Remington model 700 ADL 7mm Rem Mag topped with a 3x9 Leupold VARI-X II. Ammo is Federal Premiums with 160 Gr Noslers. Same rifle as last year, same rifle as next year. When something works well, don't change it.

Mac

I am a big fan of the 7mm but for deer hunting the 7-08 Ackley with a 20inch pipe at 2970fps is all the medicine I need.

My tools for deer are 30-06 Sav 110 and 45LC Win Trails End.

Personally, I selected a .260 Remington in a Ruger compact 77 for my deer rifle.

On your list I would go with a 7-08 which is almost what I purchased.

On the other hand, on your list is not a cartridge that I would consider inadequate or 2nd class in any manner.

I dont know how the majority of folks go about deciding on a rifle but I will rank in order what I decide on.

1. Brands that I like. I like Ruger and Win. better than Remingtons and the rest except for the really expensive rifles that I cannot afford.

2. Particular configuration that I like. I dont like Stainless rifles. I do like bolt actions and single shot.

3. How good does it feel. Highly subjective factor here but I like a gun that really fits well.

4. Bullet diameter

5. Cartridge to fit bullet diameter.

But to me the choice of cartridge is the LAST thing that I consider in a new rifle.

However, that is not to say that if I ever get the hots for an 8mm Rem Mag AI that I will pass up the project. But I will have done the other things first.

25-06 Ackley Improved, Deadly out past where I can shoot. 100 grain and 115 grain Nosler's knock em dead. Mine shoots damn fine and damn fast, love it.

J

I used the 270 for years, now I am shooting 7mm Remington Mags, 140 to 150 grain BT's, but switching this year to partitions, and possibly a 140 Barnes X bullet. That is for western muledeer hunting. I like the 7mag, very flat shooting and packs a good punch when it gets there. In my view, the 7mag is like a modern day 30-06, except for the heavy bullets the 06 can handle. Started out with an 06, so I have no reason to bad mouth that cartridge, it works, that simple. One issue you should consider in my mind is, where are you hunting? Is it possible to encounter a bear, etc? If you run into something that wants to "eat you", what caliber would you like to be shooting? Food for thought.

Texas deer are small enough it doesn't take much to harvest them. A .22-250 will kill every deer in Texas. I feel guilty walking up little whitetails with a .270. Hunt Texas deer with a .300WM? Please. Save the meat and use a 7mm-08 or even a .260. If I'd get off my lazy old lardcan and build a real Texas whitetail rifle it would be the easiest shooting thing, which probably means a .22-250. Gotta remember more deer are taken in Texas with .22 rimfires than all other calibers combined (poachers).

[ 01-03-2003, 09:28: Message edited by: Arock ]

For deer?

257 Roberts loaded with Winchester +P 100 grain silvertips. No recoil, shoots flat, kills deer dead

7mm rem mag... although I nave many more I can use on deer

I hunt with a T/C Encore custom ss hvy bbl.in 270 Win.,Nikon 3x9x40 scope.Love the combo.Also have a Benelli M1-90 fully rifled 12 ga. slug gun (for shotgun only) that is a tack driver with a Burris Fullfield II 1.75-5x.Needless to say,I am confident when pulling the trigger.

My main "go-to" Mule Deer, Whitetail and Blacktail Deer Rifle is a customized Winchester Model 70. It is built on a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 action. The caliber is 280 Remington. The barrel is a Douglas chrome moly Supreme that is 25 inches long. The stock is a McMillan sporter style with green camoflage paint finish. I use a Leupold 4X12 A/O variable scope with Duplex crosshairs. The trigger is adjusted at a very crisp 26 ounces. The pre-64 Model 70 action is of course the safest, strongest and most all around reliable action ever built - IMNSHO! The Rifle holds 6 rounds and due to its accuracy and the lethal caliber second shots are seldom needed. I love this Rifle! This is my 17th year with this Rifle and I can not find its first flaw for Deer Hunting. To add to the nostalgia of this fine Rifle the action was made the same month I was born - July 1947! To those familiar with the Model 70's you will remember that this vintage action was a "transition" year model and came with the somewhat rare small wing 3 position safety. This safety has never accidentaly been deployed into the FIRE position! This safety record holds still, after at least 500 Hunting days afield with it! I do not know if it is humanly possible to "accidentally" move this safety to the fire position! It takes great and deliberate and well directed effort to move the safety lever to the fire position. Thats just fine with me! Again this just adds to the overall safety of this action and I am grateful for that. I use the 140 gr. Nosler Partition in it for Deer and whatever else comes along. I have killed not only the 3 mentioned species of Deer with it but also Black Bear, Elk, Mt. Goat and Antelope also with this fine Hunting rig. I highly recommend the action and the caliber. It best 3 shot group so far has been .310" at 100 yards. Its second best group was .421". Its usual grouping is just at .50" for 3 shots at 100 yards. Remember this caliber though for sure if looking for a real efficient Deer Rifle.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

This year and last year I have used a Model 70 270 featherweight. It is stainless steel with a factory wood stock. From 1995 until two years ago I used a 7mm-08 BLR (still have it). Before that for over 20 years I used a pre mark II Ruger 77 in 30-06. Before that I used a Marlin 30-30. I lost a big buck shot with the 30-30 and quit using it after that.

