Best caliber for deer?

[TheFraz]

After visiting my wife's grandparent's property in Missouri I am seriously considering taking up deer hunting. I was wondering what caliber I should look in to for a solid deer rifle. I was thinking .270, .243, or 30-06 due to availability and price. Any thoughts?

Also, would I be completely stupid to consider using my AR, even with a 65-70 grain round?

 

[AustinBR]

30-06 would work for most situations. I personally use a .243, but shot placement is much more important with the smaller bullet. Many swear by their 30-06.

 

[Dishonored]

I would look into compound bows. Missouri's rifle season is only open for 2 weeks or so.
Your also only allowed one antlered deer per year.


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[Barney88PDC]

There is literally no such thing as a best caliber for deer as there are literally 100's that would suffice. However sticking to common calibers suitable for the job that have many sources for ammo is your best bet. I would choose a .308 Winchester for several reasons which I won't get into but it would be a great choice.

 

[InterstateGuns]

There is literally no such thing as a best caliber for deer as there are literally 100's that would suffice. However sticking to common calibers suitable for the job that have many sources for ammo is your best bet. I would choose a .308 Winchester for several reasons which I won't get into but it would be a great choice.

Exactly.......Any of your standard hunting calibers would suffice. Pick a flavor and run with it. IMHO the glass is the hard part.

 

[Ritten]

There is literally no such thing as a best caliber for deer as there are literally 100's that would suffice. However sticking to common calibers suitable for the job that have many sources for ammo is your best bet. I would choose a .308 Winchester for several reasons which I won't get into but it would be a great choice.

Couldn't have said it better.

 

[WillShoot]

I am not sure if there's 100s of calibers out there suitable.

Not too long ago, I looked into this question myself and I think the general rule is type of distance/range you hunt dictates your choice. If range is short, say 100 yrds or less, 308 or 3006 won't make much of a difference. Heck, you might even get away with a rifled slug and bows.

For longer distance, or more room for error, a flatter shooting caliber is more desired. Some folks swear by 7mm, or 3006, or 270 etc, I did a ballistic comparison with typical hunting calibers (another can of worms we haven't touched), and it turned out that they are very close to one another, say an inch or so within 200 yrds. To me, most hunting are done inside that.

Feel free to exercise yourself. Here's the link. http://gundata.org/ballistic-calculator/

-Will

 

[Barney88PDC]

Yeah I've done some calc-a-ma-lating a few times and like you say once you cross that 200 yard threshold things get really dicey. I hope to shoot past that distance one day and be able to hit what I want. Until then at least I have the Internet.

 

[Ritten]

For longer distance, or more room for error, a flatter shooting caliber is more desired.

A flatter shooting caliber outside of 100yds? Like a .17 win super mag? Yea, that's awesome advice!

 

[scooterj]

Barney don't know a good rifle if it bite him on the nose!!! hehehehe

 

[Emperor]

Exactly.......Any of your standard hunting calibers would suffice. Pick a flavor and run with it. IMHO the glass is the hard part.

The only hard part is realizing that your scope may/should/will cost more than the rifle it sits on!

 

[JNieman]

I would look into compound bows. Missouri's rifle season is only open for 2 weeks or so.
Your also only allowed one antlered deer per year.


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That's not true really. Very many counties have a separate antlerless season that extends the regular rifle season. However most people are not limited to one antlered deer. You are entitled to one anterlered tag, and there is a system of some sort where you can get extras. I've always gotten an extra so I have no idea how that works. It might be on a per-county basis. On top of that there are LANDOWNER tags where you get extra tags based on acreage owned. With 22 acres my dad gets another 2-4 tags, usually including another antlered tag, iirc. We're more of doe eaters anyways.

While archery season helps extend the time, you can also get a handgun or blackpowder gun and go with the December season.

I won't comment on the caliber thing because the other people said it. There are hundreds that suffice.

Missouri deer can also vary in size. They can get beastly in size in the colder areas with good food.

ETA: I was butthurt this year because the county 5 miles away from the family property got the extended anterless season while ours did not. :/ Oh well. Didn't see jack **** anyways, and my dad only saw a few tails as they ran away across the property line - the weather made for one of the worst seasons of my life. Worst one in 12 years or something like that, so the news said.

 

[jmeng]

Also, would I be completely stupid to consider using my AR, even with a 65-70 grain round?

Since no one responded to your last question I'll add in my $.02. No it wouldn't be stupid as long as A)It's legal in that state (both semi-auto and .22 cal centerfire) and B)You use ammo with a quality big game bullet (Barnes TSX, Nosler Partition, etc). As others have said, there are literally 100's of chamberings that will cleanly kill any deer that walks this earth. As always, where you hit is MUCH more important that what you hit with. Most hunters are over gunned and can't shoot for ****, partially due to the flinch from shooting their 300 Super Duper Magnum.

 

[JNieman]

Friend of the family has been using his 22magnum for years, gets deer more often than not, and hasn't lost any he's shot. I don't have reason not to believe him, I've hunted with him many times. I don't care for his choice but he has better results than I have had with 243, 270, 223, or 308.

Another family friend had a bad season this year and only culled 4 deer from his property (hundreds of acres) with his 44mag lever gun.

Ain't really all that much about the bullet so much as whether or not you can deliver it where it's supposed to go - is my conclusion.

 

[highstandard40]

Friend of the family has been using his 22magnum for years, gets deer more often than not, and hasn't lost any he's shot.

I hope that's not here in Louisiana. The 22 Magnum is not legal for deer hunting.

 

[Emperor]

I hope that's not here in Louisiana. The 22 Magnum is not legal for deer hunting.

Where you getting this?

Here: Still applies today.

It is illegal to hunt or shoot deer with firearms
smaller than .22 caliber center-fire or
a shotgun loaded with anything other than
buckshot or rifled slug. Handguns may be
used for hunting.

 

[jmeng]

Where you getting this? If it's not now ( I missed it), it certainly was legal before.

Illegal for as long as I can remember. Rules state .22 centerfire as the minimum. Been that way for at least 20 years.

 

[jmeng]

Read here. The info is on page 15 but it says:

"It is illegal to hunt or shoot deer with firearms
smaller than .22 caliber center-fire or
a shotgun loaded with anything other than
buckshot or rifled slug. Handguns may be
used for hunting."

 

[Emperor]

Illegal for as long as I can remember. Rules state .22 centerfire as the minimum. Been that way for at least 20 years.

.22 Mag Center fire cartridges ARE the minimum. Centerfire vs rimfire.

 

[jmeng]

The .22 magnum is a rimfire. Also known as .22 WRF.