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Hunting Rifles

Guest Kelly Football

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tvc184

tvc184

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Hunting Rifles

What gun and caliber do you shoot and what do you recommend?

For whitetail deer?

I would go with at least a .243 (although a .223 would work with the right setup). It also depends on the maximum range that you intend to shoot. The .243 can reach out and kill east Texas whitetails with no problem.

A .270 is probably the most popular (or maybe the 30-30). It has a mix of a fairly heavy bullet' date=' good speed and is hard hitting downrange. You could probably push it out to 400 yards fairly easily and still get a good kill. If you are hunting an area and never intend to shoot more than 75-100 yards, you could even use a 30-30. It hits plenty hard within its range and its main limitation is the bullet drop downrange. In this same class of cartridges are things like the .260, .280 and 25-06. They are all excellent rounds. The main difference in them is the availability of ammo locally.

Then there is the 30-06 or .308. The .308 seems to have a fairly strong following and is a good round. The 30-06 was probably the most popular round for many years but since the military shortened it into the .308, it is not so popular but still has a strong following. One of the main attractions of the 30-06 is the wide range of guns and bullets available. You can get it from a 110 grain bullet to a massive 220 grain. You can use the 30-06 for everything from varmit hunting ground hogs at 400 yards to hunting elk at the same range in Colorado.

Then you could get into the really heavy and powerful rounds. Those are okay in case a water buffalo or grizzly bear happens to get lost in east Texas. You can go the .300 mag or the .338 mag. Heck, why not go up to the .458 Winchester. Probably in this class is the 7mm mag. It is a very hard hitting round but most people claim that it does not kick like some of the other magnum rounds. These rounds are certainly not required for a clean one shot kill over a Texas whitetail, especially in east Texas. These rounds are fairly ridiculous when it comes to killing whitetails. They are expensive, kick like a mule and kill no faster. If you want to tell everyone how big of a gun that you have and how big of a stud you are for shooting one, by all means go for it. You may one day get a chance to hunt moose in Montana and if you do, you already have your gun.

[b']For a new hunter buying a rifle for whitetail, I would stick with the .243, 30-30, or the .270. Those are good solid rounds and the .243 and .270 will take whitetails at almost any range in east Texas. The 30-30 is equal to the task but the bullet drops fairly dramatically after about 100 yards, making long range shots very difficult. These rounds do not kick nearly as much as some of the heavier rounds. Most small children can handle a .243 with little problem. The best point about these rounds is that you can buy the ammo anywhere. No need to mail order, handload or go to gun shops for high priced rounds that only they carry. You can probably walk into a mom and pop store in the country and buy rounds for them, including the 30-06. They are just that popular and that should tell you a lot.

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Zoneblock

Zoneblock

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22-250 is a great gun what it lacks in power in makes up for in speed. This is a real smooth shooting gun that has no recoil. Very little meat damaged on kills however i wouldnt attempt to kill dear with it past 200 yds because of the bullet weight.

The 308 is another good gun same knock down power as the 30-06 but not near the bite when the trigger is pulled.

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tvc184

tvc184

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.223 is a very good deer rifle and is great for the youth it has no recoil and is very very accurate with the right set up. I have a nikon on my rifle and can cover 3 shots with a dime' date=' not bragging just a good set up[/quote']

Nothing wrong with a .223 with the right round in it. I think it can do a lot more than many people give it credit for. It is all shot placement and if you can make a heart and/or lung shot, the .223 will drop them in their tracks.

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wtmoody8

wtmoody8

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I've got a browning .270 bolt action that has never given me a problem in 8 years. Simmons 44 mag scope. Since i got the gun I have not touched the scope since the initial sight in and every year when i pull it out its right on. 135 grain winchester super X bullet gets the job done great. I'm not one to spend 30 bucks for a box of bullets. The gun has been used in Southwest, East Texas and Mississippi and worked great everywhere.

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wshs87

wshs87

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Well I have hunted with 6mm, 243, 270, 280, 30-06, 308, 7mm mag, and a 300 win mag. I now hunt exclusively with the 300 win mag. I know that it will take down a 200 lb whitetail deer, which is common where I hunt in Sabine County, or a 500 lb Russian boar with absolutely no problem. Every caliber I have hunted with is an excellent East Texas rifle and would not hesitate to use any of them today. I just prefer the 300 win mag. It is a Ruger M77 and is fairly heavy which helps to tame the recoil. I use Federal 180 gr. Nosler Partition ammo. Yes, it is a large caliber rifle, but, it is far from a "ridiculous" choice.

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tvc184

tvc184

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Well I have hunted with 6mm' date=' 243, 270, 280, 30-06, 308, 7mm mag, and a 300 win mag. I now hunt exclusively with the 300 win mag. I know that it will take down a 200 lb whitetail deer, which is common where I hunt in Sabine County, or a 500 lb Russian boar with absolutely no problem. Every caliber I have hunted with is an excellent East Texas rifle and would not hesitate to use any of them today. I just prefer the 300 win mag. It is a Ruger M77 and is fairly heavy which helps to tame the recoil. I use Federal 180 gr. Nosler Partition ammo.[b'] Yes, it is a large caliber rifle, but, it is far from a "ridiculous" choice.

