Deer hunting with different calibers

BrotherRockeye

In my youth I used a 30-06,then a 270 for deer.We grow em big here in Saskatchewan,but I haven't found one yet that my 250-3000 couldn't kill. Cool

lesterg3

Maybe the deer here in South Carolina are real weak or something I've had six to date this season drop in their tracks ( not one went more than 20 feet ) with a measly .270 130 gr Remington Core-Lokt psp factory load. still not loading my own, building the bench. Of course I try desperately not to hit them just anyplace. The largest was a 185 pound doe followed by the others ranging in weight from 125 to 165.

Only recovered one bullet, and at that there was no lead left only the copper jacket. All others were through average distance was 150 yards.

Good hunting to all, and God Bless.

tomlj75 · Rookie Member Joined: May 07, 2009 Posts: 8 Location: IOWA

I am planning on going hunting this fall for the first time with some friends, I am planning on taking my 480 ruger handgun here in iowa, overkill??

Pumpkinslinger

.480 will work, if you can shoot it! I noticed that there are age restrictions for hunting with handguns in Iowa, just in case you are under 21.

wiersy111

Start practicing now you will have to have complete confidence to use a handgun for hunting. It will be a challenge and a hell of a lot of fun.

tomlj75 · Rookie Member Joined: May 07, 2009 Posts: 8 Location: IOWA

I've been target shooting it for years and love it, I just never got the oppertunity to go hunting till now, I am plenty good with the age, Very Happy

thanks

Teknys · Member Joined: Oct 23, 2008 Posts: 29 Location: Idaho

I'm hoping to fill my doe tag with a new 44 Taurus this year. In years past, I've used....
22-250, 243, 260, 270, 270WSM, 30-06, 300 RUM, (35Rem - no kills yet) and I just purchased from gunbroker a Sako 85 LSS in a 338Federal. All loaded up and sighted in ready to go since last week end. It will be what I will carry 90% of the time for deer and elk this year. I can hardly sleep!! Laughing

Our early Elk starts in Aug here but WHEW it's still hot I'm busy chasing Steelhead.

Pumpkinslinger

Tom, I understand! I shot for a long time before I started hunting. Now I kick myself for waiting so long to hunt.

Arizona Hunter · Member Joined: Jul 22, 2006 Posts: 275

For years all I had was a 30.06 and even though I have other deer size calibers to choose from now, I always seem to grab the 30.06 when it comes to a big game animal. It feels good in my hands and I suppose I just trust it more than the others.

Now for coyotes and javelina I grab a 6.5 x 55 and have complete confidence it will do the job, and one of these days I'm gonna use it on deer...if that 30.06 doesn't jump out of the safe first! Laughing

WileyWapiti

I am similar to Arizona Hunter - .30-06 is the trusty friend. First deer I ever shot was with my Uncle's 30-40 Krag open site- as dad did not have a rifle, the next year I borrowed a friend of the family's 7mm, after that we had finally gotten around to getting a rifle in the family and hunted antelope to elk with my .308 - it has the Manlicher stock on it and as a young man was okay to haul around - but it is heavy - so as I grew older I finally got a .30-06 featherlite and use the .308 as a back-up. Last year used my 6mm - user error hindered me on that one - but it is plenty of gun for the task.

Gremlin

Use enough gun......
Would you consider (77gr IMR4831 ) to be a hot load???
I checked my Nosler and Hornady manuals and:
Noslers top end for a 180 gr bullet is 73 gr for 3160ft/sec with their most accurate load being 69.6 gr and Hornady doesn't even list that powder for that caliber..
My personal thought would be to slow it down for close ranges inside of 100 yds for proper expansion.....I will be testing this theory Confused

out over the next few weeks when I use my new 300WSM on Moose and Whitetail
Just curious...thoughts? reactions? Razz

moose2

Gremlin wrote:

Use enough gun......
Would you consider (77gr IMR4831 ) to be a hot load???
I checked my Nosler and Hornady manuals and:
Noslers top end for a 180 gr bullet is 73 gr for 3160ft/sec with their most accurate load being 69.6 gr and Hornady doesn't even list that powder for that caliber..
My personal thought would be to slow it down for close ranges inside of 100 yds for proper expansion.....I will be testing this theory Confused

out over the next few weeks when I use my new 300WSM on Moose and Whitetail
Just curious...thoughts? reactions? Razz

If the above mentioned load of 77 gr. is for a 300 WSM with a 180 gr. bullet, well yes, that is a very hot load, and I would not by any means start out shooting that load without working up to it. Be Carefull.

tcknight

use enough gun wrote:

I shot 2 bucks and a doe today with the 300 WM using a Sierra 180 spbt gameking.

Uh....

Where do you hunt which allows three deer a day...and at last count six deer in four days

I would kind of like...to know. I'm thinking of relocating.

Vince

Hey TC...I have a mate who has shot up to 20 in one outing.

Where I live, deer are considered feral and vermin and as such there is no season, tagging or bag limit.

Terrible, ain't it. Very Happy

Cheers, Vince

tcknight

Vince wrote:

Hey TC...I have a mate who has shot up to 20 in one outing.

OH...how I hate you guys!! Smile