Favorite Light Deer Caliber

[Dan360]

What are your favorite light-caliber options for deer? I guess I'd consider as anything less than or equal to 6.5 (.264) caliber as light (non-magnum that is).

I'm asking because I'm debating on which light caliber to buy. I'm looking at 243 Winchester, 6mm Remington (Iffy because of lack of available rifles), 257 Roberts, 25-06 Remington and 6.5x55 Swede. I intend to use the rifle on nothing bigger than deer. The 25-06 is stretching it because I'm not sure what benefit it would be to have it since I have a 270.

[24 on/ 48 off]

I have owned both the .243 and the .257 Roberts.

The .257 is an excellent shooter, and many a deer have succumbed to its flat-shooting characteristics.

[buglingobblers]

i have been shooting deer with a Savage .243 for quite a few years. i have never had to do any long range shooting but this caliber is very capable of doing it. the .243 would be a very good choice imho.

[huntinfool]

If you want ONE rifle for Deer and want the most for your money, I'd go Kimber Montana in .260 (I personally would either go 7/08 or 243)

[baltz526]

i have killed more deer with a 22-250 than a 243. i have killed more deer with a 243 than a 6.5x55. but i'll throw in the 30-30 as a light caliber and the 300 savage. my favorite is the 300 savage 22-250 243 6.5x55 308 7mm rem mag 300 win mag

[bignate]

Another vote for the .243

If you load your own you can go as small as a 55g and as large as a 110g.



nate

[Charlie Storey]

6.55 x 55 or .257 in that order. Nothing else comes close.

[leadeyedbugger]

My Wife shoots a .243 for deer. She has used exactly 6 shots in 6 years of hunting with 6 deer in the freezer. Shots ranged from 30-250 yds. I have shot 2 deer with her gun and must say it shoots great. Its a stevens.
Personally i have a thing for .257 Roberts. It stems from when i was a kid shooting rock chucks with my grandfather using his 257. If i was going to buy a deer rifle thats what i would buy. But they will all do the job just fine.

[tenmile]

Just go buy the 300 win mag. It is a great all-around gun. You won't regret it.

[scottishsetter]

The 2009 Rem. CDL Spec. Edit.Limited stainless Fluted is 257 Roberts.
I still like the Rem model 7 Predator in 243 best.

[SXS]

Originally Posted by Charlie Storey

6.55 x 55 or .257 in that order. Nothing else comes close.

I like Charley's choices and I have both. I DO believe a lot of others come close and it is fun splitting hairs discussing the merits of one over the other. Since they are all so close, in practical terms, why not pick the ones that have some history and class? 6.5X55, 257 Roberts, and I would throw in 7X57. Just an old guys

[dubl_t]

If I didn't reload I'd go with a .243. But since I do my favorite is the 6.5x55 since:
A, the 140gr bullet probably has the best ballistic coefficient out there.
B, bullets available from 85gr to 160gr.
C, I've got one in an Oregon made Kimber

My next light cal. rifle is gonna be the .257 Roberts, and have it "Ackley Improved".

[fishgetter]

Originally Posted by tenmile

Just go buy the 300 win mag. It is a great all-around gun. You won't regret it.

I agree, the best gun to carry for all types of critters is the 300 win mag!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my light round, the .338 is for bigger animals lol

[James in Idaho]

I've got 4 boxes of .257 Roberts and dies, guess I need to buy a rifle to fit! Life long want, the first rifle I hunted with was a borrowed .257 Roberts. I want to get either a Mauser 96 or Yugo 98 and build one. Oh yeah, my daughter's rifle is the old 7x57, that's another really sweet round. (slightly better on paper than the 7-08) I don't personally really consider anything under .25 to be a big game round, even though I know millions of deer have been killed with .243's.

[jacobp]

We killed a lot of deer with a remington 700 - .243. They are definitely a great small caliber deer killer. My little sister still uses it.

[death roe]

.243

[Hunt'nFish]

My blacktail treestand rifle is .243win Browning A-Bolt.
Hunt'nFish

[MarlinMark]

7mm-08. Remington 700.

[raptorschild]

25.06 is my choice. I owned a .243 before it, and I would never go back. 25 is flatter shooting, and bucks wind better. Best of both worlds.

