RedAllison

17 HMR (thats what I would shoot at a " dictator" in the U.S.)

As for " minimums" (boy you gonna hurt some feelings in TX with this topic!) I would prefer the .224TTH.

Handguns: 357 Mag. (What can be done with a 41 can be done with a 357!)

Now what do I PREFER?
308 Lazzeroni Warbird and a 454 Casull.


RA

neweboarhunter

.25 caliber minimum rifle

.44 caliber minimum pistol



Yeah the .224 TTH (Texas Trophy Hunters (JOKE) Them dudes need ran off T.V. They were using that cartridge on Nilgai. What a JOKE. No .223 caliber should be used on big game no matter the bullet weight. end of story. LOL, and the TTH needs it, NBH[>:]

Briman

.223
.357

James B

I will be doing my hunting this year with the 257 Roberts. Our area is dominated by big mule deer. I have to send my new 280 back to NEF for a trigger job. I will have my 22-250 along for some coyote hunting and I would not hesitate to whack a deer with that if it was the only gun I had with me at the time. I have droped several deer in thier tracks with the 22-250 with Nosler 60 grain Partitions. I would however not put myself in that position on purpose. I will take along the old trusty 6.5x55 which I think may just be one of the best deer rifles around. I will be hunting for about two weeks in different types of cover and terrain.

Split-Hoof

I would consider the .22 Hornet to be a minimun for rifle hunting whitetails. However, it would not be recommended by me for an inexperienced hunter.

I am not a handgun hunter, so I have no opinion on that one.

RedAllison

Newboar, how many deer have you shot with a 22 centerfire? In TX they are HEAVILY used and most are many times less powerful than the 224TTH. A custom made, heavily constructed 22cal bullet weighing 80grns and fired at 3800+fps IS a serious contender for ANY deer when the bullet is stuck where it will do the most good. What other rifle in a short action that can group well under .5" at 100yds, that is very light handling for women and children, yet still has NO recoil but enough power to still smoke em to 400yds, exists?

I have a son that will be 8 next month (and two more children right behind him) and while I am still thinking about the 700ADL Youth in 243 for simplicity, I have never written off a custom built 224TTH for the perfect beginner rifle. The 22 isnt legal for deer in my homestate, but when was the last time the game warden asked to see anything but your license and kill? The gun is considerably more powerful than a 243 and no-one doubts the effectiveness of that fine lil round.

As for shooting nilgai with them, under controlled situations and with a good neck shot, this lil gun will bring down anything with a pulse! Dont be so quick to condemn others for something you have never used. The gun is like carrying a lasergun, it has no recoil, its trajectory is amazing but it has no awesome muzzleblast like a supermag. Combined with custom bullets that are heavier and much better performers on big game than is normal with other 22s, it adds up to a hell of a lil round. A 22 Cheetah or 220 Swift with custom bullets and a different than normal rate of twist will likewise turn in similar results!

Its ALL about having fun and making things go BANG!
RA

aunsaber

You' all shoot what you want, but for me .257 is minimum and 44 mag. in a handgun.
But my real prefferance is a big enough bullet that you don' t need to worry about expansion. I.E. some of the old calibers shooting big junks of lead.
A big hard cast bullet does wonders. IMO

Danny45

25.06 and 357 magnum.

I wouldn' t mind having a .44 mag on my hip, and a 44 mag carbine in my hands though.

neweboarhunter

RedAllison,

My comments about the .223TTH were NOT directed at you. They were meant for the idiots who run the T.V. show Texas Trophy Hunters. They were trying to sell their cartridge and was talking a lot of B.S. about how it can take just about any game animal. You say how this is a good cartridge for kids and new hunters because of the low recoil and flat shooting. I would have to say that any kid or hunter that could not handle a .243, .250 savage, .257 roberts, 6mm Rem should probably not be hunting deer with a centerfire rifle, after all these cartridges have less recoil than most 20gauge loads. The flat shooting effects of the .223TTH is a mute point, new hunters and kids should not be taking shots past 150-200 yards in the first place. I am not condemning you Red you hunt with what you want to. I will disagree however, making things go bang is terrific when shooting pests, varmints, targets, etc. When you have your crosshairs on a game animal it is about the quickest kill, leave the minor calibers for varmints and step up to the majors for game animals.

formula1

I' ll weigh in on this one.

Rifle .270 or larger - but I do believe Jack O' Conner was right about the .270.
Pistol - .357 is a good miminum, but with right conditions, I might shoot one with my 9mm.

I also prefer big chunks of lead for close in setups, so I say that .450 Marlin is perfect. But to each his own!!!