I'm thinking about taking my .470 deer hunting some time during this season. I hunt 5-6 days a week, but almost always take a .270 along for the ride since longer shots are frequently a possibility. But sometime in the next couple of months I'd like to see what happens when I shoot a whitetail with a 500 grain bullet. I need to shoot about 20 does before the season ends, so the .470 may get its chance later on. Who here has already tried this? Any suggestions??

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How about a big bore single?

I've taken three deer this year with my Ruger #1 in .458. I'm using a reduced load with a 500gr cast bullet. I've gotten end-to-end penetration and the bullet so far in the ground that I couldn't dig it up. As Ray said, you can eat up to the hole.

I have notice that the blood trail is a little weak. I have cast up some softpoints with about 250gr of pure lead in the nose and a hardend shank - kinda like a home made partition. I'm hoping for a little better wound channel with this bullet.

I have used my Kodiak in 458 rcbs for crop damage deer. The 500 gr solid works well and very little meat damage.

I killed a Buck sunday with my 12 Bore double rifle sunday....knocked him off his feet.
urdubob

Spring,
I have killed several deer and wild pigs with my doubles.
I use 350 grain bullets in my 450 No2, and 300 grain bullets in my 450/400. I have used several different bullets in my 9,3x74R. I have also taken 3 black bears, 2 caribou, several coyotes and various small game with my doubles. Deer hunting is a great way to develop your skill with your double. The more you use your double the more confidence you will have with it.

I just shot two whitetails with my 416 taylor. Killed them just as dead as if I shot them with my regular deer rifle a 300sav.

That said it was fun and sure got some comments from the other hunters.

I see no reason not to, if that is what you want to do..all it will do is punch a thumb size hole through the deer and you can about eat right up to that hole, not a lot of bruising will take place, but it will let a bunch of blood out and the deer won't make a lot of tracks, but don't expect anything spectacular...

If I may add my 2 cents. . . . I think it's not only fine to hunt Deer with your big bore, but even preferable. Practice with a rifle that you may need to use in a tight situation seems like a good idea to me. Several years ago I used my .460 WBY to hunt our little coastal Blacktail. I errored however in using one of my own copper jacketed, swaged,400 grain flat points, I made for my .45-70s. It was very frangible at full throttle from the .460. I shot a fork horn at about 50 yards straight on and into the chest. At the shot, the deer just flat disappeared. I won't go into the graphics, but if you have ever shot ground squirrels with a .223. . . . well, you get the picture. Not an ounce was eatable. Never seen anything quite like it, and won't do that again. Varmints with a .375 H&H are a hoot however.

Have deer hunted with the 9,3x74R and normal ammo. Worked fine. Usually get DRT results that are most impressive.

Have also used cast bullets in the .470 ... and they work just fine too, though the results are a little more like using a heavy 45-70 load. As Ray said it makes a half inch hole and the results are not that spectacular. It just works.

In both cases, there was very little meat damage. Much less than one would see with a .270!

Have also hunted piggies with the rifles. (Was not impressed with the results of the 270 gr Speer 9,3 bullet. Too soft.) Is good practice.

I have used my .500 NE double for 3 whitetail deer, culling does on our ranch. It was before I took the rifle to Africa the first time and wanted to get some actual hunting experience with it. However, I regularly use this rifle for hog hunting. I have taken over 40 hogs in the last 3 years with it. Makes for good practice and confidence building experience that you could never gain if it was only used on Safari. Now when im following a buffalo or Elephant it is like second nature to use the big double...

............I hunt deer with big bore rifles .....They work great for keeping bears from taking deer off your back .......Try to avoid lengthwise shots to the body unless you use a normal big bore bullet ....I,ve shot bucks that were hiding behind trees with solids ...Just shot thru the tree ...It will make you a much better field shot with your rifle as you will want to place your bullet in the right spot so as to not destroy much meat ........However if you hit the shoulder , tho it will make a 2"hole thru the deer you will have minimal blood shock .............a shot from the rear is fine , just try for the bottom half of the heart ...I,ve done that twice with the 458 Win Mag 510 gr win SP ., both halves of the heart were fine .....Have fun ..

Me. I've killed several SC whitetails and 2 pigs with mine since I got it in Oct of 2006. I will be hunting pigs with it for the next couple of weeks with it starting this Saturday.

I've killed an Axis with my 450/400 3 inch and 2 pigs with my 9.3X74R.

I am taking my 450/400 to Fl for Gator and Pigs in April and took my whitetail with 9.3X74R.

I have plans to use my 10 bore double for spring buckhunting