deer rifle cartridge suggstions please

[tdoyka]

257 bob ai 100gr-120gr bullets......mine will be an encore, 21" mgm barrel, with a sapphre laminate by high plains gunstock

yours can be whatever

 

[boltman223]

Well I haven't totally decided what I want to build yet but, I did go hunting deer hunting this weekend with my model 7 in 243. I shot a good sized four point, it dressed out to about 170lb.

it was a broadside shot at about 50 yds. Its kinda funny actually, I was walking in kind of a hurry because I had to get back and use the bathroom! All patients was gone, I had to go. I think I could have been heard from a mile away walking through the leaves and breaking twigs and branches. still paying attention though, I looked to my right and I couldn't believe it there was a deer standing there! I had been walking for a few minutes and I was being loud so you can imagine my surprise. So anyways It was just standing there and I was thinking what is this deer doing! Then I noticed it was standing kind of funny.Well it was going to the bathroom haha! normally I would have been the one taking a leak and the deer would have walked up on me. It looked up at me and I could see it was a buck so I thought oh crap I better shoot it lol. Well you know how the rest goes, I pulled up took aim and shot. It took off running like I totally missed, There was no way I could have missed! I walked up to where it was shot and saw lots of blood, it looked like it was a pass though. I found it about 75 yds or so away. Upon further inspection I must have hit the heart because I couldn't find it. There was just a mushy mess.

So the 243 did its job and I don't know if it would have ran any less with a bigger cartridge. I might replace the 18 inch barrel with a 22 or 24 inch one but, that would give me an opportunity to try something different. We'll see.

Well I thought you guys might like to hear the story, I thought it was funny.

 

[tdoyka]

6.5 creedmoor or 257 bob ai

 

[DCRYDER]

That's exactly why I recommend at least a .264 caliber. In my opinion a 6 mm will kill but usually not a quickly as a larger caliber. Actually my favorite caliber is a 280AI but of course that's a long action.

 

[dzelenka]

I wrote this a while ago for a local shooting forum. It is geared to non-handloaders:

This question comes up from time to time so I will give my standard answer:

Here is my advice on deer calibers. It is worth what you paid for it.

Casual shooters should stay away from magnums under most circumstances. They are unnecessarily powerful for deer under most circumstances and they kick enough to discourage practice which in my opinion is the most important ingredient to successful deer hunting. (I have killed more than my share of big deer, but I consider myself to be a fairly unlucky hunter - I don't see that many. My key to success is capitalizing on every opportunity. In 38 years of hunting, I have only missed 3 big game animals and lost one other. Shooting more than once a year and shooting from positions other than a bench are extremely important.)

For deer, stick with cartridges using a standard case head size (.473") that are based on the .308 or .30-06 family in a caliber from .25 to .30 (I know folks are going to chime in that their .243 kills deer like lightning, but in my opinion a .243 should be limited to small deer or hunters who are patient enough to wait for the right shot and capable of placing the bullet in the correct place. It would not be my choice for an inexperienced hunter/shooter. For that a .260 would be better.) For bullets, stick with projectiles with a sectional density in the mid .240s. This includes 115 gr .257; 120 gr .264; 130 gr .277; 140 gr .284; and 165 gr .308. Bullets with this sectional density give very good penetration (penetration kills); have reasonably high ballistic coefficients; and can be driven adequately fast for flat trajectory and low wind drift.

Once you have identified cartridges with the above characteristics- for example: .257 Roberts; .25-06; .260 Rem.; 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser; .270 Winchester; 7mm-08; 7mm Mauser; .280; .308; and .30-06 - go to the Remington, Federal and Winchester ammunition web sites and compare their velocities and trajectories for the above mentioned bullet weights. Since the B.C.s are similar, the higher the velocity, the flatter the trajectory. Pick the cartridge that gives you adequate bullet selection with the flat shooting you desire. Remember the heavier the bullet, the more the recoil.

You will notice that the heavy bullet rounds will give you more energy. If you plan on hunting game larger than deer, put energy into the equation. For deer all you need to do is make sure that your choice delivers 1000 lbs/ft of energy at the longest distance you will be shooting. Deer don't take more than that.

After you have done all of this homework, you will likely end up with a .270 Winchester. It is in the middle of the range that is appropriate and has a very good balance of trajectory, energy, and recoil. As a bonus it is available in a very wide variety of rifles and ammunition types. Plus ammunition is available everywhere.

To be absolutely honest, if you stick with the above formula, you really can't go wrong.

Dan

PS Pay attention to the wind drift figures. They are important. Try to compare cartridges using identical or at least similar bullet types. Do not just look at the muzzle velocity and energy figures. The 200 and 300 yard figures are more important. Comparing the same weight bullet in two different caliber cartridges will not be apples to apples.