# Recommendations for a good Deer Rifle



## salmonslayer (Jan 4, 2009)

I am getting ready to move to southern Missouri from Alaska and looking for a recommendation for a good all around hunting rifle for the area. My primary up here is a Winchester Model 70 300 Win Mag which has been great but I am thinking I should sell it and buy something not so heavy and that wont punch into the next county.

I am thinking of a .243 or 7mm, any recommendations in those calibers or arguments on me keeping the 300 Win Mag? (I love the rifle but just dont see any use for it down south).

I havent hunted whitetails in years but am getting really motivated!!!!


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## Surge223 (Jun 27, 2008)

The .243 is a great choice for whitetails around here. Handloading opens up even more possibilities. The 30-30 is also very popular and it does a fine job.

I would go with a Savage with the Accutrigger on it in .243. Great price and a great shooter.


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## tallpaul (Sep 5, 2004)

if you hit well with that 300 there is no real reason not to keep it. If ya have the right spot there may be use for the long range capabilities the 300 offers.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Anything from a 243 up works well for Whitetail deer.
Maybe you should wait until the move to see what type of terrain you'll be hunting.

Around here the deer arent huge, but shots can be VERY long across the bean fields, or up close and personal in the swamps
In open country the 300 youre already familiar with may be a good choice


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## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

tallpaul said:


> if you hit well with that 300 there is no real reason not to keep it. If ya have the right spot there may be use for the long range capabilities the 300 offers.


very little of that long range oppertunity left here in the misery state, smallholdings are becoming the rule..public land to crowded for hail mary shots to be safe...more and more you have to be more about where yer bullet's is going...


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Ok .243 is Good but I've always liked the 30-06 but then again the people I've been talking to the last few years are turning to the .270.

big rockpile


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## hillbillly (Jun 28, 2009)

7 mm bolt action with scope won't do you wrong.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

I've shot a 280 Improved for a long time and love it. DW got her elk with it last year. The standard 280 would work just as well.


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## Murray in ME (May 10, 2002)

If I wanted to go to a lighter, handier rifle I'd look at a Remington Model 7, chambered in either .260 Rem., 7mm-08 or .308. If I could afford it, I'd get a Kimber Model 84M Montana in one of the calibers above. Or maybe the good old .257 Roberts. The Ruger Ultralight and several others would fill the bill as well.

If I didn't want to go that much lighter/shorter, I think I'd just keep the .300. Unless of course I just wanted another rifle.


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Anything from a 243 up works well for Whitetail deer.


I agree.

Anything in .243, .257, .264, .270, etc. will do fine. One caveat, though. While any of the cartridges will do an excellent job, ammo availability is a consideration. My son has a .280, which is a great cartridge, but ammo is difficult to find. If you stick with the more common cartridges like .243, or .270 ammo will be more readily available.


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## swamp man (Dec 25, 2005)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Anything from a 243 up works well for Whitetail deer.
> Maybe you should wait until the move to see what type of terrain you'll be hunting.


Yep, can't really make a solid choice until you know what kind of ranges you'll be looking at.

That said, I'd lean towards a common chambering, what with ammunition being more difficult to come across these days.

Inside of 150 yds, or a little more with the pointy polymer tips, there's nothin' wrong with a .30-.30. I'm plenty comfortable with my lowly marlin lever action in .44 mag, I just wouldn't try to go all "Carlos Hathcock" with it....it's a pleasure to tote through the brush, though. Tryin' to drag a long, scoped rifle through brush so thick you can barely crawl through it is a huge hassle.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Hunted in South/western Missouri for several years. My hunting partner used his 30-06,as well as his FIL also 30-06.
Used my 7 mm mag and killed some pretty big bucks.

If It were me, and cost wasn't a factor, I would keep the 300 Win mag but add a .270, 30-06, 30-30 or some such.

I have been in the position, where you have to question your rash actions, "Man, I wish I wouldn't have gotten rid of my (fill in the blank)..........."
Terrain will dictate which rifle to use.


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## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

Hi SS
Rather than spending money on a new rifle, could I suggest instead that you look into getting a reloading kit. For less money than a new rifle you could handload light starting loads for the .300 that would be about the same power level as a .308/.30-06. Less kick, but you still have your favorate rifle ready if you get the chance to visit Alaska again some time.

