Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting What's the "Magical" ft/lbs of energy used to draw a minimum for a deer rifle?

Minimum deer caliber? Wow! What a question. How much energy, what caliber?

Any expandable type bullet that can reach the vitals of a deer and then fully penetrate should be "enough" gun to kill a deer.

In theory, this would make most higher energy handgun cartridges "suitable" as even the 9mm will penetrate a deer at 15 yards or less.

The question (as a hunter) is, what distance will you be likely shooting your deer at?

How much recoil can you tolerate?

What else will this rifle/cartridge be asked to do?

Bottom line: Shotgun slugs, muzzle loaders and even the old black powder cartridges can kill deer effectively with the muzzle loaders and black powder rounds generating quite a bit less velocity than modern smokeless rounds.

For 100-200 yards.....minimum....44 Magnum in a rifle.
150-250 yards...minimum would be a .243 Win
200-300 minimum would be a .257 Roberts or a .250-3000 Savage
250-350 maybe a good .260 Rem
300 plus...go with a .270 or a flat shooting 25-06 as minimum.

My subjective $.02 cents.

Minimum Deer caliber probably the 22 LR it is quite minimum and a lot of Deer have been killed with it.Definately not my preference tho..

I know this will prob piss a few guys off but i used a 17HMR with Hornady bullet 17gr at 95 yrds. Shot just below the head into neck and the deer dropped dead. The rifle is a tack driver for me and I had it sited in for 100yrds. The bullet passed thru at the base of the skull with very sm entry and roughly 3/8" exit wound. I would'nt use this gun normally but I was coyote hunting and a nice sized doe came out and I had one tag to fill. I knew I could have made a head shot but this was a no mess shot and kill.

More power to you!!

As most would agree....it does not take much energy to kill a deer. They aren't that tough, they aren't very large and fortunately....they are not dangerous animals.

You shoot a deer in the base of the skull at less than 10 feet with a .25 ACP...you will bag a deer every time.

You have a tack driver of a rifle.....you had a perfect shot, you obviously had the range and your shooting position perfect. You took your shot knowing the consequences of having to track your deer should you miss precise location.

We'll assume that 90% of the hunters out there don't have an unlimited time to fill their tag nor do they have countless opportunities. For me, I have property to hunt on 80 miles from where I live. I have (at most) two days to hunt.

The .17 HMR worked for you. Other's take to the woods with bow and arrow knowing that 40-50 yards is maximum range. Others use blackpowder or primitive arms knowing that 75-125 yards would be max.

I guess you actually COULD take to the woods with a .25 ACP but then you aren't really hunting then, are you?

Just wondering is this legal in your state? Here in Nebraska it takes a minimum of 900FTLBS for a legal caliber. It is not ethical or logical to shoot a deer with a hmr I don't care who you are or how accurate your rifle shoots. It is your responsibility to make as clean and ethical kill as possible and a hmr IS NOT!. Sure a well placed shot will put them down but your ethics should be telling you that it is not ok. But hey who am I to tell you what you should shoot deer with. Would like to know which state you reside in if it is legal to shoot deer with a hmr. HAPPY HUNTING

Reckon a rimfire is not legal most anywhere...