Favorite deer catridge/rifle.

So many good choices from .243 to .308 bullets.

My go-to Whitetail rifle a short 308 Win with 150 soft points... but that's for these little Texas whitetails.

If I'm going after bigger bodied deer, like Kansas, I'll be going with a higher weight retention bullet. In that case, maybe the 30-06 with copper or 270 with bonded bullet. The 308 would get the nod if I had a 150 TTSX load worked up for it.



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Great Grandpa’s pre-64 model 70 chambered in 270 is tough to beat, it has taken dozens of pigs, several elk and a tons of mule deer for four generations of my family.

We don’t carry it much any more, but this year my dad used it to kill two cougars on his property.


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I've worked through several calibers over my years of hunting. I think there is value in many setups. I think if I were only hunting deer and it was a young hunter or shorter range shots 243 would be my choice. But with years of experience and practice its hard for me to grab any other than my 300. I love the versatility. I can shoot darn near any ethical shot. When I see a whopper I want to know I have the power and range to seal the deal.
 
I only bowhunt, guided a few rifle hunters this and the 6.5 PRC is no joke! One whitetail was killed at 423, shot was spot on. Across a canyon from probably 200 feet above, being a bowhunter that was really an impressive shot!
 
I love .300 win mag due to its versatility. I use this caliber for all big game species and have had very good success. I'm also not apposed to a .300 short mag. Love my fast .30s
 
.25-06, I have several other rifles but when I want to hunt deer or antelope the .25-06 is the first rifle I pull from the safe.


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tons of great deer cartridges. 308 is always a favorite of mine but last year I began shooting a .264 win mag with 127lrx and it flat puts deer down.

As for rifle I’m a Remington 700 guy second choice tikka

Planning on killing a deer with my 243AI next year just to see how I like the 6mm performance love it for coyotes.
 
Deer hunting for me can be close range like blacktails in thick coastal timber or whitetails in the forested hills east of the cascades. It can also be open canyons and prairie for mule deer and the whitetails that have adapted to it. So, it’s hard to pick one rifle/cartridge that is “perfect” for both situations.

So, if I could only have one to do both, I’d pick a Remington 700 KS Mountain Rifle in 280 Remington.
 
My 338 Federal has never let me down. Hogs, deer, elk, kudu, waterbuck, gemsbok, etc. If I can only hint with one, that’s it. A 160gn .338 bullet at ~3k will mess stuff up.
 
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