostly. Last deer shot was with a 9mm Glock. It doesn't take much.

I'm pretty sure this is a typo, and you've made it more than once.

34.5 maybe?

Thank you , You are correct . I'll see if I can find the others and correct them also .

Found one other place where I flipped the numbers and added a correction. Fortunately someone else also caught it .

Ruger M77 MKII Ultralight .270 Win topped with a Nikon Monarch 3-9x40

That one seems to have an "aura" surrounding it.

I see it too.

It is blessed!

Sako IV- 6.5x55

I purchased a 99 Brush gun in 358 Winchester from Diamondjim some years ago. I have killed every deer I shot at with no tracking. Have some other guns I would like to use as well. Guess I don't have any photos. Have other 358s now because the first one is so successful. Good luck guys. RZ.

Caliber is 308
Cartridge is 308win
Rifle is savage lightweight hunter

.270 is not a caliber.

.284 or .308

.358 stainless 20” Model 7

Depending on where and distances a RAR 450 BM or the Lightweight .270 Winchester with 20” barrel.

The 450 BM is fast becoming my go to preferred one.

Both are topped with a Swaro Z3.

.264

either in a 260 rem



or a 6.5 creed


or a 6.5 prc



or a 264 mag(can't find the deer pic)

270 Winchester in a Model 70 of any kind without a doubt. Then the same cartridge in just about any make……