My Favorite Deer Calibers

[Bear44]

I've seen big deer run a quarter mile after being hit with a 30oughtadropem6 and losing what looked like a 5 gallon bucket of blood. But I've seen much lesser calibers drop em without so much as a wiggle.Realizing this isn't an effective caliber thread, I have to side with Jack O'conner. It has yet to fail me.

Terminal ballistics are important. I've seen a deer shot right through the heart run for 150 yards. The bullet used did not expand properly, so there was very little energy transfer. What stopped him was blood loss and a deer can travel a long way before they bleed out most of the time. What you want is a combination of good energy transfer to drop them and then massive blood loss to keep them there.

 

[97 winchester]

44 mag pistol and rifle
30 06
270
.50 muzzleloader

 

[heystranger]

Wow, thought there would be a little more love for the 25-06.

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I am the only one so far that likes the 250 savage and the 22-250. Go figure. But I do like the 25-06 too

 

[summer44]

I've seen big deer run a quarter mile after being hit with a 30oughtadropem6 and losing what looked like a 5 gallon bucket of blood. But I've seen much lesser calibers drop em without so much as a wiggle.Realizing this isn't an effective caliber thread, I have to side with Jack O'conner. It has yet to fail me.

Shoot them in the neck , they won't run off.
Killed them when I was a kid with 3006 and 44 carbine, been hunting handgun only for over 20 years. Kill them with 357, 44 special and mag. 454 and 500. Plan to kill the next with a 10mm. Every one killed with a neck shot( I have missed my share too). I did shoot one in the head with a 22 when I was 12, dad still gets pissed if someone brings it up. Have a 300mag for long shots on elk or pronghorn.
Always liked the 308 never used it to hunt. My daughter loves the 243. Seen a lot of deer killed by friends with a 3030. The 270 gets a lot of love out west. And of course the short mags are popular with the late year olds. Nothin wrong with s 300 mag around here if thats what you like. It just isnt the minimum required. I small car will take u from point a to b but i bet most of us drive a pick up with 4 doors.. If I could have but 1 gun it would be a 44 mag carbine or a rem nylon 66 22lr u can't were them out

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

Front bumper of 1976 Toyota Corolla.

Bumper and grille of 1979 Buick Riviera.

Grille, hood, and fender of 1983 Ford Fairmont Futura.

.308 Win.

I’ve kilt deer with all of these.

 

[97 winchester]

Front bumper of 1976 Toyota Corolla.

Bumper and grille of 1979 Buick Riviera.

Grille, hood, and fender of 1983 Ford Fairmont Futura.

.308 Win.

I’ve kilt deer with all of these.

Oh unfortunately I could make a similar list .But then they would not be favorites. Not by any means.

 

[Rzr570]

270 WSM- my current fav for over 10 years.

 

[Boz1911]

.308
30-06
300 WIN MAG
300 WBY MAG
7-08
264 MAG
6.5 CREEDMOOR
257 WBY
270 WIN
240 WBY
243
260
26 NOSLER
338 LAPUA
338 MAG

AH TO HECK WITH IT WE LIKE THEM ALL, EACH ONE HAS IT'S EXCITEMENT AND DOES A GREAT JOB ON YOUR GAME, ITS ALL BULLET PLACEMENT ANY WAY, JUST BULLET PLACEMENT...

Pretty close
243
25-06
257 Wthby
270
270WSM
30-06
6.5 Creedmoor
300WSM
7mm Mag
300 Win mag
300 Wthby Mag
308
338 Win Mag
375 H and H
45.70

Second string
30-30
35 Rem
44Mag

All I can think of at the moment

 

[Burdy]

Surprised to see .308 on so many lists. Its a satisfactory deer round, but nothing stellar.
1. 270
2. 25-06
3. Everything else

 

[trw2094]

if could only pick one for hunting deer it would be my 260 rem.