Your favorite deer rifle

[my82cam]

remington 700 BDL deluxe in 30-06 hand loaded Berger bullets with a leupy 4-12X vx-1 (1/2 MOA) or if it is bad weather i take my remington model 7 in 308 with a cheap tasco scope. it is a beater gun that i'm not affraid to let it get wet but still does a MOA group. or if i'm kicking it old school that day my winchester 1873 in 32-30 it's a fun one to take and makes you feel like an old cowboy!

[memphismason]

My first gun. That right, this was my very first "real gun". I had bb and pellet guns up until this, and just borrowed my Dad's and Grandpaw's rifles and shotguns for hunting. I bought this Brand new the summer between my 12th and 13th Birthdy.....so that mean I have had it....14 years. And yes I bought it. I worked my butt off that summer. My Grandfather owns a few rental houses, and I worked helped him do anything needed to be done to them for $5 an hour. My dad told me if I worked for it and bought it myself , he would give me the scope for it (he had it for his crossbow). I came through on my end of the bargain and so did he. That s also the original sling that I bought along with the rifle. I bought the rifle for $432.99 in 1995.

It is:

Remington 7400 .30-06 with a 3x9 Redfield wide view scope mounted on weaver see-thru rings.

[Guest logicprevails]

My favorite? Old school TC Hawken in .45, iron sights. Killed more with that than my 700 BDL .270 with 3x9 scope.

[my82cam]

My first gun. That right, this was my very first "real gun". I had bb and pellet guns up until this, and just borrowed my Dad's and Grandpaw's rifles and shotguns for hunting. I bought this Brand new the summer between my 12th and 13th Birthdy.....so that mean I have had it....14 years. And yes I bought it. I worked my butt off that summer. My Grandfather owns a few rental houses, and I worked helped him do anything needed to be done to them for $5 an hour. My dad told me if I worked for it and bought it myself , he would give me the scope for it (he had it for his crossbow). I came through on my end of the bargain and so did he. That s also the original sling that I bought along with the rifle. I bought the rifle for $432.99 in 1995.

It is:

Remington 7400 .30-06 with a 3x9 Redfield wide view scope mounted on weaver see-thru rings.

thats something to be proud of right there and pass it on down to the kids!

[Guest Tusculum]

Another Marlin 336 30-30 vote. Great lil gun sepecially for the mountains. Thanks, Jack

[Steve_cru]

Ruger Model 77 Mark II in 6.5x55 with 3x9 scope works just fine for me.

[Guest JustMyLuck]

Marlin 1895 45/70

[DaveS]

Weather permitting, my .50 Kentucky Flintlock rifle. Otherwise, my Ruger Hawkeye in .308, sometimes my NEF Handi Rifle in .45/70.

[Guest clownsdd]

Interesting posts, but I am amazed that no one asked where the op was hunting...field, forest, bush and how long a shot is needed...the gun I use depends upon the terrain.

[DaveS]

clownsdd.....very good response. I never thought along those lines. Flintlock is number one choice, .308 if I hunt my area with fields and open woodlands, .45/70 if I hunt the stands in the thickets. It would be interesting in hearing from the OP on his choice of areas to hunt.

WD

[Guest clownsdd]

it's them dang voices in my head, that's what happens when you get to be an old fart!

I would think necessary in order to give a correct response.

[DaveS]

Most people hearing "voices in thier head" are in need of help! LOL

[Guest Muttling]

It depends on where I'm at and how I'm hunting.....

Heavy brush, up close n personal is the Ruger Deerfield in .44 mag.

All around gun is the Remington 700 in .308 Win.

My favorite Reach out n touch someone gun is the Weatherby Marc V or Weatherby AccuMarc in .270 Weatherby Mag or 7mm Mag.

That said, there's a LOT of good cartridges and weapons to choose from

[gregintenn]

Interesting posts, but I am amazed that no one asked where the op was hunting...field, forest, bush and how long a shot is needed...the gun I use depends upon the terrain.

I hunt in terrains that vary from hills to flat land, and from wide open hay fields to open woods to dense thickets. I have an array of rifles, but I have the one that is my first choice for deer hunting, and it has served well in all the various places I hunt. I've never understood why people think you need a large diameter, slow bullet to hunt in a wooded area. I've seen no evidence that those calibers fare any better than smaller, faster ones.

