What's the worst legal caliber that people use for hunting deer

[Hunter007]

Ok we all see on forums hear  talk about what's the best legal caliber for deer. 

But I want to know want is the worst that you know people still use  for what ever reason .

 

 

[Uncle Nicky]

.22-250 or .223. I will lend you a deer rifle if you need one, but please have some respect for the game. These are for shooting little guys in black pajamas or woodchucks.

[rob-c]

I’ll go the other way and say any magnum cartridge that the person can not shoot worth a darn. Watched guys at the range that flinched so bad they couldn’t hit the bullseye at 50 yards.. 

[Marion]

I’ll go the other way and say any magnum cartridge that the person can not shoot worth a darn. Watched guys at the range that flinched so bad they couldn’t hit the bullseye at 50 yards.. 

That's embarrassing

You Can't Beat My Meat!!!

[grampy]

Bullet size doesn't really matter, as any well placed legal, bullet will do the job on deer. What matters more, is if the shooter behind the trigger can do their part. Or even the individual firearm. The hunter who shoots his 223, throughout the year. And knows it's POI well, will usually fair much better than the hunter who grabs a 30-06, that they have not fired in the last few years, or at all.

Also, some guns, just shoot terrible!  Most all of us has owned a gun, that for whatever reason, just didn't shoot like it should have. Regardless of bullet size.

Whatever caliber one chooses, get out and get some trigger time on the range!! That makes much more difference than the size of the projectile.

[Salmon_Run]

any caliber one is not proficient with..... 

[Jdubs]

grampy pretty much nailed it.  I was going to say slugs because I hear so many hunters blasting multiple times at deer.

[Salmon_Run]

5 minutes ago, Jdubs said:

 I was going to say slugs because I hear so many hunters blasting multiple times at deer.

Slugs can be extremely lethal if one realizes their capabilities and spends some range time. Law enforcement uses slugs and only range time can prove their effectiveness.

Even with "slug guns", rifled barrels and sabots they are limited in range and accuracy.

[Larry]

I believe being over gunned is as bad as being under gunned. In a bolt action rifle and hunting east of the Mississippi I would pick a rifle in a caliber in 243 Winchester to 308 Winchester. My pick would be 7mm-08 there is no need for magnum caliber on whitetail deer just as there is no need to use a sub .243 cal. Just to let you guys know I use a lever gun in 444 marlin.

[Jdubs]

10 minutes ago, Salmon_Run said:

Slugs can be extremely lethal if one realizes their capabilities and spends some range time. Law enforcement uses slugs and only range time can prove their effectiveness.

Even with "slug guns", rifled barrels and sabots they are limited in range and accuracy.

Oh, I agree with you that slugs can be devastating.  My response was tongue-in-cheek, mostly.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

2 hours ago, Uncle Nicky said:

.22-250 or .223. I will lend you a deer rifle if you need one, but please have some respect for the game. These are for shooting little guys in black pajamas or woodchucks.

I've used a 22-250 on a few nuisance permit does and the results were devastating. But when there are 2 deer in the field and you can wait for the perfect shot you want it certainly isn't your average hunting scenario.  I hunt with a '06 almost exclusively in rifle country but have never seen the internals jellied like that 22-250 did on those two. It was a good bullet and handloads but I'll certainly stick with my '06 becasue that shoulder doesn't scare me in the least with that one. I wouldn't opt for anything other than a perfect broadside shot when the deer was calm with a 22 caliber centerfire. 

[Buckmaster7600]

I would rather some with a 22hornet that is proficient with than someone with a 300wby mag any day of the week!!!


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[Rattler]

I don't really worry about the round as much as the bullet it shoots.  The .22 caliber centerfires get a bad rap because some guys shoot deer with them when they are spewing varmint bullets that fail to penetrate.  

If you shoot a Barnes TTSX in a .223, you will get good penetration and enough expansion to do the job.

As  far as putting the bullet in the right place goes, that's easy on the range, but an animal may move at the very last micro second and the bullet may strike some heavy bone.  You need decent energy for that.  My concern with .22 centerfires is the lack of decent energy at longer ranges.  I think hunting with them really handicaps a hunter with limited range on deer.  Lots of rounds do, but the .22 centerfires are the ones many hunter's don't realize do.

I think the only bad round for deer is one that's not legal.

