Best Caliber for Deer and maybe larger
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Thanks to all of you who responded. I have a few people here who have 30-06, .243, Creedmoor, 7mm and 308 so I am going to try to get a range day going where I can try a few out, see what I like the best. Big advantage the 30-06 has for me right now is that I know someone who got a case of Amo when someone in their family passed and they don’t shoot much, so I “should” be able to talk them into letting me buy that off of them.
twilliams Yeah, I was a little worried about this but in the end, as usual, the community kept to our respect each other and help each other ways and everything was friendly! Also I was looking bolt action, I don’t want/need it to shoot semi and I am planning on 200 yards and under for the deer. A $6,000 gun is quite the investment but in the end I’d imagine that the price on it is probably now above that? YooperDog yeah, weight is a slight factor but I know where I would be hunting this year and while it is big the terrain is fairly easy to navigate, not going into the Mountains or anything, just a few rolling hills. GWG8541 Thanks for the breakdown and the input on the glass, this has been stated numerous times to me by people here as well so I am looking at buying a rifle on the lower end of my range so I can spend more on the optics.
Jonathon Remember you may also want to eventually want to hunt elk and that is where the weight will matter, hiking mountains will always make you want to keep the weight down.
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processhead i think your misunderstanding, Jonathon didnt say his buget was $6000 he was referencing when i said my setup was $6000. My gun was $2600 and the scope is a Swarovski Xi5 5-25×56 which was $3200. That is the finest glass you will find. So with that and accessories was a total of $6000. I am in no way telling anyone to go out and pay that for a rifle. It is my choice and knowing what i want it to achieve. I religiously go by the theory of you get what you pay for…within reason and budget.
twilliams said in Best Caliber for Deer and maybe larger:
processhead i think your misunderstanding, Jonathon didnt say his buget was $6000 he was referencing when i said my setup was $6000. My gun was $2600 and the scope is a Swarovski Xi5 5-25×56 which was $3200. That is the finest glass you will find. So with that and accessories was a total of $6000. I am in no way telling anyone to go out and pay that for a rifle. It is my choice and knowing what i want it to achieve. I religiously go by the theory of you get what you pay for…within reason and budget.
Yes, you are right. I misread the post.
I respect your choices. There is some real satisfaction in using good optics, whether it be a rifle scope, binoculars, or spotting scope. Good, bright optics also play an important function as we get older and blinder. lol -
@matt-westerhaus I fully agree. Hunting for me has changed. It is not even about harvesting the animal anymore. It is more about being there with my kids, my wife, my Dad, my brothers, and my nieces and nephews. I love the fact that my kids want to be there with their Grandpa just like I did with my Grandpa.
This is one of the reasons I am a volunteer Hunters Education Teacher for the ND Game and Fish. I do it to give back to the sport and to get more hunters involved in creating family traditions and memories. This is my 24th year of teaching.
ND Mike I think I get more excited when my nephews shoot a deer than when I do now especially when it is there first one. I had one nephew who was acting like it would be no big deal until he shot his first (a doe) and he was holding the deer’s head up and his hands were shaking from excitement. I have always thought it is our job to pass on our love for hunting, fishing and the outdoors to those of the next generation and beyond.
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ND Mike I think I get more excited when my nephews shoot a deer than when I do now especially when it is there first one. I had one nephew who was acting like it would be no big deal until he shot his first (a doe) and he was holding the deer’s head up and his hands were shaking from excitement. I have always thought it is our job to pass on our love for hunting, fishing and the outdoors to those of the next generation and beyond.
bocephus I agree with you fully. We have to keep hunting alive by passing it on to youngsters.
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Jonathon I think just about any modern manufacturer produces a very accurate and affordable option these days. I remember in the 90/early 2000’s when I started hunting that the Remington models just couldn’t be beat. Unfortunately, I think their lineup has gone downhill lately but I haven’t kept up on Remington lately. Since their quality declined I had been looking at Savage, which other have mentioned, and I personally needed up going with Ruger in my last rifle purchase. I went with their American Ranch line which is light weight and short but I was in the market for 300Blk so light and short fits the bill there. The Ruger American lineup is pretty affordable. I don’t know if you can beat Vortex optics for the money either.
