Most Versatile Caliber for NY Hunting?

[CFD914]

New to hunting, been fishing all my life and enjoy the outdoors, and looking to be outside and be active outside throughout the year. I have taken the hunter education course, and currently at the range with a 22lr. However, looking to purchase a center fire, what in your experience, would be the most versatile caliber for deer hunting in New York?

 

Thanks in advance

[stoneam2006]

Just deer hunting or ny hunting in general

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[CFD914]

NY Hunting, not going to limit to only deer,

[stoneam2006]

I'd look at a .243 30-30 and a 7mm-08 but there's others out there. Different rounds for each caliber will allow you to take down anything from woodchuck to bear with correct ballistics and shot placement....another question for you is what range are you trying to hunt/shoot at that will make a lil difference in caliber choice as well.

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[CFD914]

In my opinion, I would feel comfortable at 100 yards at this time. At the range, I have been grouping at 100 and 200 yards, but with a 22. At the range someone told me a 30-06 in 180 grain for NY.

 

I am new, and looking to learn through the forum as well as by practice. Thank you for your time

[stoneam2006]

Yea 30-06 is another great caliber. Almost any caliber will hunt ny nicely with proper rounds and shot placement. Just gotta try and shoot a few see what kind of recoil you want or don't want and check out ammo prices too. Different cal have different prices

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[stoneam2006]

.270 is another one too

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[Four Season Whitetail's]

NY Hunting, not going to limit to only deer,

If you are going to hunt small and big game and only one gun can be pushed into the budget then i would say a nice 12 or 20 gauge combo with a riffled barrel and scope for deer. That will get the job done for a year or two before you can pick up a nice rifle.

[Elmo]

If you are going to hunt small and big game and only one gun can be pushed into the budget then i would say a nice 12 or 20 gauge combo with a riffled barrel and scope for deer. That will get the job done for a year or two before you can pick up a nice rifle.

I was going to say the same thing. With a change of the barrel, you can hunt anything in NY as well as the fact that some places won't allow center-fires but pretty much every where allows shotguns.

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[Woodjr55]

I'd start with a Mossberg 500 combo from dicks sporting goods for around 300 bucks you can hunt anything in New York and being that deer season is short your better off with something that you can chase other game with

[stoneam2006]

I have hunted with a mossberg 500 my whole life great gun for the money....lots of choices

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[Four Season Whitetail's]

I have a Mossy in 20 Gauge and she will cut holes in paper with Hornady sst shells. I choose that over my Wby 300 Mag many times a year.

[518BowSlayer]

I'd start with a Mossberg 500 combo from dicks sporting goods for around 300 bucks you can hunt anything in New York and being that deer season is short your better off with something that you can chase other game with

Couldn't agree more! I had a Mossberg 500 20 gauge combo for years and loved it. Then my girlfriend got into hunting so I bought the exact same combo in 12 gauge and gave her the 20. Comes with a smooth bore vented rib barrel and a fully rifled barrel with a scope. I use it for deer and turkey but you could use it for bear, waterfowl, or small game too. Plus you can use it almost anywhere in the state. Best bang for your buck in my opinion! But if you have to get a rifle, probably better off with a 30-06. Now that you can't buy ammo online in NY anymore, 30-06 rounds are easier to find than some other calibers.

[fu2lmao]

Most versatile caliber in NYS= .223, although in my opinion hunting big game with this caliber is borderline unethical

 

Most versatile firearm in NYS= shotgun

 

 

[NFA-ADK]

So many good rounds.  Started with 30-06, 308 and now 44 mag and 30-30.  Try a few different rounds at the range.  Can not go wrong with a shotguns versatility!  .270 is another great round, 7mm mag.  35.  I could go on but plain and simple most any of these rounds will work.  Shotgun has my vote. 

 

 

[fu2lmao]

I should add .270 has my vote

[shawnhu]

In my opinion, I would feel comfortable at 100 yards at this time. At the range, I have been grouping at 100 and 200 yards, but with a 22. At the range someone told me a 30-06 in 180 grain for NY.

I am new, and looking to learn through the forum as well as by practice. Thank you for your time

Versatile? That would be your shotgun combo that others have mentioned. But if you're set on accuracy, which I think you are shooting a 22LR at 200 yards, I'd get a rifle and be happy with the style of shooting you'll do. I'd recommend the .223 or .243 if you like shooting a lot and want an all around NY hunting round. If you can take some pain from the recoil, I'd step it up to a .308, .270, or that .30-06.

