Fellow deer hunters: what type of gun do you prefer?

Question

I got my first buck a couple of years back with a Remington .243, and was wondering what everyone prefered.

Thanks!

I'm sorry, y'all! There are too many good answers and I can't pick just one! (Excluding $#*! it all and telluwat, of course).
Sorry, gotta put it to vote!

Answer 1

I'm a huge fan of 25-06 and .308 calibers. The .243 is a great round, well suited for anything from small game and varmints to white tail, depending on the grain weight of the bullet you use. You'd be hard pressed to find a more versatile caliber than the .243. The 308 is well suited for taking virtually any game in north america, but shot placement is critical. the 25-06 is also well suited for any game in north america, but shot placement here is critical as well.

Answer 2

Many places have 'shotgun only' deer season, this is usually because there is a concern about where errant bullets will go, and slugs don't go nearly as far. In those areas 12guage are the most common followed by 20 guage, and finally a few folks might use .410s, but most folks consider that pushing it. In some areas of the country, like Texas for example, the whitetails tend to be pretty small critters, so there the 223 or 22-250 is plenty potent for them. In other areas, especially where deer have a lot of access to corn for food, they tend to grow bigger and .243 is generally accepted as a good lower end rifle for deer. It's not that a 22-250 couldn't do the job on most deer out there, it's just that there are that 10% of real big deer that the 22-250 might be inadequate for. In the eastern heavily wooded areas, many folks still hunt with lever action 30-30 and 35remingtons and 32 specials. These folks don't go for long shots, so they want a fast handling gun that causes a big wound to stop the deer fast before he runs off. The most common deer hunting chambering is 30-06, because it is such a multipurpose round, and .270, it's near twin. Many deer have been taken by poachers using just a .22magnum, which lets us in on the truth. It is shot placement that counts. A 223 through the heart is going to be more effective than a 30-06 through the rump, or guts. Also, part of the equation is choosing the proper bullet for the job, especially with 223 and 243 type guns. If the bore is .25 or smaller, you want pretty much the heaviest grain bullet you can find for your particular chambering

Answer 3

I have used my Mosin Nagant 91/30. I accurized it by bedding it in a new stock, reworking the trigger, shortening the barrel by three inches and recrowning the muzzle, rehoning the barrel to .312 and rereaming the chamber. Then adding a 3 X 9 X 40 NcStar scope and bending the bolt down 80 degrees.
I have taken 6 deer, in the seven years I have had this rifle, all at over 300 yards. They say you cannot make these weapons accurate. I would have to disagree. With a little work they can be extremely accurate.
To $%*# it all. I have to disagree with you. I believe shooting at that distance gives the animal a better chance of getting away. You would not go through all that trouble to get that close to an animal if you were not sure you would get the best single kill shot. Well, I would not sit for hours waiting quietly waiting for a deer or elk to come into the range I hunt if I were not sure I got that one shot kill. At that range if I am off by more than 1 or 2 MOA with my shot I have missed. Deers and Elks being as skittish as they are. If the bullet wizzing by dose'nt, the report from my rifle surely will scare them away before I can rechamber and reacquire my prey.

Answer 4

Remington 7mm-08 in a Remington 700 model is the best rifle I have ever used on deer. Most every deer I have shot has fell dead on the spot!! My wife uses a Remington .243 700 model because of the light recoil. She is has shot 3 deer so far and they also dropped dead on the spot.
I have hunted for many years and killed a lot of deer. I was always told that the kill zone was in the upper front shoulder area. I had to hunt a lot of deer I shot this way because most of them when shot would run. This resulted in a lot of tracking most of the time. There were a few nice deer I never found. I was told by a friend a few years ago to aim for the neck on my next hunt. I did just that and the deer dropped right were he was standing. Me and my wife have shot about 12 deer since then using the neck as our target and everyone of them have fell right were they stood.
I am telling you this because I believe you should use what ever type caliber rifle that you feel comfortable with because the secret is not how big of a bullet you have it is were that bullet hits its target. Good Luck and I hope you have a great hunting season!!

Answer 5

My first rifle "of my very own" was a Remington 700 BDL in 6mm, still the most accurate rifle I own, and I've killed more deer with it than all the others combined, but the small caliber and excessive muzzle velocity make it a less than perfect choice.
Even more than in my youth, I've grown to appreciate a Winchester model 71 (348 Winchester) I inherited from my father, a great lever gun for thick woods, but it doesn't have the "legs" to consider it a great all-around deer rifle.
Overall, I'd say my favorite is a Remington 700 Mountain in 7x57, a rifle that started life as a problem, but with a little home gunsmithing turned into a real shooter. Both rifle and cartridge seem to be about perfect compromises when all is considered.
I have several others I wouldn't want to part with, and still others I've bought for family members (and spent a lot of time shooting, since I'm the primary handloader in the family) that are good, too, but for me those are the tops on my list.

Answer 6

For the biggest deer, I use a .300 Winchester Magnum bolt-action by Sako. I shot a whitetail in New Brunswick, Canada that weighed over 330 pounds. My brother used a .30-30 Winchester "M-94" lever-action. My ten year old nephew got his first deer with a .243 Remington bolt-action. I would be willing to use my brother's or my nephew's rifles at closer range on smaller deer.

Answer 7

I like my Remington model 700 in 30-06. It works well for me, and at the range from a bench I can put 3 shot groups into a slightly ragged hole at 100 yards. My rifle prefers Federal Premium bullets. My wife likes her .243. It all seems to come down to personal preference, doesn't it?

Answer 8

I like the .45-70, as with the others, there are questions about if it's powerful enough, but the .45-70 doesn't leave anything to question about stopping power. Unfortunately, most places up here require shotgun and muzzle loaders only. For that, I have a Mossberg with a rifled barrel and Lightfield Hybrid EXP slugs. I've been meaning to try the Hornady SST slugs some time, but I'm kinda reluctant, as I've heard they just go in one side and out the other.

But just remember, a .223, .300, or .25/.30-06 may or may not expand, but a .45 will never shrink.

Answer 9

Most people will say 30-06, 270, 308, 30-30, and so on because they are popular calibers. Different strokes for different folks. Personally, most will shun me for my choice of caliber but I too prefer the 243. I'm a firm believer in the theory that speed kills. I love my Ruger M77 243. I've killed more whitetail with it than my 30-06.

Don't get me wrong folks, other calibers are great deer guns. I just love my 243 and will never part with it.

Answer 10

Model VZ-24 re-chambered for the 8mm/06 loaded with a Sierra 220gr. GameKing Spitzer Boattail.
I have used this weapon more than all the others in my pile to take deer. Oh, it has a cut and re-welded bolt handle turned to allow the use of a 3-9 Leopold Gold Ring scope. The work was performed by Kenny Genecco in Stockton Cal. almost 35 years ago.