69 replies to this topic

[outdoorsman110]

243 and 30-30 for eastern deer, 30-06 for anything in the Midwest.

[DeadEyeDavey]

.303 Fast, smooth and powerful. shorter than the 30-06 but bigger 'round, use the 180gr FMJ and you could drop a deer no matter where you hit it.

[BamaBassChaser]

7mm-08, It's killed every deer I've ever shot with it.

[Busy]

.270 WSM for Deer.

7mm Mag for Elk.

[bigcattracker]

280 rem 140gr ballistic tip is one bad to the bone rifle

[rb56]

i've owned .243, .270, .308, .30-30, 30.06 and i hunt in central arkansas which is wooded, some open clearcuts but most shots have been within 100 yards and here is how i'd rate these...

1. .270, flat, hard, fast and if i get a long shot it can drill a deer with enough kill at long distances. plus in brushy parts it has enough speed and power to clip a twig and stay on target.

2. 30.06. in brush it has enough to cut through if it hit something, knockdown is unbeatable. long shots are very make able if you know your gun.

3. .308 - 30-30, to me is a toss up at which you want to shoot. .308 has a little more distance than the 30-30 but that many deer hunters and cowboys can't be wrong. i think 30-30 and that's a lever action, usually short, quick to handle and is best for short range and in cover.

4. .243, 4th on my list is not fair. i had a single shot .243 with a 3x9 on it and i loved the gun. i may own another soon and that's because of the trust i have in it. dead on for accuracy and speed is just unreal. shoot a stop sign and it looks like you used a drill (no i haven't but have seen one's shot by others). the range i'm not sure it has one...very far. my only thing is where i hunt i don't get many long shots. .243 is not a woods round as is easily deflected. the man who taught me about hunting/fishing most of all besides my dad told me the best deer cartridge ever was the lr .22. .243 isn't much more lead wise.

5. 12 gauge, last and again just because i usually have a rifle to use, but a 12 ga. slug is hard to beat within 100 yards. unbelievable power.

[Bass-minded]

30-30 is a good brush gun. 30-06 is a good all around gun but the 7mm Remington magnum is a deity to behold.

[retiredbosn]

use the 180gr FMJ and you could drop a deer no matter where you hit it.

Just thought I would remind everyone that a FMJ is designed to minimally wound unless a vital organ is hit. That's why the military adopted them after the Geneva Convention, the consensus was to minimize wounding from bullet shrapnel. FMJJ for those who may not know stands for Full Metal Jacket. I know ultra big game rounds are solid but the rounds typically fired at lions, elephants and the like are almost a 1/2 inch. Deer are thin skinned and easily killed, a FMJ round would have to take out the heart, lungs or break the spine to kill. By design they do not expand and do minimal tissue damage.

[backcast88]

270 WSM.

Flat shooting, packs a punch, and can easily kill any animal in North America. I have killed deer with 130 gr. 270 Win and 165 gr. 30-06 with good results. But my 130 gr. hand loads from my 270 WSM are absolutly devistating on whitetail, deer don't move from where they are shot even without hitting the spine or shoulders and with the right bullet meat damage is fairly low. I switched to Nosler Accubonds and they are shooting just as good look forward to dropping the hammer on a deer this year with them.

[Bass-minded]

Just thought I would remind everyone that a FMJ is designed to minimally wound unless a vital organ is hit. That's why the military adopted them after the Geneva Convention, the consensus was to minimize wounding from bullet shrapnel. FMJJ for those who may not know stands for Full Metal Jacket. I know ultra big game rounds are solid but the rounds typically fired at lions, elephants and the like are almost a 1/2 inch. Deer are thin skinned and easily killed, a FMJ round would have to take out the heart, lungs or break the spine to kill. By design they do not expand and do minimal tissue damage.

In Tennessee FMJ's are NOT allowed to hunt big game.