The question is.....why not stick to the .270? That's one of the best deer calibers out there.

[wanafish]

My vote is .250 Savage. Alot of one shot kills on Mulies and Blacktail to back it up.

[weirdbeard]

My 257 Roberts has 20+ blacktail kills a two antelope (one miracal shot 550 yds) would not use it on elk

[Dan360]

So many choices! I'm kicking this around because I saw a Ruger M77 Hawkeye in 257 Roberts the other day, and it looked like a sweet piece. Kinda got me interested in it. The only trick is to pick something that is chambered in factory rifles.

[mfish]

243 win.

[fishermast]

30-30 is still my favoraite deer caliber. It gets the job done and with Hornadys new lever evolution rounds they have extended the range of the round. By the way its still a very fun gun to shoot.

[DakotaTheKiller]

I had a Remington 700 in .243, it shot half inch groups at 150, and just slaughtered the deer. I used a Corelok bullet and all my shots on deer were within 150. I then moved up to a 300 Savage. That's an excellent gun for deer, bear, and even elk. Not exactly a "light" caliber. I own a Remington 788 in 6mm and it puts the smack down on coyotes. My dad and I have both shot coyotes out to 450 yards, and it still just lays them out. I shot a coyote at about 650 with a Winchester Coyote in .243 and it was a gut shot, but as it ran away, the guts started falling out. My brother shoots a Wetherby in 243, and he's upgrading to a 257 roberts this year. All great guns. You have my vote for the .243, 257 roberts, 6mm, and 25-06(just because it's such a cool cartridge.)

[Scoots]

6.5X55, 257 Roberts, and 7X57. All classic calibers! Another old guy's

[HuntnCoug]

I am from Eastern Montana, over there the majority of deer are killed with a 22-250. Last time I hunted there I was using a .270 and they all made fun of me. I have another landowner permit this year and I am bringing my 300 RUM, cant wait to see what they say about that.

[Trick]

Thats easy.......243. Picked one up for my oldest boy a few years ago and moved him into a 7mm-08 and handed that rifle to my next boy.

At the range on bags I can touch bullet holes with that rifle.....I love it.

[Trick]

Originally Posted by kmk1012

Just looking for a couple river rats who know their way around the willamette or columbia-I have a capable boat that can take six comfortably. We have one legelly designated driver, and we looking for sturgieon fishing or any thing that bites our hooks in the winter?. (503)269-8471 for the info.

How did this post get on this thread?

[Dan360]

I have no clue. Almost as good as when I found a french fry in the waist band of my pants. I have developed my midsection enough to where no french fries can fit in those regions.

[Trick]

Originally Posted by Dan360

I have no clue. Almost as good as when I found a french fry in the waist band of my pants. I have developed my midsection enough to where no french fries can fit in those regions.

Now that was funny!

[mtn300]

I use my 300 ultra mag for everything

[coyote killer]

A .30-378 weatherby mag in an accumark

[Crayfin]

Now everyone has me jones'n for a new caliber! Always wanted a 6.5x55....i have a .260 and a 7-08..both are great calibers for deer and have served me well.......260 is a little hard to find ammo for but I do like that light little sucker! Both are in 700's like most everything else I have.....except for my #1 in 25-06 which is another fine weapon!

[HuntnCoug]

All these exotic calibers are cool, if you are a gun collecter. But for the average hunter there is no reason to buy anything but a .270 or a 30.06 or a .300. These crazy calibers these people are mentioning are all effective but also very hard to find and very expensive. A 270 or a 30 06 are cheap to shoot and extremely effective in killing both deer and elk, are cheap to shoot and dont kick.

[HuntnCoug]

Originally Posted by fishermast

30-30 is still my favoraite deer caliber. It gets the job done and with Hornadys new lever evolution rounds they have extended the range of the round. By the way its still a very fun gun to shoot.

A 30 30 is definately a classic deer killer but it has also been improved on many times in its 100 year history. Why shoot a 30 30 when you can shoot a 270 that is cheaper to shoot, flatter, with more power and velocity?

[Hard Cast]

I love this subject. I know we have discussed this many times but it is still fun to re-hash it over again.

