The Perfect Deer Rifle

[timeout]

timeout,

Here's a representative deer from South Texas.

View attachment 1007659

I would call that a giant!

 

[TC260]

timeout,

Here's a representative deer from South Texas

Racks in my neck of the woods pale in comparison to that! It's always hard to tell from pics but given the size of the antlers it doesn't look to be an especially heavy deer. What would an animal like that weigh over there?

 

[mmcu]

This wasn't a big bodied deer and only weighed about 165 - 170 pounds.

 

[CTK]

I am a big fan of the heavy Midwest antlers.

 

[SheepDog]

I am not sure that there is a "perfect" deer rifle but I am sure that if it existed it would not let me shoot it.
I don't call myself a hunter but I do hunt. I move through the forest like an old bear. Smoothly and quietly would be the wrong words to describe it. Any deer, elk or other critter that gives me the opportunity to shoot it really wants to feed my family or just has a death wish. I am a good shot but not a good hunter. I have a lot more respect for my game than for my hunting ability so I make sure that I have a gun, cartridge and bullet that will take the game quickly and humanely with the respect it is due. I also have a great deal of respect for true hunters. You know, those folks who can get within 25 yards without being noticed. My brother is like that - as soon as he gets into the woods he just becomes a cat. He has the ability to disappear in plain view and move through the thickest brush noiselessly. People like that deserve respect.

 

[bobinpa]

Seems like no matter which safe I open, there's a deer rifle in it....Last few years it's been a Rem model 7 semi custom in 300 WSM. Before that it was a Win model 70 in 308. Before that it was a custom 308 Norma Mag, before that a Rem 788 in 243. They all killed deer well....but I'm about do for a change for next year. Might have to get something built again,

 

[roysclockgun]

Over 60 years ago, my grandfather gave my cousin an even then, old Savage 99 chambered for 303Savage. Every year, until my cousin died, he killed deer with that rifle and cartridge combo. Whenever the subject came up, regarding the "best deer rifle", my cousin would respond, loud and long, that it was the Savage 99 in Savage303!
I suppose my point is, there is no correct answer that works for everyone!

 

[mikeinct]

Mine two...till I took up fly fishing...

(well I did before I traded them for fly rods, ya know) we have to hear this story, those must be nice fly rods & reels ? mike in ct

 

[sw282]

Growing up in the South Carolina Low Country we never heard of a rifle to kill deer with.. lt was all shotgun and buckshot in front of deer dogs.. Season ran Aug 15 to Jan l.. No bag limit. Never ran out of the deer either.. 0nly changed in 2017 due to politics from SC Up Country...
My first Deer Gun was a Smith&Wesson 44Magnum revolver... Does a good job too. l started shooting IHMSA silhouettes in the late 70s to get better hunting deer with that Smith. l still shoot IHMSA, but not deer. Got my first Texas Whitetail in 1990 before Desert Storm during a visit to Ft Hood courtesy Uncle Sugar... Saw my first Prairie Dog then also.. Still CHUUT them.. Viewing my first Texas Whitetail Buck l was impressed by the huge racks... lt was less than a year later on another US Army sponsored trip to Northern Mich @ Camp Grayling I saw just how SMALL those Tx deer really are.. Coming back to Ft Gordon Ga l had local gun maker Kenny Jarrett build my first Deer Rifle in 280Ackley on a Remington 700 action... Nice gun and shot well too. l had just been struck by rifle MANIA.. My next AND best deer rifle was a Remington Mountain Rifle in 270 Win... Fast handling @ 22 inches, lt wasn't the bean field rifle like the 280 Ackley. Actually had Kenny install a 21'' barrel #3 contour in 270Win. Perfect gun then... l can see why Jack 0'Conner loved the 270 so..

 

[Bill K]

In over 70 years I have killed deer with any number of rifles and calibers, even a few with handguns and bow & arrow. which one was perfect deer killer, good question. Each and everyone took more than one deer in those years, so they all must have been perfect, at the time. You pick a weapon you can be good with and it will do the job, if you do yours and know and learn to hunt.

 

[JSH]

Two year old thread.....I’ll bite.

I won’t say there is a perfect. All depends on where I am hunting as to what I will use.
A fellow should have more than a hammer, screwdriver and a pair of pliers in his toolbox.

Buddy and I have discussed this for years.
Rifle and scope weigh 7 lbs and under
3x9 or 3x12
Caliber. This is where one really should think about their choice. If you EVER figure on traveling, you better weed out the wildcats and the not popular cartridges. Why? Get off the grid and see what a mom and pop store has in stock for ammo (if your favorite rig was separated from its ammo).

 

[338 dude]

I would call that a giant!

Yes giant!

 

[Stepsjframe]

Since I live in Ohio and we are not allowed to hunt deer with a rifle I am in no way an expert. However, according to the DEER HUNTER'S ALMANAC by Sid Evans he states the following: Short range: 30-30, 30 Remington, 30-40 Krag, 35 Remington, 444 Marlin, 44 Remington Magnum, 375 Winchester and 45-70. For longer ranges (150 yds +): 250-3000, 300 Savage and 257 Roberts. He further breaks it down to, beginners: 243, 6mm, 25-06, 7mm-08 or 30-30. For the more experienced: (more recoil) 270 Winchester, 280 Remington, 308 Winchester and the 30-06. Personally, I have shot and killed whitetail deer with a 243, but I know nothing about the rifles indicated. I'm just the messenger. You rifle hunters can debate the calibers.

