What is your go-to red deer gun?

In the UK, it will normally be a rifle in the .243win to 30-06 class..Up in Scotland, the .270win is a particular favourite.

Personally I use my .308win, but have a 9.3x62mm that i am wanting to try on Red as well..

In Europe I'm guessing the 9.3x62mm and 9.3x74mm are also used a fair bit beside the more common calibers...I also suspect the 7x64mm is another favourite round in main land Europe and one which is gaining popularity over here too..

Regards,

Pete

In our parts 7x64 wears a flag followed by 30.06, .308, 8x57IS, 7x65R, 8x68S, 9,3x62, 9,3x74R...mine being the last two.

270 baby.....

All others are just a pale imitation.

The reason I ask is because I have a hunt next weekend for Red Stag. I was suppose to use my .338 win mag with 250gr partitions but I am not satisfied with the groups this ammo is giving me and I dont want to keep testing ammo so soon to the hunt.

I think I will end up bringing my trusty .280 Remington

quote:

Originally posted by Buglemintoday:
The reason I ask is because I have a hunt next weekend for Red Stag.
I think I will end up bringing my trusty .280 Remington

The .280 will work. Depending on what deer and where you'll hunt them - Red deer vary a lot in size and weight over their geographical distribution - you may prefer using heavy bullets (e.g a Nosler 160 grs Partition).

Stags in the rut can be hard to put down, but the .280 will work, given the right bullet selection.

- mike

quote:

Originally posted by Buglemintoday:
The reason I ask is because I have a hunt next weekend for Red Stag. I was suppose to use my .338 win mag with 250gr partitions but I am not satisfied with the groups this ammo is giving me and I dont want to keep testing ammo so soon to the hunt.

I think I will end up bringing my trusty .280 Remington

Red deer are not armour plated, if I were you i'd take the 280(almost identical to the European 7x64)

Shot placement and bullet selection are far more important than caliber. 7mm is as big as you need to go for stags, and a 280 is one of the best 7mm's out there.

Where will you be hunting?

Stalking : .30-06, .300 Win (I've used the 7x64 but find that the 2 others kill quicker over 200 m) ;

Drive hunting : 9,3x74R, 9,3x62.

Hi,

The biggest red deer I have seen fell to a .270 winchester and 130 grain bullet. It weighed about 250kgs so I am sure your .280 will be grand.

Remember a lot of people use the larger bores when shooting driven animals that are pumped full of adrenaline and where 80% of shots are not 'textbook perfect'.

Have a good hunt.

Terrain and type of hunt set the rules no doubt. In our places red deer hunt is quite distinctive. In the morning - when reds are moving from night pastures to places where they bed down, they use wind and cover to their advantage - so no point on waiting them on the passage. You have to stalk (flank) them just to come at the righ place at the right time. It is usually still quite dark and you are left with max 20 seconds of opportunity (more like 6-10) before hinds take notice and flee. In that time frame you have to spot the stag, estimate him and call a shot with usually mostly unsuitable positions (frontal, quartering...) all that being in distance of 40 m on average - many times closer. So I ended up with short handy rifle in 9,3x62.

Bugle,

Where are you hunting?

I always go to my 308 when Reds are around.

FB

On the hill I've allways used my 6.5x55 with 125gr nosler partitions.

In the woods of the West Country I have carried 7x57 (140gr) and 30-06 (165 and 150gr) but ended up shooting with a 243 and 105gr speer hot core spitzer - one shot - deer went 40yards and expired - bullet exited.

I took 2 red deer last winter in a driven hunt with my .338 WM using 225 gr. Nosler Accubond both Bang Flop I would recommend you try to find a good load for your .338 WM with some good 210-225 gr. bullet. But your 280 Rem. will do fine job as well with 160-175 gr. bullet !

I will be hunting with Hunters Quests' and Accurate Reloadings' own Wendell Reich here in Tx. The land we will be on has many canyons/valleys/etc I hear so it should make for an interesting hunt.

I had planned on using 140gr for the .280. I am guessing the shots will range from 250 yards on in.

how big do the red deer get?

350-500lb

bugle,

Good question and good advice received.

