Name your favorite whitetail gun and caliber !!

22 July 2004, 13:37

Weatherby MKV in 257 Weatherby with 100gr bullets.

22 July 2004, 14:18

mbogo375

Quote:

Mbongo:

I take it you're switching rifles at 200 yds because of the sighting system. That .280 Ross should be able to do the job at any range you can shoot.

Rick

Rick,

You are correct. Even though I shoot my open sighted rifles at longer ranges while practicing, I prefer to limit the distance to 200 yards while hunting to ensure proper bullet placement. These old eyes aren't as good with express sights as they used to be

.

Actually my Gibbs and my H&H shoot to the sights at 300 yards as well with proper handloads that match original ballistics as closely as possible.

The Ross, as you know, has the single folding blade rear that was optimistically marked as being useable from 0 to 500 yards

. This reflected the naive view of the time accorded to the early high velocity loads in comparison to the older (and slower) cartridges that had preceded them. It must have been quite an experience to switch from an old 44/40 to the new fangled 280 Ross

(it must have seemed that there was almost no drop compared to the older calibers). With best loads this Ross will group in less than an inch at 100 yards on days that I am up to it, and holding a really fine bead allows hits at 300 yards. It really is a nice old rifle.

If you ever start making .290 diameter bullets I would certainly like to have some!!! This Ross, and another Ross that I had both had .290+ groove diameter barrels, and I would like to try some bullets that come close to this diameter. Guess that I need to get in touch with Richard Corbin for a set, but I am too busy with other projects right now.

Jim

22 July 2004, 14:42

jbmi

For now either one of these. Top one is a 358 w/ 3-9X Leupold Compact, bottom is a 338-308 with Leupold 2-7X.
I have a new MRC left handed 358 coming so I don't know what will happen to these two.

22 July 2004, 15:02

W. Wilson

Lefty Weatherby Mk V 257 Mag. & Burris Fullfield 2x7 with 100 grainers. Quickest killer of anything I've laid hands on.

22 July 2004, 15:27

vines

Bobby, I am a short action man. You need nothing more at 300 yrds for deer size game. you don't need a 'MAG' for whitetail deer. I do most of my white tail deer hunting with a rem. 700 S.S. 24 in. barrle in 7mm-08 with 140 grain sierra B.t. at 2920 fps. my second choice is my .260 rem. in ruger M-77 S.S. 22in. barrle with 120 grain NBT. at 2940 fps. I have taken deer at 300+ yrds with both rifles.

22 July 2004, 16:08

Bwana-be

Don't take this to sound like I have a lot of experience with such matters, but I always figured if I were to have a dedicated whitetail gun, with no other purpose, it would be a 7mm-08 Kimber with a 3-9 Loopie. If it were a 6.5x55 and/or a M70, I'd probably be just as happy. But give me a 24" bbl.

22 July 2004, 21:02

Tex21

I stand hunt and use a scoped Yugo mauser sporter in 8x57 with handloads and have good results. 8x57 is my favorite cartridge and proved to be quite effective on whitetails as it definitely dropped the deer with one shot.

I have also used my Great Grandpa's Pre-64 Model 70 in .270 Win and achieved excellent results as well.

23 July 2004, 03:42

bartsche

Quote:

"I stand hunt and use a scoped Yugo mauser sporter in 8x57 with handloads"

And the winner is Tex21 roger

23 July 2004, 15:47

RJM

For short range deer hunting it would be a Remington 600 in .350 Remington Magnum. If shots were regularly exceeding 200 yards then a .25-06 in a Ruger #1 or Remington 700 Classic or a Weatherby MKV in .257 WM would be preferred....Bob

24 July 2004, 06:58

SST

Dr. Lou,

I was so impressed with my first 7mm-08 Mountain rifle after using a 7mmRemMag for over 20 years, that I built the 7-08AI. The clincher was an article by Layne Simpson. He called it the SGLC (Simpson's Good Little Cartridge). When I asked about a reamer for the SGLC, they knew I was talking about the 7-08AI. My goal was simply to achieve 7mm-08 velocities that were obtained from a 24" barrel, with a handier 22" barrel. That was easily achieved. I can get close to 3050fps from my 22" barrel with 140gr bullets with RL19 (but that's really pushing it). I get better accuracy and much better case life by keeping velocities between 2900-3000fps. 50.0gr of H380 with 140gr bullets is very accurate in my rifle, but so are several other powders.

