Best All Around Caliber for Whitetail and Mule Deer?

[Roughrice]

Well… I've been watching and waiting but nobody mentioned my all time favorite!!!
So, I might be alone in the crowd!

The old national champion and parent of other national champions…..

284 WINCHESTER

Of course… it's a hand loaders cartridge.

I also like the 284 as long as it's a not a sammi chamber.I wish the 284 wasn't only for hand loads I loaded a 168 Berger in a Sammi coal and was scared because how much the bullet was in the case. It's a very accurate round, without all the recoil. I use mine in my a F Class rifle with 235 freebore. For my deer rifle I decided to go with a 280 Ackley instead. I wanted no have a few more options in brass and factory ammunition if needed. I believe I can squeeze a little more speed and the 280 Ackley is better for the heavier bullets. When I had my 280 Ackley built in 2021 I wish I would have known about the 7 Prc would probably have been my choice. This is just what I decided for my deer rifle.
Jason

Oh... She's a gypsy alright!!
Mine are all long actions with room to breathe!

168 ABLR @ 2880 fps is absolute bliss for me. Smooth operation. Easy on recoil. No bad blow outs up close and will put the smackdown farther than ethical.

People want to go super fast...then blow out deer at short range. They get a harder bullet to hold up to velo...then pencil though at distance.

I'm still amazed how rifle manufacturers and ammo companies go around the the 60 year old "modern case" to re-design the wheel; make very similar cartridges... and the world lights up!
If they would add throat to 284 SAMMI and make ammo... the world would light up again!! HaHa!

I have the other 7's...This one is my gypsy.

My .02

 

[Turpentine21]

Well, as long as the shot angle, wind call, rangefinder number etc are all spot on and your rest is ideal, knock em out!
But when a setup like this fails, and in time it will, don't ask yourself those nagging questions like "what if I had".
Instead, do the rare and unexpected. Share the experience and caution others that varmint calibers are not exactly ideal in the field on big game.
How many times do we have to see this?
Why in the hell would you not use a more suitable setup?

I'm asking that to anybody. Not just you

Great post Phil. I couldn't have said it better myself. Guys around home got on the 223 bandwagon a while back. It didn't take them long to get off.

 

[pavementends]

If using a Rem Clone, I fail to see the mystique of the 284 in a long action. 280 gives a better brass selection, the same case capacity and ability to load high bc bullets. If it is the shoulder that thrills one the 280AI is more of the same.

 

[Roughrice]

If using a Rem Clone, I fail to see the mystique of the 284 in a long action. 280 gives a better brass selection, the same case capacity and ability to load high bc bullets. If it is the shoulder that thrills one the 280AI is more of the same.

Yes Sir.
That is where I was going with my post.
284 in long action gives all the room you need.
Unlike the 280 …with the 284 Win, long, high BC bullets will fall out before reaching mag length.
Yes… brass availability is the issue.
If manufacturers would throat the 284 SAMMI and make ammo… it would be a much more popular hunting cartridge.

I'm ok with people disagreeing with me.
I'm only giving my personal experiences with the 7's .
FWIW… my buddy is shooting 7 PRC 2840fps with 175 ELDX.

 

[unclecroc]

25-06 or 257 weatherby magnum.

 

[cajun]

To what end though…?

More tissue destruction given similar bullet design. Better penetration and exit wound potential. My bullet can lose half it's weight destroy massive amounts of tissue AND exit. Can yours? I cant tell you how many 224 and 6mm shot deer I've had the pleasure of spending all night looking for. Yes mostly bad shot placement due to kids shooting them. But the no exit wound was the deal breaker. If I have blood I can find it.

 

[Roughrice]

Funny it came up here.
I'm doing load development on a 22 Creedmoor rifle I put together as a gift for my friend in South Texas .
They have a following of 75-88's going fast for whitetail down there.
I have no experience with performance on game but they are moving along fast and is fun to shoot.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

And smaller bodied!

 

[unclecroc]

More tissue destruction given similar bullet design. Better penetration and exit wound potential. My bullet can lose half its weight destroy massive amounts of tissue AND exit. Can yours? I cant tell you how many 224 and 6mm shot deer I've had the pleasure of spending all night looking for. Yes mostly bad shot placement due to kids shooting them. But the no exit wound was the deal breaker. If I have blood I can find it.

A poor shot is a poor shot with any caliber. A poor bullet choice is a poor choice no matter the caliber. A 22-250 behaves a whole lot differently on a deer with a 50 vmax vs a 50 ttsx.
Yes my small bullets lose weight and still exit but I've done my homework on proper bullets shot placement and I've practiced to execute the shots.

Kids are turned loose with smaller cartridges with not much practice or guidance and all it a sudden it's the 223/243s fault the deer wasn't found.

 

[memtb]

More tissue destruction given similar bullet design. Better penetration and exit wound potential. My bullet can lose half it's weight destroy massive amounts of tissue AND exit. Can yours? I cant tell you how many 224 and 6mm shot deer I've had the pleasure of spending all night looking for. Yes mostly bad shot placement due to kids shooting them. But the no exit wound was the deal breaker. If I have blood I can find it.

But, you're comparing children making bad shots to surgical bullet placement made by masters of the shooting community! Hardly an honest comparison! memtb

 

[cajun]

A poor shot is a poor shot with any caliber. A poor bullet choice is a poor choice no matter the caliber. A 22-250 behaves a whole lot differently on a deer with a 50 vmax vs a 50 ttsx.
Yes my small bullets lose weight and still exit but I've done my homework on proper bullets shot placement and I've practiced to execute the shots.

Kids are turned loose with smaller cartridges with not much practice or guidance and all it a sudden it's the 223/243s fault the deer wasn't found.

The point is a larger round with more mass is more likely to exit. Heck at moderate ranges even the old 30/30 consistently produced exits. I know we all think of ourselves as capable of executing a perfect shot every time but stuff happens. My deal is I spend most of hunting season guiding grandkids, kids and some disabled relatives. When I get to hunt it's the rut. The big boys are on the move. Encounters are quick and there is often a less than desirable shot angle. There ain't no waiting on a broadside shot. That one opportunity may be the only one I get so I want the insurance of a larger caliber heavier bullet.

 

[johnmyers]

I had 22-250s for years used for varmints and coyotes it's a great round and capable for deer. When I had it you could not use rifle for deer in Indiana. Several years ago when Indiana passed centerfire law making it legal it made .243 minimum for deer.

 

[cajun]

Fyi where we have landed with our youngsters is a 7/08 or 6.5 cm and a 120 gr ballistic tip. It's a light bullet so you can push it with good speed and it has very good terminal performance and will usually exit. The 7 mm is a very tough bullet. My grandson shot a doe last weekend. Shot was low in shoulder. Broke the leg bone at shoulder in two and blew up the heart and exited. Massive trauma.

 

[unclecroc]

The point is a larger round with more mass is more likely to exit. Heck at moderate ranges even the old 30/30 consistently produced exits. I know we all think of ourselves as capable of executing a perfect shot every time but stuff happens. My deal is I spend most of hunting season guiding grandkids, kids and some disabled relatives. When I get to hunt it's the rut. The big boys are on the move. Encounters are quick and there is often a less than desirable shot angle. There ain't no waiting on a broadside shot. That one opportunity may be the only one I get so I want the insurance of a larger caliber heavier bullet.

If penetration is the main concern don't overlook copper bullets in smaller cartridges. I witnessed a 35gr hammer penetrate a deer darn near stem to stern and land on the ham bone.