good deer round?

[JakeO]

i am in the market for purchasing my first real deer rifle, i am a begginer and up until now i have been using a model 94 .30 .30 win, witch i love but i was gonna try and get something a little more long range. i was gonna see if i could get some insight on some favorites. i was thinking maybe a .308 or .270. the only criteria would really be price and commoness cus i dont feel like drivin all over town every time i want to get a box of ammo. i live in florida so we got deer bout the size of a large dog so it doesnt need to be huge, but i would like to be able to use it if i get an opportunity to hunt up north, and i would still like to be able to drop those damn hogs pretty easy.

thanks guys.

[Bowhunters]

Jake, just about anything from .243, .257, .270, 7mm-08, .308, to .30-06 will work great for whitetail deer, pigs, etc. so the calibers you named and some I didn't include are inside that range and they will all reach out there for at least 200-300 yards and kill deer.

The small calibers that only use light wt. bullets like the .243's killing energy does drop below what you really want for deer at over 300yards.

Everyone that owns a deer rifle will have their favorite caliber so you will likely get a ton of answers.

I don't know where you buy your ammo but maybe go there first and see what caliber they carry the most types and bullet weights in, I always advise people deer hunting to buy one of the bonded bullet types (Trophy bonded, Nosler Partition, etc) in their ammo that is made for big game.

The cheap $15 a box stuff is fine for target shooting and on coyotes but it can blow up when hitting a deer at close range, a bonded bullet has the lead core and copper jacket fused together and it is made to mushroom and drive through deer or elk sized game while staying in one piece as it goes through the body which is what you want to kill a deer and give a good blood trail.

Another thing to consider is if you are young and if you think its possible you may decide to go on a hunt somewhere else a few years down the road for Black Bear, Mule deer or Elk then something in the .270 .308, .30-06 territory would likely be wiser if you only want to buy one rifle that can kill a lot of different game.

I hope this doesn't become the start of another caliber arguement, if you use quality ammo and make a good shot to put the bullet in the heart lung area all these calibers I mentioned and a few that I didn't are fine.

Good Luck!

[backwoodsman]

Looks like its covered pretty good. May want to consider regulations on actions of rifles where you thinking about going hunting. At one time you couldnt import semi auto rifles into Canada or Mexico. Some regions in some states prohibit or have restrictions on them too, at one time Pennsylvania I believe prohibited semi auto rifles for deer? Bolt action or single shot .30-06, .308, .270, .7mm ought to be a good all around choice's and ammo should be available everywhere with few legalities causing headaches.

[NYBuckhunter]

Dont forget about a .260, its a very very good round for deer.

[backwoodsman]

Yes it is, .260 is a great round but I'd hate to be out of factory loads in podunk Missouri and try and find a 20 round box at bob and bubbas gas station/chicken fryer/feedstore/gunshop . .257 roberts, .280, 7x57, .250 savage, .300 savage(personal favorite) and theres about 300 more are all great rounds. Ammo availabilty would come into play with some. .30-40 Krag is one of the best rounds for deer and bear, but I havent seen a box in a chain store for years.

[KwackWacker]

... bob and bubbas gas station/chicken fryer/feedstore/gunshop...

You forgot the laundromat, videostore, carwash and liquor store. I thought we only had those in the deep south. Maybe Bob and Bubba have started a franchise.

As far as a deer round, I think there are four calibers that you would have absolutely no problem finding ammo anywhere for and that are great deer guns. .243, .30/30, .308 and .30/06. Of those I would go with the .30/06 or .308 as I think the .243 is a tad small for the heavy deer up north and the .30/30 lacks the long range abilities of the the other three.

[backwoodsman]

I couldnt have said it better Kwakwhacker, those are some of the best deer rounds going. Nothing wrong with those stores, I kinda like'em until theres something you want that they dont have. We had a store near where I grew up that sold ammo by the cartridge/shell. Kinda miss those days. You could buy 5 or 6 cartridges and see how your rifle/gun shot'em before buying a whole box. Or buy a big handful and that was your seasons worth of cartridges.

[JakeO]

Hey thanks alot guys, i really appreciate the help and i will surley let you know how it goes.

[DocHolladay]

As far as a deer round, I think there are four calibers that you would have absolutely no problem finding ammo anywhere for and that are great deer guns. .243, .30/30, .308 and .30/06. Of those I would go with the .30/06 or .308 as I think the .243 is a tad small for the heavy deer up north and the .30/30 lacks the long range abilities of the the other three.

Uh um...... you mean 5??? Where is the .270???? You can find that everywhere.

[backwoodsman]

.270 is a fine deer round, some even like it for the bigger critters too. Surplus cartridges could be an option too. Several Russian cartridges are easier to find(and cheaper)around here then standard one's. .303 is a good round for deer too.

[Brow Tine]

Over the years I have stuck with my 2 favorite rounds.

- .270 -
Shoots flat and long
Has decent punch on deer and smaller animals
On deer almost always an entrance and exit hole
Easy access to ammo

- 30-06 -
Shoots fairly flat.
Has AWSOME knock down power at short and longer ranges
Can punch through 'brush' easy
On deer..always an exit hole
Easy access to ammo

- .223 - (Not for deer)
I love this round..just beacuse

[backwoodsman]

Ive never been a firm believer in "brush busters". Ive got lucky a few times over the years but several times I wasnt either. If the deer is close enough behind the brush ya got a chance but if hes more then a foot or two thats a recipe for disaster.

[Bowhunters]

Ive never been a firm believer in "brush busters". Ive got lucky a few times over the years but several times I wasnt either. If the deer is close enough behind the brush ya got a chance but if hes more then a foot or two thats a recipe for disaster.

You are right in that there really is no such thing and that your chances improve if the animal is close to the brush, etc you are shooting through than if the animal is a distance away from the brush, foliage.

I read an article a few years ago where a group did a test of calibers shooting through various foliage objects in a simulated hunt to see if they could find if certain calibers where indeed (brush busters).

What they ended up discovering is that its all in the weight of the bullets regardless of the rifles caliber, velocity, type bullet, flat nose vs pointed bullets, etc.

In their test the heaviest wt. grain bullets of all medium to large deer/elk sized calibers plowed through foliage etc. with less deflection than light wt. bullets availabe for each caliber.

The small caliber rifles with only lite weight bullets defected the most of all.

[Brooksy]

I have always hunted with a .308 or a 30-06 for deer and bear. I recently purchased a .270WSM and have yet to kill a deer with it, but I have heard it is very effective. The .308 and 30-06 come in a variety of bullet weights and can be adjusted to your hunting needs. It really comes down to what you are interested in working with. Enjoy your hunting and be safe.