Deer Rifle

[Root beer]

Just curious, what is you all favorite caliber for deer hunting?

[clayton86]

20Ga rifled slug gun. I hunt a shotgun only county and downgraded from a 12ga to a 20 I see it more as a upgrade honestly shoots flatter and farther which equals less hold over more accuracy. If they ever make rifles legal in my county which there's talk it may happen for the 2013/14 season it will go from my 20ga to my .243 same reasons flatter trajectory and better ballistics which equals better accuracy that and I can thread a needle with my .243 so a 87-100gr will more then do the trick.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

.308 or .338 Lapua. Both are very effective on deer. They are also pretty effective on most everything else too. I really like .308 and have had a ton of success with it. However the .338 Lapua is quickly becoming my favorite. Of course this is on the rare occasion I use a rifle to hunt anymore. I prefer a bow over a rifle. I find it more sporting for the deer.

[clayton86]

.308 or .338 Lapua. Both are very effective on deer. They are also pretty effective on most everything else too. I really like .308 and have had a ton of success with it. However the .338 Lapua is quickly becoming my favorite. Of course this is on the rare occasion I use a rifle to hunt anymore. I prefer a bow over a rifle. I find it more sporting for the deer.

d**n Raider you like over kill everything 160 rnds in your pistols and a .338 Lapua for deer what ya doing shooting them at like a mile out out from under your buddy's stands as a cruel joke lol.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

That rifle is only used once maybe twice a year for dear. The .308 is used about the same. Only beef with the .308 is sometimes they run. With the .338 they don't get the chance to run. Plus where is the fun in having a rifle Luke these if you don't use them?

Also, you have now given me a new game to try. We'll call it peekaboo deer. "now you seem him, now you don't."

[7mm-08]

<~~~ See user name.

[Siebert Outdoors]

I use a .308 win. I've done all the magnum stuff, I do not need it. Ammo is cheap and it knocks them down quick.

[5dollarsplash]

.30-06 Remington bolt action. .243 when I was a young buck.

[VolFan]

.308, 30-06, .270, .280, 7mm-08 are all great calibers. With a 30-06 or .308, you're always going to be able to find ammo, no matter where you are. All of these will take any game in North America, with the exception of grizzlies.

[rockchalk06]

6.5x 47 Lapua. Tact driver to end all tag drivers. Still super sonic at a grand!

[fishingkidPA]

.270 or 7mm rem mag

[Busy]

.270WSM

[roadwarrior]

Weatherby 270

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Ruger M77 .270Rem w/3x-9x Redfield

[Raider Nation Fisher]

.308, 30-06, .270, .280, 7mm-08 are all great calibers. With a 30-06 or .308, you're always going to be able to find ammo, no matter where you are. All of these will take any game in North America, with the exception of grizzlies.

I beg the differ. That bears head isn't bullet proof. I'm willing to bet my .308 will drop Mr. Bear in one shot. Granted I haven't had the opportunity to test this yet. I will before it is all said and done though.

[VolFan]

Just make sure you file the front sight off before you try it.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Just make sure you file the front sight off before you try it.

LOL. No need to worry about painlessly removing a rifle crammed into a orfice by a annoyed bear. After speaking with some buddies up in Alaska, the guides will not let you hunt with anything less than a magnum. So apparently I can not test the .308 theory. Therefore I concede that you are right.

However, I do have 2 rifles of higher caliber that will remove Mr Bear from this realm of living that they will let me use. I am so going to have a bear skin rug by the end of 2013.

[VolFan]

I figured you would get the reference...Any of those calibers I mentioned are enough to take any game alive with a very (very) well placed shot, and I have no doubt you could kill a grizzly with that .308, people bowhunt for grizzlies (those are much harder on the medics to remove). But for the masses, noone wants an unskilled guy with a .308 wounding a grizz because he didn't practice enough or was scared of the recoil on a more appropriate gun. Good luck with the bearskin.

PS - I thought it was ironic that a guy that keeps 130 rounds of magazines in his boat wants to bear hunt with a .308. Is it an auto?

[clayton86]

I seen a hunting show a year or so ago they smacked a grizzly in the shoulder with a .338 and it just roared back with its paw as to swat it like a fly. they put 2 more in it to get it to stop.............I seen that and my wife still makes fun of me when I say I wanna go on a bear hunt because when I seen that I made the comment I wouldn't go with anything less then a M2 .50 cal lol

[Mad Fisherman]

A 12 ga with 3 inch shells and buck shot for close in shots( out to 40 yds ) but in NJ you can't use rifle's but I have a fairly extensive knowledge of hunting so I would say a .30-06 or .308.

I beg the differ. That bears head isn't bullet proof. I'm willing to bet my .308 will drop Mr. Bear in one shot. Granted I haven't had the opportunity to test this yet. I will before it is all said and done though.

X2

[Raider Nation Fisher]

I figured you would get the reference...Any of those calibers I mentioned are enough to take any game alive with a very (very) well placed shot, and I have no doubt you could kill a grizzly with that .308, people bowhunt for grizzlies (those are much harder on the medics to remove). But for the masses, noone wants an unskilled guy with a .308 wounding a grizz because he didn't practice enough or was scared of the recoil on a more appropriate gun. Good luck with the bearskin.

PS - I thought it was ironic that a guy that keeps 130 rounds of magazines in his boat wants to bear hunt with a .308. Is it an auto?

Nope just a Remington 700. It is my pride and joy. I would like a .308 auto though. It's n my list of firearms I want. Now my .338 is semi auto.

I seen a hunting show a year or so ago they smacked a grizzly in the shoulder with a .338 and it just roared back with its paw as to swat it like a fly. they put 2 more in it to get it to stop.............I seen that and my wife still makes fun of me when I say I wanna go on a bear hunt because when I seen that I made the comment I wouldn't go with anything less then a M2 .50 cal lol

I gotta .50 if you got the time and money.

[clayton86]

Nope just a Remington 700. It is my pride and joy. I would like a .308 auto though. It's n my list of firearms I want. Now my .338 is semi auto.

I gotta .50 if you got the time and money.

The army let's me shoot there's full auto for free actually they pay me lol

[Highhawk1948]

Remington 270

[Raider Nation Fisher]

The army let's me shoot there's full auto for free actually they pay me lol

Nice little side perk.

Mine won't do full auto. Then again mine is a rifle and not a belt fed machine gun.

[retiredbosn]

That rifle is only used once maybe twice a year for dear. The .308 is used about the same. Only beef with the .308 is sometimes they run. With the .338 they don't get the chance to run. Plus where is the fun in having a rifle Luke these if you don't use them?

Also, you have now given me a new game to try. We'll call it peekaboo deer. "now you seem him, now you don't."

Gotta ask, instead of just assuming. But I'm guess you are using 180grain rounds in the .308 , then in the .338 you are using 180 to 225 grain? Is this right?? If so it makes sense that they run off with the .308 and not the .338 and it has nothing to do with one being a magnum.