Understanding their range covers all kinds of varied country, what rifle is right for your whitetail hunt?
From the factory the perfect fit for me is a .270 fwt.

Or a put together 7x57 on a pre 64 M70 action and basner stock and topped it with a swaro 3-9x36 with a 4A.

FN HVA 7x57 w6x36 duplex Lupy. ans Nosler PT's-Muddy

I'm not sure what my ideal whitetail rifle is. I have several. I only get to hunt a couple days with rifle each year, hunt much more with muzzleloader and bow.

I am currently grab my 300 win mag...it's a sako bavarian with a varipoint 2.5-10x42 scope. It's a great setup. I never have to track a deer. But it is probably too much gun for a whitetail. I have used reduced recoil loads to reduce meat damage. A regular round does a lot of damage....even on a heart lung shot there will be massive clotting in the shoulder on exit side.

If get a custom build it will be in 30-06. Maybe smaller.

My 7x57 Featherweight.

.348 Winchester Model 71. No dragging required.

Mine is a Ruger 77 Ultralight tang safety model in 308. 20 inch factory barrel is pretty thin, makes for nice handy rifle, but 308 gives me all the range I need.

While I love to handle, look at, and shoot my M70 FWT .270, every time I head into the woods I grab my Tikka T3 Lite Stainless .308.

Savage bolt action in .358 Win. Where I hunt, it's rare to have more than a 150 yd shot. Most are less than 100 yds. Perfect for the .358.

270 FW.

For me, my model 70, 300 WSM, 180gr Accubonds. Love sitting on a big field with that rifle.

The 2.5x8x36 is gone, it currently wears a 3.5x10x40 with an M1 turret...and I'm now shooting 150gr LR Accubonds at 2900fps...




X-VERMINATOR

Sako AII, 308 Winchester, Leupold VariX-II 2x7x33 (soon to be swapped out for a fixed 4x).

Yep

90+% of my kills are accomplished with carbine length 30 calibers and 3 or 4 x.

Me too. Therefore a 7600 carbine 06. However if I was to need a longer range rig for areas west I think it would be a 300 weatherby.

Winchester pre'64 M/70 .35 Whelen.

For where I'm hunting mid.TN. ,I've been using my Marlin 336 in 35Rem

Generally no rifles allowed for deer in Iowa and I have never gotten excited about slug guns (although I have used them). So my 'rifle' is a TC Contender handgun 14" in 44 Mag with 245 cast bullets. Scopes have varied but I think I have decided there is little point to anything bigger than a 2x. I keep threatening to switch to a 375 Win or 45-70 (we are allowed straight-wall handgun cartridges only) but the 44 works well and the recoil of those others is a bit stout.
I generally hunt a small section of fairly thick timber by myself so it isn't as big a handicap as I make it out to be. This year's shot was about 20 yards.

Remington 700 Classic, 270 Win. (purchased new in 1981) with Leupold M8 4x and 130 gr. Nosler Partitions or Core Lokts....my go to rifle for PA and NY whitetails.

The more I use it the more my other rifles collect dust.

Rem 700 ADL in .243 Win, Talley LW's, Leupold Mark AR, POS Ti stock, shoots unreal

lefthanded tikka t3 lite stainless in 270win topped with a 4x12x40 swift premier.

That's not a featherweight in the photo, is it?

Anyway, I'm not a fan of light rifles, anymore. Something about 8.3 - 8.5 pounds all in works for me.

I always seem to gravitate back to this one - 7SAUM in a Bansner.

One of my favorites. And my bedroom in the background!

Fate.

Honestly, I don't think I have a favorite... so many rifles and so many situations. I guess if I do it's my Savage 99 in .303 Savage...unless I'm field hunting from a stand, then it's any one of several scoped bolt guns, usually a 700 in .223 lately.

I live in Ohio and we now have wacky rules regarding rifles, so I will say a Marlin in 444 or 375. 45 Colt works well too. If I am out west, I will take my M70 fwt in 6.5x55 I put in a Win-Tuff laminate stock.

Currently very fond of a Tikka T3 and Nosler 48 Patriot, both in 7-08. Both wear 3.5-10x40 VX3's.

ruger ultralight in .243, aftermarket trigger and a burris C4 scope.

I think the second one is about right. I pack a Ruger 77 NkII in 7x57 with a Leupold 2-7x 30mm scope, it is my everywhere game killer.

Mine is my Remington 7600 carbine in 30-06 topped with a 2-7x32. Can't beat it for a woods rifle.

Have to agree with Troutfisher, my favorite for New York state is a Remington 760 carbine in 30-06 with a 1.5X5 Leupold Vari X III. The caliber isn't important, it could be a .243, .270, .308, etc. It's the gun itself and the way it handles in tight quarters. I'd never argue calibers with anyone, it's quality bullets placed properly, not caliber. What's important to me where I hunt is a fast handling gun with a lowpower scope that has a large field of view so a moving deer at close range in brush can be picked up quickly in the scope before the cover swallows him up.

Where caliber does matter to me, is when I hunt extremely thick balsam swamps loaded with mountain laurel, like above Roundout Resevoir off of Yeagerville Rd. Places like that I like to carry a Remington 870 12 gauge, 20 inch smoothbore slug barrel with a 1.5X4.5 Bushnell sitting in old school Weaver Pivot mounts. There is a lot to be said for a 437.5 grain Foster slug traveling a sedate 1600 FPS threading its way through mountain laurel and finding its way to the boiler room. It handles just like the 760, or does the 760 handle just like the 870??

I hunt deer in a couple of different types of terrain with a couple of different techniques. That means I have a couple of different perfect whitetail rifles. but here are three.

