Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Deer of a lifetime- which gun/load?

Archery equipment.

Something about killing big bucks with a bow really ramps me up......

.264 Win Mag with 125gr partitions at 3300fps. That combo still hold the world record mule deer and I have used it out to 545 yards so I know it works. reflex264

264 Win Mag with 140 AMAXs or 260 with 123s.

End result will be the same.

I hear good things.

Good heavens! I must have missed this one Scott, details please.

NOT the gun!

HBB and SKane, very nice bucks.

In my hunting area, the shot would more than likely be 150 yds or less so my 7mm-08 with 154 RN's. If for some reason, I had to stretch it out, still my 7mm-08 with a 140 Partition or 154 Spire PT.

I would not feel bad if I had my 280 shooting 160 partitions in my hands but the more I use it, the more I love the 7-08

TZone and SKane, here in New England and the Norteast, I know a few "bucks of a lifetime" have been shot with a 760/7600 in 30-06, though many up here use the 180 gr bullet

Scott great buck!

This year?

Muzzleloader will do fine, and in the past a 30-30.

A deer of a lifetime doesn't die any harder.

I know it probably won't be what I choose, IE will be the gun in my hands at the time....

But if I knew that I was going to have the chance, IE a trophy hunt, then it would be nothing less than a 300 mag of any flavor, and a 168 plus grain ttsx bullet. Very possibly ranging up to any mag flavor of 338 and up to a 225 ttsx bullet.

You get all the penetration for any angle shot on any deer with the above and they are flat enough to deal with on long shots, buck the wind which is more important and just flat get it done.

The only reason its going to be different than what i normally carry is that I want to be able to safely take ANY shot distance or angle that I might have to. They don't die any harder is somewhat true, but with what I often carry there are some limits to shots I"ll take.

Deer are easy to kill IMO. My 7-08 and 7mags usually kill with 140-160 partitions or accubonds. I did kill my buck of a lifetime, a 213" typical muley with an interlokt though.

Hunting the northeast for deer, 358 win shooting 200gr hornady's, killed my biggest buck to date less than a week ago with that load. If I was going where the shooting was longer I'd be bringing my 308 loaded with 165 partitions. Both guns are savage 99's C, not a classic but love the clip feed.

MM

I'm not a trophy hunter, but I have a question for those who are.

If you kill what you really think is a deer of a lifetime. What then? What's your goal? If you think you could do better, than it wasn't a deer of a lifetime.

Just wondering.

Sako II in 308 Winchester.

Leupold 2x7 of some fashion.

That one Skane posted up would satisfy any itch I ever got for trophy horns. That being said I've found as I get older I care less about the size of the horns and more about the quality of the hunt. Shot the biggest buck of my life last week, all I was doing was standing next to a tree and he walked up. I'm thankful, but I really like still hunting and bringing the hunt to them, my hunt of a lifetime would be in the adirondaks hunting a big buck and connecting on a mature buck that I tracked down and killed, I don't think the size of the horns would mean much to me at that point. And yes the 358win is going with me on that one.

MM

I was trying to think like a trophy hunter. If I was one I don't think I could ever admit I got the deer of a lifetime. I would always think I could get one better. So, any deer I shot would just be another deer no matter how good it was.

If I was going on a trip to hopefully kill my buck of a lifetime, I'd have to take my T/C Venture in 6.5x284 win. 129gr Hornady at 3000fps would really mess up any deers' day at any range I care to shoot.

Lots of good alternatives. But my current favorite is a 257Bob with 120gr Speer Deep Curls at 2950.

250 savage.

Would be my second choice.

Same here. So I'd want the one that would look coolest in the photos. Just kidding, it'd be the one I'm most confident with, as far as shot placement.