My "Go-To" Red Deer Stag rifle (like André & mouse) is a 20" barreled Mauser in 9.3x62 and I use it for stalking, High Seats and Drive Hunts. I like the short barrel for close-quarters, woods, Drive Hunts and the confined spaces of High Seats - just my personal preference.

Because that covers alot of Continental European Red Deer hunting situtations where High Seats & Drive Hunts are the rule and Wild Boar are on the Menu many times as well while hunting Red Deer, too.

It's NOT the rifle I'd take to Scotland for stalking the Highlands; where pretty much any 6mm, 6.5, .270, 7mm or .30 caliber Deer class cartridges would be a better choice for potential longer range shooting and Stags that don't have quite the body mass (GENERALLY, Guys -don't beat me up) as the forest Stags of West & Central Europe. In Scotland the .243 and .270 Winchester are VERY popular cartridges for Red Deer hunting.

I think your .280 Rem. with a premium 140 grain bullet would be a good choice although if it was my hunt (as Mike suggested) I'd go with a 160 grain Nosler Partition.

For what it's worth - forget my reco - just go hunting and have a grand time.



Your .280 Remington is every bit the cartridge the European 7x64 Brenneke is and it is a VERY popular cartridge for all-round Deer shooting here on the Continet but I wouldn't feel undergunned with just about any of today's popular Deer Class Cartridges. I've shot Red Deer with .270 Win. (130 gr. BT's) 7x57R (177 gr. TIG's) although my favorite Scottish Highlands Red Deer rifle is my trusty .30/06 Sprg. with 165 gr. Nosler Partitions.

Anyway, just put the bullet in the right spot and the Stag will succumb to it's destiny.

Have fun on your Stag hunt!

Waidmannsheil.

9.3x62 my personal choice.
30-06 the minimum for me.
The bull has different shape depending from the living area. The sardinian red deer is a dwarf race. The siberia red deer probably is over the 500 lbs.
In Eu, the rule is: from south to north and from west to east the animals get bigger. In Italy the Wild boar a good male animal is around 130KG, in Hungary and Romania is near 230kg, in Ukraina over the 260KG and so on.

I took mi red deer bull with a 7x64, but it has been a stress generator. Infact I shooted at the bull too far, in an open green, and I hitted it in the liver. The Romanian hunter was making pressure on me to shoot, still now I hear the hiss of his "schisse schisse" (shoot shoot) urging me to shoot. If I have had my 9.3x62 I waited for a closer shoot. The bull did not have any particular reaction, ad trotted coming near the blind and then enterd in the wood where it got down. That time the Romenian hunter got down from the blind, shaking the head disappointed, until I showed to him some blood. He became a blood hound, and we found the bull two minutes later, it runned away again until I stopped his run with another shot.

Again: 9.3x62 my personal choice.

what ever gun you have in your hand when you see one!!! as with any hunting SHOT PLACEMENT is the key to it all. I know people who have droped big reds with a .222!
I think shooters seem to get carried away with the "what caliber" argument.

I killed one last week with my 7x57R loaded with the 175 gr. Nosler Partition bullet, if that is any help. I would think that your .280 would be perfect.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Malinverni:
In Eu, the rule is: from south to north and from west to east the animals get bigger. In Italy the Wild boar a good male animal is around 130KG, in Hungary and Romania is near 230kg, in Ukraina over the 260KG and so on.

But in the UK, outside Scotland our red stags reach 250kg and our boar also 250kg.

I am heading back out tomorrow around noon to try again. The .338 is sighted in with 200gr Ballistic Silvertips but I was really wanting to use the 250gr Partitions.

9.3x74r,

Soon to try out a 7x65r I hope...

In New Zealand, the 303 british has probably shot more red deer than any other cartridge. that is because after the wars, when deer numbers had exploded (no natural predators) the government hired cullers and they all used ex-army 303s and the army ammunition. it was all cheap and worked well.

I've shot many a red deer with a 303 british with 150gr Sierra Prohunters doing 2300FPS.

the 270, 243, 7mm-08, 308 are probably the most common down here. I now use a 300WSM and its more than enough for red stags.

