This really is not an easy question since opinions vary so much.
Lots of folks like small bore rifles, but about the only ones smaller than .30 caliber that I like are the .250-3000 Savage, .257 Weatherby (The only Weatherby cartridge I even half way like), .25*'06, and the .270 Win. There are some sub-.30' s that are really popular (such as the 7mm RemMag, 6.5x57mm Swede %26amp; 7mm-08) but those are the ones I like.
When lots of folks think of deer rifles, they think of .30-30 lever-action rifles and .30-'06 bolt-action rifle because so many of them are used for deer hunting. Rifles in .308 Win are just as good and the good old .35 Remington also has a large following. My favorite cartridge for deer sized game is the ,358 Winchester, but there are not a lot of rifles around in this great caliber. The old traditional .45-70 Gov't cartridge is a fine medium and short range deer cartridge and in strong rifles it can be loaded up to take any game on the planet. In addition to the rifle calibers, lots of folks enjoy hunting with lever-action carbines chambered for revolver cartridges such as the .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .44 RemMag, and .45 Long Colt cartridges.
There are lots of other cartridges used for deer hunting, including such military surplus favorites as the 7x57mm Mauser, the 8x57mm Mauser and 7.62x39 Soviet cartridges. There are plenty of folks who use the various magnum cartridges but IMO they really are not needed by most deer hunters. IMO, you will probably be best served by a medium bore cartridge, such as one of the .30 caliber or .35 caliber non-magnums that you will by the small bores and the larger magnum cartridges. Remember higher velocity and heavier bullets both contribute to increased recoil, especially in light rifles.
DocWhat calibre is good for deer hunting?
In no particular order (and probably omitting several other good cartridges) and providing the cartridge is loaded with the proper projectiles for deer hunting...
.243 Winchester
7.62x39mm Russian
.30-30
6.5x55mm
6.5mmGrendel
6.8mmSPC
.270 Winchester
7.62x54mmRussian
.30-06 Springfield
.303 British
8mm Mauser
.30-40 Krag rifle
.308 Winchester
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rif鈥?/a>What calibre is good for deer hunting?
I would pick a 270. win because its super flat, fast and hits really hard. If you load a good 130 grain bullet it will take anydeer down from 500 yards and closer.
I was hunting with my 270. win for whitetail and mule deer in montana 2 years ago and my neighbour came with me and he brought his 270. win and we both loaded a 130grain bullet. He got a record mule deer at 368 yards, and dropped it in its tracks. I got a massive 12 point, 150 class whitetail at 260 yards. This is my biggest buck and this was my best year for hunting
when i got back from my trip to montana i did a mooose hunting trip and got a big body bull moose with just skike horns and weighed about 900 lbs which was also taken with my 270. win loaded with 150 grain
I am a big fan of the .25-06 Remington with the 115 to 120 gain round. As has already been mentioned the .243 Winchester is the minimum deer round and I'll only add that at least a 90 grain hunting round should be used in this. The 80 round is just too light for deer and the 100 grain round is much better. Of course, the .270 Winchester is a stellar deer round. I've shot deer with both the .25-06 (120 grain) and .270 (130) grain and the deer just drop... No difference.
Other good choices for deer hunting are the .308 Winchester, 7mm08 and of course, the .30-06 Springfield. There are others, of course but these are very popular. I also like the 6.5 Remington Magnum and the 6.5x55 Swed is also very popular. The 7x57 and 8x57 Mauser rounds are also great so just take your pick.
H
My personal favorite is the .243. While not the minimum caliber allowed in my state, it has the best rate, in my experience, of one shot kills. It drops deer cleanly, as the bullet seldom exits. This means all of the force of the bullet is released inside the body of the deer, causing massive shock.
A 30-06 will punch a nice fist-sized hole through a deer, but the people I konw who use this round normally have to track there deer a little ways. I don't. Mine fall where they stood with 1 shot from a .243.
Those who tell you that you have to be very accurate with your shot from a .243 are right. Of course, you have to be very accurate with ANY caliber, so saying this just applies to the .243 is disingenuous.
In my opinion, you need at least a .243 caliber but nothing more than .30-06. If you use something smaller than a .243, there is too much of a chance of simply wounding the deer rather than making a clean kill. On the other hand, anything more than a .30-06 is overkill. The more powerful calibers such as the .300 Win Mag. are far more power than you need and they do too much damage to the meat. You end up loosing a lot of meat. Besides, the more powerful calibers have more recoil and deal more punishment to the shooter as well as to the animal. You don't need it.
The best average caliber is .270 Many states mandate a minimum of .243, but you need to be VERY accurate in your shots. Some states allow .223 but you have to take a neck shot for that to be effective. Heading the other way, some people swear by the 30 calibers such as .308, 30-06, or .300 Mags. These are effective and send massive trauma waves thru the vitals for kills, but can cause massive damage and over penetration. I have seen .300 WinMag rounds recovered that were thru-and-thru shots and had not even began to deform. The 7mm rounds are just as powerful and then some.
The perfect round, out to 300 yards....the .270
.35 Remington.
It's a slower round, so you won't be taking long shots with it. 150 yards is about the longest you' ll shoot accurately.
It will put down any deer size game right in their tracks. I haven't tried it on elk...yet.
If you want distance, accuracy and stopping power, the .308 is the one. Ammo is plentiful, the round shoots flat and you can take anything in this country with it.
I use a 243. I am female though and need a smaller size gun that doesn't kick. I have been successful with it, without any problems. I guess it depends on the range you want. If you are going to be making 300 yard shots you will need a bigger gun. I myself am not comfortable taking shots over 200 yards.
go for either a .270 or .243 if your a serious deer hunter, but if you want to go all around for deer, bear, caribou, or elk I'd go for the .300 or .338
.270 Cartridge would be best........
http://www.chuckhawks.com/270family.htm
.30-30, .270, .30-06 take your pick
30 - 06 or .300 or .270
180 grain at least
.30-06
for distance a 3006
for close range a 44 mag
I love my .308
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