Island Deer, what gun & caliber?

Island blacktails are my main quarry. To date, I've taken them with the following:

Parker-Hale 1200C, 270 Win, 130gr PSP (1), 140gr TSX factory load (1) (before I started reloading), and 2 with the 110gr TTSX. After using the TSX/TTSX I decided to stick with them. Excellent DRT performance. The 130 PSP kill was not DRT (walked about 30 yards and collapsed) but the bullet came apart and there was meat loss (it was a short range kill). Turned me off using them.

Savage 340, 30-30, with brass trimmed extra short and loaded with the little bitty 110 gr TTSX. 2 with this combo, both DRT.

Husqvarna 640 in 9.3x62, 250gr TTSX. 1 so far. Overkill to be sure, but no meat loss (through the ribs). DRT.
 
Head shooting aside...it's about shooting Island Deer with what calibre rifle?

R.

i used a 7x64, 8x57jrs, 7x65r, 300 wea mag, and 9.3x62 for roe deer and even the 270 win one. if you look up a roe deer and a blacktail tell me the differences in anatomy that wont qualify me for the discussion ...

you can create your own thread and talk alone there if you prefer not to be selective on people in, just for the remember it is still open to all members to chat here if you do not like me too bad ...
 
Back to the OP's original question: Island blacktail what gun and caliber?
Winchester M70 in 7-08. Buy one in stainless or blued what ever tickles your fancy.
Funny how some of you guys always seem to hijack a thread and turn it into your own little b###h slapping party
 
Rem M7 in 7-08 or 308 with a 2-7 Leupold scope would be HARD to beat ! jmo RJ
I have a Browning Micro Medallion chambered in 284win. It's a nice compact rifle with a 20" barrel, Brownings version of the M7. I got a Leupold 2-7 scope mounted on it. It's a nice rifle for the Island. It's a snappy little bugger though. :)
 
Island blacktails are my main quarry. Anything bigger than a .243, stainless\synthetic, and short. I used a Sako Finnlight in 30-06 for many years, and a couple years ago switched to a Kimber Adirondack in .308. The deer are not huge, but the mature ones aren't tiny either. 2 seasons ago I packed out my largest to date, and the weight of just the meat was 98 lbs.
 
Back to the OP's original question: Island blacktail what gun and caliber?
Winchester M70 in 7-08. Buy one in stainless or blued what ever tickles your fancy.
Funny how some of you guys always seem to hijack a thread and turn it into your own little b###h slapping party

agreed, it's always frustrating when a good conversation where learning can be had is hijacked by ego
 
You didn't want to take it... but you did... a ridiculously marginal shot... whether or not it worked out for you is not the point... it was not likely a life or death situation for you... letting an animal walk away for another day is an option. On a couple of occasions I have breached my own (personal) code of ethics and taken a shot that I had pre-conceived as a "red light" situation... when I did so, I was disgusted with my lack of maturity and resolve...

Well put. Good assessment.

Own it, you posted about your lack of ethics....someone...and me are not the problem


Always interesting to see who will dogpile onto another person without actually knowing the circumstances involved. You have all decided that the shot that Gate took was at an unwounded animal I surmise?
 
Always interesting to see who will dogpile onto another person without actually knowing the circumstances involved. You have all decided that the shot that Gate took was at an unwounded animal I surmise?

If it was a wounded animal, that would have been good information to post... a lot of members forget that young and inexperienced hunters are reading these threads. I did not state anything about ethics, that is a personal decision and the shot was within the law... but marksmanship aside, at 300 yards, by the time your brain can communicate the command to shoot, your finger squeezes the trigger and the bullet travels 300 yards, a deer's head can move a couple feet, which is the best case scenario and a clean miss, but possibly several inches resulting in a wounding loss. Even if you are bang on your point of aim, it can end badly. Just my opinion, squeeze the trigger whenever you want.
 
A shot taken at a Deers head, at 350+ yards?? An 'ethical shot'?? I think not, even if the Deer was wounded and there hadn't been any mention of that made!! :rolleyes: Unless the definition of ethical changed after we went on the metric system. A target that size, in the field???
It would be questionable on an ethical basis, even if the shooter was a special forces sniper shooting from bench condition!!
 
Always interesting to see who will dogpile onto another person without actually knowing the circumstances involved. You have all decided that the shot that Gate took was at an unwounded animal I surmise?

Some are good at yapping but not too good at listening. Passing judgement is more fun than asking questions, right?

Laugh2

But this is really going off topic so maybe we should get back to Island deer cartridges.:shotgun:

Another cool option might be the 450 Bushmaster in a rifle like the Ruger American. With a 16.5" barrel and 5.5 lbs in would make a handy carbine, and should work great on big Island bears too. I can't stand the brake, but that's a personal thing.

16950.jpg
 
A shot taken at a Deers head, at 350+ yards?? An 'ethical shot'?? I think not, even if the Deer was wounded and there hadn't been any mention of that made!! :rolleyes: Unless the definition of ethical changed after we went on the metric system. A target that size, in the field???
It would be questionable on an ethical basis, even if the shooter was a special forces sniper shooting from bench condition!!

That post sir, certainly brings into question YOUR ethics. If a deer is wounded, ANY opportunity to put another bullet into it, anywhere, should be taken. Period.
 
Some are good at yapping but not too good at listening. Passing judgement is more fun than asking questions, right?

And some are good at trolling with partial stories and provocative details... so what happens if nobody challenges your statements? Noobs thinking 300 yard head shots are legitimate opportunities? Grow up.
 
That post sir, certainly brings into question YOUR ethics. If a deer is wounded, ANY opportunity to put another bullet into it, anywhere, should be taken. Period.

Even if it is at 350 guessed yards?
Hell, this thread went sideways along time ago.
Run what you brung and check the ego at the truck when one rolls outta the cab.
Btw, Clarke has some of his shooting skills posted on Ewe toob.
You can decide if he is able to call 350 yards or not.
Rob
 
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