Your favorite caliber, rifle....LOAD for whitetail

Started by periscope_depth, July 03, 2005, 12:27:33 PM

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periscope_depth

Anyone who has hunted whitetail deer for several years has their favorite rifle and load.  The history of deer hunts in the past and the utter reliabilty that a hunter associates with HIS rifle is very special.
 
I have not hunted deer as much as I would have liked to, but I have an uncle who never misses a season and takes his limit nearly every year.
 
He has a Remington .308 Win with a short, 18" barrel that has taken more deer that I can count.  Year after year, this little bolt action beauty never misses nor does my uncle.  150 grn Hornady's with 46 some grains of 4064IMR and 2600 fps and he was in heaven.  
 
I recently purchased a .260 Remington barrel for my Thompson/Encore rifle and with a 24" barrel and 120 grn bullet, I hope to enjoy years and years of success.
 
So , tell me about your pet load and pet rifle.  Any situations with a rifle or a load that you have been totally dissapointed with?
 
Happy 4th of July to  everyone.  We are truly blessed!

Lost Hunta

haven't hunted with it yet, but my angel H&R .308 Ultra Hunter feeds on a 165gr bullet (experimenting with brands/types) on 43.8grs of Hodgdon Varget. easy 1" @100yrds. My rifle is a single-shot as well but cost less and likely just as accurate...maybe.
"Cari" my M4 carbine




Gmoney

Lost Hunta I just love those H&R's.....very hard to beat.....
 
 Periscope....that .260 you just purchased with the 120 is exactly what I shoot deer with....I shoot Nosler ballistic tips and they are wonderful on deer......every one shot with it has gone bang-flop.....
-Greg
 
Personal field testing trumps everything no matter what Field and Stream says, what your degree of perceived manhood is, or what your buddies think.

Marlin917VS

I use a savage model 10 in 308 and got 2 out of 3 deer with remington 165gr. premier ballistic tips, and the other with winchester ballistic silvertips, either 165 or 168 gr.  It works good for me.  The remingtons group in at about an inch at 100 yards, while the winchester groups closer to 1-1/2 inch.  It's served me well for the past 3 years, and I don't intend to change for a while.
 
Later
Andy
"If guns kill people, then I can blame misspelled words on my pencil."
 
The 30-06 is like a perfect steak next to a campfire, a .300 Win Mag is the same but with mushrooms, a baked potato, and some A-1 Steak sauce...

Jay Edward (deceased)

Naturally I hunt with a blackpowder rifle but I've always felt that the Winchester lever action in .30-30 Win. was about the handiest for long stalks and climbing ridges or just having to wend through the thick stuff in the creek bottoms.
 
My favorite load for .30-30 Winchester has always been: 30 grains of 3031 and the 170 grain flatnose bullet.  Jacketed or cast lead...either bullet would suffice.
 
I know that long range deer hunting requres something completely different but the country you hunt in (in my case, heavy woods and mountains) dictates the combination that satisfies.  If I were to hunt deer on an Antelpe hunt (few and far between now), I would choose the 7x57 and my favorite load of 4831 and the 139 grain bullet.
 
Sorry I cannot be real specific but the hunting area really does dictate the rifle/catridge/load combo for me.  I hate packing a lot of rifle to no purpose.

m gardner

#5
The load I've used to shoot most of my whitetails is a light load of 46 grains of IMR 4895 behind a Speer 170 grain flatpoint in a 30-06. It's a very effective load to 200 yards or so and shoots fairly flat. It's also very accurate in several rifles I've used it in. I like short light bolt actions for whitetail hunting. My load for all around whitetail hunting is a maximum load of H1000 behind a 150 grain Hornady Interlock spirepoint in a 270 winchester. I used H4831 for years before the H1000. It'll whack em a long ways out. The 30-30 fed the 170 Speer flat nose and max loads of IMR 4895 works well as does the 35 Remington with a 200 grain corelokt bullet with a max load of IMR 4895. The 35 remington come to think of it is probably the best short range cartridge I've used. It kicks little, kills well, and ruins little meat. The 336 Marlin rifle it comes in with a receiver sight carries and shoots well too. You mention total disappointment too. No rifle or handgun cartridge that I've used and put in an appropriate area of the deer failed. Deer are easy to kill and most calibers over .243 will work. My least favorite caliber for deer is the 250-3000 Savage and my least favorite rifle is the Ruger. God bless and good hunting.
 