I think you must see a difference between a caliber, with which you can shoot a red deer and the ideal red deer caliber. In Germany, the minimum red deer caliber must have 6,5mm (so, the .243 Win is not allowed)and there must be a minimum energy. For me, the minimum cartridge is the 7x64/.30/06. Yes, you can shoot a red deer with a 6,5 - I have shoot a lot of them with the 6,5x54MS and the 6,5x65R - but the ideal red deer caliber starts for me with the .300Mags , the 8x64S, 8x75RS, 8x68S and ended with the 9,3`s. And the .338WM with the 250grs NP must be ideal, but I saw not only good results with the 200grs Nosler BT!

But there is also a great difference, not only between the little scottish deer and the big deer of eastern europe, between a big bull in the rut and a cow or a calf!

I often see the results of bad shoot placements and bad cartridge/bullet selection, when I´m tracking wounded stags with my dogs (like mouse93 do it too).

9,3x62

7x64 with 162grn TIGs, 30/06 with 150grn Noslar Solid bases and 180grn H-Mantles, 308 with 150grn TIGs and 6.5x57 with 127grn Cone Points.

Thanks for the help guys

Got the .338 dialed in with the 250's today...ended up doing a thorough cleaning and shot 11 times in 3 hours so the barrel was very cool. Also got the backup gun sighted in (.280rem with 140gr Nosler Solid Bases)

3 more days!!!

I'm heading off to hunt them! Thanks for the help!


Be on the lookout for the report on the hunt in a couple of days


Justin

The hunt is over!

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3411043/m/950104347

Weidmannsheil! Most unusual crown configuration, surprising amount of mass. Lovely stag, great story.



- mike

Thanks Mike!

I am glad I ended up using the .338 Win mag with the large Partitions.

If you can still stand after two 250gr Partitions go through your lungs and both of your front shoulders, you're tough!

Any .30 (from 30.06) will be enought, with a good placement shot, only choose a good bullet (Partition, Triple X) Best luck!!!We wait for the report!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Buglemintoday:
I am glad I ended up using the .338 Win mag with the large Partitions.

If you can still stand after two 250gr Partitions go through your lungs and both of your front shoulders, you're tough!

Yes, a stag is not only a large animal, but they are pretty hard to put on the ground in the rut. Bigger is definitely better for these animals, although a 7mm bullet will also do the job - the Central European idea of the do-it-all rifle is the 7x64, so that caliber gets used a lot for reds.

One problem with red stags is that they vary so much in size over their geographical range. Hunters with experience from the Scottish Highlands may report how well their .243 works on stags, and they would probably be right. But the .243 would definitely not be the caliber of choice for a Hungarian lowland stag in the rut - which is where your .338 would be just about perfect.

- mike

quote:

Originally posted by mho:

the .243 would definitely not be the caliber of choice for a Hungarian lowland stag in the rut

- mike

Having just watched a DVD of hunting for 12kg+ trophies I would concur! I have always thought that weight variation within species is something that needs more accounting for.

A high lung shot on such a fired up stag with a 243 would be a recipe for a long long trail that if not handled very skilfully would result in an unrecovered animal. A shot through the top of the heart would I suspect have the same effect as a much larger calibre as you can so no more than detach all the major vessels of the heart....

quote:

Originally posted by 1894mk2:
A shot through the top of the heart would I suspect have the same effect as a much larger calibre as you can so no more than detach all the major vessels of the heart....

Absolutely, you can kill practically anything with any caliber - given the right shot. Eskimos whack most everything they shoot at (seals, caribou, muskox even polar bear) with .22 centerfires. A lot of poachers still kill big game animals with moderated .22 LRs.

I think we agree, though, that the circumstances for sport hunters are different. In particular since we can't afford to wound and loose animals - for a multitude of reasons. Today's (travelling) sportsman can normally afford to choose a suitable tool for the job at hand. When choosing he must keep in mind, that he may only get one chance in a long hard hunt, but still carries the responsibility of making a clean kill.

- mike

Absolutely agree - I had to pass on a nice stag when I did have my 243, had I had my 06 it would be on the wall - hence the 7mm08 build