Which rifle for Deer.

[jim2037]

Ok, so I have decided that I am going to take up deer hunting and I am looking for suggestions for a good deer rifle.

I live in the South so we have woods and open clearings. I am consideringt he .270 Win mag as well as a 30.06. Any suggestions on those two or feel free to suggest an alternate.

Thanks

Jim

[chowchow]

.25 06 caliber in Remington BDL. Flat shooting and screaming fast.

[Seafarer12]

Any kind of mag is pretty much overkill on a deer. IMO. That is unless you like to blow a softball size hole out of the other side of the deer. Any variant of the 30-06 or 308 would be good. I have a Remington 788 in 308. I also have a Marlin 45/70. I have taken the Marlin out more than the Remington. I usually hunt in thick woods in close range of houses, I also like the small lightweight lever in a stand. If I were to go hunting where a shot over 100 yards was expected I would take the .308.

[JimBianchi]

In 30-06 you have such a wide selection of factory ammo you could take jacks to moose out to 400yards and still not use every bullet available.

If you reload the options are cheaper and infinite.

[omega48038]

When you're out in the country deer hunting, ammo availability is a factor. .30 06 you can get anywhere. You aren't going to find .270 WSM in a backwoods hardware store, but .270 Winchester is easy to find, and is good for most anything in North America.

[TheGlock23Guy]

For a deer only rifle i would take a 6MM variant hands down.

[DeltaEliteMan]

You can use just about any rifle you want for deer (pending local laws)...
They're not that hard to kill...

[Guyver]

I've seen a 30 06 disintergrate half a deers spine before...

Plenty of power for deer..... but then, so does the .270.

If you find a rifle of either caliber, that you like, go for it. Don't break the bank on the rifle though, Brownings and Steyrs, etc are very nice, but a good Savage or Remington will do nicely, and give you the money for good optics, which is just as important as the rifle.
The Tasco Super Sniper series is suposed to be fantastic quality, at a reasonable price.
But don't trust me: http://www.sniperworld.com/books/scope_3.html

[FullClip]

If you don't already have a deer rifle, then you can't go wrong with a 30-06. Not as flashy as some of the new whiz-bang wonder calibers, but has a pretty good track record and is one of the most, if not THE MOST, versitile loads available.

[vafish]

.30-06 is a great all around big game rifle for the US.

The .270 is well, I'm not a real big fan of the .270 WSM's though.

As for a rifle.

The Savage 100 series are a great rifle at a decent price. For a bit cheaper you can get the Stevens 200, same action and barrel with a cheaper trigger.

There are a lot of used Winchester 70's or Remington 700's around as well.

[Choclabman]

I do not like the WSM's.

I prefer the .270Win. I have used a .270 Sako Finnbear for many years. The .270Win is deadly on Whitetail deer.

The 30-06 is also a great choice, with a wide selection loads.

[FlyBoy007]

I'm a long time southern deer hunter, I have several "meat in the pot " firearms.

Where ya hunting? What range? How are ya hunting (stalk, still, stand, dogs, etc?)
Ever hunted before?
What do your hunting friends (teachers) using
What do ya have to spend?
How are ya at shooting things not just paper
How good are ya at estimating ranges (you are not as good as you think) known range shooting hurts you.


BTW I have hunted Deer, hog and bear in AL. GA. Miss. N & S Car. for over 35 years and currently live in Florida.

[OlsenG_360]

my dad & I both have used remington 700's in .30-06 for years & never had a problem. also used a remington 788 in .243 one year, and my weatherby mark V in .22-250 one year. it doesn't take much to put down a deer. around here .223 is the smallest legal caliber to hunt with and that's what my g/f uses every year.

this coming season i'll be using my Ruger 99/44 in .44 mag for deer.

[jerrycurlin]

Any gun will work. Pick one. I use a .30-.06 model 7400 and get 2-3 per season. The autoloader cuts down on the recoil.

