Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Recommended caliber for Saskatchewan deer.

ny: Those will both work.

I hunted in Alberta with a guy who brought a Savage 99 in 300 Savage.He killed a deer.

I am no expert on canadian deer but I shot my first one on the 14th of this month just outside of Viking, AB with a 7mm-08 and a 140 gr TSX at 175 yds. He dropped like a brick, kicked a couple of times and it was over.

Bullet placement always trumps head stamp.

DLALL: Congrats!

That's the way it usually works...no surprises.

Thanks Guys, Now if I can just get a bigger one next year!!!!

i walloped a big bodied with a 130 TTSX out of 308 that being said, the 243 with 85 TSX or 80 TTSX seems to be popular with the locals where I was

they snicker at americans that think big cannons are needed

Two years ago I switched my .280 from 160 grain NP to 140 grain TTSX, couldn't be happier with the results. The 4 deer I have taken in that time have all died very quickly, 2 mule deer dropped on the spot, 1 whitetail taken on the run managed about 3 steps and one other mule deer managed about 5 steps. Meat loss was very minimal. These deer are not the large-bodied deer that you can get in Saskatchewan but I can't imagine the results would be much different given the same shot placement. I am thinking that 120 grain TTSX might work just as well.

One thing that I feel gives me quicker results with TTSX is hitting bone. TTSX loves shoulders and animals die quicker than double lung with that bullet for me

I'm sure it will....I have killed more or less average sized bucks to super large variety with 130-140 gr 270 and 7mm bullets in Canada. They all died pretty much the same way.

I think something like a 280 with a 120 TTSX or similar will work just fine.In truth I can't see any much difference between standard cased 30 calibers with lighter bullets,and 270's 280's 7x57's,etc etc. They seem to be mostly peas in a pod.

The biggest whitetail in all of Canada is a pushover for a 270 Winchester.

Bob;
I trust this finds you and yours well sir - Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Although we've hashed this out previously and endlessly, I'll only note that the same locals would kill a bull moose or bull elk with that same '06/.270.

My late father started shooting moose with a .303, then went to a .250 Savage and finally ended up using a Model 100 in .308. Although he'd quit moose hunting by then, when I gave him the 6.5x55 Swede I'd modified for him, after shooting it a few times and using it on local bucks he opined it would have been about perfect for Saskatchewan moose.

Anyway Bob, again one has to ask what the locals really know, correct?

They do choose to live there year 'round after all.

All the best to you and yours Bob.

Dwayne

Montana deer are pretty close, at least geographically to Saskatchewan deer, and if anything, somewhat smaller.
Over the 22 years I have lived in Montana, I have seen an average of 4 non residents come to Montana to hunt deer and elk, plus have hunted with usually 2 or 3 , at least other hunters. That adds up to at least a significant amount of field experience.
When someone shows up to go deer hunting, I prefer them to have at least a 7 magnum, and a 300 winchester magnum is better or even a 338.
I cringe when someone shows up with a 308, 7/08 or 270.
The reason being, year after year, you can take the guys with the magnums to your favorite hunting spot and they will usually do very very little damage to the deer and elk population. The hunt often begins with several warning shots that come close enough to scare the deer and elk into hiding on the nearby private land. A couple of weeks later, those deer and elk wander back where I can hunt them.
Now, those bastids that bring the 308s, 7/08s, 308s, for over 20 years I have had to watch them as they head back home with their tags filled with what I consider MY game.
One sum mitch had the gall to show up this year with a TIKKA, a stinkin' Tikka, in 308, and, even worse, a stinking fixed power Leupold in 6 power. Three shots later, and three deer later (couple doe tags), he's done huntin'. He claimed the mule deer buck was 377 yards away when he shot, but I lazered it, and it was only 374. Any fool knows a 308 wouldn't kill a mule deer buck at 377 yards.
Another thing I like to see is for people that don't practice much, is to have lots of dials on their scopes, and to bring a new rifle in the latest caliber each year.
You'd probably be hard pressed to find a more inept hunter on the 'Fire than me, but these are just my somewhat tongue in cheek observations over several years, nothing more.
Royce

Ahhaahahhaha

So, even a M65 cannon is not too big, what is too small?

I have been hunting in sask since 1994 my 3 sons and myself all shoot 300 weatherby s 180 noslers and do very well never lost a deer yet. Now we had many other guys in camp with there 130-150 grain non magnum walk around camp with there chin dragging the ground because they wounded a buck. Not saying it can't happen with any caliber but hit them hard with a lot if energy and take them off there feet. And some magnum shooters do no how to shoot.

An M65 canon would be considered too big, because in an 8 pound rifle, you'd end up with a lot of guys getting scope cuts.
Too small? That would call for a judgement call on my part, and I was pretty careful in my post not to inflict any of my own judgement, and to just post what I had seen and my reaction to that.

Royce now that's a different perspective on the whole thing....you had me sorta curious about where that was going.....for awhile.

Well said, but, why bother?

Kutenay I hear you bud, just had to

trap4fur I have used the 300 Win Mag in Sask and Alberta....it certainly does slap those bucks around alright.

There is nothing better then that bobin.