1) For hunting on the ground, still hunting or tracking in the snow would choose my M77 MKII 358 win, 20" barrel in a MPI stock with a 4x leupold.

2)for general stand hunting I have hawkeye with 21.5" barrel in 6.5 creedmore. McMillan stock and 6x42 leupold.

3) For sitting over longer shots I have MKII with a 23" #4 rock in 7mmSAUM and a McMillan with a 3-12 Burris Euro diamond.

Both left handed: Remington 700s semi custom one in 308 the other in 300 win mag. It is a toss up which I carry.

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Sako action with medium weight barrel and a McMillan Sako Classic stock wearing a 4-12x50 meopta in a 25-06ai.
Just hold deer to 350 yards and watch them fall

I had one of those many years ago, except it wore a 2-7x Leupold. Great rifle! I traded it in on a new Ruger Mk II LH in .30/06. That has been my go-to deer rifle since. It now wears a Leupold 2.5-8x. I consider it ideal for me. Some people say a .30/06 is more than is need for whitetails and in principle I agree. I have killed deer with much smaller cartridges and will do so again. However, I just have complete confidence in that old /06.

There are a lot of nice choices in this thread!

I am grateful and lucky to have a few to work with. That said, my ideal rifle is my Marlin 336 in .30-30. The more I use it, the more I am convinced that it is ideal for how I hunt. My other two rifles are bad dudes as well!

Most of my whitetail hunting is in the open country of the west.. I use my .25-06 or .270 quite a bit.. When hunting for really trophy bucks or on a special stand I have in the east, I use a .300.. The only rifle I ever built for hunting whitetails is a 21" barreled 7mm-08. Used it on my last two whitetailed deer.. I am thinking of putting a .300 Savage barrel on a 700 action for future whitetail hunts at short range..
If I were selecting a rifle for only whitetail hunting on the east coast, except for selected long range shots, I would buy a Rem. slide action in .30-06...

When there is deer that need killing the rifle I most often reach for is my .280AI with a 3.5 x 10 VX 3 slinging the 120 grain Nosler BT.

Near or far, big or small it'll get the job done.

When I am hunting the fields it is a Remington 700 Longrange Stainless 7mm Remington Magnum with 10x42 SWFA Milquad,right now using Federal blue box 150 Grain.
When I am hunting the woods I really like my 1898 Mauser ,8mm IS
with an old Leupold 4x longtube scope,loaded with Sierra 150 grain to about 2700 fps.Double set triggers .

I've toted a tang safety Ruger in 270 with a 6X Leupold for a lot of years. The only trouble is that as I get older, it seems to get heavier.

Dale

M70 FWT 257 Roberts. 120gr Speer Deep Curl, 2900 fps.

Ruger MKII in 270 win. Its tough as nails shoots 1/2" and the 270 is a straight up killer. Only change I would like is to upgrade the stock.

Weatherby Ultra Lightweight, 25-06 but the Savage in 260Rem works well too.

This one is a Rem 700 MR barrel in a B&C Ti stock. 7-08.

.308 Sendero in South Texas,Marlin .30.30 in the Hill Country.

Tikka 695 synthetic in .280 wearing a Zeiss Conquest 1.75 X 5.5 this past season. Might change first choice scope but the WTH will most likely stay first choice rifle. Stock fits my hand like a glove.

The" Ingwe Special" 7x57...

This BSA featherweight-

Savage 99-A 250-3000



and one of it's latest casualities

That's a beauty!!

True that!

Nice buck Roundoak!


I don't have an ideal whitetail rifle just a lucky one.


Early 90's vintage ADL in 270 Winchester complete with the original tupperware stock. Fairly heavy 22" barrel which is its main attribute, that and it's a 270...

I don't even really like the rifle but it's taken the 4 biggest whitetails I've shot so of course I keep it around.

Merkel 7x57R single shot 162 gr Hornady. I go for the neck when it presents itself to reduce meat damage.

Browning 71 348 winchester with a scout scope.

ive got a few rifles but killed most deer with my 90s model 700 ADL .270. painted stock myself olive green with black webbing. meopta 3.5-10x44 RD sits on top. 150gr corelokts and 130gr BT. trying different bullet this year but havent seen a trophy yet

Savage 99R in 250-3000. The first pic is our typical mountain top WV deer and the second one is the one I got yesterday at 4:00 on the last day in MD, Joe.

Still looking....

I'm no fan of recoil. I've had great luck hunting east and west with my older Glenfield carbine in 30-30. Typical shot distance is less than 150 yards. This dandy mule deer was taken on public land in western South Dakota.

Sherwood

I like that rifle.

Tom,
Have you standardized on a single bullet and load for the Mauser or do you use more than one load?
John

Looking back on the last decade, or three of deer/big game hunting I have used (on game) a 270, 280, 7mm rem mag, 300 Win Mag, 308 winchester, 25-06 and a 30-06. (may have forgotten one, or two!)
Rifle "platforms" have all been bolt action, pre 64 model 70s, model 70 classics, one pushfeed model 70, one Sako A series, Remington 700s and one FN actioned Husqvarna.
Scopes have all been variables, all leupolds with one bushnell scopechief (2.5x8) many years ago, vari-x ll through vxlll, 2x7, 3x9, 3.5x10s. Only one scope issue, the bushnell! All duplex reticles except for one #4 reticle, which I was pretty indifferent about.
All but two rifles have had quality synthetic stocks (bansners, mcmillans, one brown, a few B&C Ti). The other two were factory issue wood stocks.
All variations on the same theme and no real reason to change. Favourite, if I was building or buying another one, would be another 270 (model 70 crf, preferably a pre 64 fwt) in a quality synthetic stock with another leupold variable!
Current rifle is a model 700 SS mtn rifle, in 270! Picture below is a pre 64 fwt in 280(off a classic fwt), Mcmillan Edge compact. That was a "pretty nice" rig, no longer here though as I didn't really care for the stock fit and was chasing perfection. Not really the smartest thing I ever did and I'd be happy to have it back!