As you mentioned, you have used the .243, .270 and the 6mm and all are effective in killing of whitetails. I was only referring to it being ridiculous as a requirement for a quick clean kill of a whitetail (which is all I was talking about).

Not on this forum but I have heard quite a few people claim that if you aren't hunting a 300 win mag (or similar high powered round), then you are not using an effective whitetail firearm. In my opinion, that is a ridiculous statement. I have had friends tell me that they use a 300 wm because "I don't want to have the deer run off". Well I have only killed deer with a .270 and have never had to track any of them. A couple of friends/acquaintances almost seem to relish in the fact that they are using a real man's gun and I am using a lowly .270.

There is nothing wrong with the 300 win mag or any other high powered round other than cost and kick but to each his own. It is just not nearly a requirement for a quick clean kill of a whitetail.

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wshs87

wshs87

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As you mentioned, you have used the .243, .270 and the 6mm and all are effective in killing of whitetails. I was only referring to it being ridiculous as a requirement for a quick clean kill of a whitetail (which is all I was talking about).

Not on this forum but I have heard quite a few people claim that if you aren't hunting a 300 win mag (or similar high powered round), then you are not using an effective whitetail firearm. In my opinion, that is a ridiculous statement. I have had friends tell me that they use a 300 wm because "I don't want to have the deer run off". Well I have only killed deer with a .270 and have never had to track any of them. A couple of friends/acquaintances almost seem to relish in the fact that they are using a real man's gun and I am using a lowly .270.

There is nothing wrong with the 300 win mag or any other high powered round other than cost and kick but to each his own. It is just not nearly a requirement for a quick clean kill of a whitetail.

I will agree with that statement. I think if I didn't have my .300 wm I would probably be using the 243. It is extremely effective in East Texas for whitetail. I use the 300 due to all the huge hogs we have on my lease but you would be hard pressed to find a better whitetail round than the 243.

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gringo

gringo

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I just got my youngest son (12 yr. old) set up with a 7mm 08. It is a really nice shooting gun. I will get back when it is put to use in the stand.

Excellent choice for a youth gun. Has a little more kick than a 243 but leaves a much bigger hole. Kids (and adults) get excited and and perfect shot placement doesn't always happen. I started my son with a 243 then went to the 7mm08 with much better results.

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gringo

gringo

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I have hunted all over south Texas for many years (Webb, Duvall, Zapata, Frio, and Maverick counties) and the three most common calibers down there are .270 win, 7 mm mag, and 300 win mag. They all work great on big deer in open country. This is not on any official list, just my observation over the past 15 years.

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big_buck_hunter

big_buck_hunter

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I still use my remington 30.06. I have killed every deer I have HIT with it. I ain't gonna tell you I have hit every time I pulled the trigger. It is not a good brush gun, but very deadly at any range from 75 yards to 250 yards. personally my longest shot has only been about 125 yards.

My Daddy gave me the gun about 20 years ago. He had purchased it at a pawn shop in La. He gave it to me as a bithday gift. Ironically, that would be today. :lol::D:lol: It was in a hard gun case. Complete with leather sling and weaver scope. I still store it in the case during the off season. I use remington core loct 150 grain.

I used to use a 6MM. Don't see many of those today.

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  • 2 weeks later...
BH96

BH96

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I use a remington model 30-06. And I hate it. It kicks harder then any gun I have ever used including a 7 mag. I have went thru 3 scopes on it. I dont know if the way the gun kicks is what is causing the scopes to go bad or not. But I am 6'4 and weight 280 so I aint no little fella. I would be willing to trade it for a .270 if some one is willing.

I also have several other guns that were handed down to me.

25-20 lever action; 35 rem pump, 22 hornet I love these and still use them to this day even though the 25-20 is probablly close to 100 years old if not over.

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tvc184

tvc184

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I wouldnt get a NE Arms or a Rossi single shot. However they are fairly good guns but any shots over 60 yds the bullets get wild. Got one for my son and you can not get the thing to make groups at 100 yds. 50 yds its dead on.

Have you changed bullet weights?

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tommyjean

tommyjean

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my family and i stick to a .270, 30-06, 7mm or 30-30 for the woods but i cant complain thy're all high class guns and the shells are available locally and r good for east texas where i hunt but if ur going long rand id go sith a 25-06 or a 7mm-08 theyre clean shootin guns and pretty accurate if u have the right model

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  • 4 years later...
Texasminuteman

Texasminuteman

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Ive used a semi auto Remington 30-06 for years,I have had to replace the scope several times,and have lost several deer ive wounded or missed due to the inaccuracy of the gun.Last year I bought a Mossberg bolt action and put a Bushnell Bushmaster scope on it,I use Remington Coreloc 30-06 150 grain ammo,Im 8 for 8 on the deer, one shot I hit a doe in the eye at 230 yards,This set up is one i will not change for a while.in an additional note: FACT(from North American Hunter Magazine) the 30-30 has killed more deer than any other caliber.
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