top deer caliber

[LawShark]

30-06 and it is accurate. 3 shot group with my Tikka fits in a dime using 165 SST.

 

[Greyfox]

There are several calibers that are excellent deer calibers and over 40 I have probably tried just about all of them. I am almost exclusively a deer hunter and pretty much have settled in on the 6.5x 284. While most of my deer have been taken well under 500 yards, I have shot several between 500 and 1000yards. This caliber is easy to reload, low recoil, deadly accurate, and most importantly,one of the few calibers that just about all the deer I have shot drop in their tracks whether 50 yards or 998, my longest kill. I use 140 Bergers at 2970 FPS. The way I use the rifle, the barrel won't burn out in my lifetime. Just my preference.

 

[mcseal2]

Most of my shots are in the 200-450yd range, I like the 264 win mag with 140gr accubonds. It offers great accuracy and almost always exits even on tough shot angles. Plus the recoil is mild enough I shoot it well.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

For most people who don't reload it's .243 Win. 25-06 Rem. 270 Win 7mm Rem Mag or 30-06 why Wal-Mart sells the shells as cheap as you can get... I my self use 6mm Rem or .264 Win. Mag since I reload if I did'nt it would be 25-06 or 7mm Rem Mag. This year it was 6mm Rem at a little under 200yds.

 

[Biggs300]

There are almost too many great calibers for deer to mention. I own 3 deer rifles, a Marlin 30-30, Rem. 25-06 and a Browning 300 WM. I have hunting buddies that use 270's, 243's and even a 338 WM with great results. I've taken a couple of deer with my 300 WM and IMHO, it is a just a bit of an overkill unless you are shooting longer distances. My favorite caliber is my trusty old 25-06. Whether shooting 300+ yards or shorter distances, it gets the job done and done well. My next purchase will be a 358 Winchester in a Browning BLR. It will serve double duty as a mid-range (under 300 yards) deer gun and either a backup or primary elk gun. I will be hand loading for the 358. Hopefully, it will be my last gun I will need...until my next GAS attack.

 

[CLP308]

I have an older Rem Model Seven in .308 w/18 1/2" bbl. I have some Barnes 168gr VLC BTHP's loaded with 43gr of Accurate 2230 chronod @ 2800 and have taken deer from 30yds in the thick brush to 275yds accross an open field and they all fall. It's topped by a Simmons Aetec 1.5-6X32 scope. Wish I had a little more scope in the open but it works well. Maybe the new Leupold VX-6 2-12X 40?
Bottom line is .308 or .338 Federal would be my choice. And a light rifle like the new 7 will run you about $550-600. Good luck.

 

[midmo]

I use 30 06 and its great. How is the barrel life on 300wm and 300wsm? I have been thinking about getting one.

 

[Biggs300]

I've been told to expect 1,200 to 1,500 rounds before accuracy will begin to degrade to questionable accuracy. For me, that is a lifetime with this rifle since I'm 61 yrs old only use it for hunting. I shoot no more than 30 or 40 rounds a year although I may shoot a few more this year since I'm working up a new load using 200gr Accubonds.

 

[Dalebow]

Iam up to 27 or so deer with my 300wsm and 150gr BST, NEVER had a deer take a step, totally drops em, Ive shot everything from chucks to antelope, bear, Elk, Mule Deer with it, probably close to 1000 rounds between practice and its a Rem 700 Harvester from Hill Country Rifles, McMillan sporter stock, trigger job, Zeiss conqest..............really makes my custom guns obsolete

 

[winmag]

Iam up to 27 or so deer with my 300wsm and 150gr BST, NEVER had a deer take a step, totally drops em, Ive shot everything from chucks to antelope, bear, Elk, Mule Deer with it, probably close to 1000 rounds between practice and its a Rem 700 Harvester from Hill Country Rifles, McMillan sporter stock, trigger job, Zeiss conqest..............really makes my custom guns obsolete

I get the feeling you, & I are long lost cousins somehow great signature too by the way!
Im a Huge fan of the 270, & 300 in most any chambering, especially in the WSM's! Not the biggest. Not the smallest, but they just always get the job done on anything a guy pulls the trigger on, from Deer, Elk, Bear, Coyote etc.
Maybe that's why I own a 270WSM, & I'm having a 300WSM built on my old long action Win Model-70, 30-06' I got as a boy. I love that rifle, & cartrige, & I killed my first everything with it, but the 300WSM just blows it out of the water as far as the LR game is concerned, & since that is where my passion is, that's why I went the direction of the Long Action 300WSM.