As for the question, "Is it worth the hassle?", I built the rifle from scratch, so the initial chambering was no big deal. I picked up the Redding Dies at a gun show for $39.00. I used to go the range just to fireform. Now I fireform with 100gr Sierras ahead of 45.5gr of IMR3031 around the farm. 46.0gr is my varmint load with fireformed cases, but the fireforming load is very accurate. I walk the farm carrying my rifle and shoot at just about everything. It gives me good practice shooting my rifle under hunting conditions and fireforms cases at the same time.

I now use Winchester .308 brass as the parent case, since it has proven to be so much more uniform than anything else I've found in standard 7mm-08 cases. I just neck down until I get a slight crush fit and I'm good to go. I also neck turn, but I do that while I'm watching cartoons or something and have my hands free.

24 July 2004, 08:26

Atkinson

I don't much care one way or another which of my guns I use on whitetail or mule deer, most of them will do just fine...I guess today if I were going whitetail hunting I would take my .308 Win on a Mauser 98 action by Bill Dowtin or My scoped 99 Savage in 308 or 250 Savage..or my 30-30 SRC family gun, my old scoped Marlin 30-30, or even my long Tom M-94 oct. barreled 25-35 Win...They all work fine for me. That's always a last minute decision with me, and depends on which one is sighted in sometimes......

24 July 2004, 11:23

rado3003

I shoot a browning a-bolt medallion with a custom kevlar stock. It's in 7mm remington mag.

24 July 2004, 12:21

turfman

model 1841 mississippi mfg in 1843.

out to 100: toss up between 95 win in 30/40 krag or 1896 krag
out to 200: 03 springfield.
out to 300: .264 winnie.
out to 400: Nope, i just get closer to em.

turfman

24 July 2004, 19:16

Cal Sibley

I guess my favorite whitetail caliber is the same as my favorite moose caliber, 6.5x55. Bullets in this caliber have a tremendous ballistic co-eficient. They enter an animal and play merry olde hell in the boiler room. Just one man's opinion. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

25 July 2004, 04:38

phurley

My all old friend I started with when I couldn't even afford it is still my number one Deer rifle. A 30-30 Marlin 336 with fixed 3 power Weaver scope. It got me my biggest collection and most cherished Deer when they were scarce in my part of the world. Now if I go to the bean fields my .257 Wby or 7mm STW or .300 Winnie. As interesting as it sounds that old 30-30 is the only rifle I do not reload for. I hate that crimping necessary for the tube fed rifles.

Good shooting.

25 July 2004, 14:44

holzauge

My Win. M 70 stainless with a BOSS in .270 Win. I've only had it @6 yrs. but It's extremely accurate and has low recoil while having plenty of power for deer. Looking over my records I've only killed 2 of @65 deer at ranges beyond 325 yrd.s and the .270 with 130 gr. bullets is plenty at that range. The M 70 is heavy though, @9lb.s loaded. I'm shopping a Kimber Montana stainless or 700 Rem. Ti in 7mm08 for steeper places and I'm hoping to keep it to @6.5 lb.s.

25 July 2004, 15:13

Ken Cline

This probably wouldn't fit in the "medium bore" category, but I'll say my Ruger #1 470 NE conversion.

Not really, but it worked great on two last year!

25 July 2004, 15:23

BigBullet

My favorite deer rifle is a Remington Model 7, in 308 Win caliber. I like 165 grain Nosler BT bullets for this rifle.

BigBullet