# Best Caliber for Whitetail Deer



## Sea Rover (Jan 15, 2008)

I have a hunting trip coming up and I want to buy a proper new deer rifle. All the guns I own now besides a 30-30 are set up for target shooting. Frankly this is just an excuse to buy a new gun! 

I was raised that .270 was the best all around caliber for deer hunting in the south. But when I went to a local gun shop and asked to see .270 rifles for deer hunting you’d thought I was asking for a .50cal to hunt with by their reaction. They recommend.243 instead. My experience with gun stores has always been they are pretty cocky know it alls and this may be the case but I thought I’d ask the experienced hunters here. I’m only looking at mainstream calibers, easy to find and will be here down the road.

Is .270 too much for deer around here and in Alabama? If so is .243 really the better option? And does anyone hunt with a .223 bolt gun with success, I ask because I have a .223 bolt gun I love already?


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## Achim2 (Apr 25, 2011)

Here we go again 

.270 is not to much for deer


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## Walton County (Aug 23, 2016)

270 is great. 

In my opinion it all depends on where you are hunting. Beanfield/shooting house rifle, swamps, dense woods, are all going to have better suited rifles.

You can kill a deer with a .22 or a 50cal. Personally, for general hunting, i like 30-06 and 308. 

If i was looking for a flat shooting bean field gun, I would probably go with a 6.5 creedmoor or a 260.


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## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

I wouldn't go back to a store that tells it's customers that a .243 is the best chambering for deer hunting.
Get a 30/06 and you will be set for just about anything in North America.
Nothing wrong with a .270, a .308 or a 30/30 for that matter, depending on how long your shots are.


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## stevenattsu (Apr 24, 2009)

Just a word of advice. Only ******** will say a 300 mag


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## Sea Rover (Jan 15, 2008)

Achim2 said:


> Here we go again
> 
> .270 is not to much for deer



I was worried this was going to be like asking what’s everyone’s favorite boat brand! Haha


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## stevenattsu (Apr 24, 2009)

30-06 and 270 is what Ive used all my life


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## MikeH (Jul 14, 2009)

This is the same as asking who makes the best truck...at the end of the day they will all get the job done. I shoot a .270wsm, and drive Ford trucks. My next "hunting gun" will probably be a .308 just because of more ammo options.(next truck will still be a Ford though)


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## blufire42 (Oct 28, 2015)

Last year I took my first deer (and two more). All taken with a .308. 
One dropped right where it stood (neck shot), the other two went about 30yrds.
Just a newbie hunter's $0.02


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## Sea Rover (Jan 15, 2008)

I appreciate everyone’s feedback. I’m going to stick with buying a .270 as I originally planned, I just wanted to check with the experience here to make sure I wasn’t over doing it. Thank you guys this is what makes this an awesome resource!


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

My first deer rifle was a 243. Ruger M77 Hawkeye. Accurate little gun, but not cut out for swamp hunting. Went to .30-06 and never have felt underpowered or that anything was out of range. Like said above, .270, .308 or .30-06 will take any animal in North America. I did buy a 6.5 CM last year and that is a nice round. Shoot 2 boxes out of it and not feel it. That being said, I'm looking for a .300 Win Mag, just not for deer.


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## OHenry (Apr 28, 2011)

Jack O'Conner says .270.
I agree but for the last 6-7 years I've been shooting a Ruger #1 in 2506; the bullet has failed to pass through several deer and I dropped one twice and lost it... So.. yeah. .270 for the win for flat long distance. 30-30 in the sticks.
But as someone stated.; buy a 30-06 and it will kill anything in North America.


Edit. All of the fancy calibers you will hear are nice but the ammo is expensive and only located at the big box stores and expensive gun stores. You can buy a box of 270 for $12.00 at any Walmart.


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## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

I chose a .270 several years ago and have no regrets. The main reason for .270 over the 30.06 is the reduced recoil. Plenty of ammo in most every store in the country that sells ammo.


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## 192 (Oct 1, 2007)

Hunted with and killed a pile of animals with a .308 for 30 years. 6.5CM and 444 Marlin are my grocery getters of choice now.

The “best” is whatever weapon/chambering you are comfortable with and your ability to perform with it.


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

Jesus shoots a .308

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## billyb (Aug 22, 2012)

I wish I had never sold my Browning lever action in 7mm08. I use a Ruger 44 magnum in the swamp. I have a Ruger American Compact 308 that I would sell.


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

.270 is boring AF


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## YELLOWCAT (Oct 25, 2017)

270, 30-06,308 all are good. Add some barnes bullets if you want to do yourself a favor.


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

John B. said:


> Jesus shoots a .308
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


The Mexican?


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

Bullet selection and shot placement are more important than rifle chambering. Change my mind.

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## Big Ave (Apr 2, 2012)

Hunted with a .243, 308 and a .270, I prefer the .270 because of the knockdown and range. Killed everything from a 200+ pound deer to a 200+ hog with it. I hunt from the swamp to the open fields with it and love it. 130 grain soft point bullet is all u need.


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## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

All my hunting was in Pa. I used a .270 and loaded 110 to 180gr dependent on where I was hunting. That gun killed alot of deer.


