The Deer Rifle

[bubba]

Late to jump in, but I bought a savage axis in 7-08.  I took the bushnel off that came with it and replaced it with a nikon buckmasters 3x9x40.  140 grain remington corelokt and 41 grains of varget and it shoots inch and a half groups at 100 yards.  I personally am one who handloads to get the optimal out of a gun.  Then when I get there, I find that gun boring and either trade it or i tends up sitting in the safe.  Not this one, I really like the way it handles, shoots and feels o n my shoulder.

[pawle76]

I've shot the bigger stuff forever. I have to tell you guys with over 70 or 80 deer done for.... three things on whiteys that matter the most when it comes to deer rifles:

1- shot placement

2- shot placement

3- shot placement

That said in my late middle age years, I'm done with long sessions at the range pounding my shoulder with harder recoil calibers. I'm now a dyed in the wool fan of the 243 Win. I have one in a Savage 14. The gun is a shooter - super acurate, light to carry and really supurbly made. I load it myself with a max charge of Varget and either 100 gr Gamekings or Interlocks. They both print the same for me at 100 yds. If I was shooting commercial (asssuming there was any to be had) I'd probaby try the Hornady American Whitetail (I think that's the name). At least then you're getting a well constructed bullet.

I also think for all of its virtues, the 243 does better as a longer distance rifle and I use it when I'm stand hunting mostly. Our ladders do well setting up 80 to 120 yd shots. For drives, I still prefer the 35 Rem in the Marlin 336. Reason being, it's fast handeling, comes up to my shoulder quickly, carrys plenty of mail to get the attention of a big deer on the move. The kind that don't move from cover until you're practically steping over them. It's a small rifle and good in tight cover which is what I like when I jump a deer on a drive. I also use varget in that with a 200 gr Hornady. It give me a 1.5" at 100 yds. The heavy round nose bullet is a pile driver round. Three years ago on a drive a deer winded the post shooter and ran back towards the drivers.. At 35 yds I hit him through the neck headon. I found the bullet completely musroomed under his hide on his hip. The bullet ssmashed things in his chest outside of the wound channel. It took two leaps after I fired and flopped over. The kind of shot where his eyes say TILT.

If I was gonna hunt whitetail forever in NY, I'd be fine with just those two rifles (don't tell my wife that). The recoil in both is milder than an 06 or a 270, and way softer than big cousin 300's. Back to shot placement. I've seen disasters happen at 20 yards with 500 S&W's becuase of bad placement. I once saw a deer run past my stand with its guts hanging out from an idiot who missed on the land behind us. He uses a 300 WSM. He aditted he didn't have a shot when he touched off the round. You can't fix stupid I guess.

Bottom line get a quality rifle that you can afford, with descent glass and practice shooting it a lot. Be really comfortable with your choice. Only take high percentage shots and you'll put deer on the dirt everytime. Okay, I'm done.

I'm absolutely with you on your second rifle of choice the Marlin in .35 rem. I'm a 3rd generation .35 shooter I own other rifles in great calibers but every opening morning I just can't seem to get out of the cabin with out that great lever action in my hands ! It just does the job and does it well. Last year I took my first black bear with the .35 it was quartering towards me, shot him through his chest under his chin the bullet came out his off armpit breaking his shoulder and he only ran 30-40 yards. That Hornady leverevolution really did a number on him. That rifle will always be with me in deer camp.

[rotorooter23]

25-06 is a ground round with little recoil for deer, also gives you capability to lighter grain bullets to varmint hunt.

[Hock3y24]

Take a look at 25.06, that's my backup rifle to my 308.

[bquimby1]

Look at the Savage Model 11/111 packages.  I just bought the Nikon package in .270 and like it.  Don't discount the Marlin lever guns in .30-30.  Also make sure you buy a caliber for which you can get ammo; .308 is hard to come by; .30-30, .270 and 7mm seem to be available.

[Doc]

Ok, I can now officially say that he .270 works awesome ....... twice. It works good at 150 yards and it works good at 15 yards.....lol.

[Lawdwaz]

Ok, I can now officially say that he .270 works awesome ....... twice. It works good at 150 yards and it works good at 15 yards.....lol.

 

Details??

 

I'm too tired to search.........................grin. 

 

Congrats!!

[NFA-ADK]

Very Nice DOC!!!  Congrats!  Pics?

 

All this talk about guns is FUN!  A gun is like owning a car, you can argue many things but all will get you from point A to point B, if you are skilled enough with it.  Shoot often so when the time comes, SHOOTING will not be the issue because the gun will be on target waiting...  And be Safe!!!

[Doc]

I seldom take any pictures of does. Also, I was working at warp-speed trying to get them off the hill and out of the heat. By the time I got them gutted, it was already close to 50 degrees with the sun beating down on them ..... And I still had to get them off the hill (2 deer at once). It seems the older I get the more I wind up in situations that test my endurance ... lol. It gets pretty time consuming and tiresome to drag one deer a ways and then climb back uphill to get the next one, all the while carrying a gun and pack. I didn't take the ATV up (like a dummy), so it was all hand dragging.

 

What I did do, was to take some pictures at the processor's place. I have no idea how many deer he had there but it was a crazy scene. And some of the racks that I saw were just awesome. I have to download them from the camera, and I will post a few.