[IMG]

JoeMartin what type of ammo are you using in that R, factory or handloads?

Winchester Model 70 in 270 Win.

What's your ideal whitetail rifle?

I've never found one "ideal whitetail rifle"



I used several depending to the terrain and the hunt.

1) I, too, generally use a scoped 270 Winchester switching between a wood stocked M70 and a synthetic stocked M700 in wet weather.

2) I also use a scout-scoped K31 if situation is stalking with possibility of having to make a quick jump shot.

3) Some years ago running deer with dogs (was legal) I used an iron sighted SKS for close shots these "super-sonic" deer.

Savage 99 EG in 308, has a VX-II on it now.

This is probably my all-time favorite:



Savage 99 in 308 WIN. I download it so it shoots more like a 300 Savage.

Running a close second is my newest addition:



Ruger Hawkeye in 30-06

My little Browning X Bolt Micro Hunter. I handload a 139 grain GMX that shoots well under an inch if I do my part. I have a Leupy 3x9 on it. For Eastern Ky. hills it is all I need. I have others but when I head to the woods it is the one I usually grab.

Savage 99F in 300 Savage....works well. Or just about any 300 Savage in a 99 format.

Ditto on the Savage 99F in 300 Savage. Mine wears a Weaver 2.5X Scope. It is deadly on Michigan Whitetails. Accurate, lightweight, fast handling and packs plenty of punch for a quick kill.

I'm hunting CRP and the trees are too tall to see into. Mostly, we shoot down the roads and shots can be long.
This season, I've used my LH WBY Accumark 300 wby mag. I killed a mature buck at 360 yds the other day. But my favorite rifle is a LH WBY ultralight in 257 wby mag.

I've killed a pile of deer with a pile of different rifles. Most fell to my first centerfire. An old ADL with a Redfield Widefield. The rifle is my son's now, and he's killed a few with it as well:

Yes, it's a real sleeper, I have never seen another one like it. It's got this muzzle break which works like it should, it doesn't blast back at you.



It's very light and trim, 7.25 scoped and loaded, handles much like a BTNO 21.



CRF-



Cool british proofs, square bridges, nice polish, over all a high quality 30-06-

Ruger 44 carbine.

I like that little Ruger!

That looks mighty handy!!

I am not familiar with 44 down range ballistics- what kind of loads are you using, what's the trajectory like and how far are you comfortable shooting at a deer with that rifle?

Have seen a couple of these....very cool old rifle!

This Remington Custom shop M7 .257 Roberts has taken about 30 deer for me the past 16 years.


My daughter outgrew her Marlin 1894 .357. Magnum so has used mine for the last couple of years.

This is definitely the ideal whitetail rifle for me!

240JHP, but JSP seems to be just as effective. Trajectory is nowhere near as good as a 30-378WM, but a helluva lot better than a mortar.

Seriously though, I think if a majority of your shots are going to be over 50 yards at stationary or slow moving deer, there's a lot of better options. By the time rifle season opens where I hunt the deer have been subject to a month of bow and 2 weeks of muzzle and are pretty skittish. Most of the guys in my club still stick to the same old plan & go up in the trees, but I go down in the thickest, nastiest places on the property. I don't see nearly as many deer as the tree dwellers, but when I do it usually a nice one, usually very close, and usually moving.

savage 99 in 300 sav or marlin 444 they share the work load this year was marlin 1 the sav got the rest of season

Off topic- tbear99- that looks like a black and tan english shepherd in your avatar, that's a great old breed. Here's one of mine-

Staying off topic, we used to always have an imported English Shepherd as stock dogs to work cattle and hogs when I was growing up.

My answer is, the one I happen to to be carrying when asked the question.

I hunt the hills of PA. A lot of thick stuff in the areas I've hunted for the past 33 years...

Over the years I've carried bolt actions, lever actions, single shots and pumps.

At the present time I'm more of a still-hunter than anything else...Rarely Sit and only occasionaly participate in drives.

I've pretty much came full circle back to the Remington 760 Carbine that I started with at age 12. Shot my first deer with it back in '83 and shot my most recent with it this past season.

For the type of hunting I do.....That 760 carbine in 30-06 and my Glenfield 30/30 are the only rifles I need.

THAT. Would suffice with 250-3000 or 260 if forced.

good looking dog i miss mine put barney down in october at 8 an half yrs old his hips were shot what's the dogs name

DD M4V7 with Zeus 1.5-6 x 42 shooting 62 grain TTSX bollits over 26 grains of TAC, kills faster than many 30-06's.

Something walnut stocked, blued steel, low end recoil shooting 25-28 bore cup and core old time bullets around 2600-2800fps that put em down and I could eat right up to the hole, with a good trigger, easy to pack around........fun to just look at and I'm good.

If able to pick it up for about 1/3 of what most go for makes it even "more perfect".

Anything in a Swede or 7x57 always makes my ears perk up a bit it seems.

That's Chip, he's a real good farm dog, he's staring at me right now. He came from Dan Holman, a breeder in Nashville. I hope to get a female to breed him with next summer.

I've kinda switched this year and think I'll stick with it. Last couple of years I swore by a ruger tangsafety 300win mag but I bought a Remington 700 sps in 7mm08 I used it 90% of the time this season. Fairly light, little recoil,very accurate and out to 300yards or so I trust it.

