What gun do you use for deer hunting?

noggs · 11-18-2004, 08:42 PM

I live in Wisconsin, and deer gun season starts this saturday so im just wondering what u guys use?

Stl. boy · 11-18-2004, 09:14 PM

Winchester Model 70 chambered .270, Weaver 9x scope.
Both the rifle and scope are 30+ years old, but still shoots straight. Cant use it this year, hunting in Indiana and they only have muzzleloader and shotgun seasons, no rifles.

TacoDelRio · 11-19-2004, 04:07 AM

We don't use guns, we use RIFLES.

Depends on what you wanna spend. I personally like the Remington 700 CDL in .30-06 the most, as it is relatively cheap, very accurate, and has a very aesthetically pleasing stock that is comfortable to hold. It actually looks like somethign you wouldn't be ashamed to pass down to your grandkids without them thinking of you as a cheapskate. AND, it operates very smoothly!

I prefer those to Winchester 70's, especially since FN bought em out.

Just my $0.02!

DeltaWhisky58 · 11-19-2004, 05:25 AM

Scotland & Europe

.308W (7.62x51mm) Sauer 200: Schmidt u. Bender 8x86 & 6x42 scopes (EAW swing-off interchangeable mounts), 150gr Nosler handloads. Used for larger species (Red deer, Sika, Fallow) + wildboar.

.222R Custom CZ Mini-98: Zeiss 6x42 Scope, 50gr. Nosler handload. Used for our small native Roe deer (50-60lbs). Very effective!

I have also used the following calibres - 7x64mm (Superb); 6.5x54mm (Old and slow, but effective); .243W (excessive carcase damage in my experience); .30-06 (Need I say anything?).

SATANAS · 11-19-2004, 08:56 AM

M-14 BATTLE RIFLE .... 7.62 mm FULL METAL JACKET

Frens · 11-19-2004, 09:17 AM

20mm vulcan cannon

http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/...ten-vulcan.jpg

...for deer hunting, I would go with 7.62 or .223

DeltaWhisky58 · 11-19-2004, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SATANAS

M-14 BATTLE RIFLE .... 7.62 mm FULL METAL JACKET

Well that ain't going to be very humane to Bambi is it?

Werewolf01 · 11-19-2004, 10:58 AM

I use a Winchester model 94 .30-30. Where I hunt, you can't shoot more than 100 yards 99% of the time. I also use a Model 700 ADL .30-06 with a Refield 3-9X. Even a .30-06 is pretty strong medicine for a whitetail. You really don't need that much punch. I see a lot of guys running around the woods with everything from .300 Win Mag to (believe this or not) .375 H&H mag. Like I said where I live, you really can't shoot that far to warrant a belted magnum, and .375 H&H is simply rediculous and it drops like a rock over 100 yards. The last time I checked there weren't too many cape buffalo running around the Appalachains. Anybody who uses that much gun (unless it is their "one" gun a la Col. Cooper) is proabaly trying to compensate for a lack of virility.

As far as hunting with FMJ, yeah, you can, but it deosn't kill as cleanly and you will probably be humping for hours looking for the deer. I don't like the idea of losing a deer that may die slowy because I was too damn cheap to buy good ammo. Unless you want to make a lot of headshots (I only take these when there are no other options), use good expanding bullets. These are deer, not people...they don't wear body armor, and when they are shot their first reaction is not "Oh crap I am gonna die!", or "Hey let's get a dressing on this."...their first reaction is RUN! Anybody who has hunted deer any length of time knows from experience how far they can run with massive internal injuries. Don't fool around. You owe the animal respect.

Please don't hunt deer with a 5.56mm either. All it does is wound them. Most of the time the bullet never even enters the vitals. I have killed one deer that some idiot shot with a 5.56. It spalled out on the shoulder and I had to pick bits of jacket and core out of what otherwise would have been really good meat. My uncle has killed a deer in a similar state. Yes, of course you can kill deer with a .22lr or mag, and a lot of poachers do this, but let's refer back to the respect point.

Guys keep in mind this is hunting not sniping. Respect the animal. Don't get me wrong, hunt with any type of rifle you want (I have hunted with a M1A and an Hk91 before) just respect the animal enough to kill it cleanly.
My rant for the day. Thanks for letting me vent.

vryhpyammoadded · 11-19-2004, 11:07 AM

WWII surplus Enfield 303 mk4 with iron sights. Still the best dam deer, moose, caribou etc... rifle I've owned!

A smart shooting weapon! I can knock the head off a Turkey at 250m with that rifle. Yes I know, over kill and a bit... against the rules but it was fun anyway. Ok, so I got real lucky

DeltaWhisky58 · 11-19-2004, 12:46 PM

Werewolf01

I would agree with much of what you say - the same applies to the use of heavy calibres here in Europe. We get a lot of German/Austrain hunting guests over here in Scotland, many of whom are ridiculously over-gunned. Fortunately the use of FMJ bullets for deer hunting is illegal in most European countires.

