rifles

[Guest Author]

Hello,
I tend to take the logical approach to alot of things so my pick would be the .308. This is the round that is used most by sniper and tatical teams in the armed forces and police world wide. Load up with a 168gr. boat-tail hollow point, I prefer Sierra over all others. Others may argue, but for accuracy, distance, and terminal performance the .308 can't be beat. In my opinion anything that can take out a 250lb. man at 300 plus yards should be capable enough for deer. I don't think that the few that I own kick bad at all. Is that really something that you think about when you line a wallhanger up in yor sights? The deer that I have shot with a .308 have went down, period.

Thanks for your time,
L.Bates

[Basswipe]

The 168 gr MatchKing is NOT a good bullet for deer hunting. While very accurate, the MK is not designed for the amount of expansion of regular hunting bullets.

As for the original question in this thread: You have to choose what best fits your needs and hunting style. There is no one "best" caliber for deer hunting. If you will be hunting in places where the furthest shot you will take will be around 100 yards, there would be no sense in getting a belted magnum. Conversely, if you are hunting in an area where a 300 yard shot is possible, you want the power of the belted magnums.

I have three different guns that I deer hunt with. Which gun I use depends on where I'm hunting. For longer range shots, I use a 7mm Rem Mag. For medium range action I use a .308. If I am hunting in thick areas where shots won't be of any great distance, I use a 7.62X39 (SKS) with open sights.

First and foremost, always use quality hunting ammo regardless of what kind of gun you get. The optimal bullet weight for a white tail deer is 140-150 grs.

[Guest Author]

30-06

[crazy4bass]

375 Remington Ultra Mag with 260gr Nosler Ballistic Tip handloads. Will stop any whitetail in its tracks. Period. There is no such thing as over kill. The more power, with a well placed shot, ensures a quick kill. Besides there isn't any meat on the ribs or shoulder anyway. I will also add that higher powered rifles can not make up for poor shooting.