#1 pre 64 standard 264 win mag with 130 accubonds in trophy grade ammo Leupold 6.5-20-40

#2 pre 64 transition '06 with swarovski 4-12-50 tsx 165 hand load

#3 Cooper Custom Classic 270 w hand load tsx 130 Burris Eurodiamond 3-12 x 50

That's because it's a 280 AI incognito.

My hunting notes indicate I've taken whitetails with 32 different rifles over the years. Evidently I just can't make up my mind....

I've only hunted whitetails a few times but I've hunted deer a lot. Last spring, I finished putting together and dialing-in a new medium-caliber rifle. It's a T/C Venture "WeatherShield" 25-06. Since it's the newest, it's of course my favorite right now.

KC

White tail I'm not sure I ever hunted, probably though. It might depend on where I hunted them. I don't shoot any magnum's any more. So depending on the country right now, it would be either my Mod 70 Feather Weight in 6.5x55 or mod 700 ADL in 25-06. i used a nod 660 in 208 for a lot of years and not one complaint about it, super rifle. My son has it now, don't know haw that happened!

MD - ever shot anything with a pistol??

Revolver, shotgun and muzzleloader, though not nearly as many as with centerfire rifles.

I can add 155mm howitzer to the list.......

There is no such thing as "ideal."

There are only more rifles to buy to fill every need, real or imagined, with some spares thrown in just in case.

They have a whole bag of golf clubs, so why not a whole bag of deer rifles?

Mine - I like my ruger tang safety 3006 or my SS browning x bolt 3006 if its rainy & snowy. My choices are based on similar functioning rifles with tang safety's that fit weather conditions. My shotguns have tang safeties too.

Tikka T3 SS 270 laminate biggest problem is figuring out what kind of scope to put on it . Love the way it points and the slick action.

Kimber in 7mm-08

35 Whelen H&R Handi Rifle is my favorite shooter

The vast majority of the time, I reach for my old Ruger M77 .243 with Leuopold VX2 2x7 that my father gave me in 1973. When hunting for a mature buck, I take my Win FWT Classic .270. This year, I started doe shooting with a .260 based on a Savage action.

my ideal rifle is the one I had robert gradous build me

308win
22" #4 rock 5r
pierce action
jewell
mcm rem hunter
pierce 0 moa rail
badger rings
currently wearing an NF Compact 2.5-10x42

My old Ruger stainless boat paddle 270 WIN. that was stolen years ago!
Still miss that old rifle!

My 30-40 Krag-Jorgesen Sporter model. Want too get it out in the fresh air once again. It should do the job.

My favorite has never let me down.
Remington 700 Classic 35 Whelen 22" barrel.
1.75-6x Leupold
whelennut

This is about as ideal as I can imagine.
Express sights with a 1-4X Leupy mounted in CD mounts that let it come off and back on with minute of white tail accuracy at 200 yards. kepplinger single set trigger,Half round half octagon McGowan barrel and super wood to add class.
Custom built by Leeper, chambered in .303 British and will shoot bullets from 150 to 215 very accurately, so it will handle every member of the deer family well!
Cat

The rifle I have the most confidence in for hunting bucks in the forests of Vermont is my scoped Savage 99F .358 Winchester.

There in VT the hunting is not easy. The success rate is been about 1 in 10. I found that being prepared to make a killing shot on even a running buck got the game. There is way more to it than that but spending the hours in the woods, practicing and being prepared is essential.

I just picked up a Mannlicher in 6.5X54!!
Had one in 8X56 for a bit, grweat little carbine.
The 6.5 is a bit rough, it's going to have to get some rust removed - I think I counted 18 notches on the bottom of the stock as well!!
Cat

I just picked up a Mannlicher in 6.5X54!!
Had one in 8X56 for a bit, great little carbine.
The 6.5 is a bit rough, it's going to have to get some rust removed - I think I counted 18 notches on the bottom of the stock as well!!
Cat

I admire those neat Steyr carbines. I had one in 6.5 MS however I could not get it to shoot well.

The bottom rifle in my picture above is a Steyr in .358 Win!

Mountain guide gun in 7-08

Whatever I am carrying that day, it seems to change season to season. I have killed more with a post 64 Mod.70 Featherweight in 30-06 but a Savage 99F in 300 savage is gaining rapidly.

I keep thinking my Model Seven AWRII in 308 will be my favorite whitetail rifle but it seems that every time I'm headed for the deer woods the "meat getter" I reach for is my lucky rifle that doesn't know how to miss and that's a Model Seven AWR in 7mmSAUM. It's the older teflon coated stainless version and I've used it several years.

Gotta try 63 more, before I make up my mind !

And all 63 will work just fine! Then whatta ya gonna do?

This used to be an easy answer.....an FN Mauser Custom chambered in .30-06. For many years is was my only "serious" whitetail rifle. I owned and hunted with other rifles, but this was the one I picked up when hunting a particular big deer and things were on the line.

Over the last 36 years that rifle has produced 94 one shot kills (never needed a second shot with this rifle) and only two misses (both my fault). After more than 5000 rounds through it, the accuracy has began to fall off a bit.....but I still use it when I need a confidence boost.

Today I own a lot more rifles and tend to choose them depending on where I am hunting that day.....however some get more use than others.

When hunting at close range and thick brush I most often choose a Ruger Carbine in .44 Magnum. Not my most accurate rifle but totally reliable, fast handling and deadly at 150 yards or less. More accurate and with just a bit more range is a Marlin 1895 in .45-70....but it's heavier and not quite as fast to get into action so the Ruger gets more stand time. Both are near perfect for close range action.

For day-to-day, do-it-all hunting I tend to choose a rifle with a bit more range(up to 350 yards or so....which is long range to me). I hunt a lot with a Savage 99EG in .358, but it's actually an "honest" 300 yard gun. However for a combination of power and range it's very good.