Mark

Lost Hunta

yes them H&Rs are nice guns to have. Gotta mess with them for a bit but can be done with most common house found tools
"Cari" my M4 carbine




periscope_depth

This is a very interesting thread!
 
I would really like to know how many take a 44 magnum lever gun or single shot into the field.  How many have used big bore calibers such as the 444 Marlin or the 45-70?  The .375 Winchster is very interesting...for such a large bullet, not much energy and very low velocity....that big bullet must be extremely effective out to 100 yards.
 
Yes.....my .260 is going to be my primary cartridge and a 24" light varmint barrel in a handy Thompson/Encore single shot will be my rifle for years and years.  
 
Keep the posts coming!

Lost Hunta

well start a poll already!:) i like my singleshot :D
"Cari" my M4 carbine




Big Red Trike

7mm Rem Mag 139 Hornady Interbond over 72 grains of RL22 at 3280 ft/s.

motor (deceased)

rem. 270 bolt action 140 gr. and i do sometimes use my 30/30 lever action..in fact this last season i got three deer with it..
Just an ole sinner saved by grace

firebird

I am with Mr. Edward on this one. Wether your hunting thick bush or praries and beanfields is the only real factor in what works best for white tails. They are very easy to kill with any decent shot placement. The only loads I would frown upon in any deer hunting is buckshot of any size past twenty YDS. In the smaller high velocity calibers proper bullet selection is important. Thin jacketed explosive varmint bullets are NOT deer bullets!!! If you have a pet rifle that you enjoy shooting and you stay within the limitations of your rifle and your real abilities to  place the shot consistantly on target then it is the best rifle for you. In many areas shotguns and muzzel loaders are the only guns allowed. Virtually every caliber on the market is used on whitetails every year and the right one is the one that works for you in consistant clean one shot kills. Know your limitations and enjoy your Dinner. My Father hunted most of his life with a $40 crudely sporterized military le enfield .303 british rifle with the origional military arpeture sights. He always used 180 GR. Winchester factory soft points for both deer and moose.  He never lost an animal or had to ever chase a wounded one. My father never hunted for sport. Only for food.
Firebird.

WHITETAIL HUNTER

I have had alot of luck wiht my ruger m77 in 30-06 165 B/T, find good on flat shot's, along with the thick stuff I have incountered.:cool:
Preserve the heritage, take a youth hunting.
 
Nothing outruns a deer, BUT A MAGNUM :eek:

ghostrider_tx

Howdy periscope

I havn't hunted whitetails for several years,but I have taken 6 with .44 mag Ruger Super Blackhawk. All with Sierra 240gr JHC over 22grs of 2400. All at 50 yards or less. No fuss--no chase.  I will be experimenting with the Sierra 180gr JHC in the future.     Jack
The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.
 
Benefactor Life NRA member

Daryl (deceased)

I believe that the firearm used has a lot less to do with a successful hunt than the person using it.
 
I've killes whitetails with a variety of firearms, but in my neck of the woods (or more properly, the rimrock!), a flat shooting rifle is far more preferable than a brush gun.  I've used .243's, .270's, and 7mm Eem Mag's, and the load is a lot less important than the shooter's ability to place the bullet.
 
Daryl
A government that abrogates any of the Bill of Rights, with or without majoritarian approval, forever acts illegitimately, becomes tyrannical, and loses the moral right to govern-Jeffrey Snyder
 

RIP Linden33

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