My first rifle was a 7mm Mag and I did just that for deer hunting. I loaded mine to 7mm Mauser levels and the deer I shot fell over dead just as fast as with a magnum loading!
Michael


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## salmonslayer (Jan 4, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies guys. I absolutely love the Model 70 and the .300 Win Mag is such a flat shooter. I have bagged everything from a brown bear to a mountain goat (at about 400 yards across a draw) with it and I am afraid of really regretting myself as hunter63 says if I got rid of it. The problem is that my knees are shot now and being realistic I doubt I will go on very many hunts in the future where I need that distance and power; plus, I have the synthetic stock and stainless barrel with a Leopold 3x9 and it weighs about 8 pounds w/o ammo. I am not sure thats ideal for using in a tree stand. As for loads, I have used everything from 160 - 220 grain but tend to stick to around 180 grain loads; I dont reload myself but with the price of this ammo I may have to look into it (about $25-30.00 a box here for cheapo ammo).

Its a quandry because at the start of the hunting season up here I could probably get $800.00 - $850.00 for it but I'm not so sure I could sell it for that much in Missouri. I did look at the Savage .243 and they offer a package deal right now with the synthetic stock, scope, accutrigger, etc. for $505.00....if I had the money I'd get that for my wife for our anniversary!!

I like the .30-.30 too Swampman and use an old model 94 with open sights as my bush gun when hunting the small coastal Sitka Blacktail deer here. I was stationed in Missouri in the early 90s and used to hunt with a .25.06 but I will probably take the advice to wait until I get there to see what the locals recommend and then throw some money into the economy there. 

I just really look forward to hunting whitetails, hogs and turkeys again, and its very enjoyable thinking about it and planning.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> I just really look forward to hunting whitetails, *hogs* and turkeys again, and its very enjoyable thinking about it and planning.


If youre going to hunt hogs, you may want something heavier than the 243.
It CAN kill them, but youre limited in bullet weights to a max of around 100-115 grains

I'd look at a 7mm/08 where you can get heavier bullets without a lot more recoil than the 243


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## swamp man (Dec 25, 2005)

salmonslayer said:


> Thanks for all the replies guys. I absolutely love the Model 70 and the .300 Win Mag is such a flat shooter. I have bagged everything from a brown bear to a mountain goat (at about 400 yards across a draw) with it and I am afraid of really regretting myself as hunter63 says if I got rid of it. The problem is that my knees are shot now and being realistic I doubt I will go on very many hunts in the future where I need that distance and power; plus, I have the synthetic stock and stainless barrel with a Leopold 3x9 and it weighs about 8 pounds w/o ammo. I am not sure thats ideal for using in a tree stand. As for loads, I have used everything from 160 - 220 grain but tend to stick to around 180 grain loads; I dont reload myself but with the price of this ammo I may have to look into it (about $25-30.00 a box here for cheapo ammo).
> 
> Its a quandry because at the start of the hunting season up here I could probably get $800.00 - $850.00 for it but I'm not so sure I could sell it for that much in Missouri. I did look at the Savage .243 and they offer a package deal right now with the synthetic stock, scope, accutrigger, etc. for $505.00....if I had the money I'd get that for my wife for our anniversary!!
> 
> ...


Man, if you can get $800-$850 for it there, I'd sell it. For that kind of cheddar, you could pick up a nice brush rifle, a flat-shooter, and probably a serviceable pump shotgun too, if ya' shop hard.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

salmonslayer said:


> The problem is that my knees are shot now and being realistic I doubt I will go on very many hunts in the future where I need that distance and power; plus, I have the synthetic stock and stainless barrel with a Leopold 3x9 and it weighs about 8 pounds w/o ammo. I am not sure thats ideal for using in a tree stand.


I hear you there, but at the same time, as I am also getting older, I find myself leaning towards the bigger, flat shooting, good knock-down power.

I am not spending as much time "bird-dogging, punching brush, pushing deer for others", where the 30-30's .44 mags, 45/70's, short range, hard hitting small brush guns excel.

Rather, I tend to pick a good spot, good field of vision, even a tree stand, where that long range, flat shooter, knock them down now, load, excels.
If I can see it, I can kill it, and don't have to chase it.