[Avalanche3319]

Remington 700 .270

[Kodiakmudder]

my fav is the .308. available everywhere, hard hitting, long range capable and light recoil.

[awcrooks]

Browning A-Bolt in .30-06

[Faulkner]

A lot of people are going to have their favorites, but for hunting deer in the south you can't go wrong with a good .30-06. I'll also add that .30-30 lever guns have probably killed more whitetail deer in America than any other single caliber.

Here's a picture of my Ruger 77 MkII bolt action in .30-06.
http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL488/1124764/2120947/176793304.jpg



Here's a picture of my Marlin 336C in .30-30. I've taken more deer and coyotes with this gun than all my others combined.

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL488/1124764/5865076/174753222.jpg


The past two years my youngest son and I have been deer hunting with .357 magnum lever guns the old fashioned way with open sights. Most of our shots have been within 50 yards anyway, and the .357's have dropped all three we've taken with 'em with one shot.

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL488/1124764/5865076/174725816.jpg

[brickboy240]

30-06, 25-06, 270 Win, 308 Win...pick one caliber...all these will do just fine.

Rifle? Remmy 700, Winny 70, CZ550, Savage, Weatherby Vanguard...pick one and you cannot go wrong.

My main deergun choice? For decades it has been an old Remington M700 BDL in 270 Win with a Weaver 3x9x40 in steel Redfield rings. Deadly accurate and easy on the shoulder - I'd trust it to the ends of the earth.

- Brickboy240

[jim2037]

Thanks for all the valuable advice in this thread folks. I made my purchase yesterday, A Remington 700 in 270 Win.

It came with a remington 3:9x40 scope. Matte Black finish and synthetic stock. Im gonna take her out to the range later today and shoot it in.

Well wish me luck this season, I wanna bag a big one!

Jim

[FullClip]

.... A Remington 700 in 270 Win. ......... I wanna bag a big one!
Jim

:shocked: You picked a .270! Maybe a good idea to stay away from the big deer and leave them for the 30-06 shooters!:shocked:














:supergrin: Actually, the deer will never know the difference as they don't spend too much time reading hunting magazine articals about the "Ideal Deer Round". Congrats on our new purchase and you picked a nice rifle. Have fun sighting it in and best of luck this season. Hope you get that big one!:thumbsup:

[Zombie Steve]

Solid choice.

Be safe, and happy hunting! We expect pics of a big buck.

:thumbsup:

[Big Bird]

I've hunted deer and other medium sized game on three continents and have used a .270 Winchester for almost all of it. I lost count but if I had to guess I'd say somewhere around 50-60 whitetails have dropped to my .270 Winny.

Only a fool would argue against the 30-06 as its a fine round as well.

But I prefer the .270 Win and since its been one of the top five big game rounds of the last 50 years as measured by ammo sales its no big deal to find a box anywhere.

I find the "wide selection" of 30-06 ammo to be a bogus arguement... People shoot deer with 30-06 bullets weighing 150, 165 or 180 grains and that's about it. Yeah, you can load bullets that weigh 90 grains and 220 grains. But you can't buy that ammo over the counter or if you can its not widely stocked.

The .270 can be had in 130, 140 and 150 grain commercial deer loads and can likewise be loaded with bullets from 90-180 grains... But for my deer hunting needs I prefer the 130s.

You can buy ANY major brand hunting grade bullet in .270 that you can buy in .308 caliber... Grand Slams, Partitions, Swifts, BTs, Accu Bonds...you name it they are available in either caliber in all the popular weights. So I don't get the touted superior bullet selection argument.

[ElevatedThreat]

Speaking of deer rifle cartridges -- anybody else find it strange that while both .30-06 and .308 are comparable with .30 caliber bullets, there is no commercial .270 based on the .308 case?

Based on the .30-06 we have commercially the .280 (7mm), the .270 (6.8mm), and the .25-06.
Based on the .308, we have commercially the 7mm-08, the .260 (6.5mm-308) and the .243 (6mm-308).