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## lettheairout (Mar 11, 2008)

I've got a .308. 2 .270 a .243. .270 short mag.
Next rifle will be 7mm-08. All calibers will kill a deer. Shot placement and a quality bullet. 

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## lastcast (Oct 12, 2007)

Next one I'ma gonna jump outa a tree and hit em in the head with a rock!


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

.460 Wby. It will not only kill the deer, but it will skin it and turn most of it into burger. Plus, it will clear a path all the way to the deer so you can drive your truck to it. One shot does it all.

Seriously, dead center in the middle of all the popular deer cartridges is the 7MM08. Not too big, not too small, not too fast, not too slow, comes in short action rifles that are lighter to carry, and it's slightly more potent than the latest fad caliber - 6.5 Creedmoor.


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## spearfisher59 (Jan 3, 2016)

270 is a good round but if you go with a 30-06 it will be the only big game gun you will ever need


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## fishboy (Oct 6, 2007)

7-08 for me, super soft recoil and plenty of killing power, but I’m going to punch at least 1 or 2 holes with my new 300wm this season just for fun


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## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

*Base your choice on where you hunt.*

Personally, I think a 30.06 is a great choice because of the availability of multiple bullet types and weights OTC. 

My first deer (big heavy 10 point) was killed with a 7/8 ounce load of #8 shot from my 20 Gauge Lefever double. One shot, right barrel. He hit the ground and didn't even kick. The range was about 8 feet. I was 12 or maybe 13 at the time, hunting by myself about 3 miles from home. My Llewelen Setter never knew the Buck was around until she dang near stuck her nose up the deer's butt.
She found a covey of Quail 50 feet off HWY 150 just east Of Bessemer. I watched several birds land in a ditch that ran through the field and sicced Belle on them. (we were headed down wind so I planed to work back into the wind so she'd have a better opportunity to smell the birds) I had just told her to hunt when she all but ran into the buck which dang near ran over me..

I'd never seen a deer before but I had seen a track or two in the area. There were dang few deer around Bessemer in those days. My Dad had never seen one although we hunted most Saturdays.

I managed to drag it to the highway and managed to flag down a passing truck. The driver was Carter Vardeman, our across the street neighbor.

My Mom dang near had a heart attack when she saw us unload the Deer in our back yard.. Hard to believe. That was around Christmas in 1955. It makes me pretty old to think about it.

Luck was the key but having fired hundreds of rounds through that little double helped too. The pattern was about 3" across, dead center in the deer's neck about 5" behind his head.

In my 30's I killed 4 or 5 with my Browning T-bolt .22 while squirrel hunting. Every one of them collapsed with little more than a kick though I wouldn't recommend hunting deer with a .22.


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## delta dooler (Mar 6, 2008)

No such thing as “best”, different calibers for different situations. 

My favs

1. Tight woods/swamp. .444 Marlin
2. Pipeline/power line, .300wm
3. At night on side of road, .22 mag
4. I like a 7mm08, 30/06 also, just picked up a .270 that I plan on using quite a bit this season to get a feel for it. 


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## IM4MOPAR (Mar 10, 2011)

stevenattsu said:


> Just a word of advice. Only ******** will say a 300 mag


I'm ALL "neck"!! 300 Win Mag erryday, Murica:thumbup:


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## Yellow River Cat (May 3, 2008)

In the brush 30-30 Win. or 12 gauge out in the open 30-06 


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## CLJ (Feb 12, 2013)

7mm-08. 120 gr sp. Barely kicks and knocks em flat


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## FastXD (Sep 23, 2009)

I would go with a .308 or 30-06, they can both be used to hunt anything in North America and you can get Ammo just about anywhere. A .270 is a good caliber but I don’t think it offers what the other 2 offer.


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## Whompuscat (Mar 11, 2009)

I have three 30-06's and I now hunt with the bolt action one I own, started out with a Winchester 30-30 that I have owned for 50 years and still have it, may take it out this year during "doe days" and give it another opportunity to perform. I think you received some good advice in the previous posts and agree that while the .243 will kill a deer it would be my last choice of the ones mentioned. Good luck on your hunting trip.


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## fairpoint (May 9, 2013)

If its just one shot...I would take my smokeless ml. .40 cal 325 grain pittman accumax at 3000 ft/sec. will kill anything in North america in its tracks without a doubt.....and at 400 yds...
30.06 cant do that or a 300mag....


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

fairpoint said:


> If its just one shot...I would take my smokeless ml. .40 cal 325 grain pittman accumax at 3000 ft/sec. will kill anything in North america in its tracks without a doubt.....and at 400 yds...
> 30.06 cant do that or a 300mag....


Are you saying a .30-06 and a 300 Win Mag can't drop game at 400 yds?


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## spearfisher59 (Jan 3, 2016)

fairpoint said:


> If its just one shot...I would take my smokeless ml. .40 cal 325 grain pittman accumax at 3000 ft/sec. will kill anything in North america in its tracks without a doubt.....and at 400 yds...
> 30.06 cant do that or a 300mag....


good luck!!


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## Nat Hat (Jun 16, 2019)

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought, this is going to be entertaining.

Thanks PFF, you didn't disappoint!


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