 

[Paddyd]

The criteria that make up the perfect deer rifle are different for all of us. I've got a dozen different rifles that qualify as deer rifles but only one meets my personal criteria that puts it ahead of all the others as the perfect set up.

For me, it's a Ruger No. One, chambered in 7x57 and topped off with a Zeiss 2-10x42 scope. I love the rifle. It's overall length and fit is perfect for me. Light enough to carry all day but heavy enough that the recoil is comfortable to the point of being a non-issue. The Zeiss scope has excellent clarity and superior light gathering ability to provide a clear picture the last 10-15 minutes of the day.

From my perspective, the 7x57 cartridge is one of the best cartridges available for deer. The vast majority of deer cartridges fall between 6mm up to and including 30 caliber cartridges. The 7x57 falls right in the middle of this range. I hand load a 140 grain Berger VLD that obtains 2800fps. The result is a flat shooting cartridge that shoots sub MOA groups that's deadly out past 300 yards with terrific penetration and expansion. All in all, the rifle gives me a sense of comfort and confidence in its ability to make one shot kills without compromise.

What's your perfect deer rifle and why?

Well, I have 2 of what I call a nearly perfect deer rifle. First is an older Ruger M77 tang safety model chambered in 270Win. Since I moved back to Michigan it doesn't get used anymore and has been replaced with an old Marlin 30/30 lever rifle topped with an ancient Weaver 4X scope.. For deer at 100 yds and under you'll be hard pressed to find a better rifle than the Marlin lever. And to be honest, I've never had a shot here in Mi even close to that far. Most average around 30 to 50 yds and the old 30/30 drops them dead on the spot.

 

[CaptainMal]

Funny how this thread rose from the grave.

Depends on the weather. When bad - stainless Winchester Claw action with BOSS in 270 with synthetic stock. Super nice shooting and impervious to bad weather.

When it's is nice my Remington Mountain rifle in 257 Roberts is a little jewel with superb accuracy. Took one nice 8 pt with it a 540 yards one year. Some rifles are too precious to damage in bad weather.

 

[AWS]

Big body but only a 170 rack

I've use to kill a lot of deer, we lived on venison and could take up to six a season. I owned a gun shop and took many of the used guns that came in out hunting. At last count I think I've killed deer with 22 different cartridges. The very worst was the 243 for killing deer, BUT that was in the 1960's, the 243 was the new kid on the block and had bullet teething problem, either too soft causing splashes or too hard and penciling through. Everything from the venerable 250-3000 through a 358 Norma Mag pretty much killed alike if you did your part and used proper bullets.. I think I killed the very most whitetails with a Savage 99 in 308 with a Leupold 1-4x20mm scope on it, with the barrel cut to 16 1/4" shooting 180gr RN's. You could reach the vitals fro any direction and it handled like lightning.

My go to deer rifles now for short range still hunting a Savage 99 in 375 Win with a 1-3x20mm Weaver V-3 on it, trail sitting a Savage bolt action in 25-204 duplicating the old 250-3000 and 257 Roberts with a 1.5x6x40mm scope. I was never a long range guy. I do keep a very nice Rem 760 in 35 Rem with a Weaver V-3 stashed up in northern WI if I fly back to hunt with my family.

My BinL thinks the 7-08 in a model 7 Rem is the end all for deer rifles, he's taken enough deer with it to make a very convincing argument, he convinced his nephew and he is slaying them also.

 

[dave@aDave]

Two year old thread.....I’ll bite.

I won’t say there is a perfect. All depends on where I am hunting as to what I will use.
A fellow should have more than a hammer, screwdriver and a pair of pliers in his toolbox.

Buddy and I have discussed this for years.
Rifle and scope weigh 7 lbs and under
3x9 or 3x12
Caliber. This is where one really should think about their choice. If you EVER figure on traveling, you better weed out the wildcats and the not popular cartridges. Why? Get off the grid and see what a mom and pop store has in stock for ammo (if your favorite rig was separated from its ammo).

^ X2

My grandson and I went to see a friend in a small town in Nevada. The hardware store did not have 45ACP. There was plenty of 45 Long Colt. Also lots of 30-30 WCF, 30-06, and 270. 22 LR and 12 gauge pretty much rounded out the inventory.

 

[JSH]

Funny how this thread rose from the grave.

Depends on the weather. When bad - stainless Winchester Claw action with BOSS in 270 with synthetic stock. Super nice shooting and impervious to bad weather.

When it's is nice my Remington Mountain rifle in 257 Roberts is a little jewel with superb accuracy. Took one nice 8 pt with it a 540 yards one year. Some rifles are too precious to damage in bad weather.

I babied my 25-06 mountain rifle for a long time, I am still really careful with it. Nonetheless it gets used for what it was built for now.
Kind of like these 10-15 year old pickups that have had nothing more than a couch or sack of groceries in the bed.
I take good care of my trucks and guns, but I use them.
My mountain rifle has a few dings, I can tell you how they got there and where.

 

[Kevin Taylor]

my Remington Mountain rifle in 257 Roberts is a little jewel.......

I am jealous, I am left handed, and if I wanted the Remington Mountain rifle left handed, I would have to build it myself. Especially in 257 Roberts!

 

[Kramerica]

Depends on how I’m hunting, in the thick stuff can’t beat a BAR with a red dot on top, smaller fields I’ll take a RPR in 6.5, big fields I go for the 300WM. For the most excitement I’ll take my no cam HTR hands down.