What is your go to caliber for deer? Single shot or revolver? In my Encore handgun, it is either my 6.5x55 Swede or my old reliable 30-06. With a revolver, I will be using my 510 GNR with Gary's 350 "short" load.

This year it will be my .475 Linebaugh with 420 grain WFN loads. I may give my M29 the whirl with my 277 grain loads. Hell, I might even break out the .454 for a deer this year. I will start the season with the .475........

I like my 35 Rem.in my Contender.

My 510 GNR revolver is what I plan on using the most, as well as my Ruger 480 revolver. I am sure if I get my new Encore 475 Linebaugh to shoot well, it will go in the field on some deer hunts. I will also take my Encore in 510 GNR out.

The S&W 460 and 500 Mags, will get a break most likely this year.

10" Contender in .357 Max.

14" Contender in .309 JDJ. I'm up to 58 Whitetail deer, two Mulies, an elk, several head of African game and a whole bunch of varmints.

After the first revolver deer I grab another revolver for the next.
I do the same with my bows, having 3, I change for each deer.
It makes hunting more interesting.

I do the same with revolvers, but where I wound up hunting this past year, Contender was more appropriate for putting meat in the freezer. These four at home are well accustomed to eating regularly.

Ruger Bisley .45 Colt customized by John Gallagher. Took 2 whitetail with it last year.

taurus 689 6", loaded with remington 158gr sjhp at 1500 fps.

45 Spades,

This is what you need



Enough for five

14" Contender .357 Max

MS: That's a mighty handsome ammo slide. Did you make it yourself? Another question: What bullet did you use in your .309 JDJ in Africa?

Yes, I made the ammo buckle, actually. Thanks for your kind words.

I was shooting the 165grain Speer Grand Slam in the .309. Did everything I needed it to do, even the Hartebeest at 300 yards.

That's fine performance from the Grand Slam. I was glad to have every foot pound from the .366 Barnes 250 TSX I used in a 9.3 X 62 in Namibia last year.
That ammo buckle is a great idea.

That's tough, as my "favorite" always seems to be the one I happen to be using most at the time. But I'll have to say overall, it would be the 6.5mm JDJ from a 14" SSK barrel.

With a 120 grain bullet at a shade over 2400 fps, there's no mulie, whitetail or pronghorn that ever walked that couldn't be neatly harvested inside of 250 yards.

My philosophy with the cartridge is this: if there's a deer that I can't kill with the 6.5 JDJ, I wouldn't be able to kill it with something bigger, either.

44 mag hands down. If it had to be a rifle for hunting out west where the shots are out there probably a 257 roberts or a 280rem.

41 mag.
MM

44 mag is just what the Dr. ordered for me. It'll do anything I need doing. Taken several with it and am completly happy with it.

.454 Casull in Freedom Arms 7 1/2" Premier Grade

.30-30 Win. in 12" Contender

And yet to be tested but will as soon as my wounds from recent neck surgery heal:

.460 S&W in 8 3/8" factory persuassion

Same Ruger OMBH in .41Magnum I've been using since the '60s. It's killed alot of North American and African big game and varmints. Oh, and one big old mean range cow trying to get her hooks into me. Deer I'll use a Nosler 210gr.JHP at a sedate 1200fps.

For me it's a Ruger SBH in 44mag. I use a 180gr Remington HP. Works great.

My .41 mag model 57 that I had Jack Weigand tune up for me. It shoots better at 100 yards than some of my rifles. I shoot 20.2 Grains of H110 and any 210 jacketed bullet. I really like the XTP. Never found one and never had a deer take more than a step or two.

XP 100 7mmBR in most cases but, 41 mag SBH if I am up close.

Safe shooting
Doug

Ruger Bisley Hunter in 410GNR as customized by Gary Reeder and a 6.5 JDJ 14"bbl SSK custom Contender. Any situation is covered.

.454 Casull w/ a 240gr Hornady XTP/Mag over a healthy dose of H110.

I'll be draggin around my 7-30 Waters for the first 'Lope, then maybe the 257AI for the second 'Lope and maybe the 6.5x284 for deer.

45LC for up close and personal.

quote:

Originally posted by Tembo:
What is your go to caliber for deer? Single shot or revolver? In my Encore handgun, it is either my 6.5x55 Swede or my old reliable 30-06. With a revolver, I will be using my 510 GNR with Gary's 350 "short" load.

I have a contrarian attitude. This year I'll try my Kimber Stainless Target II in 10mm auto, using Double Tap 180 grain Gold Dots. I've never been successful with an automatic, one miss and no other chances. This is the year! Mostly I have a big bore revolver, but that too might change. My Model 27 S&W has been a safe queen too long.

376steyr -- check your PMs........

.41 Mag S&W 57 with XTP's for revolver and 30-30 14" in Contender with Nosler 125 BT's. Don't know how many deer I've eat thanks to those two. Hey MS Hitman what ya charge to make me a buckle like that for the .41? Thats a nice piece of work there! Louis

S&W 57 41 magnum 8 3/8 barrel never let me down have owned for over 25 years,210 soft point or Hornady hollow point best shooting /without a doubt ..most accurate revolver i have ever had the pleasure to shoot & own & hunt......Highly recommended!

Yeah I used to have one of the 8 3/8's until some thug broke into the house and releaved me of all my handguns that weren't in the safe or truck. The 57 I have now is a 6 in. Thanks again for the dies Blackbearhunter they work great. How ya been? Louis

I've yet to meet the whitetail that wouldn't fall quite promptly to a well placed bullet from a straight-cased revolver cartridge - 357 magnum, 44 magnum, or 45 Colt. Of them I suppose the Colt is my favorite cartridge, but my 44 magnum M629 Mtn Gun is a good deal handier than my 45 Bisley Blackhawk.