@matt-westerhaus said in Best Caliber for Deer and maybe larger:
Jonathon I think just about any modern manufacturer produces a very accurate and affordable option these days. I remember in the 90/early 2000’s when I started hunting that the Remington models just couldn’t be beat. Unfortunately, I think their lineup has gone downhill lately but I haven’t kept up on Remington lately. Since their quality declined I had been looking at Savage, which other have mentioned, and I personally needed up going with Ruger in my last rifle purchase. I went with their American Ranch line which is light weight and short but I was in the market for 300Blk so light and short fits the bill there. The Ruger American lineup is pretty affordable. I don’t know if you can beat Vortex optics for the money either.
I agree about the overall trend toward greater accuracy and precision in the firearms industry over the last 20 years or so.
CNC machinery and advanced metallurgy has become so prevalent in the machine tool industry (including the firearm industry ), that manufacturing tolerances are incredibly tight now.
In the past, it took a skilled gunsmith many hours of hand-fitting to assemble a bolt action rifle with the accuracy to shoot sub-MOA groups. Now most of the production rifles that come off the assembly lines of the major manufacturers will routinely do that right out of the box. -
ND Mike I think I get more excited when my nephews shoot a deer than when I do now especially when it is there first one. I had one nephew who was acting like it would be no big deal until he shot his first (a doe) and he was holding the deer’s head up and his hands were shaking from excitement. I have always thought it is our job to pass on our love for hunting, fishing and the outdoors to those of the next generation and beyond.
bocephus Amen to that!
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bocephus I agree with you fully. We have to keep hunting alive by passing it on to youngsters.
ND Mike said in Best Caliber for Deer and maybe larger:
bocephus I agree with you fully. We have to keep hunting alive by passing it on to youngsters.
X 10
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samnora1 said in Best Caliber for Deer and maybe larger:
7mm period
???
Lots of 7mm cartridges out there.
7mm-08, 7x57, 7mm Rem Mag 7mm Win Short Magnum 7 mm Rem Short Magnum 7mm Weatherby Magnum to name a few.Paul
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samnora1 said in Best Caliber for Deer and maybe larger:
7mm period
???
Lots of 7mm cartridges out there.
7mm-08, 7x57, 7mm Rem Mag 7mm Win Short Magnum 7 mm Rem Short Magnum 7mm Weatherby Magnum to name a few.processhead 7mm ultra mag which is a small tank round…
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processhead 7mm ultra mag which is a small tank round…
HerbcoFood said in Best Caliber for Deer and maybe larger:
processhead 7mm ultra mag which is a small tank round…
lol
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Well, 270WIN is a super flat shooter, flatter than the 6.5 Creedless…and a hard hitter, lots on harvested meat in my freezer with no tracking.
Funny story, I was sighting in my newest load.
Sent my first shop down range and looked through the spotter and couldn’t find the shot on the paper. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t even on paper.
Waited for clear then got the paper and the shot was in the middle of the X, which is why I couldn’t see it. Guess my load and sight was on. Paper is now on my loading closet with the load data written on it so I never forget it.
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For guys that hand load, you can really bring out the accuracy potential of a rifle. Working up a load and shooting groups with different combinations of powder weight, type, bullet types and primers.
Rifles have unique personalities. Not all ammo shoots the same and what shoots good in your rifle may not shoot that great in mine. -
Sorry I was not more specific.
7mm Rem Mag is what I meant. I have killed deer from 30 yds to 400 yds in Missouri. And elk up to 600 yds in Colorado.
Four black bears fell to this bullet in Quebec in years past. For an all around weapon, for me, is this configuration. -
For guys that hand load, you can really bring out the accuracy potential of a rifle. Working up a load and shooting groups with different combinations of powder weight, type, bullet types and primers.