I personally believe that many of us go at this issue a little backwards. We start with "what caliber should I get" rather than "what bullet size/weight should I use" for the specific work that I am trying to perform. My personal opinion is that thick skinned/large boned animal = large bullets. These animals have evolved to be less skittish and relatively easy to get close to so it is not necessary to get a fast shooting rifle - nothing wrong getting one, just not necessary. I think those of you who have bow hunted for many years will attest to this fact. The truth of the matter is that a 45-70 is probably a better elk gun than a .338. Now I still want a .338 but i would say that 99% of elk will be shot at less than 100 yards for me anyway so again not necessary.

Thin skinned/small boned animals = small flat shooting bullets. These animals (deer, antelope, sheep, goats, etc) have learned to be vary wary and are generally longer range animals that are very easy to kill (I mean they die easily when shot in the boiler room).

So, taking that into consideration, I think 100 to 115 grain bullets are best for the small game. They are plenty heavy for small game and yet they fly very fast/flat. The 25-06 is king for the 100 grain bullet so that is the first choice for me. The 7mm-08 is a good caliber but I will probably never buy one because it is one of those calibers that fits right in the middle of very efficient calibers (too big a bullet for small game and too small for large game). The other popular 100 grain bullet guns (.243, 257 Robers, .260, 6mm) would definitely do the job, they are just not as "high performance" as the 25.06.

One last comment, I really don't understand the "best all around caliber" thing. Shooting an all around caliber rifle is like riding an all around motor cycle - a dual sport. It can be ridden on the street and in the dirt but it doesn't do either very well. If someone only wants to own 1 rifle then by all means buy an all around gun. My choice in Oregon would be 1. .270, 2. 7mm, 3. 30.06. BUT, who wants to own only one gun??? Not me. This is why I sold both of my 30-06's this past year. 25-06 will shoot a small bullet flatter than any of these for the small game and a 30 cal mag will shoot a large bullet flatter than any any of these for large game, so if I owned any of these they would never come out of the safe for hunting anyway. I suppose that if someone wants to give me a 270 I would have fun shooting it at the range. OK, I can handle the flames, bring it on By the way, I am not trying to justify the calibers I own. I don't own a 25-06 or a 30 cal magnum, (yet).

[HuntnCoug]

Why buy a 25-06 when you can get a 270. Better Ballistics and cheaper ammo?

[Hard Cast]

Originally Posted by HuntnCoug

Why buy a 25-06 when you can get a 270. Better Ballistics and cheaper ammo?

Hi Huntncoug. A 25-06 shoots a 100 grain bullet at about 3200 ft/sec. A 270 shoots a 130 grain bullet about 3000 ft/sec. And, 25 cal bullets are slightly cheaper than 27 cal bullets. Personally I don't care about a couple of extra penny's per round if it was a better performer, I'd pay it anyway but I am just pointing out that it is a little cheaper to hand load for the 25-06.

I have nothing against a 270. That is the caliber that I recommended for one of my sons. BUT, that is because he wants ONE gun that will "do it all." If he wanted 2 guns, I'd recommend a 25 cal and a .338 (or a 30 cal magnum for the recoil challenged). A 300 Win Mag will shoot a 180 grain bullet at 3100 ft/sec. or a 150 gr bullet at 3200 ft/sec. So, if it were all just about terminal ballistics, the 300 win mag is ballistically superior to every caliber under it. But, it is overkill for deer, right? So where do we draw the line for "overkill' (too large a bullet). I draw my line at 25 cal because they will shoot a small bullet at or better than the speed of a 300 magnum rifle. This is just an opinion (which I may change with more knowledge) but I don't see a good reason to deer hunt with a bullet larger than a well constructed fast 25 cal bullet IF you have a dedicated deer (or small game) rifle.

[coyote killer]

well I think I would rather have over kill than under kill. Even if you make a bad shot on a deer if you have a 300 win mag the chances of you still recovering your animal are still good. That being said it is also important to know the firearm that you are going to use. know its limitations and your own, and you will be fine. There is really no wrong answer....... as long as the rifle is a weatherby accumark. LOL!