As for the 5.56mm calibres, yes they are inadequate for North American deer, but here we have three small species - Roe, Muntjac & Chinese Water Deer (latter two in England only) - none over 70lbs live weight. The .22 centre-fires are legal for these in Scotland, although we only have the Roe deer, .222R, .223R, .22-250 and similar are all used to great effect on these small beasties. I have shot many Roe Deer with my .222 Rem., and with correct selection of bullet (Nosler BT 50gr) they often drop on the spot with minimal carcase damage. My wife took out a trophy roe buck a few years ago at well over 200yds with a .222!

Durandal · 11-19-2004, 12:49 PM

12 Ga 1100 semi-auto with slugs and a tube stopper to limit capacity to three rounds.

State law...

Non-black powder shotgun hunting last three whole days in Ohio.

No rifles permitted whatsoever.

James · 11-19-2004, 12:58 PM

.458 Winchester Magnum or .505 Gibbs for deer... bigger for larger critters.

DeltaWhisky58 · 11-19-2004, 01:28 PM

Hah, hah - if you can hadle them. Have you ever seen a .505 Gibbs round? Why not go the whole 9 yards and get yourself a .700 Holland then!

No worries here - both would be illegal here in Scotland owing to low muzzle velocity, but I have no doubts they'd kill deer.

I remember donkey's years ago seeing an article in Guns 'n Ammo Annual about a bunch of guys qwho called themselves the Pensylvania 1000yd. Deer Club. These guys set themselves up in long forest clearings - especially the ones where the power lines go through - with artillery rangefinders, high power spotting scopes and rifles build on the .378 Weatherby necked down to .30 cal. This must have been thrity years back, well before the days of modern long-range rifles and bullet-drop compensating scopes, but these guys got to tie on their tags each year.

Durandal · 11-19-2004, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaWhisky58

I remember donkey's years ago seeing an article in Guns 'n Ammo Annual about a bunch of guys qwho called themselves the Pensylvania 1000yd. Deer Club. These guys set themselves up in long forest clearings - especially the ones where the power lines go through - with artillery rangefinders, high power spotting scopes and rifles build on the .378 Weatherby necked down to .30 cal. This must have been thrity years back, well before the days of modern long-range rifles and bullet-drop compensating scopes, but these guys got to tie on their tags each year.

Wow, I think I would have paid money to see that.

James · 11-19-2004, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaWhisky58

Hah, hah - if you can hadle them. Have you ever seen a .505 Gibbs round? Why not go the whole 9 yards and get yourself a .700 Holland then!

.700 Holland is for pussies. It is like a 9mm to me.

11-18-2004, 08:42 PM	#1
noggs Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 204	What gun do you use for deer hunting? I live in Wisconsin, and deer gun season starts this saturday so im just wondering what u guys use?

11-18-2004, 09:14 PM	#2
Stl. boy Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: St. Louis Posts: 244	Winchester Model 70 chambered .270, Weaver 9x scope. Both the rifle and scope are 30+ years old, but still shoots straight. Cant use it this year, hunting in Indiana and they only have muzzleloader and shotgun seasons, no rifles.

11-19-2004, 04:07 AM	#3
TacoDelRio d3t14 fr0c3 ftw!1! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 12,503	We don't use guns, we use RIFLES. Depends on what you wanna spend. I personally like the Remington 700 CDL in .30-06 the most, as it is relatively cheap, very accurate, and has a very aesthetically pleasing stock that is comfortable to hold. It actually looks like somethign you wouldn't be ashamed to pass down to your grandkids without them thinking of you as a cheapskate. AND, it operates very smoothly! I prefer those to Winchester 70's, especially since FN bought em out. Just my $0.02!

11-19-2004, 05:25 AM	#4
DeltaWhisky58 Avoiding Asshats, Lying Low Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hating MP.Net on-screen advertising Posts: 12,582	Scotland & Europe .308W (7.62x51mm) Sauer 200: Schmidt u. Bender 8x86 & 6x42 scopes (EAW swing-off interchangeable mounts), 150gr Nosler handloads. Used for larger species (Red deer, Sika, Fallow) + wildboar. .222R Custom CZ Mini-98: Zeiss 6x42 Scope, 50gr. Nosler handload. Used for our small native Roe deer (50-60lbs). Very effective! I have also used the following calibres - 7x64mm (Superb); 6.5x54mm (Old and slow, but effective); .243W (excessive carcase damage in my experience); .30-06 (Need I say anything?).

