Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Your favorite deer caliber and rifle?

Ky221, that's a "business" rifle and load for deer.

I'll take that as a compliment 😀.


Lotta nice rifles in this thread.

Nice rifle and great buck. Congratulations

Me too... Seems to be the one that I am carrying that day. I do have to say that I seem to have taken more critters with with an old red butt, tang safety Ruger M77 .30-06 than anything else. But a 7mm Rem mag in a M70 is a close second. These days I seem to lean towards a 6mm bore of some flavor, but have yet to harvest anything other than a coyote or two with them. Have not put any food on the table with one yet. Maybe this year ? 6x47 Lapua maybe ?

If hunting a straight wall state, I like my ruger 77/450 24" stainless with walnut. The only problem is its almost too nice to hunt with.

It is a compliment. No nonsense, all business.

My favorite, by far, is my Kimber Hunter 6.5CM.
2021 Blacktail with 140 gr. Sierra BTSP.

Tikka T3x Lite 6.5CM. Accurate, light-kicking, good range.

I like variety so it changes a lot. I have a habit of buying a gun, shooting a deer with it then sell g it to try something else. Currently though if I absolutely need to kill a deer I reach for my Steyr-Mannlicher Model M Professional .30-06 with a Kahles 6x42 on it

This is a great question that is very hard for me to answer as I have hunted deer for 35 years with so many different rifles that I cant possibly remember them all but several do come to mind that I really enjoyed hunting with so I can't narrow it down to just one..but here is a few of My favorites.........
...Kimber Montana .308 Win
Kimber Sub-Alpine .300 WSM
Ruger 77 Mk II .308 Win
Remington Model Seven .308 Win
Tikka T3x Superlite .300 Win
Remington 700 XCR II 30-06
Kimber Sub-Alpine 30-06
Remington 700 Mtn rifle .308 Win
Remington 700 Mtn rifle 30-06......but there are many more...Hb

One of my many Remington 700’s

Custom Sporterized Model 98 8x57 Mauser

Since members of this august forum goaded me into the purchase of a Savage 99 in 308 WIN back in 2003, I'd have to say this rifle is my overall favorite. I always bring it out on The Opener. When I get lucky on The Opener, it's always my buck tag I'm filling. Once that is done, it goes back in the case. The load is a 165 grain Hornady SP over just enough H4895 to make it run like a hot 300 Savage.



It had been about 10 seasons since I had nailed a buck with the Savage 99. This year, exactly 2 hours into the season, this big one walked under my stand:



More details and pics here:

The Savage Speaks Again


After the Savage gets put to bed, I start working through a rotation of rifles. Some are new projects. Some are old favorites. Eventually, it gets down to serious business, and it is about that time the Ruger Hawkeye in 30-06 comes out.




Honorable Mentions:

I have a KAR 98 Mauser, The Mauser From Hell, that I took from a basket case to a tack driver over several frustrating years. It lays out deer with 8X57 every bit as good as my others.

The Whelenizer, a Rem 7600 in 35 Whelen was the first rifle I ever took 10 deer in 10 seasons. Folks here at the 'Fire conspired with KYHillChick to gift me this for a Saint Hubert's Day present many years ago. I am in the process of bringing it back out of retirement.

My new fav is a TC Compass in 7mm-08 I found 2 seasons ago. I like everything about this rifle and the chambering.

The whole Shamanic Deer Battery is here for your perusal:

The Shamanic Deer Battery

Like others have said, hard to pick just one. There have been many over the last 50 years. started out with a Rem 742 in 30-06. That worked well for several years. Then I wanted one that was more accurate at longer ranges. Shot a Sako 75 and Steyr Mannlicher both in 308 for a while. They worked great for hunting 200-300 yds. Then I got bit by the magnum bug. I bought a Rem 700 in 7mm mag and a Win. model 70 in 300 mag. a 280 AI as well. All great guns and calibers. I killed my share of deer with each of them. I have been retired now for 5 years and I don't hunt the Magnums any more. I stepped down to a Tikka T3x lite in 270. I also enjoy shooting my 260, 7mm 08, and 6.5 Creed. All Tikka's and Sako's. What I have learned over the years is Choose a good bullet and put it in the right place. Dead is dead with any of these calibers. To sum it up, I cant pick just one favorite. Variety is the spice of life. I'm just happy to be in the woods hunting with any of them.

Early 700 mountain rifle in 30-06. 3-9 Leupold, Timney trigger in a Grayboe. Shoots 165 gr NBT handloads very well. Next would be a 7600 carbine also in 06 shooting 150 gr Nosler partitions. 2-7 leupold.

I've used a bunch of cartridges through the years for deer, but I keep coming back to the 7mm-08. I first used it in the mid 80's when my dad brought a little model seven home. The favorite since 2013 has been my Montana. It carries like a whisper and always drops what I point it at.

This has been an enjoyable thread to read and like most I am unable to decide my "favorite".

In looking back over the past 10 or so deer seasons I have used the following combinations to put meat in the freezer.

> Sako L61R - 30-06
> Sako AII Hunter - 308 Win.
> Winchester M94 Big Bore - 375 Win.
> Winchester M64A - 30-30
> Tikka T3 - 6.5x55
> Sako 85 Bavarian - 7-08
> Ruger M77 MK II - 257 Roberts
> Remington M700 SS Mountain Rifle - 30-06
> Tikka T3X Lite Stainless - 6.5 Creedmoor

Makes me wonder what all the other hunting rifles are in my safe for.

I do know that I can't have just one favorite; what fun would that be.

StarchedCover

I really like my 280 remington, its kind of a toss up between that and my 7 mag

Very nice list of rifles. I would be happy to have to choose one of the above for a deer hunt.

For hunting thick woods in PA, a Rem 700 DBM .308 with barrel cut to 20". For hunting on a farm where longer shots are possible, a Tikka T3 in .270.