Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Small Better Than Big ???

pretty tough to argue with steelhead on this one. I have seen him pose with a lifetime supply of big dead deer always seems to have some obnoxiously colored rifle without a claw extractor and the smallest dang case you could AI.

my testing shows the 257 roy is flat amazing for making stuff fall down dead.

Small and fast and small and average gets my vote...

5.56X45's hand loaded with 64 gr Power Points have worked great for me so far. Once blew a buck's heart to mush with a 12 ga slug at 25 yards and had to track him 1/4 mile. He had thrashed out a place the size of my living room and was still thrashing when I found him. I've got a 308, 280 Rem, 7 mauser, 303 Brit, 243, 30-30, 50 cal muzzle loader, several shotguns, and a 06 that I can deer hunt with. I started using the AR 3 years ago, because it's legal here and I wanted to see what it would do. It's a lot easier to carry all day, and it gets the job done. The 53 ge TSX works well too, but the 64 Power Points aren't as spendy, and are a bit more accurate for me. It's a lot of fun, and I haven't lost one yet. I wouldn't use it for long range, but most shots here are under 200 yards.

The longest I've had deer run was with heavy caliber cartridges. Mainly due to there heavy contruction not opening up on small southern whitetail.

The longest have come at the hands of .358 Win, .350 Rem mag and 30-06. I generaly aim for the arm pit so as to save the front shoulders. A bullet built for large deer and elk do not expand properly on 125 lb. dear.

Smaller cartridges using the proper bullet is more efficient for the job. I dont need the recoil or report....

Interesting, but I've never had a problem with a 30-05 put any size deer down and quickly

But not as quick as a 223AI, in my experience and these coming from a guy who's only hunting rifle for many years was a 30/06.


85's are in a 250AI

It's not 'let me see what I can do with this little cartridge'. They flat out work, period, no trick shooting involved as has been shown again and again and again and again.


Old dogs a slow to change it seems, but fear shouldn't drive ones life.

An Axiom of Big Stick's in order of importance. Placement,bullet, cartridge.
Small better than big? I guess apples to apples it can be when big affects shot placement because of recoil, rifle weight, or muzzle blast.
Deer are easy to kill but if a trophy is the quest I am going to go with a fair sized cartridge I can shoot with a bullet that is going to expand and penetrate.

Given the speed I'm able to get from 90 grain Sierras out of my 250 Savage, I'm seriously considering going to the 80 gr. TTSX for hunting next year.

I'm thinking 3300 is well within reach.

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with small.

I agree, that's why I switched to the 250AI for bear....

....and I built my 22-250AI.(grin)

"Deer hunting" covers quite a gamut.
Thinking if I ever was out after some of those big mule deer on the high plains with Scenarshooter I likely take my 7WSM 0r 260 on the small side.

If the new generations of Whitetails get so tough I can't knock them down with my 250 Savage and 87gr HotCors or the new generations of Mule Deer get so tough I can't knock them down with my 257 Roberts and 100gr Partitions, I will get out my 7x57 and knock them back a few generations with a 154 Hornady Interlock.

Even on a guided hunt for big deer and where ranges may be long?
Don't get me wrong. I have no issue with the 233 or even a Hornet for deer hunting. Deer pretty much drop right there regardless what I shoot them with ,big or small. Fast or slow.

I'm pretty sure some form of 25 caliber rifle would go with me.

If we start getting those tough ones on my lease I'll get the 150 TSX going warp nine out of my 300 Wby., that ought to handle it.

Never shot a Deer with a .223 anything, but I have little doubt they will work in the brisket as Rich calls it. I also agree with Steelhead that they will go less distance when hit there vs some of the more traditional cartridges.

My concern is how they work if things don't go according to plan and you are playing catch up. Very few are perfect all the time. I know how the traditional offerings work and I see no reason to handicap myself if I'm not perfect on the first go.

Now that I am recovering from magnum fever my 25-06 is my go to gun for whitetails and hogs. My kid brother is more in steelheads camp since he has switched to a 22-250 for deer and has been happy with it.

I almost always punch bone either going in or going out or both. I've yet to recover or seen a 62gr TSX, 75gr Swift or 70gr TSX caught by a deer from any angle.

You would recover one if you lightened up to the 53 grainer

I have now gotten two back...out of 23 deer...BOTH were the high shoulder shot, both broke both shoulders and went through spine...both found under the hide on the offside...both still weigh 53 grains...