Best caliber for Texas deer?
#22
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 73
RE: Best caliber for Texas deer?
I shoot a Ruger M77 in .270 spitting Federal 130gr. BTSP (Sierra bullet) zeroed at 25yds and hold dead+center out to 300 yds. The trajectory of the BTSP will reach +3in./-3in. out to 300yds, with that zero. The kill zone of the average deer is 10in. (heart/lung area) so a dead+center hold will be in the vital area, regardless of the distance, out to 300 yds.
They are just as dead, in the SC beanfields, with a .270 as with the Mag. calibers.
They are just as dead, in the SC beanfields, with a .270 as with the Mag. calibers.
#23
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location:
Posts: 486
RE: Best caliber for Texas deer?
Jason, I've got a used Remington 742 carbine in .30-06 that I picked up recently. It shoots fine, and came equipped with a Leupold Vari-X II 3-9x40. Pretty old rifle, and has a muzzle blast that'll wake the dead for miles around, but it's really a hoot.
I was wondering whether it was too much gun for a small deer. Maybe I could try lighter loads (maybe those Remington reduced-recoil loads or something).
I was wondering whether it was too much gun for a small deer. Maybe I could try lighter loads (maybe those Remington reduced-recoil loads or something).
#24
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: SA Texas
Posts: 81
RE: Best caliber for Texas deer?
I like my 7MAG. It was a hand me down from my old man, so it's not like I wnet out and chose to go big. Part of it is a macho thing, I suppose, but I can comfortably take this bad boy elk hunting, so it's versitile. And it knocks the snot out of whitetails.
Year before last, a guy I hunt with shot a buck with a .25-06 and caught the shot on video. Looked like a perfect lung shot and there was blood everywhere. We tracked that son of a gun for hours and never found him. The trail went about 500 yds and just ended. There were 5 of us tracking too! That is proabably an isolated incident, but right or wrong, I ain't taking no chances. If the Hammer comes out, there's something gonna die.
As far as hogs go, you never know if a monster boar is going to come to your stand where I hunt. I've seen a 300lb boar take .300 WINMAG with mild discomfort. Their skulls are like iron(like mine, my wife says)
Year before last, a guy I hunt with shot a buck with a .25-06 and caught the shot on video. Looked like a perfect lung shot and there was blood everywhere. We tracked that son of a gun for hours and never found him. The trail went about 500 yds and just ended. There were 5 of us tracking too! That is proabably an isolated incident, but right or wrong, I ain't taking no chances. If the Hammer comes out, there's something gonna die.
As far as hogs go, you never know if a monster boar is going to come to your stand where I hunt. I've seen a 300lb boar take .300 WINMAG with mild discomfort. Their skulls are like iron(like mine, my wife says)
#26
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location:
Posts: 250
RE: Best caliber for Texas deer?
This topic is a huge can of worms but the caliber also depends on the skill of the hunter. I would use the largest caliber you are comfortable with in the .30 cal range. The reason is, a .243 etc is a capable gun in skilled hands but I have tracked many a deer shot in the shoulder with this caliber because it didn't do the trick. A .270 can also give a hunter false confidence, I've also tracked a lot of wounded deer shot with this caliber.
I recommend a .308 or a .30-06 at least. Once you become more skilled a smaller caliber is ok but the small calibers do not have the "knock down power" to correct an ill placed shot.
Ryan Campbell
http://www.hossfly.com
I recommend a .308 or a .30-06 at least. Once you become more skilled a smaller caliber is ok but the small calibers do not have the "knock down power" to correct an ill placed shot.
Ryan Campbell
http://www.hossfly.com
#27
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location:
Posts: 118
RE: Best caliber for Texas deer?
ORIGINAL: Ol Gutshot
As far as hogs go, you never know if a monster boar is going to come to your stand where I hunt. I've seen a 300lb boar take .300 WINMAG with mild discomfort. Their skulls are like iron(like mine, my wife says)
As far as hogs go, you never know if a monster boar is going to come to your stand where I hunt. I've seen a 300lb boar take .300 WINMAG with mild discomfort. Their skulls are like iron(like mine, my wife says)