Hard Luck

Buy a Blr in .358 win. it simply works ! If not a .308 will kill any deer in North america

goatbrother

There is also merrit in caliber, like bigger. Maybe a 358 or 35 whelen or 338-06. They aren't as explosive as smaller faster bullets but start out bigger and make a bigger hole. I have a single shot pistol in 35 remington, I've only shot 2 deer with it but it did the job just fine and the deer didn't go more than 50 feet after being shot. I have also shot deer with a 338 win mag, the one buck I shot with it fall flat on his face, of course I got him thru both shoulders breaking both front legs. Shot placement is the most important. If you hit them in the spine or brain they go down instantly and if you break both front legs they go right down too. Another thing I've noticed with the 35 rem and 338 mag is they didn't destroy as much meat as smaller faster bullets do and they penatrate better. On the other end I've also killed deer with a 22-250, hit in the spine the deer fell flat on the ground.

Just my nickle's worth of experiance.

cty100

I have killed at least 12 deer with my .308 and I killed 4 with a 30 06. The thing I have learned along the way is dont listen to the so called experts on where to shoot your deer. The .308 in 150 grain will penetrate the front side shoulder or ribs and will be under the hide on the back side with a corelokt bullet, thus transfereing the energy into the deer. Now about shot placement if the deer is not going to be put on the wall, and you like where he is standing shoot him in the neck will not move but straight down,another shot I like is in the fold of neck and shoulder, depending on angle same results. I used to only shoot deer in the heart, but deer run like crazy when shot in the heart and in my case always down a hill into a thicket where it is hard to get them out. Hopefully this was helpful
chris

gregrn43

Bronko is right on. I have shot deer with a 243 up to a 300 win mag, all will kill a deer if hit in the right place. I shoot a 30-06 alot it is one of my favorite guns. I have had mine since I turned 16 and I feel I shoot it better than any other because I am so use to it. If you want a deer to drop in its tracks try to bust through both front shoulder. I dont take this shot because of so much meat loss, but it will shore put them done quick.

Rebel Hog

Agree 100%..........I have killed 300+pound Black Bear with Win .30-30 Carbine......

Pro-Line

Salt...It really doesn't matter.

Any caliber mentioned will work well. Let's face it, deer are thin-skinned animals that are fairly easy to kill.

A shot from any "high powered" rifle will do the trick.

If you want just a deer gun with little recoil, I'd opt for the 7mm-08.
If you are thinking larger game down the road...maybe 30-06.

A11en

I subscribe to similar thinking as cty100 as it relates to energy transfer. Shooting deer with my .300WSM is effective, but the bullet is moving so quickly, it does not trasfer all its energy to the animal. I also have a .243 and .308 which work great on deer. Perhaps the utlimate in knockdown power has been the .12ga with slugs and my.44mag shooting 240gr bullets. They transfer 100% of their energy and the deer is usually taken off its feet.

Buck Hunter 1

Get the Rem 7600 PA carbine model in 3006 and you will have the gun you can hunt all game with. Bear, deer, ground hogs whatever in most of NA. It is also nice in the brush as it is easy to carry like your 30-30. I use the Remington core lokt in 180 grain and I have shot our to 300 yards to let the air out of a deer in a strip cut. Put a good 3X9 on it, do not scrimp on your scope spend as much money on optics as gun, especially w/ the Antler Restrictions on PA deer. Those fine optics will make it easier ti see them horns in the thick stuff and out in the hinter lands. You will not go wrong w/ that rig. Them gamelands can get a bit crowded and Kmarty, hit em' in the boiler room and yuo will be fine w/ 06". I like 06' can you tell?

RugerM77.270

Take your pick form any caliber mentioned or you are thinking about. I have dropped deer with a 270 and with a 30-30. What you must realize is its shot placement. Hit one behind the shoulder and it will run, if you push it by looking for it too soon it will run farther. If you hit one in the shoulder most of the time you will hit the scapula and jar the spine thus producing the DRT seneria. You need to know there is no sure way to knock a deer down every time and no magical bullet or caliber that less an RPG.

Superpig

You cannot go wrong with the 308 or 30-06. If you are looking for instant kills you can shoot for the front shoulder. This is where I shoot if I want to anchor a whitetail deer. Not all will drop on the spot but I have never trailed a deer more the 50 yards when shot clean through both shoulders. I use 120 gr. Hornady HP's out of my 25-06 loaded to about 2950 fps and have no trouble getting pass thru's with this load on deer. I live in Oklahoma so in my area a nice buck will only weight about 115-140 lbs field dressed.

I do prefer the 30-06 to the 308 as I think it is more adaptable to shooting 180 gr. bullets. However, there are factory loads available with nosler partitions or barnex tsx that will penetrate a deer stem to stern. Place any of these bullets through the front shoulders of any deer and it is impossible for him to go far. More than likely it will not move more than 10 feet.