Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles More deer have been killed with the xxxx than any other cartridge.

What about 222/223? I would have thought either one of those would be pretty high on the list too.....

Depends on region. Not even close out west. The golden age of deer hunting in the west was in the 1960's. Hard to even get a decent buck tag out west anymore. Mule deer numbers are at anemic levels in most western states.

30-30 or 3006 for sure. Both extremely popular deer rifles.

I would say a toss up between a 22lr and 30-30.

35 Whelen!!!!!!!!!!

'06 without a doubt. probably killed more of any game animal.

Yup, nothing else even close.

30-30

I have to believe it's the 30/06.

The area I grew up in has a long tradition of poaching deer handed down from generation to generation. I grew up knowing lots of folks who ate venison year round and shot one whenever the supply ran low. The tradition is still alive and well in the area to this day. Yes there were and are still deer killed with .22's but it's not and never has been the preferred weapon for the job. Lot's of people have the mistaken impression that poachers operate mostly at night with spotlights and prefer to use .22's for the low noise. Nothing could be further from the truth. Only the stupid ones operate at night and use lights. Those are the ones you hear most about because they're the ones who get caught. The vast majority go out the back door into the woods behind their house during daylight and use their deer rifle or just stick it out the back window and drop one in the back yard. I've known MANY who have done it that way, year after year for their whole lives and never got caught. Even if this weren't the case, there are FAR, FAR more deer killed legally with centerfire rifles, than ever get killed by poaching.

After WWII, 30-06, no doubt.

I think 30 years ago the 30/30 was probably correct but with all the cartridges we have enjoyed since then I would think it has faded and gave way overall to the 30/06.

A lot of states didn't even have deer seasons until the sixties and I would guess we have taken more deer in the last thirty years than the 80 years prior

I've heard the .30/30 assertion, but tend to believe the .30-06 is more likely. I don't doubt that .22LRs have been used for the illegal taking of deer, but I seriously doubt in such numbers as to make the .22 the all-time #1 deer killer. Put me in the .30-06 camp.

Either the xxxx in a lever action or the xx-06 in a bolt action.

Bruce

Anyone mention a shotgun? Sure 12 Guage/buckshot and/or slugs have taken many as well.

One merely can look at ammo sales as the top 3-5 are often bought by Joe Hunter who checks zero and then goes hunting.

The answer might be interesting....and that's about all.

One vote for the arrow.

John Lazzeroni's 243 Spitfire. Case closed.

270 and 30-06 would be my bet.

I also think the 25-06 would surprise.

I don't think it was even true back then, much less now. In the early 80's, everyone was using everything from a .243 up to the .300 Magnums, with the .270 and 7mm Rem Mag being among the most popular.

There were some die-hards still holding on to the .30-30, but even the ones who did were using more modern cartridges by then.

Women drivers is my estimation...

followed by clueless liberals...