Rifles have unique personalities. Not all ammo shoots the same and what shoots good in your rifle may not shoot that great in mine.processhead said in Best Caliber for Deer and maybe larger:
For guys that hand load, you can really bring out the accuracy potential of a rifle. Working up a load and shooting groups with different combinations of powder weight, type, bullet types and primers.
Rifles have unique personalities. Not all ammo shoots the same and what shoots good in your rifle may not shoot that great in mine.Definitely!! I got super lucky on my first load. Still shot the others (on new paper), but I can’t beat the story for sure. Hand loading is the way to go. I started with the simplest set up, Lee Loader Hand Loader. $30 and a dead blow hammer got me started. I’ve upgraded a bit since then, but that was what I was using with the shot from the story. Also shooting out of a Savage Axis II with factory scope. Looking to upgrade the scope soon.
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processhead said in Best Caliber for Deer and maybe larger:
For guys that hand load, you can really bring out the accuracy potential of a rifle. Working up a load and shooting groups with different combinations of powder weight, type, bullet types and primers.
Rifles have unique personalities. Not all ammo shoots the same and what shoots good in your rifle may not shoot that great in mine.Definitely!! I got super lucky on my first load. Still shot the others (on new paper), but I can’t beat the story for sure. Hand loading is the way to go. I started with the simplest set up, Lee Loader Hand Loader. $30 and a dead blow hammer got me started. I’ve upgraded a bit since then, but that was what I was using with the shot from the story. Also shooting out of a Savage Axis II with factory scope. Looking to upgrade the scope soon.
Cory Brown said in Best Caliber for Deer and maybe larger:
processhead said in Best Caliber for Deer and maybe larger:
For guys that hand load, you can really bring out the accuracy potential of a rifle. Working up a load and shooting groups with different combinations of powder weight, type, bullet types and primers.
Rifles have unique personalities. Not all ammo shoots the same and what shoots good in your rifle may not shoot that great in mine.Definitely!! I got super lucky on my first load. Still shot the others (on new paper), but I can’t beat the story for sure. Hand loading is the way to go. I started with the simplest set up, Lee Loader Hand Loader. $30 and a dead blow hammer got me started. I’ve upgraded a bit since then, but that was what I was using with the shot from the story. Also shooting out of a Savage Axis II with factory scope. Looking to upgrade the scope soon.
Like you, I also started with a Lee loader when I got my first center fire rifle, a military 7.7 mm Arisaka. Norma ammo cost more than what I paid for the gun, so I started reloading for that old obsolete caliber.
Economics continued to drive my handloading after I started doing a little competitive target shooting when I was young and poor. Factory ammo was too costly so I tooled up for handgun and rifle calibers that I was shooting the most.
Not competing anymore so my handloading is less frequent now. -
Grimpuppy since I got a doe tag this year I am going to use my Grandpa’s Winchester 94 in 30-30. He shot many deer with that gun. I was with him when he shot his last deer and that was around 1990. He gave me that gun in about 2000. I’m really looking forward to it just because of the connection to him. I know he will be with me in spirit.
ND Mike you are quite a unique individual. Patrolling the highways. Delivering babies
and now teaching hunters education. Congrats 
and thank you for all you do. -
ND Mike you are quite a unique individual. Patrolling the highways. Delivering babies
and now teaching hunters education. Congrats and thank you for all you do.cdavis hahaha! Yeah sometimes I can get pretty busy. I’m glad I don’t coach football anymore or I really wouldn’t have time for anything!
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You could also buy a bow. There is a satisfaction you get from harvesting an animal with a bow that you will never get with a rifle.
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You could also buy a bow. There is a satisfaction you get from harvesting an animal with a bow that you will never get with a rifle.
Grimpuppy said in Best Caliber for Deer and maybe larger:
You could also buy a bow. There is a satisfaction you get from harvesting an animal with a bow that you will never get with a rifle.
I think Jonathon is lined up with a rifle hunting opportunity, but you are absolutely correct about bow hunting.
I got back in to bow hunting 16 years ago and my rifles don’t see nearly as much hunting action now.
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