Just to be clear, I believe the 280 Remington, 30-06, 270, and the like are borderline overkill for Tennessee whitetail deer. I have had very good success with 243s, 30-30s, 7x57,and 257 Roberts as well. My favorite rifle just happened to be chambered in 280. I'd like it just as well, as long as it balanced the same and shot as well, if it were in any number of similar calibers.

Edited October 1, 2009 by gregintenn

[Guest clownsdd]

I still like my 30.06 for "general" hunting in TN. I use my .308 for long range crowd control. LOL

[Rightwinger]

Unless its a 50 BMG, there really isn't any "overkill" in any of those mentioned above or bigger. A 340 Weatherby Magnum will not "mangle" a deer.

Bullet selection is what makes larger wound channels combined to the speed of the bullet. Shot placement also makes the difference. I agree that .243 and even the .223 which I let my youngest hunt with are fine for deer if you take and make the good shot.

[gregintenn]

A 340 Weatherby Magnum will not "mangle" a deer

I've yet to see any of these super magnums expand reliably on whitetails; especially in factory loaded offerings. I know several guys who hunt with large magnums, and they are forever losing deer they've shot. They respond by purchasing larger caliber rifles. I've yet to lose a deer shot with any of the calibers I mentioned earlier.

[gregintenn]

Bullet selection is what makes larger wound channels

Shot placement also makes the difference.

On these points we can agree.

[Guest Muttling]

I've yet to see any of these super magnums expand reliably on whitetails; especially in factory loaded offerings. I know several guys who hunt with large magnums, and they are forever losing deer they've shot. They respond by purchasing larger caliber rifles. I've yet to lose a deer shot with any of the calibers I mentioned earlier.

As a .270 Wby Mag and 7mm Mag fan, I will back up your claim with plenty of experience.

They don't fully perform on whitetails unless you hit the shoulder blade and that makes for a lot of lost meat.

That said, they fly very flat and do a lot of damage. My mags hit just as hard as my .308 in BTHP with a far better trajectory save one exception.

If I can get the deer quartered away from me and shoot behind the near shoulder impacting the far shoulder blade, the .308 is like a bomb going off in their chest. It's my preferred shot as they hit the ground and don't move.

[Rightwinger]

I've yet to see any of these super magnums expand reliably on whitetails; especially in factory loaded offerings. I know several guys who hunt with large magnums, and they are forever losing deer they've shot. They respond by purchasing larger caliber rifles. I've yet to lose a deer shot with any of the calibers I mentioned earlier.

I killed 3 deer with the 340 before I sold it to Kahrman. Couldn't tell you how many with the 30-06. I have yet to loose my first deer. Only had to trail one, probably one of the smaller does. She rolled down hill most of her travel. All the others were DRT or within 30 yards of where they were hit.

Loadings on the .340 were Nosler Partitions. Bullet selection gentlemen, bullet selection. That's why you don't use FMJ, no expansion, little holes. Load a magnum with Hornady XTPs or the like though and you'll just reach in the exit hole to finish gutting them.

[gregintenn]

I also don't like the added cost and recoil involved in shooting the large magnums.

[Moped]

I got another vote for the Marlin 336 30/30. Hard to beat one in East Tennessee. Light, fast, decent stopper. Of course, I haven't hunted in 12 years, but that was my favorite woods rifle back then!

[Rightwinger]

No more expensive than the 30-06 or 308 when you reload. Plus better consistency.

Recoil?

I have had a bit of recoil from my brothers 30-378 as seen below. Managable with and without the brake

[redneck]

I use a remington 710 .270 cal . Always been a one shot kill , it is all about bullet and placement .

[gregintenn]

No more expensive than the 30-06 or 308 when you reload. Plus better consistency.

Recoil?

Brass for the large magnums is more expensive. I think magnum primers are more expensive, but I'm not sure of that. I do know the large magnums use more powder than non magnum rounds, which costs more.

As for recoil, the faster you push the same bullet out of a similar firearm, the more it will recoil. That is a fact of physics. If you want to hunt rabbits with an antiaircraft gun, it makes me no difference. I am simply stating that it is unnecessary....not unlike lots of things we do.