I would say the 270 win.its been round for a long time .It is very versatile. It will kill any game animal that is in North America and it has for a long time.Good for short and long range. If you scope it right.And you can Shot it all day long with out getting sore. Remington model 700BDL SS 270 winchester with a 6-18-50AO Swarovski scope.

one shot kills when you hit the mark-----> (+)

Idaho Bob

Had a .270 sold it and got a 7mm 08 because of the short action cartridge that will do 90% of what a 270 will with less recoil and built on a smaller rifle.
Both of these are my choices. I woulda bought a .260 but finding them is hard and limited ammo choices around here. I woulda considered a 25/06 though but not a short action cartridge.
Everybody has a fav

Just about anything that goes bang will do a pretty respectable job of killing a deer if the shooter does his part. I would be more interested in finding a rifle that fit me and that I was comfortable with.

cz550 7x64 or springfield krag 30-40

I've shot deer with .243,.270.7mm,300Win Mag,.338 Win Mag. and 2506.The 2506 was the best performer,it kills better than it should,it shot tiny groups and has little recoil.

MOD 70 Winchester 30/06 - Kills'em dead.

Of the choices who have listed, I'd choose the 280, you won't regret it. I believe that it possesses the best attributes of both the 30-06 and the 270.

you don't list it, but I use a CZ 550 American, in 7x57mm Mauser.I handload for it with the 162 grain Hornady SST at 2,815 fps and five shot groups less than .5 inch MOA. I have refinished the rifle with 16 coats (eight repitions) of GB Lindspeed Oil, freefloated the barrel, glassbedded the barreled action, set the trigger at exactly 3#, had the bolt jewelled in the small herringbone pattern, polished the bolt handle to a nickle bright color, put Talley Rings on it and then put a new Leupold VariX-1 scope in 4x12 power. It is a drop-dead pretty rifle that shoots exceptionally well and not only do I use it for deer, it is my elk rifle, my bear rifle, my antelope rifle, my Oryx rifle, my javelina rifle, my wild pig rifle and down in Texas, my wild turkey rifle as well as one that does a good job as well on coyotes. Tom Purdom

300ultra mag, 14 for 14 ,dropped in there tracks.Buddy shot a deer in the shoulder with his 30 06 and didn t get him,a first for him. It would not have happened with the ultra mag.

"what is everyone using for a deer rifle?"

That would take at two or three pages of small typed info.

Deer are pretty easy to kill. Those actually hit in a shoulder can't walk very far, much less run!

Of those mentioned you would be served well with the .270 in your favorite brand of shooter.

Hotsh$t and Kaboom highly recommend the .223 using a 40 grain Nosler BT at high velocity. Sound like they may be on to something!!!!

Randy,

Resurrecting 7.5 year old threads is kinda boring. Might as well start your own.

Hard to beat the 7MM Express IF you reload.

For deer & antelope, doesn't get much better than my custon M70 in 280 w/ 140-145gr anything.

tikka T3 lite in 7mm-08 w/ zeiss conquest 3x9
weighs a whisker over 7 lbs w/ scope factory trigger set at 1.8lbs most enjoyable rifle I have ever owned. Looking forward into handloading that 168 GR VLD that is a lot of down range punch in a vary small and light package.

I hae used: 30-06, 30-30, 300 RSAUM and 7X57.
My favorite is 7X57 so if confined to your list I would choose 7-08, 7X57's twin.

this year? guns that have gone into the woods with me during this deer seaon
7x64
45LC
470AR

Dec. 2002

Now that is turning back the clock.

7-08 & .260

quote:

Originally posted by randy hodder:
300ultra mag, 14 for 14 ,dropped in there tracks.Buddy shot a deer in the shoulder with his 30 06 and didn t get him,a first for him. It would not have happened with the ultra mag.

Randy, if your buddy didn't recover the deer, how does he know exactly where he hit him. I'm thinking it was a bad hit because he certainly wasn't undergunned.

7mm-08 carbine with 2x7 Burris compact.

I'll play along.

6.5x55
270 Win
7x64
356 Win
358 Win

.375 Ruger. . . . . for everything. . . . !

Don't have a .270 and probably never will. I've used my 257 Rob Imp., 7-08 Imp., 7 mag, 7.62x39, and 35 Whelen Imp., all mauser bolt guns, and all did a very good job on deer sized game. Wouldn't hesitate grabbing any one of these on my way out the door this deer season.

6.5 x 55 or 7 x 57..if I was out in the open flat country, I use a 270.

Any of the following.

250/3000
257 Roberts AI
6.6x55
264 Win
7x57
275 Rigby AI (yes I actually had my gunsmith mark the barrel that way )
7 Mag
30/30
308
30/06


However this year my missouri Deer will be taken with my Krieghoff 470 NE.

Last years mulie was taken with an 8x68S while I was elk huntng. I had my Sauer 200 06 inthe truck as a backup rifle and the deer sure did nto need that much killing.

just for deer size game

1st .260 rem. with 120s
2nd 7MM-08 with 140s
3rd 257 roberts with 117s

Ruger M-77 or Remington 700

My personal deer gun is a 270 but any of the calibers that you have listed will work just fine on deer. Any differences are more in the mind than reality.

465H&H