So, where are the commercial .270-08 and the .25-08 cartridges?

Those seem like they would be two very useful, popular hunting rounds.

Given all the exotic useless over-magnum crap rounds that the major makers are bringing out lately, why not fill in the gaps in the sane and useful cartridge ranges we already have?

Heck, the 6.5mm diameter has NEVER been popular in the US -- yet they brought out the .260 as a deer round instead of the .270-08?

What were they THINKING?

-ET

[FullClip]

So, where are the commercial .270-08 and the .25-08 cartridges?

-ET


Between the 7MM-08 and the .243 Winchester, think they come wicked close to the loadings you're looking for....:supergrin:


Not too popular a loading up my way, but guess they have a niche in other locations on small stuff a long ways away.

[cphilip]

Since your in South Carolina your deer are going to be relatively small. So .243 and on up will be fine. You want short throw or long throw. If short then .243 or .308. If long then 270 will be fine. Anything larger is just... well... larger. Never knew anyone to say something was too large. Just a matter of how much kick ya want out of it. And perhaps if your planning on applying it to larger game some day. Like an Elk trip or a Bear trip somewhere. If you want a dedicated low recoil Deer only rifle for Southern Deer then I would pick up a .243. If you don't mind a bit more recoil then the 270 or the .308. If you want to go use it for something bigger then the 308 can be or the 30-06 is a fine choice there. I know a few real dedicated 7mm guys too.

[chowchow]

Im set to get a 243 Win for my son. Ammo is widely available and cheap.

[1911ShooterDude]

Any man, with a sack even half full, would go to combat with a deer with nothing more then 4 inch fixed blade knife (even better with a dull one). Guns/Rifles are for cowards, unless it's for a full adult male grizzly.

[heatingman]

Any man, with a sack even half full, would go to combat with a deer with nothing more then 4 inch fixed blade knife (even better with a dull one). Guns/Rifles are for cowards, unless it's for a full adult male grizzly.

Fixed blade knives are for wussies! From the time that I was about 15, my Dad always said that was big enough to go bear hunting with my fist. :supergrin: I never tried it on bear, but at about 15 a buddy and I got the bright idea to catch a yearling buck that somehow got inside a small fence enclosure. Suffice it to say that we did it but it was a BAD idea. :whistling: It did not take us long to decide to let it go as soon as we got it outside of the fence. My advice: Use a gun.

[James Cox]

Ok, so I have decided that I am going to take up deer hunting and I am looking for suggestions for a good deer rifle.

I live in the South so we have woods and open clearings. I am consideringt he .270 Win mag as well as a 30.06. Any suggestions on those two or feel free to suggest an alternate.

Thanks

Jim

Alright Jim, you're getting some pretty outlandish and dumb suggestions, so I'll chime in, being from Dixie myself (that's my Lab's name).
I lived in SC most of my natural life, so I know the country. Grew up around Manning/Sumter area.
Go with a .270 or '06, they're easy as hell to find out there, and they have plenty of power for pigs, deer, and they're still fun to shoot. I'd suggest a Savage, any one of them will do really, but check out the Savage 114 American Classic. 7mm Rem Mag is also a very good choice, I've used it for deer for years. Some of those beanfields and such can present you with a very long shot, but the norm is about 50-100 yards, so a Nikon Monarch or Buckmaster 4-14x50 would be a good choice, possibly a Leupold VXIII if you want, but Redfield makes awesome stuff too, if you can find the older stuff (they don't launch the new line till later this year).
What you DON'T want is some uber tactical stuff mounted on an uber magnum. It's excessive. Sure a Nightforce on a .338LM is awesome and great for western hunting, but you're not taking shots at elk from 700 yards.

