What's your favorite caliber?

Favorite caliber?


  • Total voters
    801
Joined
Jan 3, 2024
Messages
11
Depends on where I'm hunting but either a 30-06 or a 30-30 with a 150 gr bullet for whitetail.
Likely shot distance 200 yards or less and heavy timber grab the 30-30, longer open field range is the 30-06.

Looking into options for the more restrictive straight walled areas, maybe a 350 Legend or the newer 360 Buckhammer.

I have a favorite screwdriver too, but it's not the only one I need.
Agreed on a lever action 30-30, plus it’s fun in the woods.
 

Jlwatts

FNG
Joined
Jan 7, 2024
Messages
12
It’s really hard to pick a favorite having killed piles of deer with a 270, 30-06, 300wm, 7 mag, and 7mm-08. If I had to only shoot one for the rest of forever though I would have to take the 270 just for its flat shooting, light recoil, and cheap yet available ammo.
 
Joined
Jan 3, 2024
Messages
15
It’s more about the hunter, bullet selection and shot placement than anything else.

I’ve taken deer with all kinds of cartridges and they all work. That said, lately it’s been a 6.5 CM or Grendel kind of choice. I still hold the .308 close to my heart!
 

Redrice

FNG
Joined
Mar 15, 2018
Messages
15
Location
BC
most whitetail I've shot have been whilst walking or sitting in the woods between 25-100 yds so a slower cartridge or soft loaded bigger cartridge has worked well
 

Macs69

FNG
Joined
Jul 25, 2014
Messages
12
Am a believer in 130 grain CoreLokt in the .270 Win after this year. Shot a big 10 point through both lungs, and he didn’t take a step.
 

bigmike23

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 10, 2020
Messages
145
257 weatherby. The excess speed does cause excess meat destruction, but deer just drop Everytime. The speed works
 

EmperorMA

WKR
Joined
Dec 7, 2018
Messages
525
I've shot deer (and elk with most of these) with:

.243 Win
.25-'06 Rem
6.5 Creedmoor, .260 Rem, 6.5x.284 Norma (still a wildcat when I killed a bunch of deer, pronghorn and elk with it)
.270 Win, .270 Wby Mag
7mm-08 Rem, .284 Win, 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm Wby Mag
.308 Win, .30-'06 Springfield, .300 Win Mag, .300 Wby Mag
.338 Win Mag, .340 Wby Mag

By far the most impressive killers were the .25-'06, 6.5x.284, .270 Win and .270 Wby Mag on both deer and elk. Lightning bolt kills from all of them with bullets that are considered light today.

Given a choice today, believe it or not I'd take my 6.5 Creedmoor loaded with factory Winchester Deer Season XP 125gr bullets for whitetail every day of the week. Every bit as impressive as any of the above and way less recoil and muzzle blast. So easy to shoot well and so, so effective.

There is a soft spot in my heart for both the .25-'06 on mule deer and especially the 6.5x.284 on all deer, speed goats and elk. However, it is just so much easier to live with a 6.5 Creedmoor shooting factory Winchester 125gr Deer Season XP and Winchester Expedition 142gr ABLR.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 3, 2023
Messages
2
I like the .280, don’t reload and I’ve been having trouble finding the Federal Fusions it loves so I bought a .257 Roberts…another rifle I can’t get ammo for😂. What a dummy!
 
Joined
Apr 23, 2023
Messages
6
7mm-08 with Barnes 120 gr TTSX, or Hornady 139 grain.
If distances aren’t going to be over 150 yards, .35 Remington with 200 grain factory Remington loads.
 
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