P.S. One hunter partner uses a .300 win mag here in WI, and I won a .300 wsm at a dinner, that's scoped up ready to go, but my "go to" is still my 7mm mag.
Just my 2 cents.


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

Anybody use a .223 on deer?
I know they'll mess up a coyote, but I've never used one on deer.


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## salmonslayer (Jan 4, 2009)

I think you all have helped me decide to keep my rifle and buy something later when i check out the situation; good points all around about needing some power for hogs, finding a good spot and waiting etc. My wife read the thread and reminded me how miserable I would be if I got rid of the rifle. I dont have a lot of money so I've decided to put $25 a month aside for my gun fund to be ready for next season...the anticipation is half the fun.

As for the .223, I shot a deer with my Colt Sporter AR-15 (since given to my oldest son) and it entered the shoulder and came out the other side mid rib cage and was a mess. I dont know if it was just bad luck but it wasnt pretty.


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## swamp man (Dec 25, 2005)

salmonslayer said:


> I think you all have helped me decide to keep my rifle and buy something later when i check out the situation; good points all around about needing some power for hogs, finding a good spot and waiting etc. My wife read the thread and reminded me how miserable I would be if I got rid of the rifle. I dont have a lot of money so I've decided to put $25 a month aside for my gun fund to be ready for next season...the anticipation is half the fun.
> 
> As for the .223, I shot a deer with my Colt Sporter AR-15 (since given to my oldest son) and it entered the shoulder and came out the other side mid rib cage and was a mess. I dont know if it was just bad luck but it wasnt pretty.


Sounds like you married a smart woman.

For them hogs (and this is just one man's opinion), most any useable deer calibre will do fine, but with a bullet that don't fragment or open up so quick....you wan't somethin' that'll bust through that plate (which can be suprisingly tough), and keep on truckin', like a cast or JSP.

Good huntin'.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Cornhusker said:


> Anybody use a .223 on deer?
> I know they'll mess up a coyote, but I've never used one on deer.


They will KILL a deer, but lots of times you dont get full penetration , and as a result, NO blood trail
It would never be my first choice of calbers


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## netexan (Jan 3, 2008)

If I were you I'd keep the 300. You have several different choices of loads for it, you know the gun, you're comfortable w/ it and obviously, after reading your other posts, you can shoot it quite well. Furthermore, and please feel free to correct me here Paul if I'm wrong on any of this as I'm workin' from memory w/ less than 1 cup of coffee in me, there isn't a vast amount of difference between your 300 and the '06 other than 200-250 fps and the price of ammo, the differences between your 300 and the 7mm Rem Mag are even less; .022" of bullet diameter, different bullet weights and slightly different ballistic coefficiencies but IMO not nearly a big enough difference to sell what your used to. JMO


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## tinknocker66 (Jul 15, 2009)

I have a 7mm Rem Mag it does deer up to elk its a great gun


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## keyhole (Dec 2, 2008)

The .243 or 7mm are just fine. The .300 WM is a little big but you would definitely know when you hit something!!!!

I use a variety of different rounds. .223, .308, 7.62 x 39 and a big .338/06 AI for bear and hogs!!! 

Good Luck with your choice!!


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## YuccaFlatsRanch (May 3, 2004)

270. Sight in at 200 yds and it will shoot virtually point blank out to 350+ yds. It makes it too easy.


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## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

SS, did you see the news story about the 558lb hog that someone just shot in Oklahoma?
http://www.newsok.com/sports/outdoors

Maybe you'd better hold on to that .300 magnum just in case something wanders in from next door.


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## salmonslayer (Jan 4, 2009)

Man that was a big hog. So now I've been kind of doing my wish list and shopping around deaming and I dont know if any of you have priced a new rifle lately but there are huge differences in prices. Even on line the .243 Savage package deal varies from about $500 to over $650 for the same gun and set up..I am wondering if that has something to do with state taxes where the seller is or something.

I also been looking at the .243 or 30-06 Savage with the wood stock and regular barrel with bluing...much cheaper at about $350.00. If I can find something for around $300 I might be able to buy this year and test it out up here before moving...going to check out Wal Mart and Fred Meyers this weekend.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Well I'm more of a meat hunter and want the most meat for my money. So I wouldn't go much bigger then a 243. I once operated a deer processing shop for a few short years and the people that took home the most meat from their kill was the people using the lighter calibers. Good shot placement is the key.


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