11-19-2004, 08:56 AM	#5
SATANAS Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: HELMS DEEP Posts: 18	M-14 BATTLE RIFLE .... 7.62 mm FULL METAL JACKET

11-19-2004, 09:17 AM	#6
Frens Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: DAMN PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN ALLY! Posts: 2,407	20mm vulcan cannon http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/...ten-vulcan.jpg ...for deer hunting, I would go with 7.62 or .223

11-19-2004, 10:58 AM	#8
Werewolf01 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: WBG Posts: 2,232	I use a Winchester model 94 .30-30. Where I hunt, you can't shoot more than 100 yards 99% of the time. I also use a Model 700 ADL .30-06 with a Refield 3-9X. Even a .30-06 is pretty strong medicine for a whitetail. You really don't need that much punch. I see a lot of guys running around the woods with everything from .300 Win Mag to (believe this or not) .375 H&H mag. Like I said where I live, you really can't shoot that far to warrant a belted magnum, and .375 H&H is simply rediculous and it drops like a rock over 100 yards. The last time I checked there weren't too many cape buffalo running around the Appalachains. Anybody who uses that much gun (unless it is their "one" gun a la Col. Cooper) is proabaly trying to compensate for a lack of virility. As far as hunting with FMJ, yeah, you can, but it deosn't kill as cleanly and you will probably be humping for hours looking for the deer. I don't like the idea of losing a deer that may die slowy because I was too damn cheap to buy good ammo. Unless you want to make a lot of headshots (I only take these when there are no other options), use good expanding bullets. These are deer, not people...they don't wear body armor, and when they are shot their first reaction is not "Oh crap I am gonna die!", or "Hey let's get a dressing on this."...their first reaction is RUN! Anybody who has hunted deer any length of time knows from experience how far they can run with massive internal injuries. Don't fool around. You owe the animal respect. Please don't hunt deer with a 5.56mm either. All it does is wound them. Most of the time the bullet never even enters the vitals. I have killed one deer that some idiot shot with a 5.56. It spalled out on the shoulder and I had to pick bits of jacket and core out of what otherwise would have been really good meat. My uncle has killed a deer in a similar state. Yes, of course you can kill deer with a .22lr or mag, and a lot of poachers do this, but let's refer back to the respect point. Guys keep in mind this is hunting not sniping. Respect the animal. Don't get me wrong, hunt with any type of rifle you want (I have hunted with a M1A and an Hk91 before) just respect the animal enough to kill it cleanly. My rant for the day. Thanks for letting me vent.

11-19-2004, 11:07 AM	#9
vryhpyammoadded Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Guild of Calamitous Intent Posts: 2,205	WWII surplus Enfield 303 mk4 with iron sights. Still the best dam deer, moose, caribou etc... rifle I've owned! A smart shooting weapon! I can knock the head off a Turkey at 250m with that rifle. Yes I know, over kill and a bit... against the rules but it was fun anyway. Ok, so I got real lucky

11-19-2004, 12:46 PM	#10
DeltaWhisky58 Avoiding Asshats, Lying Low Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hating MP.Net on-screen advertising Posts: 12,582	Werewolf01 I would agree with much of what you say - the same applies to the use of heavy calibres here in Europe. We get a lot of German/Austrain hunting guests over here in Scotland, many of whom are ridiculously over-gunned. Fortunately the use of FMJ bullets for deer hunting is illegal in most European countires. As for the 5.56mm calibres, yes they are inadequate for North American deer, but here we have three small species - Roe, Muntjac & Chinese Water Deer (latter two in England only) - none over 70lbs live weight. The .22 centre-fires are legal for these in Scotland, although we only have the Roe deer, .222R, .223R, .22-250 and similar are all used to great effect on these small beasties. I have shot many Roe Deer with my .222 Rem., and with correct selection of bullet (Nosler BT 50gr) they often drop on the spot with minimal carcase damage. My wife took out a trophy roe buck a few years ago at well over 200yds with a .222!

11-19-2004, 12:49 PM	#11
Durandal I've got your hardwood.... right here Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Digging in and waiting it out... Posts: 8,664	12 Ga 1100 semi-auto with slugs and a tube stopper to limit capacity to three rounds. State law... Non-black powder shotgun hunting last three whole days in Ohio. No rifles permitted whatsoever.

11-19-2004, 12:58 PM	#12
James Molly747's husband. She kicks ass. Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Collierville, Tennessee Age: 35 Posts: 10,381	.458 Winchester Magnum or .505 Gibbs for deer... bigger for larger critters.

11-19-2004, 01:28 PM	#13
DeltaWhisky58 Avoiding Asshats, Lying Low Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hating MP.Net on-screen advertising Posts: 12,582	Hah, hah - if you can hadle them. Have you ever seen a .505 Gibbs round? Why not go the whole 9 yards and get yourself a .700 Holland then! No worries here - both would be illegal here in Scotland owing to low muzzle velocity, but I have no doubts they'd kill deer. I remember donkey's years ago seeing an article in Guns 'n Ammo Annual about a bunch of guys qwho called themselves the Pensylvania 1000yd. Deer Club. These guys set themselves up in long forest clearings - especially the ones where the power lines go through - with artillery rangefinders, high power spotting scopes and rifles build on the .378 Weatherby necked down to .30 cal. This must have been thrity years back, well before the days of modern long-range rifles and bullet-drop compensating scopes, but these guys got to tie on their tags each year.