Tried and True: The Old Favorites

If you were to ask 25 deer hunters to name the best caliber rifle for whitetail deer, chances are that you’d get close to 10 or 15 different answers. Much depends on the particular hunting conditions where the hunter will be shooting. Are you looking for long-range shots in open country? Or do you need a short-range gun for close hunting in heavy vegetation? Do you want a gun just for whitetails, or do you need one that is also capable of bringing down larger game? Are you looking for a rifle for which you can find a wide selection of ammo at your local Walmart? All of these elements must be considered when you’re trying to decide which caliber deer rifle is best for you and your situation.

Below are short descriptions of the most popular deer rifles:

Although it’s very popular with young hunters and with female hunters, the .243 sometimes gets a bad rap. A few hunters report that it doesn’t have enough stopping power and complain of wounded deer running off after being hit, along with causing blood-shot meat. The problem is most likely not in the rifle – it’s in the bullet. A lot of .243 shooters use an 80-grain bullet because it’s faster, but for deer, it needs a heavier bullet – one with at least 100 grains. This is a great gun for clear, long-range shots. It doesn’t have much of a kick, and it offers a flat trajectory. This is a popular rifle for smaller hunters because the recoil is only 8.4 foot pounds.

The .30-06 is another fine rifle for deer. It’s typically fast and light, along with being extremely accurate. It has a flat arc, even at 300 yards. With this rifle, you have a large choice of bullet weights and loads from which to choose, and ammo is easy to find. One complaint with the .30-06 is that it hits pretty hard at ranges under 100 yards. It also has a fairly hefty kick at 20 foot pounds.

Many deer hunters like a 7mm, but they’re really more suited to larger game. They’re also suited to larger hunters because of their kick – 24.3 foot pounds. They have amazing knock-down power and make huge entrance and exit holes in whitetails, along with a very loud shot. If you want one rifle for several types of big game, however, the 7mm would suffice.

The .308 is a good long-range rifle. It has an excellent performance history for shots over 200 yards. It has plenty of knock-down power for whitetails and is sometimes used for larger game like black bears. Many hunters feel that the .308 has a little more accuracy than the .30-06, even though the two rifles are comparable. The .308 has a recoil of 14.8 foot pounds, so it doesn’t kick as hard as the .30-06. In addition, you can find plenty of cheap military surplus ammo for practice shots. About the only disadvantage reported by hunters is that the .308 doesn’t typically handle heavier loads as well as the .30-06.

The 7mm-08 is gaining popularity as a deer rifle. It’s actually a.308 that has been necked down to accept a 7mm bullet. This is a very versatile rifle for deer. It’s fast, accurate, and it has a flat trajectory that’s capable of long-range shots, but it’s also good at close range. In addition, the recoil is usually mild. It’s a little faster and has a slightly flatter arc than the .308, but factory loads are often hard to find.

The .300 is a good rifle for short to medium-range shots and is a good all-around big game rifle, especially for larger animals like moose, elk, and bear. One problem with this rifle is that it can mess up a lot of meat on a whitetail, and the trajectory drops about 12 inches at 300 yards. This is not the best rifle for small hunters, as it has a bad kick – 27.2 foot pounds.

The .270 is a long-range deer rifle that has a reputation for accuracy. It has a moderate recoil, at 15.7 foot pounds. This is a very versatile rifle that can be shot by just about everyone. You can most likely get a good deal on used .270 because in many areas of the US, they’re not as popular as a .308 or .30-06. Also, the cartridges are relatively inexpensive and easy to find.

There have probably been more deer taken with the .30-30 than with any rifle. If you hunt in heavy brush, the .30-30 is a good rifle for deer at close range, especially for shots under 100 yards. It can blast through vegetation like nobody’s business, and the recoil, at 11.4 foot pounds, is fairly mild compared to many other deer rifles. Ammunition for the .30-30 is readily available just about anywhere, and these rifles are some of the least expensive on the market.

Read more about hunting by clicking the article links below the hunting products: