Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Favorite Caliber for 200+ Yard Shots?

7-08
25-06
.257 Roberts
7x57
.243
.358 Winchester w/ 180gr Speer
6.5x55 Swede
.325 WSM with a 150 grain bullet

I shoot all of the above and a few more that will easily make 200 yard or longer shots on deer if you are able at that distance. .32 WS , 30WCF, 38-55 W , .32 Remington, .35 Remington ,.30 Remington will also all make a deer dead at 200 yards but do their best work at 150 or under .

My feelings on the matter are that whatever you choose to use, you need to be shooting it a lot. Up to 200 yards is pretty much a chip shot on deer with anything like a reasonable deer caliber. It's out past that that things start getting tricky with regard to trajectory and wind. No matter what we like to think, most reasonable, modern deer cartridges don't perform that much differently from 200 to 400 yards. Personally, if I'm going to be hunting where I don't have opportunities past a hundred yards or a little more, I might use .45-70 or .303 Savage (or one of the "flat shooters." When the opportunities might show at 200 or beyond, I will go with .223, .25-06, 6.5X55, .308 or .300 WSM. They all work if you work with them enough.

Favorite???

There’s so many that would work well.
I like the 30-06 basic case, so 25-06 to 35 Whelen.
But a 257 Weatherby l through 358 Norma Mag work.
On a 57 mm case most will work 6mm Rem, 357 Roberts, 6.5x57, 7x57 and maybe 7.92x57
6.5x55 & 260 & 6.5 Creedmoor & the 243
On a 308 case I’d pick 7mm-08 or 308.

My personal favorites include 270, 280, 280AI, 30-06 & 7mm RM.

But the 270 Weatherby might be a nice choice and is pretty flat shooting.

Good choice, I have done it a few times over 250yds with 130gr BT also the 270wsm same bullet but my furthest shot at just under 400 was with my 284win and 140 nosler BT

.264

.243, 7/08, .25.06 are my favorites. I may try my .223/5.56 this year, I had shoulder replacement surgery.

I have and use any one of the following calibers and handloads without hesitation on deer and pigs well past 200 yards.

Browning A-bolt .270 with 130 gr. Speer Grand Slam
Browning 1885 in 7RM with 145gr. or 160 gr. Speer Grand Slam
Remington 700 Ti in 7 RSAUM with 140 gr. Barnes TTSX
CA Mesa in 6.5 PRC with 130 gr. Sirocco or 130 Accubond
Barret Fieldcraft in 6.5X55 with 130 gr. Accubond

Couple years ago I acquired a early 70'era, M70 FWT pushfeed 7x57 that I am considering using as my primary GoTo Shooter for up to 250/300 yard shot's on WT's & hog's for next year as it is light, and fits me well, better than the other 3 deer shooters on hand, with not much recoil in either S&B 140 gr'ers & the box of Hdy 129gr SST's I stumbled onto, which is a good thing with my 77 year old bum right shoulder, "a gift of the Dallas VA surgical team" 10+ years ago. .

I picked this rifle up in a trade sight unseen when the very old friend dealer could not sell the rifle for a couple years 'casue he was asking TOO MUCH Money. It has been "tuned" but is still 100% factory finished ie all the metal on metal connections have been lovingly slicked up super smooth and re bedded to eliminate some leftover factory high spots. So as I'm going to break out the reloading stuff this spring for some other calibers & bullet weights, I've also bought a couple box's of 7mm Hndy 139gr'ers + a variety of Spitzers + found a box of 7mm 120 spitzers in a garage sale & traded for some 7mm 129gr & 139 gr SST's too.

So...My ? is what bullets to look at 1st for use as an every day 200 yard practice & mebbe hunt with too. I'm leaning towards using the leftover trade goods spitzers to start with, but hunting with one of the SST bullets, depending on accuracy in one or the other.

My other on hand shooters are a cherry clean Tikka Swede, and a pair of 270's in a Marlin MR7 SS/composite & and a Portugal finished M70, both of which shoot decently when the shoulder is not a problem. Ya'lls thoughts and comments appreciated.
Ron

[quote=Poconojack]

This

Through all the BS the last few years, 308, 30/06 and 300win mag ammo of some flavor was available at our local hardware store. My brother ran out of 7mm RM and couldn't find any between south FL and south GA. I wouldn't even consider a short mag of any type and Hornady really screwed the pooch with the 6.5prc. Even now 30/30, 32 spl and 35rem is still unable around here.

When you say 200+ what is the +?

Another vote for the 270 Weatherby magnum......the rifles are accurate, the triggers are decent to great, the factory ammo is great {and not too expensive these days, like it used to be}. Maybe it's just me or the rifles, but it honestly feels like the magnum kicks less than my 270 Win!!!
Plus, at your ranges you wont really have to go home if you accidentally forget your range finder. The 257 Weatherby is another good one that works fantastic for what you are doing. I have owned and hunted and killed and missed with them all....

Depending on what the + is, 270 Winchester or 257 Wby.

Unless I missed it, the OP has never told us what rifle/cartridge he has now.

My current favorite cartridge for 200-400 yard deer killing is a 7mm Weatherby Magnum loaded with 150 gr TTSX. Both rifles are set up for that range. My new 6.5-300 Wby might be my future long ranger, but I haven’t had an opportunity to field test or shoot it at longer ranges. In spots where 200-250 yards is about the max range likely, my .257 Roberts usually goes along. That said, it’s more about the optics setup on those rifles and accuracy than anything else. The biggest mule deer I’ve ever killed or seen killed was at 34 yards with my .300 Weatherby. Go figure.

THIS X2

which ever one kills the animal quickly and effectively
from 2 yards out to 700yrds ny choice is the 6.5 creed
130 grain fed t/a loaded in a hornady case fed 210m primers
44.3 grains super performance vel 2890

.30-06 and a 180 grain SST

My old 7mm Rem Mag with a handloaded 160 gr Nosler Accubond.

I've got a couple .308 rifles. I shoot 150 gr. Hornady Interlocks.
.30-06 with 150 gr. Interlocks
8mm Mauser sporter 150 gr Speer Spitzers
Lots of good calibers available