No, today my "best" whitetail rifle would "almost" be a Ruger Mannlicher Carbine in .308. Short, fast handling, accurate and able to reach out as far as I care to shoot.

This would be my choice if I didn't own a super-accurate Savage 99F (also in .308). Unusual for a 99....this rifle will keep 5 shots inside an inch at 100 yards and so it beats out the Ruger as my "perfect" whitetail rifle today.....except on those days when I need the confidence boost of the old Mauser.

Like Texas Rick, I have killed far more whitetails with my .30-06 Fwt than any of my other rifles. However, about 15 or 16 years ago, I had a a .257 AI built on a Mexican Mauser action using a Krieger barrel and a Rimrock stock. I had it built specifically to use to hunt Coues whitetails, but I have taken a few Texas whitetails and couple of desert mule deer with it as well--and a few pronghorns. My step-daughter used it to take a mule deer at slightly over 400 yards last year. I keep designing lightweight deer rifles "in my head" (as my wife says), but this one is "the one" for now.

Mudhen. What bullet do you us in your AI?

Wow. Hard to say.

Some favorites:

Sako Finnlight 7mm-08

Winny 88 308 Win

Rem 141 35 Rem

Marlin 336 (pick a flavor)

I have tried quite a few and I keep going back to the 115-grain Partition. It shoots as good as anything else I have tried and I have never wanted for more expansion or penetration.

I'd have to say my favorite is my Kimber Select in 257R.

This year I used a Kimber Montana in 257 Roberts with a Leupold VX-2 2-7x33 and couldn't be happier.

My Vanguard in .257 Wby.

H handwerk, this would be mine, a Rifles Inc. lightweight Strata in .284 Win.,6.25 lbs with a Swarov Z3 3.5-10 on board. A pleasure to carry and very accurate.

It never stops there.

I'm in the same dilemma right now.

1952 Mannlicher Schoenauer 7X64 or the MC carbine in 244 Rem[img:center][/img] [img:center][/img]

257 Weatherby. As an ode to Pulp Fiction... It's a BMF!



All joking aside. I've had more DRT kills with a 257 Weatherby than any other cartridge owned. It's an amazing killer.

Another vote here for the fantastic 257Wby. For my particular hunting, which is almost always over large bean fields, my custom Pre-64 in 257Wby is ideal. Zeiss 4.5-14x50 up top with turrets gives me the option if I really want to stretch out there, but I can just hold on hair out to 400yds using a 100gr TTSX. It's definitely no lightweight, but I usually don't haul it very far anyway and the extra weight really helps me get steady for those longer shots.

Definitely my 257 wby as well. 99.99% of the hands it's killed has been A. With a 100TTSX, B. An impressive DRT.

I might as well jump on the .257 WBY bandwagon. Killed this one Thursday afternoon. First critter I've shot at with the old Bee!



1971 German LH 5-panel Lazermark .257 WBY Mag

Bama,

Nice deer and nice rifle.

Nice !!
What scope and load?
Nice to see a Bama boy get a Nice Deer!
I was skunked again this year again!
18 seasons in a row now for me striking out but thats why
it is called hunting.

AMRA, The scope is a Burris Fullfield II 3X-9X-40mm. It was given to me as a bonus from a good customer when I got the gun.
I have a Zeiss for it, but I might as well stick with the Burris for a while. The load is plain ole Weatherby 100 grain spitzers that were originally bought for target practice and once fired brass. I've been working on handloads for it, but they need some fine tuning yet.
I didn't know there was anywhere in Alabama that one could go that long without killing a deer. You may want to move around a bit?

Thanks for the information!
I am STILL trying to get ANY deer with my 270 WBY!
It is just my JINX bad luck
Son in law got a nice 7 point this year his best ever.
It is a running joke on me here in my family and in laws
my getting skunked EVERY year but it is what it is!
Been hunting here in Alabama since the late 1960`s to now
and in ALL that time just 3 deer total to show for it.
But I still love just to go and be out in the Woods and
enjoy the peace and quiet.

I love it too, but damn. We killed 3 bucks yesterday alone.

That`s why my Nickname with my family and ALL the guys I have worked with ALL these years is Jinx!!!!
I made my peace with it a long time ago.
I do enjoy hearing about ANYBODY getting ANY deer from a meat doe to a big old buck!
I just ain`t a good hunter but my late father didn`t raise
any Quitter`s!
Good to hear ya`ll have had a great season!
AMRA

Just whitetail.Just here in Pa. Just an old gussied up 788 in 308 my Dad fixed up. Aside from that. I've shot deer with the 30/06,270,25/06,243,308,270 Weatherby,22/250,6mm Remington,338 Win mag,300 Win mag and 300 Ultra Mag. They all worked just fine,and I loved using them all.

Favorite whitetail rifle: LH NULA .308. 165 accubonds or ballistic tips pushed be a stiff charge of varget. Light,accurate, and handles like a shot gun. Will punch through any deer from any angle.
Near or far gets them all.

Lefty C

Remington could sell a lot of these if they made them look that good! nice work

MY go to rifle is a Tikka T3 lite SS in 308..My 2nd choice is my Ruger M77 SS in 243..Both guns are great for putting meat in the freezer..

Browning A bolt 7mm mag. 160 grain Nosler Partitions. Lights out.

Mudhen Iffin you have a few pics of that .257Mauser I'd sure love ta take a peak at em...ScottyO.

Remington 700 BDL .30-06.

Here's one:


And one in the field;

I took my buck this year with a CZ550 in .270, also have a Savage 99 in 300 savage and a Win94 in 30-30. The 99 is a newly purchased virgin, the M94 has many notches on it's belt. Looking forward to hunting with the 99 next year.

