Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting New deer rifle for the upcoming season?

The Chemo put me way off track on my projects, and retirement blew the roof off the possibilities. No, I probably won't have a new deer rifle in the field this year, but you never know. It's not like I'll get bored. In fact I may leave more of my tried-and-true choices home.

First off, I've brought the Whelenizer out of retirement. It's my Rem 7600 in 35 Whelen and I am going afield with a light 180-grain Speer
New Load for the Whelenizer



I am also testing several new bullets for my Mauser in 25-06


Then there's the monster project. The Brown Bess swallows all range time that one can give it. There are just so many possibilities-- so many variables. It really brings out the mad scientist in a shooter. So far, I've managed minute-of-pie-plate at 40 yards with a .69 cal ball in a paper cartridge. Now that turkey season is over, I will be working with .715 and .735 ball to see if I can do better.


If time allows, I would like to test out my .54 Hawken on a deer. Twenty years ago, I swapped out the original barrel for a 1 in 28" Green Mountain barrel so I could shoot conicals. Now that I have a fancy inline, I decided to put things back the way they were and try hunting again with patched round ball.



#1 Granddaughter, Mooselette, is going out this year with a Savage 340 in 30-30.

Whith that reduced load with 180gr should tame down the recoil in that 760.

I had my Montana Rifle Company X2 in .260Rem tweaked. Shortened and threaded the barrel to 20" for my Nomad 30 titanium can, bolt jeweled and a new recoil pad. The old pad was the jelly rubber type and was torn in multiple places.

The reason why I retired the rifle was not because it was unsuccessful on our whitetails. I had 10 deer over 10 seasons with it. The problem was that for all the sound and fury it was not killing the deer any deader than my 30-06 loads. I was using a 200-grain Rem SPCL over H4895 and knocking enough off that it shot more like a hot 358 WIN. The 06 and 308 rifles were knocking them over DRT. The Whelenizer was not doing any better and most deer were running an extra 50 yards before piling up. Meanwhile, I had extra cost and extra recoil. The new 180-grain rounds are downsized even further-- more like an extra-hot 35 Remington.

One thing I have to give the Whelenizer is its unique report. I've had total strangers walk up to me and ask if that was me that got the deer. "Knew it! I knew it when I heard the shot." It seems the Whelenizer had created a bit of a legend.

I have a Kimber Montana in 243 that has worked fine the last two years, a Remington 700 in 7mm-08 that has killed the two biggest bucks on my wall, so a new rifle for the upcoming season? Why? Oh, I guess I have since I’ve already purchased a new Tikka T3x light in 6.5 Creedmoor. Loonyism just never ends!

I have a few new ones to put in rotation. 700 BDL in a HS stock (30-06), 35 Whelen 700KS, and a 7KS in 350RM. I’ll hunt primarily with rifles I’ve had for a while.

If I'm honest, I pretty much take a new gun every year. Last year was three new rifles and a new pistol. That was a record for sure. You know, about the worst thing that can happen is I shoot something with them, then after that I don't want to use them again, you know with so many others that haven't gotten anything. For me it's more about the guns than the game.



(Didn't take a new ones in 2021, that was the first year since 1987 that I didn't buy at least one firearm.)

Michi-Gun??

That was a heck of a deal. The way those are now, without the scope that would still have been a decent price. I picked up a camo version (unfired) early this year that had a scope on it. I sold the scope and put one on it I had. Bad reputation is those don't shoot good. If you do a trigger sear/spring and maybe bolt shims, they aren't tough to find a load they like.

I also built a 350 Legend off a Savage LH 223. Ordered an 18" barrel from X-Caliber around Christmas. Camo dipped the stock and added some upgrades. Group is one ragged hole at 100 yards

Ive got a new-to-me Tikka 595 7mm08 with beautiful wood that I'll be rigging out soon that I hope to use part of this season. But if I don't get it ready in time, I've got a brace of ol' reliables that are ready to go.

But what I've GOT to get ready is a youth stocked Browning Micro Medallion in .257 Roberts I bought here on the Fire. It's for my oldest Grandson, 8 y/o. He's already chompin at the bit wanting to go. Gonna run off some light loads for him to practice with.

That is one pretty rifle!

Bringing a 300wsm model 70 back online now that i found some federal fusion 165 gr. Was trying to sell it for a while.

Using a meopro 4x12x50 on top.

Didn’t have anything to add to this thread until recently…couldn’t resist a No. 1S in 7X57…scope coming this week, already have dies, bullets and brass…

Not a new rifle, but a new load. I have found that the 101LRX will drive tacks in my 257AI at about 3150ish. . Anxious to see how bambi reacts to them...

Not a new rifle, but a new load. I have found that the 101LRX will drive tacks in my 257AI at about 3150ish. . Anxious to see how bambi and porky react to them...

Magnificent!

This one has already passed the gopher test. Deer will be this fall…

If I needed one it would be one of these:

Tikka T-3 Superlight in
7mm-08 or 6.5 Creed.

In my mind they are perfect for whitetail or mulies.

Stick a Maven 2x10x38mm RS2 (11 ounces I think) to save weight and color me done.

Only new addition this year is this 1985 vintage H&R model 258 .30-30.







This one ain't new, have had it for years, but I broke down and had it drilled for scope bases and mounted an old Weaver 1.5-4.5x with the old flat topped Post & Crosshair. Gonna try to poke a deer with it this year.

.401 Win SL

Unintended 6.5x55.