You can legally take big game with the .223 in NYS, and shot placement is key. .223 will be your cheapest ammo, and very popular so ammo selection is abundant. 30-06 is also very popular, and availability is pretty good on the shelves now. There's also a wide range of variety in bullet choices there as well. However, I consider the 30-06 a big game hunting round only, you wouldn't shoot a squirrel with one of those.

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[Elmo]

Keep in mind, you cannot legally shoot a waterfowl with anything but a shotgun.  I not sure you can even shoot upland birds with anything but a shotgun as well.

[G-Man]

.223 .243???seriously???? You apparently forgot that bear inhabit nys!!!!... .270, 30.- 30,,.308 or 30-06. With 30-06 having most range in bullet weights and loads especially if hand loading. As for best firearm ..def a combo shotgun. Or 20, 12ga my personal pref is the 12.

Edited February 15, 2014 by G-Man

[sweet old bill]

dollar for dollar the Mossberg 500 is a great buy and with it you can take any game in NYS. I have both the 20 ga and 12 ga. Also have several rifle in 308 cal and 303 cal..

but still use most time the 12 ga slug for deer and number 6 shot for birds and rabbit...

 

[Doc]

I'm not sure what you mean by most versatile caliber for deer hunting. Versatile from what standpoint? There are a pile of calibers that will kill a deer very nicely. And dead is dead so I don't see any versatility in that. I recently went through the exercise of picking out a caliber for deer hunting. I wanted excellent accuracy out to a maximum of something like 300 yards (that distance chosen because of it's darned near impossible to get a longer shot where I hunt). I wanted a gun that didn't beat me up when spending time on the bench, target shooting. I wanted a caliber that didn't break the bank to reload. And I needed sufficient power to put the critter down quickly and humanely. For all that, I chose a .270.

 

From the title of your post, I thought you were looking for something that you can hunt everything from squirrels to bear. There's only one gun that will do that, and that would be a shotgun. Now there is some true versatility.

[CFD914]

Thanks for all the replies. I like the 30-06 because it seems like every has or has had one and you can find the ammo almost anywhere still.

 

As for as the title, versatility, I mean something, that is not way too big for NY. I like small game hunting but I would like a caliber that would ethically harvest a deer. I understand placement is key, as to why I am at the range often, learning the mechanics, and getting familiar with a 22, before I purchase a center fire.

 

However, I would like to extend past the deer season, go for hare as well. I am sure my 22 will be the right caliber for squirrel.

 

I liked the 243 when thinking about it, but was told it really isnt too common, and I really haven't seen any ammo in it as well.

 

The Mossberg 500 sounds like a good purchase. 

 

Now a question for the 30-06 since I would like that as well, can you find it in grains lower than 160?

 

Thanks again everyone.

[CFD914]

I guess now, I saw a bunch of votes for the 270, 243, as well as the 30-30 and 30-06.

 

If one caliber, 30-06 or 243 if you were to get one. If both, I guess you would be covered for any season in NY? Other than upland.

 

Thank you

[ants]

If you're talking about deer hunting at 100yds. or closer, and upland or other small game I'd say go for a shotgun, rifled slug/bird barrel combo. If you're set on a center fire rifle then any of the calibers mentioned will work well.

[Daveboone]

I tend not to get involved in these discussions, but I must here.

NYS has more heavily wooded deer country than open. Our deer overall can run much heavier than found in southern states where the .223 and .243 are popular because their deer run smaller...much smaller. Yes, I have hunted the south, and a big buck MAY be as large as an average ny deer, but more often is much smaller.

The lighter calibers may kill with a perfectly placed shot, but are easily deflected, have less mass to penetrate, and we seldom are presented with the perfect shot. For all those reasons, 30 caliber reigns king in the NE for a rifle cartridge. If you are an adult, recoil will not be an issue with the 'o6, .308 ir ,270.

Ammo is easily found anywhere, and there a a zillion guns out there to pick from. I agree a 12 (or 20 gauge shotgun with a rifled slug barrel is perfectly adequate for deer, but can be brutal for sighting in and practicing..