260 Rem Finnlight in a McMillian stock with a Swaro Z3 3-9x36. A joy to carry and never had a deer run more that 15 yds.

My flat safety, early Remington 700 adl 30-06 in the factory stock with a fixed 4x(currently a older Bushnell, hopefully soon a Leupold FX-II). When I can afford one, I also want to buy a early '90s bdl in 300Sav.

Old bushnells can be surprisingly good. For example an old banner made in japan 4x, great little scopes! Also the 2.5x. The zoom ones seem to have a few more quirks.

Whatever's in my hands when a deer walks by?

Czech Mauser 257 AI w/ M8 6x 42mm & premier #4 seems to make it often as of late...

Mine is a Sako 85 260 Remy in a McEdge.

Right now my favorite deer rifle is a Steyr-Mannlicher Model M Professional .30-06 with a Meopta 6x42 scope in Warns QD mounts. It is a 1/4 inch shooter with 165gr loads.

Cooper Excalibur in 7mm-08. Could easily be a 308 Winchester though as a alternate!

Peator, yeah it's a nice scope, made in Japan, I have two 2.5x also, one is on my 22LR and the other is on my wife's 22LR. Both of those are made in Japan also. I just would prefer to have American made scopes on my rifles.

Good point, but I have a hard time resisting them when I see em for $25 bucks.

My flat safety Remington 700 BDL .30-06

Ruger M77 mkII, in a 257 Roberts. 100 grain Nosler BT

This one is my current favourite, a 1949 Brno 22F 7x57. Customized by Ralf Martini with a Dakota safety, Recknagel trigger, and topped off with a Leupold 6x compact / Leupold rings in original Brno skeleton QD mounts.

85 Browning .45/70 gets the most use as I hunt a lot of close range. Everything else is just which long rifle I pick up. .270,.243,30/06,ect. My .300 win mag got sold. Gonna exercise a .250/3000 next year..

Dang castnblast, nice smoke pole. Aman could just about hunt the world w/that rifle. powdr

Dang castnblast, nice smoke pole. A man could just about hunt the world w/that rifle. powdr

Savage 114 in 30-06. But I must add, I tried handgun with a Contender in 7-30 Waters this past fall ... think I have a new favorite.




The accuracy of the 7-30 Waters amazed me

That is one sweet rifle/chamber combo. Scope looks a little funny slid back, but very nice!

It is probably not my favorite deer rifle but I have taken more deer with a Marlin 44 magnum than any other. The areas I hunt are almost always thick with restricted visibility and very wet. The 44 mag works great for my type of hunting.

Thanks! The scope is set back compared to some rifles because of the european style stock with more drop than most modern rifles. It is not well suited to a
"cheek weld" and bench rest style of shooting. If used with a head-up stance with both eyes open, it is very fast, and fits and balances like a fine shotgun. I have used this rifle to shoot deer ( and coyote and moose) on the run without effort or thought. If hunting the open plains I use the 6x, in the thick stuff I put on a Leupold 2.5x in a matching QD mount set. I haven't found a better rifle yet, not sure why I keep looking!

Browning BLR in .308. Great medium range gun and does well in brush with Hornady 150 gr round nose backed by 44.5 grains of Varget.

My .222

Dick Mann wrote a nice article on the subject called "Creating A Professional Whitetail Rifle" in the September 2004 edition of GUN WORKS. Mann's was, at that time, a Sisk-built Mark X Mauser, Krieger, McM, and Timney in 358 Win.

Model 7 LSS in .260 with 120 grain TTSX and a Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36 with B&C reticle.

Any links to a copy of that article? I'd like to get a read at it.

Yep, it'd be a good one.

Of course, Dick Mann ten years later is quoted here:

http://www.americanhunter.org/blogs/is-223-rem-a-deer-cartridge

6.5x54 Mannlicher Schoenauer Carbine:


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Rem Model 7 stainless syn. In 7-08 topped with Leupold 2.5-8 and stoked with 140 ballistic silvertips.

Whatever happens to be in my hands at the time...

Custom Mauser in 7x57 pushing either a 140 gr. Partition or Nosler 150 gr. BT. The 19 inch barrel gives me around 2750 with these bullets and it so far seems the perfect rifle and round for Texas Whitetails. Good for feral hogs too.

I am a slut when it comes to deer rifles. No favorites, no loyalty. I have killed them with about everything other than a 7mm of any flavor. I could make do with about any one of them for the rest of my life without sacrificing anything.

I do have a very accurate 760 in 30-06 with a Zeiss 1.5-6x42 on it that will do anything anywhere that I might need to do.

It's a whole different world when you can bump a 30-30 up to being an efficient 250 yard rifle with some LeverEvolution powder and Barnes 130 grain TSX and TTSXs. It really s difficult to get your head around what can be done today.

This. Mine wears a X-2 and I use pretty much any 150 behind the same 44.5 grains of Varget.

THERES a few really nice rifles posted in this thread, but I would not get all that concerned with the caliber used,If you like it and its accurate, and feels good in your hands, its almost a sure deal it will work out fine!
I try almost all my new rifles out on the local white tail, as were allowed, a deer a day in many areas,here in florida,and the seasons a couple months long if you add up archery,front loader and rifle seasons,, now I like venison, if the freezer gets a bit empty, Ive used a 44 mag with 310 grain lee cast bullets ,a 257 roberts, with 100 grain speer and hornady bullets,a 257 wby with 120 grain Remington bullets, a 270 win, with 150 speer, and hornady bullets , a 30/06 with 200 grain speer bullets,and 180 grain hornadys a 358 win with 250 speer bullets,a 375 H&H with 235 grain and 270 grain, jacketed bullets, a 45/70 with hard cast,and 405 remington,soft points, a 458 win with 450 grain hard cast, a 62 caliber round ball from a muzzle loader, and a 32" 700 grain ,arrow with a twin blade MUZZY broad head from my 84lb 32" draw compound bow.

so , my conclusion, is that what you use is almost meaningless,IF you can shoot it accurately and know the games anatomy, simply because they ALL WORKED JUST FINE.
YEAH, lately I grab my 44 mag marlin or my 358 win BLR for most whitetail hunts but I have little doubt that you could use something like a 223 rem if you could place shots well (many of my friends do that regularly)
one of my hunting buddies, (AL) who has been rather successful had a 303 enfield jungle carbine for several decades.