[G-Man]

guns and calibers that are designed to wound like the .223 ( it take 3 men off the battle field when you wound one) that being said the right bullet and placement a .22 long rifle will kill. unfortunatly most do not have the right buller or take the time to learn to shoot their gun effecently or effectively. so my opinon is stay awy from the.22 caliber centerfires. .243 and larger. if your in bear territory a .30.cal or larger for chance on bear. ( again with right bullet and placement a .243 will kill a bear but most do not have right bullet or can place shot perfeclty )

[Hunter007]

Ok but What about the  folks that hunt with  lever guns with pistol  ammo ? Or hand guns .

How do those work on deer ? 

Things like 45 colt 45 acp  9mm Exedra ?  

I only have experience shooting deer with  proper deer rifles.  But I'm curious about guys that experiment with things like that . I'm guessing they limit them selfs to very short shots .

 

 

 

 

 

 

[G-Man]

5 minutes ago, Storm914 said:

Ok but What about the  folks that hunt with  lever guns with pistol  ammo ? Or hand guns .

How do those work on deer ? 

Things like 45 colt 45 acp  9mm Exedra ?  

I only have experience shooting deer with  proper deer rifles.  But I'm curious about guys that experiment with things like that . I'm guessing they limit them selfs to very short shots .

 

 

 

 

 

 

ive killed deer with a ruger carbine in 44mag. and my brother with a .357 rossi lever gun..we use them on drives where shots are thick and shots under 50 yards. i would never use them on a sit. id just take my pistols

as for pistols ive taken deer with my 50cal several times.75 yards max. my brother his. 44 out to 75 as well. 

Edited September 4, 2018 by G-Man

[Elmo]

Front bumper.

[wolc123]

50 centerfire

Edited September 4, 2018 by wolc123

[Hunter007]

1 hour ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

I would rather some with a 22hornet that is proficient with than someone with a 300wby mag any day of the week!!!


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What about pistol ammo 45 colt  45 acp   9 mm in carbines lever guns exstra what's  your opinion on them ? 

You have any experience playing around with that  on deer ?  Obviously it is going to be short range shooting with that stuff  . 

 

Every one mentions .223 and the like but  nobody mentioned that it's legal to hunt with pistol ammo in this state how do they fair ?

 

 

Edited September 4, 2018 by Storm914

[Buckmaster7600]

What about pistol ammo 45 colt  45 acp   9 mm in carbines lever guns exstra what's  your opinion on them ? 
You have any experience playing around with that  on deer ?  Obviously it is going to be short range shooting with that stuff  . 
 
Every one mentions .223 and the like but  nobody mentioned that it's legal to hunt with pistol ammo in this state how do they fair ?
 
 

I’ve never met someone that considered a 9mm, a deer cartridge. 45acp isn’t a deer cartridge in my opinion either. A Ruger only 45colt load is equal to a 44mag, but a hard cast 45 slug at anything over 1000fps will go hooter to tooter of any NY game and kill with authority.

I’ve killed deer with 357max, 41rem, 44mag 45colt, 454 casull and 500S&W out of rifles and all have killed deer plenty dead!


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[Uncle Nicky]

I was never one to push the envelope...I never was interested in experimenting to see what I could get away with or push the boundaries, especially on a live animal. 

I grew up hunting with buckshot, and didn't know any better...but as the years went by, I realized it cripples a LOT of deer, so I moved on to slugs. 

I think we tend to overthink some of this stuff...I'm more interested in finding a BETTER shell to kill an animal more quickly (such as HeviShot or TSS for turkeys). I curse the day they went to steel shot for waterfowl.

I know not everyone thinks like me, and that is OK. Maybe I'm getting soft as I age, but I hate seeing anything suffer.

[Rattler]

If it's a legal round to hunt deer with, it has the capability to do so within it's limits.  However, the hunter has got to know it's limitations as well as their own.

[BigVal]

1 hour ago, G-Man said:

ive killed deer with a ruger carbine in 44mag. and my brother with a .357 rossi lever gun..we use them on drives where shots are thick and shots under 50 yards. i would never use them on a sit. id just take my pistols

as for pistols ive taken deer with my 50cal several times.75 yards max. my brother his. 44 out to 75 as well. 

You killed your brother with a .357 Rossi lever?

[rob-c]

I feel comfortable shooting a deer at 100 yards with my 44 mag super redhawk. but having said that, I shoot  hand loads of 240 grain xtp’s over 21 grains of 2400 shooting over 1400 FPS. Verified over my chronograph.

Edited September 4, 2018 by rob-c

[Pygmy]

25 minutes ago, BigVal said:

You killed your brother with a .357 Rossi lever?

He probably had it coming....