What is your favorite deer cartridge and why?

[muznut]

Just wanted to get opinions on this before my next gun purchase.

[slugger]

6MM = 243.
Hands down the best deer killer ever invented.
At most deer ranges 50 to 400 yards it should kill ANY deer DRT if you do your job.
A 85 gr bonded bullet shot at 3300 fps and zeroed at 200 yards will hit 5" low at 300 yards. So anything out to 300 yards is point and shoot !!!!
PS don't get sucked in to the myth that you have to shoot a 100 gr bullet in the 6MM/243 for deer, the fact is a 85 to 90 gr bonded bullet will give WAY more performance.

[7mmfreak]

I'll second a 6mm of some sort. I really like the .243Win but have used the 6mm Remington as well. My next one will be a 6x47 Lapua. And you might not have to shoot a 85-90gr bonded bullet but a 105gr or heavier VLD really makes the 6mm shine.

I had a short throat .257Wby Mag built during my last trip overseas and I have not shot anything with it but jesus it is cool to shoot. It shoots fast and flat with little recoil in my light rifle. I cannot wait to hunt with it this year. While I really enjoy it I doubt I'll re-barrel it to the same chambering once this barrel is toast.

I have done more shooting with a .280 Improved 40° than all others combined. You can run a 120NBT to 3400fps and pretend it's a .257Wby. You can shoot a 140grNBT at 3100fps and have a solid all round deer gun. Lately I have been shooting 168gr and 175gr Sierra Match Kings for long range work.

[Deleted]

My two all time favorites... .270 and .243.... Nosler Partitions in both.... H4831 in both... Couldn't tell how many Mulies I've taken with those two.
Zen

[airborneike]

Muznut,

My favorite caliber is the 6.5x284 Norma. You probably need to reload to get the maximum performance with this round but using 130 grn berger vlds at close to 3000 fps is like using a super sharp surgeons scalpel. This round is accurate and a very good long range performer and has never let me down.

Second choice would be straight up .284 or .280 AI in the medium range of calibers.

For heavy long range work it is hard to beat the various chamberings of .338. The Remington 338 ultra mag is my choice due to the easier availability of brass and can be put on a 700 long action with no action modification.

There are many good caliber choices for deer and it really boils down to personal preference.

All the best to you,

Mike

[dannoboone]

.25-06

[sourdough44]

I'd have to ask where you live & what type of hunting you normally do? I like a lighter, more compact gun, no bigger than a 308 usually. My current favorites are the 243, 7mm-08, 308 and 284 Win.

Whether or not you reload your own ammo would also be a consideration.

[jims]

I like my 25-06 but overall it might be hard to beat the .243.

[petev]

308- It is big and accurate.

[10ga]

Browning Gold auto in 10ga. Stuffed with Nitro ammo 3.5" 000 and a Rhino choke. Round here it's bout the best thing to hit the woods. I've also got an older Ithaca Auto Mag 10 with a Carlson choke and it's good too. 2nd choice is my 870 Wingmaster with a Hastings Wadlock barrel and appropriate choke and Federal Premium 000. Eastern VA big game, deer and bear, it's archery, shotgun or ML only.

www.nitrocompany.com/ammunition.htm#buckshot

www.nitrocompany.com/pattern.htm

The nitro really does shoot that good.

ML does not use cartridge so I didn't cover that.

Just another angle and answer for a standard hunt camp question.

And now you know where I got my "handle".

10 ga

[Deleted]

280 Rem. Was my all time favorite deer rifle. Just personal preference, awesome ballistics and performance with moderate recoil. There are so many good ones tho, its hard to argue over any choice. Always wanted a 264, that's one of the few calibers I never had.

[gunstock]

Take a look at a .260 or 6.5 Creedmoor. You can shoot 140 gr. bullets with LOW recoil and outstanding accuracy. I have the 6.5 Creedmore and it recoils considerably less than my .308. It is just a pleasure to shoot.

[pposey]

7mm-08 for me,, 120bt at 3050fps kills very very well

[mountainam]

My favorite whitetail killer is the 6mm Rem. It has a little more oomph than the .243 but that'a only noticeable at the fringe of it's range. I also use a 6mm AI that I love for the summer deer damage season here in Ohio. I use the bullet most say is not a deer bullet--Hornady 87 Vmax ahead of 54grs of Winchester 780 Supreme and it's just kissing 3500 fps. Great one shot deer rifle for me anyway. Good luck with your decision!

[lttac]

I have a couple rifles in the 6.5 Creedmoor and they are a great choice for a flat shooting low recoil rifle. My 13 year old has killed several deer with his A Bolt in this caliber and when loaded with the Nosler 140 grain ballistic tips the deer don't go very far. I have been playing with a 6.5-284 also and have taken 2 nice deer with it this year using a 130 grain Berger VLD hunting bullet. The 8 pointer went about 10 feet and the 10 pointer I shot this morning at 110 yards went about 25 yards and piled up. Low recoil, high BC and easy to shoot no matter what age or size. If you don't hand load Hornady has quite a few offerings in the Creedmoor that will work very well for medium sized game. Nosler just released the first run of Creedmoor brass this week so that should tell you that it is a caliber here to stay !

[speedrackin]

Just cruisin around forum here , I would have to say for stand huntin in woodlots it would have to be the family heirloom 300 sav. in a rem 760 Gamemaster . tamed down with 130 hornady recoil is very mild . Sometimes its hard to beat a .30 caliber .

[03mossy]

My favorite by far is my .50 TC Omega but if we are talking cartridges only I'm pretty fond of my .300 Weatherby Mag in my pre-Mark V (1954) Weatherby.

[gregk]

I love the 243 but it's hard to beat the versatility of the 6.5/260's or the 7-08. Very low recoil, super accurate, & very deadly!!

[rjhans53]

depends. I sort of really like the dirty 30 for under 150 yards or so, mild recoil and the 170's hit hard. The 308 is probably a little more versatile, and if someone said I had to just have one rifle, it would be 308 over a 338 fed simply because of availability of bullets and loaded ammo but the fed hits hard. A 358 win shooting 200's hits like the hammer of thor. I have never lost a deer to my 7 08 or 7 x 57 but for some reason (for me only, please everyone shoot what you want) I feel better shooting a 30 cal or larger