[PIR8 Hook]

Originally Posted by MarlinMark

7mm-08. Remington 700.

[WSU]

Originally Posted by critrgitr

Hi Huntncoug. A 25-06 shoots a 100 grain bullet at about 3200 ft/sec. A 270 shoots a 130 grain bullet about 3000 ft/sec. And, 25 cal bullets are slightly cheaper than 27 cal bullets. Personally I don't care about a couple of extra penny's per round if it was a better performer, I'd pay it anyway but I am just pointing out that it is a little cheaper to hand load for the 25-06.

I have nothing against a 270. That is the caliber that I recommended for one of my sons. BUT, that is because he wants ONE gun that will "do it all." If he wanted 2 guns, I'd recommend a 25 cal and a .338 (or a 30 cal magnum for the recoil challenged). A 300 Win Mag will shoot a 180 grain bullet at 3100 ft/sec. or a 150 gr bullet at 3200 ft/sec. So, if it were all just about terminal ballistics, the 300 win mag is ballistically superior to every caliber under it. But, it is overkill for deer, right? So where do we draw the line for "overkill' (too large a bullet). I draw my line at 25 cal because they will shoot a small bullet at or better than the speed of a 300 magnum rifle. This is just an opinion (which I may change with more knowledge) but I don't see a good reason to deer hunt with a bullet larger than a well constructed fast 25 cal bullet IF you have a dedicated deer (or small game) rifle.

I think you are in a very distinct minority that thinks a .270 is over-kill for deer.

[beardbuster]

I really like the light calibers

243



22-250



6mm

[2dognite]

I am really surprised that nobody has mentioned 25 wssm. I love my rifle. I am able to shoot 3/4" groups off of bags at 100 yards with factory ammo. I does a great job on deer. I have not been able to see what it will do on elk though.

[Hard Cast]

Originally Posted by WSU

I think you are in a very distinct minority that thinks a .270 is over-kill for deer.

I agree with you 125%! I know that I am in a very small minority of thinking when it comes to purchasing calilbers for specific work. I have owned an used a 30.06 since I was about 20 y.o. and have killed deer and elk with it. However, as I approach 50 y.o., and have gotten into reloading and started studying ballistics, I realized that I was buying guns based on tradition and emotion. Most folks buy guns based on "what is a popular caliber" rather than what is the best combination of bullet weight, construction, and speed. If folks start going down the road of any one of these single factors without considering them all, you must end up with the conclusion that a .416 Rigby (or similar) is the ultimate caliber for every animal. Someone said above, "I would rather have overkill", fine then you just went down the road to "bigger is always better" so you should really get the largest, heaviest recoiling gun that you can handle and use it for everything from coyotes to brown bear.

There actually is a good combination of the above factors for each size and type of animal hunted. Now of course there are lots of personal preferences and opinions about each of these factors. That is makes these debates so fun . Any caliber larger than a 25 will obviously do a fine job of dispatching small game. But the question is; since everything above a 25 caliber does not shoot as flat, is more expensive to shoot, and heavier recoiling, is it really necessary? The answer for me personally is "no." Now most folks like to shoot deer with relatively large bullets (than 25 cal) and there is nothing wrong with it of course. Many elk have been killed with 25-06, 243, 6mm, etc, surely these caliber are capable of dispatching small game.

[Dan360]

Originally Posted by HuntnCoug

A 30 30 is definately a classic deer killer but it has also been improved on many times in its 100 year history. Why shoot a 30 30 when you can shoot a 270 that is cheaper to shoot, flatter, with more power and velocity?

I think people like to have something that fits a niche. Shooting a 270 at 50 yards on 150 pound deer is kind of like using 20 lb test on bluegills. Plus, some classic cartridges are just plain cool. I like to use no more than is necessary. I like efficient things. I like to be excited about what I'm shooting. I also think it takes a certain degree of skill to cleanly take game with a lighter caliber. Its something to take pride in. I find that, IN GENERAL, hunters who use lighter calibers are better stalkers and make more of an effort to get within the effective range of their cartridge. I like that.

I still own a 270 and a 30-06. I use them in situations where I find them appropriate. I would even say that the 270 is a light elk caliber. Just like a 257 Roberts is a light deer caliber.