BEST CALIBER FOR DEER

[Dave1965]

7.62x39

hey, it kills probably 80% of those killed in wars today ..

[justang1997]

can't believe im the first to say 7.62x54r

[Mike]

V8

Takes more deer each year than all guns combined.

[kyswede]

My brother killed a big buck with a 5.2 Magnum. That's what they call a Dodge 318 in a Dakota pickup.

[awesomePOSSUM]

Right now I take mine with the 30-30. I really like that cartridge. My next hunting rifle will be in .308 though.

[Next]

I am using 7mm but plan on getting 243 for next year. My son killed four deer with his single shot 243 all dropped. I want something with less recoil. I like the stainless marlin x7 stainless .243 bolt. $350 at Whittakers almost bought it last week

[Eireguy]

I like the .270

[guncrank1]

Any center fire over .22

[Pitbullcrazyinky]

Just bought my son a 30-30 for deer.

[Van Zan]

6.8 spc or the 6.5 grendel.

Sorry. Stuck on the AR platform.

Bolt action? 270.

[ken6881]

I use a 270 out of a Remington 7400 semi-auto.
I am wanting to build a long range bolt gun though some time next year I have a farm where if I had the rifle & scope I would have the opportunity to take 700+ yard shots. I also have access to a farm across the street where 1500+ yards at min of open ground. I have never really tried to stretch the legs of the 270 but I have made a lucky shot at a coyote at 600yards. I don't expect to get enough trigger time to make a shot at deep distances on a deer until after this next coming season.

[RecoilSensitive]

i have used .223, .308 and .270 all worked

[Dead-OnSniperService]

50bmg....for killing them past 800yds

[Nolan]

50bmg....for killing them past 800yds

that would be fun

[ken6881]

50bmg....for killing them past 800yds

That would do it, and if you ever wanted to go moose hunting you would be set.

[Toddstang]

50bmg....for killing them past 800yds

A buddy of mine was in the armor unit at Knox and told a few stories of deer hunts in an M1-Abrams.

[ProCroation]

NO
EVerbody is WRONG
Especially Whoots

You need a .378 Whby. magnum
Or even better is a 458 Lott
Those pissy whimp ass cartigides are for sissy boys

truth

Well, a 50BMG will work for a fawn. But for the big bucks you will need to go with at least 20mm Vulcan. 1600 grains at 3300fps should be a clean kill on the buck of your choice.

I agree for the most part with this. Only I prefer 20 mm for fawn and mortar rounds or RPG for the big bucks. Anything less is just superficial wounding a wasted time on a blood trail.

[ProCroation]

V8

Takes more deer each year than all guns combined.

You just made my wife laugh so hard with this. She said "if that counts as a suitable round, just call me the deer slayer" she's currently 4-0 in car vs deer. She's handy with an auto in her hands

[ProCroation]

Now for my serious response.

What you already have is fine for the job. I've taken deer with 30-30, 270, 243, 30-06, 308 and 303 british enfield. My favorite was 308 but that's because I shot my 308 more and was most confident with it. I always knew my poa would be poi without doubt.

With that being said, my thoughts are on shot placement. The heart of a deer is incapable of opting to just continue beating due to its dissatisfaction in what size round you went with. You unzip one ventrical and watch him drop like unzipped jeans. The key isn't what round but rather what you are most comfortable with.

[ChopperDoc]

50bmg....for killing them past 800yds

A buddy of mine was in the armor unit at Knox and told a few stories of deer hunts in an M1-Abrams.

I will never say that I have official knowledge of this, but I heard of a helo hog hunt with an M60 happening at some live fire range.

probably just urban legend though...

[Geno]

Atterbury!

[Frailer]

...need lighter yet flat shooting bullet for deer from range of 50 to 200 yards...

I'm trying to think of a modern centerfire rifle caliber that *isn't* "flat-shooting" out to 200 yards.

Nope. I've got nothing.

[Niceguy]

...need lighter yet flat shooting bullet for deer from range of 50 to 200 yards...

I'm trying to think of a modern centerfire rifle caliber that *isn't* "flat-shooting" out to 200 yards.

Nope. I've got nothing.

30-30...

[Frailer]

Those figures are for a rifle zeroed at...zero yards.

I think *most* folks zero a bit further out than that.

Nothing against the .30-30, but I put in the same category as the .45-70: great 100+ year old cartridges that still do what they were designed to do. But "modern" they're not.

ETA: I just plugged in the same bullet data into Hornady's ballistic calculator using a zero range of 100 yards and a height above bore for the sights at 2" (assuming a scoped rifle). Drop at 200 yards was. 5.9 inches.

ETA again: just for giggles I used this same data with a 25 yard zero. The bullet is a little over three inches over the bore at 100 and 150 yards, still almost an inch above bore at 200 and four inches low at 250.

I'm glad I'm not a long-range rifle shooter. I'd spend more time geeking out with numbers than shooting.

[ChopperDoc]

I have my Max Point Blank range for my 30-30 (using the Federal Hi Shok 150g) set for a 33 yard zero (2" HOB) using a 4" MPBR target. That gives me the near zero of 33 yards and a far zero of 167 yards and a MPBR of 193 yards.

The Hornady LeverRevolution ammo was a little better, but I would have to recalculate that as I do not have it written down, since I don't own any of it in 30-30 right now.

Not a bad gun for the typical hunting distances around these parts.

(and yes I know that the kill zone is bigger than 4" but that allows for more precision in the calculation which gives me a little better margin of error when buck fever kicks in.)