What Deer Cartridge This Year

[BAM-BAM]

Are u happy with that CZ? I've been eyeballing one in .223 with wood stock. I've heard and read nothing but good things. But I don't know anyone who actually owns one.

I have an American and a FS in .223/5.56.the 20" FS/mannlicher is my favorite... all are under the crosshairs out past 100yds., best groups have been around .9" using a 1-4x20 Leupold scope. Highly recommend it with its small Mauser Action.


My "deer rifle" has been a Ruger 77 International in .243 [100gr IIRC] since the 80s...last few times I've been out I've taken my Ruger American in .357 magnum [158gr soft points] as shots are short in "Penn's Woods" and I'm out for the experience not taking a buck.

 

[Drm50]

I no longer hunt deer but when I did for lots of years I used a Browning A5 with Brennecke Slugs or a model 94 in 30-30. All of our deer hunting was in the woods and thus close range.

I'm Buckeye and we were Slug only for years until recently. I also used Brn A5 & Brenneke slugs hunting at home. If it had notch for every deer, it wouldn't have any wood left on it. Tag filling shot my personal best 13 in one day. Also my closest shot, deer coming over top of me, about 18". Knocked me over and got up with blood on my face. Also best slug shot 130yds. I know guys that have made longer shots but I just run irons and don't hunt from stand. It's unusual for me to get a long shot. Most shot in thick cover, jump like rabbits and don't lose anytime leaving the area.

 

[lihpster]

In my family, everybody hunted. It's what you did, and it kept us fed. Everyone of us boys started out with a lever action. For my brother's it was my mom's old 94 in .32 Win. Spl. For me it was a 94 in 30/30. After you proved that you could safely hunt with a lever, then you were allowed to use a bolt gun. In our family the caliber was .270. My father was a big fan of Jack O'Connor's but the thing that brought my dad to the .270 was a mistake.

My uncle served in WWII as a combat infantryman with the Second Armored division. He carried a BAR. When he came back after the war, he decided to order a rifle for hunting. He knew what the .30-06 was capable of, so he ordered a Remington 721 in that caliber. When it came in, you guessed it, a .270. But things being like they were, deer season was coming before it could be exchanged, so he kept it. The rest is history.

I still own that 721. As well as the gun my father purchased, a Pre-64 Model 70. I have taken deer with both of them at ranges from 10-450 yards. put together, the number of deer those two rifles have accounted for is in the triple digits. All because of a mistake. We would have been well served had the family cartridge been the .30-06, but ain't it amazing how things work out?

 

[329]

Sighted in my A-Bolt .308 but the weather was nice so I spent opening morning in a tree and filled the tag with my first 8 point taken with a longbow.

 

[pharman]

I see you are from Ohio! Can't use any of these in Ohio!

I have four rifles to consider this year. I like the old cartridges. I have two Savage Model 99s. One in 250-3000 Savage and one in 300 Savage. I have a Winchester Model 70 pre-64 in 257 Roberts. Finally, I have a Remington Model 700 in 6.5X55mm Swedish Mauser. I'm leaning toward the 6.5X55 with the 257 Roberts as my second rifle. What will you be using?

I see you are from Ohio...you must be planning on hunting deer out of the state of Ohio, because ALL of the rifles you list are ILLEGAL for use in Ohio...ONLY straight walled cartridges are allowed in Ohio!

 

[Doug627]

I hunt in WV on family land.

 

[john17427]

I hunted opening day this year with a modern sporting rifle in 6.5 Grendel. I'll probably be rotating between that rifle, a Husqvarna in 8mm Mauser, and my Father in Law's first deer rifle, a sporterized Lithgow no1mk3. I'm hunting in a new place for the first time in 25 years and some relatively long shots (for Louisiana) are possible there so I don't know that the 45/60 WCF and 45/70 lever's will be coming out this year. My eyes are getting old for 50+ yard shots with open sights in low light.

 

[brendonjames65]

Just got him earlier this evening. Pre 64 Winchester M70 fwt 30-06, with 4X Bushnell Scope Chief and one Federal 150 grain soft point.

 

[SteveA]

Was planning on using either a .308 Ruger SFAR or a .308 Savage 99. Put one of my older 99s on the bench last Sunday in .300 Savage. It shot so well it's getting the nod on fair weather days. The SFAR is going if the weather gets nasty. Our season opens a week from tomorrow.

 

[dobegrant]

Didn't get drawn this year but would have been a Savage 99 in .243.

 

[Faulkner]

Didn't get drawn this year but would have been a Savage 99 in .243.

What does that mean "didn't get drawn"?

 

[lihpster]

What does that mean "didn't get drawn"?

In many western states, there are areas, or even the whole state, where you have to apply for a tag. They hold a drawing to determine who gets the tags. If you don't get drawn you don't get a tag.

 

[WCCPHD]

I use several guns, depending on the type of hunting and whether I'm on a stand or walking. The calibers are .308 and 300 Blk. In both I'm using Winchester Deer Season 150 grain bullets.

 

[Fishinfool]

This year (gun season starts this coming Saturday) will be a 6 inch S&W 629 Classic Hunter loaded with 240 grain XTP's at about 1300 fps. It is an effective load, with maybe 30 whitetails to it's credit. That particular S&W has about 7 or 8 to its credit. Used the same load in my 6 inch Anaconda last year to fill the freezer.

Already filled my doe tag during archery season, so big buck or nothing....

Larry

 

[375hh1973]

.257wby

6.5prc

7mm wsm

.44 mag

I like to mix it up with a different gun each time I go out

 

[6GUNSONLY]

I rotate rifles depending on my mood - modern, modern classic, old school, really old school.The new kid on the block this year is a modern - a Kimber 84M synthetic stock in 6.5 Creedmore with a 3.5-10x Leupold on it. Weighs 6.5 lbs. ready to go. Shooting 125 grain Nosler Partition handloads. Then next week I may be hunting with my Sharp's replica .40-65 or a Winchester 71 in .348.

 

[beagleye]

CZ 527 Carbine in 7.62 X 39 caliber for me, with Leupold compact 1 X 4 power scope. Deer Season starts this coming Saturday, 18 November here in Southwest Virginia. A recent outing with the rifle, zero check at 100 yards, ammo Russian "Brown Bear" Soft Point:



200 yards on a steel target, 4" spray painted circle:

527s are discontinued, correct? I feel like a total idgit for selling mine, it was .223, which also a decent deer round.

 

[gemihur]

I'm lovin' it's portability

If you don't feel it lives up to it's reputation,
just neck it to .264" and call it Creedmoor

 

[S&W ucla]

For the past several years it's been .44 and 6.5. S&W 69 if they are close and Rem M7 in 6.5/308 ackley if further. (correctly chambered, you can safely shoot .260 Remington which fireforms to Ackley case) You can see rifle bbl on right of pic.

 

[duman444]

308 and 300 BO

Use the 308 with handloaded 168 gr ballistic tips. The 300 BO with 125 grain Ballistic tips.

Now have a Bolt action 308 instead of the AR in picture. A lot lighter and the threaded barrel allows me to shoot with no hearing protection as the Suppressor outside the blind drops the noise level below 22 LR.

Still use an AR pattern on the 300 BO as it is not nearly as heavy as the 308 AR.

Picture from 5 years ago, have not dropped anything this year as yet.