Favorite Deer Calibre/bullet?

This year I'm using a 35 Whelen w/250 gr Speers and a 257 Roberts w/100 gr Hornadys.

I traded the scope off my .308 Carbine, so it's outa action this year. I use 180 gr Hornadys in that one.



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shot 139 Hornady sp out of my 7mm-08 this year, but now I'm looking for something better. 140 lb. spike slightly quartering away at 175 yrds. Bullet encountered no bone, and completly destroyed everything forward of the diaphram, and stopped against the skin on the off side.
DSCF0026.jpg

Deer went 50 yards into the woodline and piled up. My beef is the complete lack of any blood. No exit to contribute to a blood trail. I've going to give the 140 TSX a try.
 
I've always been happy with a 165gr Hornady SP out of my Belgium Browning 30-06, though I wouldn't mind using my 35 Whelen moose rifle (also Belgium made Browning) 250gr Hornady RN works well but 225 TBBC gives better range.
 
For the average ranges & conditions on Vancouver Island, 7x57 with 130gr BT Spitz-SP handloads. For the more open country conditions, .30-06 with 180gr Norma SPSPBT handloads.
 
I shoot (mostly)[ handloaded to 3000'/sec ] 139 grain SP(flat base) Hornadys out of my .280 Remington M/700.... deadly from 30 yds. out past 400
 
Nosler partition 140 gns in 6.5 x 55 swede! Edited thanks to Duke1 This is my general all around round which is too much in close up woods. I really like the 4 inch spread from 140 yds to 240 yards when zeroed at 200 yards. That is minute of deer.
I have taken large for the UK Fallow out to 300 yards with this round and smaller roe out at about 200 yards with the same. I load Sierra Gamekings .311 125 gn bullet in both .303 and 762 x 39. I now need to bag a deer with the little cartridge which will then be my woodland round. Even in .303 it is a good little bullet on large deer when close up, as last Saturday proved!
 
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7x57 with 140 Nosler BT's @2950 fps;
300 H + H - Factory remington 180 coreloc's or Hornady 180 interlocks;
.35 Whelen 250 grain cast @ 2100.
.300 Savage 150 Rem coreloc's or Hornady 165 interlocks.

44Bore
 
44Bore said:
7x57 with 140 Nosler BT's @2950 fps;
300 H + H - Factory remington 180 coreloc's or Hornady 180 interlocks;
.35 Whelen 250 grain cast @ 2100.
.300 Savage 150 Rem coreloc's or Hornady 165 interlocks.

44Bore
Click to expand...

This is interesting.

Do you mean that you use these for the same hunting conditions or that your choice might depend on the terrain, etc.

This is a very interesting thread that shows that hunting deer can be done with a variety of calibres. I believe that if more than one calibre is listed, it might be more informative if the reasons are also included for the different choices. For example, short range, wooded area, etc.

Thanks,

Duke1
 
Federal 150 gr Powershok -- 300 Savage

This Monday morning I shot a small buck just behind the shoulder.
He fell over and never got up.

My first deer with my 760 Remington pump (in 300 Savage).

Why do I use Federal Powershok?
I find they feed really well in my magazines and never jam.
Other brands and bullets snag once in a while.
 
The past two years I have watched the hay field at home and have had longer shots than I've ever taken on deer.
First year I used 145gr Grand Slams in my 7x57. Worked great on my Elk and Whitetail.
This year I opted to try the Hornady Interbond, 154gr in the same rifle. My groups closed up alot ( that ones for you Doug! lol) and they shoot very flat and still have great weight retention. The deer was 250 yards this year, not sure how the close range work would look like.
I am a firm believer in one rifle, one load so what works in the field will work in the brush, for me. Let the pics do the talking:
EricksonWhitetail016.jpg

EricksonWhitetail015.jpg


For the biggest of deer, being Moose, I have fallen head over heels in love with the 9,3 caliber and found the 270 Speer to work okay at 150yards. Hope to try some other projectiles with this one.

Noel
 
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duke1 said:
This is interesting.

Do you mean that you use these for the same hunting conditions or that your choice might depend on the terrain, etc.

This is a very interesting thread that shows that hunting deer can be done with a variety of calibres. I believe that if more than one calibre is listed, it might be more informative if the reasons are also included for the different choices. For example, short range, wooded area, etc.

Thanks,

Duke1
Click to expand...

Hi Duke1,

I use all of them in essentially the same hunting conditions--West central Sask and sometimes the South Sask river breaks near Leader, Sask. We hunt a lot of poplar bluffs and coulees for mule deer and white tail deer. I will use the 7 x 57 or the .300 if I have trophy tags and the other two for non-trophy tags. The .300 H + H took a nice mature cow elk last week and I usually carry the .35 whelen with 250 grain Hornady bullets for moose in the bush.

This thread is interesting and certainly shows that it is not what you use but how you use it that counts.

44Bore
 
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