what is the best bullet rifle for hunting deer ?

Question

also what calibre ?

what distance is it effective to ???

Answer 1

The responsible stalker must only use a rifle and ammunition which are legal for the species of deer being shot. In addition to compliance with the law, the stalker should be guided by knowledge, experience and preference in their choice of a rifle and ammunition. The legal requirements are laid down in the several Deer Acts and Orders previously mentioned. For example:

England, Wales and Northern Ireland

For deer of any species a minimum calibre of .240 inches (.236 inches in Northern Ireland) and a minimum muzzle energy of 1,700 foot pounds is the legal requirement. In Northern Ireland the minimum bullet weight is 100 grains.

Scotland

For deer of any species the bullet must weigh at least 100 grains AND have a minimum muzzle velocity of 2,450 feet per second AND minimum muzzle energy of 1,750 foot pounds.

or
For roe deer the bullet must weigh at least 50 grains AND have a minimum muzzle velocity of 2,450 feet per second AND a minimum muzzle energy of 1,000 foot pounds.

It must be stressed that all these figures are the minimum legal requirement.

In all the above areas the bullet must be of a type designed to expand/deform on impact.

To ensure safe and humane shooting the stalker must practise and maintain their skill with the rifle, and must check at regular intervals that their rifle is still zeroed correctly – i.e. that the bullet is striking a selected point of aim at a chosen range.

The rifle must ALWAYS be test-fired and the zero verified or corrected after a knock or other impact or after any unaccountably ‘wild’ shot. No one should continue stalking in such case until this zeroing (or ‘sighting-in’) has been done.

Answer 2

the best rifle /calibre is the one you can shoot the most accurately with, bullet placement is the key for example a .300 mag that may cause a shooter to flinch will possibly not hit the vital organs but say a 243 with a heavly contructed bullet like the laupa mega or the barnes tripple shock should do the trick due to the calibres very mild recoil and and reduced muzzle blast .Having said all that there is no free lunches with calibres the 243 is nowhere near as powerfull as the .300 so ranges that the dear are taken must be reduced for a clean kill. try to limit the .243 to 200yds but i have taken 3 spectacular 1 shot kills on trophy fallow deer at over 300yds with my .243 my furthest being 341yds remeber shot placement is the key.

Answer 3

Silwil gets the best answer, especially with the note on sectional density of the bullets. If only he'd mentioned the Nosler Partition! If you pick a 243 Win or 6mm Rem., be prepared to pass on some shots. Those are dual-purpose calibers best for varmints but enough (barely) to make do on deer. Probably the best balanced cartridge of the bunch is 7mm Mauser, or 7mm08 (nearly identical), but it all works. I've used at least a dozen calibers from 6mm to 500 BPE (OK, I got a little carried away on that one). As long as you know your gun and load, you can hardly go wrong, and if you find you're dissatisfied with one, it's a good excuse to get another!

Answer 4

First off I would like to say, this is a hunting question, so all antihunters please get a life and stay out of it. Now as for your question, there really is no best caliber/bullet, but there are plenty of combinations that work very well. Most states require a minimum of .24 caliber and this is probably a good place to start. On the other hand I see no reason for any caliber larger than .30 for deer. The smaler calibers usually kick less and are easier to hit with. The larger calibers kick harder, but also hit harder. I have pesronally done most of my deer hunting with a .30-06, but I feel that this is really more gun than is needed for deer. Shot placement is always the most important factor, but I think the bullet is actually more important than the caliber. Deer are not heavy boned or thick skinned and in my experience softer bullets that expand well will usually put a deer down faster than premium controlled expansion bullets. Just be sure to pick a bullet that is of moderate to heavy weight for caliber, ie: 90-100 grains of weight in .24 caliber, 110-120 gr. in .25 cal., 120-140 gr. in .26 cal., 130-150 gr. in .27 cal., 140-160 gr. in .28 cal., and 150-180 gr. in .30 cal. bullets in these weight ranges will ensure adequate penetration. As for specific brands of bullets, I have had very good success with Remington Cor Lokts, Hornady SST's, and Winchester power points. I have seen others have good results with Sierras, Nosler ballistic Tips, and Speer Grand Slams. Any of the bullets mentioned (in the proper weights) will do a fine job and none of them are very expensive. The most popular deer Cartridges in the U.S. are the 30-06, and .270, and they are fine choices. But there are also many others that are just as good, such as the .243 and .25-06 on the light end, and the 7MM magnum, and .300 mangun at the topside. Just remember the more power they produce the more they kick. There are really too many fine cartridges to list. Any round with a muzzle velocity of 2700 Feet per second or faster is good to at least 300 yards and probably further. And truth be told, few of us are good enough shots too shoot farther than that. Pick any caliber between .24 and .30. Pick a bullet in the weght/style recommended, and learn to shoot it well and you will have no trouble with any deer that walks. And as any real hunter knows, a quick, humane harvest is our ethical responsibility.

Answer 5

Sliwil produced a very informative answer. The only thing I would add is that branches and limbs will almost ALWAYS be a factor in hunting deer effectively. If those calibers in the sub .30 range hit a branch, even a small one, you will miss your target.

If you are hunting in any sort of woods I suggest a heavier caliber just to insure a clean shot. If you have nothing but fields then one of those .2x calibers would be ok.

The only one I would recommend though is .243.

Great answer Sliwil.

Answer 6

The one that has put more deer meat on tables than any other rifle is the 30-30. There is a reason that it has been around so long, it is a great all around gun. I hear that with the new ammo out it could go up to 300 yds. I would go with the Marlin, a great trusty gun that can be easily fitted with a scope.

Answer 7

For deer the .243 and up will work fine. Alot depend on where you hunt, open areas or thick forest? Very good choices are the .308, .260, 30-06, .270, 7mm, 30-30, .35 rem.

Depending on the gun, shooter, etc. will depend on distance. Most hunters are not up to 300 yard shots.

Answer 8

I see the vagitarians are up early...

Best all around bullet would be your .308. 30 caliber bullet and usually a lightweight rifle. A lot of guys swear by .2xx calibers, but I've always gone .30. .308, .30-30, .30-06. Even a .300 Savage will do the job.

Answer 9

The one hundred sixty five is the main properly balanced weight interior the 06 from the producing unit in a federal preimium boattail layout. it is going to preserve its velocity, trajectory and down variety ability extra effective than the different bullet weight in this rd. yet something over a hundred and fifty to 2 hundred is optimal and the 220 for close in paintings. Hornady is likewise loading some quite stable rds if no longer the terrific to come back out of a production unit loading in years?

Answer 10

the best deer caliber for precisely deer is the .270. a .270 will effectively go out to 300 yards, but you have to know how your gun shoots. but if you want your gun to be versatile like i do, then get a .308 like i am going to. i have heard a .308 will vaporize a prairie dog at 400 yards. Remington core loks or Winchester super x power points are good ammo choices.

live in western PA, and damn proud of it <((((><