He had used that carbine for many years to hunt deer very successfully, he bragged for years how his old 303 smacked the CRAP, out of our Florida deer that rarely go more than 120lbs.
now keep in mind, the ranges where he hunts seldom exceed 40 yards and 50 yards is a rare long shot, most shots are taken at under 40 yards , in very thick brush. hes killed dozens of deer with that 303,jungle carbine for several decades ,but he had never been to an actual rifle range, he had always set up a beer or coke can on a dirt embankment, backed off about 20-to-25 paces and tried a shot from about 35-40 yards and having hit the coke can, felt 100% sure the rifle was still correctly sighted in, like it had been for years, he had me load the ammo to match factory velocity's ,
http://www.speer-bullets.com/ballistics/detail.aspx?id=107 with these 180 grain soft points, http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/d...amp;Weight=All&type=Rifle&Source
over 45 grains of WW760,In my enfield it shot 2.5" 100 yard groups with iron sites off the bench,
but I totally ruined his confidence in that rifle when I made the bad mistake of taking him to a local range, for thirty years or more he had simply placed an old bottle or can on a hillside, backed off 30 or so long paces and fired at the target, with a high probability of a hit! occasionally he needed two shots to hit the beer can, but that was rare.....well I took him to the range and all his 50 yard targets had nice reasonably tight groups using the issue iron sights that measured about 3" in spread,the problem was most of the holes in the paper were key-holed, or profiles of the bullets ,it was obvious some, even most, bullets went thru at an angle or even side ways, he was very upset.....we pointed out that he had been very successful with the gun, even if it did tend to allow the bullets to tumble, end over end which the paper target clearly showed..
so far hes not been able to locate a replacement 303 British, caliber jungle carbine barrel for his carbine, and careful inspection shows the rifling is all but worn away, in fact it is so shallow, and the bores so eroded, its basically useless!
improper cleaning,improper storage,general abuse, improper solvents and corrosive primer ammo use by previous owners, long before he bought the rifle at a yard sake 30 plus years ago, sure didn,t help either.
so again Id say what you use on white tail deer is not as important as your ability to place shots consistently on the intended target

I've killed deer with a .303 "Jungle Carbine". Those 180 Power Points work nice!

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but the late Francis E. Sell, author of "The Deer Hunters's Guide", had an awesome little full-stock carbine built on a 6.5 Swede, I believe. It wore a detachable scope and peep. In the book, there's a picture of Sell using the Indian Carry, with his hand around the grip and the forend cradled in the crook of his elbow. That, to me personified the woods gun. The funny thing is that Sell was mainly a blacktail hunter, but I guess the two species have very similar habitat over much of their range.

One of the last pieces Sell wrote was on a project to build a lever gun based on a Marlin and chambered in .25/35 or .25/35 Improved, kind of an "Old Man's Deer Rifle". I might be ready for something like that myself, come to think of it.

Anything on the 308 case is about ideal for me. The 260 Remington is about as good as it gets, but I'm a fan of the 243, 7-08, 308 and 338 Federal too.

I also prefer bolt actions while hunting. With that being said, I wouldn't feel out of place with a Savage 99 or Winchester 88 in my hands.

Pappy, another mention of Sell.. Nice to know some still remember him. He was one of my favorites for as long as I can remember..
I think he started shooting deer with a couple .25-35's.. If I remember right he killed like a 125 deer with these two rifles.. Apparently, he filled the tags of his Uncle's crew one fall..
He also used the model 71 .348 for quite a while and a model 64 that was barreled to .25-35 by Winchester.. When I started reading him, he had just made a 20" barreled .358 on an HVA action..
He also had a .300 Ackley short Mag. built in the early 60's for his long range deer/elk rifle.

As you mentioned he built a 6.5X55 in his later years.. And finally the .25-35 IMP. Some time during WW2 I think he did some hunting with a .30-40 Krag because it was the only rifle he could get ammo for.. Great gun man and a great woodsman..

I have to wonder what guys like Sell and Koller would think about all these Whitetail Commandos with their automatic doe piss dispensers, Anti-body Odor Ionizers, and Electronic Ass Warmers.

On second thought, I think I know.

You are right... I read some of Sell's stuff from around WW2.. Bobcat and Mt. lion hunting.. Walking though the mts. following hounds, no tracking collars, sleeping in their clothes, building bark huts and a fire for shelter, and finally a 2-3 day walk back home at the close of the hunt.. Times have changed..

I will have to try finding some of those stories. Thanks for the tip.

Francis Sell was a very talented writer whose stories were always well-written and engrossing. Like others, I doted on him as a youngster. As I recall, his favorite elk medicine was the .348 Winchester in the lever action M71.

Just try convincing today's LR boys, with their turrets and muzzle brakes and fluted SS barrels, that an open-sighted lever gun can kill an elk....or even a whitetail!

SMH

I found quite a few old stories, in the American Rifleman published during WW2.. He also wrote for a mag. called Gunsport.. I have a bunch of articles from that source.. The Rifleman was a find in an estate sale.. Best of luck..

Nothing special here, but I use a faux TI 700 LA in 257Roberts. It's pretty much perfect for the task.