A great setup would be a 114 American Classic in .30-06, (http://savagearms.com/114AmerClassic.htm) topped with Leupold bases and rings, a Nikon Buckmasters 4.5-14x40 Waterproof scope (http://www.opticsplanet.net/nikon-riflescope-buckmasters-4-14x40.html), and a nice sling. You have a rifle that comes in scoped at under 9 lbs, shoots better than most any factory Remington, and is capable of taking any shot those briars and beans will offer you.
Good luck and long live the South!

[ElevatedThreat]

If you've not fired a center-fire rifle before, you might want to start with a mild-recoiling, short-action caliber like a .243, .260, or 7mm-08 (all based on the .308 parent cartridge case, necked down).

These cartridges are available in some very nice little bolt-action rigs, and will carry lite and recoil lighter. Such a mild rifle is plenty for whitetail deer, will help you develop good shooting habits, and will always have a very useful place in your hunting battery.

if you take to hunting and want to grow into a more generally capable hunting caliber, there will be plenty of time later to get a long-action caliber like a .270 Winchester, a .280 Remington, or a .30-06 Springfield.

-ET

[1911ShooterDude]

Now that I've thought about it, I would use nothing less then a Remington 80-110 -- it throws out a bullet the dimensions of a heavy weight prize fighters fist at nothing less then 1800 fps (it creates a sonic boom, if you are curious). This baby will knock a car over ever time, front over back no less. Some of them bambi eyed dears can really get nasty. Do It!!! :thumbsup:

[medres97501]

Dug thru my parents closet to see what rifles they had used for deer and came up with these - the one in the center is a 22 hi power so it hasn't been used for a long time for deer, might take it to the range soon and try to shoot it, I don't think its been fired in about 30 years?

[StockGlock23]

I find the "wide selection" of 30-06 ammo to be a bogus arguement... People shoot deer with 30-06 bullets weighing 150, 165 or 180 grains and that's about it. Yeah, you can load bullets that weigh 90 grains and 220 grains. But you can't buy that ammo over the counter or if you can its not widely stocked.

The .270 can be had in 130, 140 and 150 grain commercial deer loads and can likewise be loaded with bullets from 90-180 grains... But for my deer hunting needs I prefer the 130s.

You can buy ANY major brand hunting grade bullet in .270 that you can buy in .308 caliber... Grand Slams, Partitions, Swifts, BTs, Accu Bonds...you name it they are available in either caliber in all the popular weights. So I don't get the touted superior bullet selection argument.

I agree 100% I have wanted to make that very same statement but I have been too lazy to sit down and type it all.

[jim2037]

Took the new rifle to the range at Sumter National Forest yesterday and sighted her in. Initially it was shooting low and left but with a few adjustments i was knocking the orange out of the middle of that target.

I cant wait for deer season!

Jim

[greenmtnboy]

jim2037,

you made a good choice with the 700 model. the .270 is an great hunting caliber. good luck on the upcoming season.

[Tito]

I like the .300 Ultra Mag. It shoots really flat and the deers don't go to far after I shoots them.

[aerod1]

I have deer hunted with a lot of different guns and calibers. My favorite for Whitetail and Axis deer is the 6.5x55 Swedish. I have several Swede's and one is an old M-94 that was bubba-ized when I bought it for $125.00. It came with mounts, and rings, ready for a scope. I put an old cheap Tasco World Class 3x9x40 scope on it. This is one of my favorite guns to hunt with. It is deadly accurate and I don't have to worry about scratching it because it already looks rough. It bounces around in the gun rack on my ATV and never needs adjusting.
It is a great rig!

[HollowPoint .45]

This is my favorite deer rifle.

Remington 7400 .30-06.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g86/remington7400/IM000155.jpg

[grfd600]

30 cal of 1906 or .270 are both great

[NickoGlock]

.308, 30.06 .270 all will work even 223 would prolly be fine for South dear here in FL there pretty small 223 wouldnt do good through brush though

[MSgt Dotson]

Although not as popular as classic rounds, there are always the .280 Remington, and 7mm-08 available as well! Both are fine whitetail rounds, and ar both as effective as the .30-06 and .308, but flatter shooting with good bullets!