Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Bullet suggestion for extra large Canadian Whitetails?

Selmer, didn't read anything in to what you posted in fact I think it was pretty insightful. Message: quit being concerned about the bullet, find the one that shoots the best, and practice. Thanks
Buckfever1

FWIW, there's probably more deer and elk killed with Core Lokt bullets than all the rest combined. And they've been making 'em for a long time.
It's always fun to dance with the new gal but often the plain jane in the corner is your best pick.

Not too long ago I talked to a guide in Saskatchewan about his recommendation for cartridges and bullets for the big whitetailed deer in his area. His answer: .30/06 w/180-grain bullets. He didn't elaborate as to what type of bullet construction.

When I asked him why he recommended that combination his response was simple, "that's one of the few cartride/bullet combinations we can be sure of getting in my area", (extreme northern Saskatchewan). I.E. ammo availability (Walmart factor) means something in remote areas. If your rifle and ammo get separated on a long flight, it's good to know you can get more of the same at the other end.

Are some picking on Bob and his .270 again. BTW isn't the great 7x57 just sort of a wimpy .270?

Any bullet will work, pick the one that shoots best outta your rifle. Ive shot 290lb Canada whitetail with 120gr TTSX, Bergers and Ballistic tips.

A Nosler 165 gr Partition at 2900 zero'ed at 235 yards is +2.5" @ 100 yds, -5" @ 300 yds, -18" @ 400 yards, or so the ballistics calculator says.

http://www.biggameinfo.com/index.aspx?page=%2fbalcalc.ascx

That's mashing the pedal pretty good on an 06, but like Bob said earlier "nothing is going to kill them any quicker"....Nuff said..

I'd worry more about almost anything else first on a deer hunt here, bullet choice for a 30-06 would be waaay down the list. Any standard bullet that shoots decent groups in your rifle will work very well. Most premium controlled expansion bullets are not quite as quick killing as standard cup and core bullets on our deer, but they work OK too.
I realize that it's fun to worry about the details for a hunt in an "exotic" location, but in fact a 30-06 is considered to a bit big for deer around here, many of our local hunters would prefer something smaller than a 30-06 if moose and elk weren't also on the menu. 150-180 grain Federal blue box or Remington CL or Win Power point or an equivalent hand load would kill any Canadian deer very efficiently. The three heaviest deer that I can remember were shot by myself and 2 family members with 150 gr. standard bullets from .308 and 30-30. Each of those deer field dressed at over 265 lbs.

I think I would step up from one of 6.5's to my 8x57/170 Speer or maybe my .303 Ruger #1....
I think I would make it a real traditional hunt and even wear wool,instead of my local jeans and t-shirt...

I use the 150TSX/TTSX out of my '06 driven to 3000fps. Flattens 300lb muleys, shoots flat and is accurate.

Really like someone pointed out the bullet would be of less concern than having good quality optics for low light.

Buckfever, my description of hunting the swamp ridges and open grass of Manitoba is accurate because I have actually hunted the swamp ridges and open grass swamps of Manitoba .....and more than once, in the Interlake Area of Manitoba. I love Manitoba and it is my second choice to Alberta as a place to hunt whitetails in Central Canada.

They are very crafty whitetails,big,and can appear so suddenly with no warning....providing very little time to set up a shot.You never know what will walk out up there

The biggest Canadian whitetail killed in a camp I occupied was shot by a Texas fellow in the Interlake....it grossed in the 180's and the body was like a steer.The buck was killed with a 270 Winchester (yawn) .

In the 30/06 I shoot a load of 59 gr-H4350-165 Nosler Partition for about 2900 fps...zeroed 3" high at 100 yards,this load is down about 5" at 300 yards;about 16" at 400.You should not miss a big Manitoba buck with that load and a dead on hold clear to 300 yards.Maybe some plastic tipped bullet will show an inch less drop at that distance.There are lots of bullets that work, but I like the combination of expansion and penetration offered by the Partition.

Mostly I use the 270 up there.

Bob,

Shhhhhhh! You keep that up and everybody is going to think that there are big whitetails in Manitoba! In reality, I never saw anything big at all...

I used to live in Manitoba, had many fine deer hunts in the Interlake, but also on the Shilo military base where they do live-fire tank shooting.

The grasslands routinely catch fire from these live firing exercises, and are thus some of the most well-preserved native and beautiful grasslands in North America.

In fact, it was one particular hunt on Shilo base with a friend that converted him to Partitions. He shot a big buck right on the shoulder joint, and the factory bullet fragmented leaving a big shallow wound. We got the buck (after some extra exercise!), but I convinced him that Paritions are never a bad choice he has used only Partitions ever since.

John

That'll never work Bob....shame on you...

John the Interlake is a knarly place,grown up from the fires last time I was there,and hunting is not easy....but some of the continents biggest deer live there and some of those Manitoba bucks are as big and knarly as the country....I like the "bigness" of Manitoba,and the secrets of that fabulous bush country up there.Can't think of a better place to get "lucky"...


superT,I get made fun of a lot for using the 270 Somewhere in the archives here I think is a picture of my last 270-killed whitetail from Alberta.It was enough rifle that day...

Those looking for advise on those Canadian bucks should be listening to Skane and Jordan Smith and Castnblast.....those boys kill toads up there and know what it takes.

JG Raider,that tecnique has been pretty good to me

I just couldn't pass up a chance.

Yep, the Interlake is a neat area. Got stranded out there during winter once but I was well prepared with lots of survival gear -- and 60 pounds of venison sausages that I was picking up from a butcher in the Interlake area!

Walked a LONG way to the nearest farm and of course was subjected to a warm welcome by a family who insisted that they had nothing better to do than to spend most of the night helping me get my truck out of a big snow drift. Salt of the earth folks for sure!

Bob, I used to use be a Disciple of the High Priest O'Conner and I used the Holy and Most Righteous .270 Win, but I upgraded to a 7mm Rem Mag when I found out that the 0.007 inch larger diameter bullet made all the difference on those big Manitoba whitetails.

John

Boys I hunt the interlake area and find it to be Big Country! I feel as if I am really on a way back adventure in the bush. Some awesome camp cooks up there also. Great descriptions of that country! Buckfever1

John, Manitobans are a friendly bunch,and I have always been treated well up there...they seem to have this "no-holds barred" approach to seeing that we got a great hunt in that country.

One thing I remember about that camp was that there was a 24/7 supply of beef barley and another type soup on the stove,mega pots of the stuff,and pots of coffee....and I loved the walleye fillets that seemed to be in endless supply.

Their attitude toward the size of the deer will catch a first-timer off guard....I got picked up off stand on my first hunt,the guide saying so-and-so had shot a buck and they were surprised he killed him first day...but that the other guy had killed a "pretty good one".

I pulled into camp to see a 10 point in the 140 class that would likely dress about 190 pounds.....that was the smaller one,and it was dwarfed by the other buck in antler and body size.....I gawked for 10 minutes staring at that buck,and I am used to seeing 200+ pound dressed whitetails.This one did not even look like the same species.

I can understand someone from the south being taken completely off guard by the size of those deer. I would count anyone able to hunt those Manitoba bucks each year as a very lucky hombre.

I like the 7 mag too,and have used it quite a bit in Canada.....the 270 should have its' own primitive weapons season.

I like that idea!

I hunted Ontario moose for several years with a .270 because I could only afford one rifle and it had to be used on everything from groundhogs to moose. A .270 Win sure isn't the worst choice I could have made -- I was only a teenager still learning, so O'Conner get the credit for that fine choice!

John