An ideal time for me would be hunting mature deer in an acorn abundant sheltered forest habitat of ample size. Covering the miles of such a beautiful hunting ground would be a great joy for me with a wonderfully vetted and slick vintage model 64 Winchester Deluxe Deer Rifle chambered 30WCF with a Lyman model 21 receiver sight. That would be a rather pure and joyous rifle hunting endeavor.

Best

My ideal one is my Savage 99F in .308 with a 4x scope that has a post and cross wire reticle. I have and like a lot of others, but this one is the ideal one for my hunting.

An ongoing search for me.....and an excuse to keep feeding my rifle addiction My latest "ideal" is a LH Ruger Hawkeye in 7mm-08. I have yet to shoot it. My old standbys are my Savage 99s in 300 or 250 savage.

I remember the sardonic Jack O'Connor writing in one of his books that Francis Sell shot the same crow over and over in his articles.

30-06 with 130gr TTSX and 55grns of Varget. My go to combination on every deer hunt

This made me chuckle a bit.

30-30 is a keeper!

Sherwood

I have a bunch of guns and they all work well on Whitetail. My favorite is the one I am carrying at the time.

Depends on terrain:

270Win w/2.5-8x Leupold for open country, 358Win carbine w/1.5-5x Leupold for woodlands, 35Rem carbine w/Williams peep sight for the swamps.

All are Remington 7600s.

Pretty good line up there that would cover pretty much anything in NA. With some current downsizing, I am down to 700s in 7/08, 257Roberts and 358Win.

Although I don't use the pumps as much as I did in the past, I have had very good service from this rifle for eastern deer hunting here in Canada. The pump was my grandfather's and will be going to another family member when the proper time comes.

760 Carbine in .308.

SC, your 308 carbine is the "ideal" WT rifle in my book! Looks darn near identical to my .358Win.

Some family member will be very pleased to have Grandpa's gun.

250AI

I wish they chambered the 7600 in 450 marlin and still chambered 35 whelen, as Ive found both calibers work exceptionally well for getting a targets full attention

Nice! .... If not for an already favorite rifle in 257Roberts, I would be using a 250AI instead for deer hunting.

I could see the Whelen with 200gr C&Cs for deer hunting, but the 450 might be a bit much and hard to get to work properly through a 7600.

Not the best picture, but there will be more in the future...

Darrik, nice!

Model 94 307 win for sneak hunting in the bush, and the 6.5x55 SE for the open country whitetails.

My Hart built 280 Ackley. Highly accurate, mild recoil and light to carry all day long.

I like that very much!! Well done.

Remington Model Seven FS in a 308 with a Leupold 3-9 compact.

For up north where it must be a buck with certain antlers and it may be running in the forest I favor my Savage 99F 358 Win. with a scope.

For easier hunting where the deer may be in the open I have various rifles.

Of late a favorite has been a custom with a mauser action and octagon barreled 30-06.

DWM Mauser in 7X57MM, an old 3-9x42mm Leupold so old it's turning purple, the old style 175 gr Grand Slams at 2700 fps have never shown themselves to be lacking in accuracy or killing power.

Ooohh! I love that.308 carbine!

My pre-64 Win .270.

175's at 2700fps? What are you using for a primer, a .280?

Right now, my ideal (favorite) WT rifle is a 26 Nos, a reworked 7RM BDL with 26" Shilen #2 Match. Killed a bunch of stuff last season, mostly with 120 E-Tips at 3,450 fps.

Next season I hope to be busting stuff with 127 LRX's at 3,575 fps.

The 26 shoots fast, hits hard and kills stuff dead. And, if a long shot presents, it shoots flat and I also have a turret I can twist.

I have a safe full of past favorite, ideal WT rifles.

DF

No, I've discussed it with a few knowledgeable gents here on the 'fire before and came to the conclusion I have a fast barrel and long throat on this rifle, 48 grs of IMR-4350 gets my rifle there, a 100 count brass lot is on it's third firing without any undue signs of overstress.

6.5 X 55 Swede with 140 gr Nosler Partition with a proper load of 4831SC

Sako 75 270, 130gr TTSX. I put a 4-16 Meopta Meostar on it. I've never owned a rifle that feels better to me. My eyes have never seen glass any clearer. 4-400yds my favorite rifle!

Marlin 1894s 41 Mag, peep sights. But a perfect deer walks up to you when you are sitting on a stump 50 yds uphill from the truck.

Interesting. That load would generate around 2400fps in any 7x57 I loaded for and the longer throat usually reduces velocity, rather than enhancing it.
Enjoy your rifle.
John

Very interesting indeed.

Your 7x57 must be like my 257 Roberts, I get book max load velocities with starting loads. Things you find with a chronograph after loading for years without one..... probably should be a thread.

10-4 jimone, I agree, even though I believe I'm a grain or two over most book max charges with this load, the 175 gr old style grand slams and partitions of the same weight at 2700 are really good killers and both VERY accurate from this rifle.

I'm not gonna change a thing about this old mauser.

That's an interesting topic all by itself. I shot a 7mm STW originally working up to Layne Simpson's data published in the ST article where he introduced the cartridge. It has been reported that subsequent pressure testing put some of those loads above 70K PSI. Certainly published data has been backed off to nothing much beyond 7mm mag. I didn't lose any cases from those loads and some had been fired 7-10 times.

I'm not sure what it means. Maybe my gun didn't generate the pressure that the labs's test guns did. But just maybe case life is not a reliable indicator of whether a load is safe or not.

Tom

Brass life, bolt lift, case head expansion and a chrono are all the over pressure indicators I'm privy to TOM, don't have access to strain gauges nor the cranial know how to operate 'em.