Red stags....enough gun ?

Ade 30-06

Well-Known Member
Gentlemen,
What would you consider the minimum calibre for a Red Stag during the rut ?


Cheers Lads

Ade
 
A .243 and a 100 grain bullet. More importantly, a competant shot behind the gun. :D
 
Ade,

Same old story in my eyes will be dependent on how confident you are of putting the bullet in the correct place... Im off up to Scotland for some woodland reds I hope end of this week will be taking my .243 AI with 100 grains before that comes up and also my new .300 win mag with 180 grains soft nose partitions... I will probably favour the .300 firstly because i have the choice and secondly it would probably do the job quicker which is what is the first and foremost point... But if I only had the .243 AI i would still be going...

If you have a 30 - 06 then you should have plenty with you...

Alex
 
Probably a .243 if you want to stay the right side of the Deer Act. :D

It's all my former stalking partner used for any deer at any time, he didn't have any problems and we have some of the country's biggest reds down this way. I've always used a .308 and ditto no problem.

I suspect you'll get as many answers as there are deer legal calibres but it really comes down to bullet selection and shot placement in the end.

BTW: didn't they have a limit of .22CF for all deer in Eire at one time?
 
A .243 will certainly do the job but, as mentioned, any size hole needs to be in the right place. If you're (luckily) still at the front end of your stalking life with a whole raft of experiences still to come on which you'll be ultimately able to draw in difficult circumstances, then perhaps something that allows for a larger error of margin would be appropriate and I think that there would be few that would argue that a .308 wouldn't offer that.
 
As you say lads.....in the right place ! What if though ? You were to unintentionally to clip the shoulder on the way through with a shot down hill, enough then ???

They still have handguns there so they can't be that nuts......can they ???
 
I have two centrefire rifles a 6.5x55 and a 7x64. Both will kill any deer in the land with a correctly placed round. But if you gave me a shot at the stag of a lifetime, and it could just happen, I would prefer to use the 7x64. I can load it up to very close to 7mm Rem Mag speeds if I so wish. I am, at heart, a follower of Robert Ruark's sage advice, "Use enough gun"!

And this feeling of mine is held in spite of the knowledge that many highland estates use the .243 as an estate rifle, so is it nonsense? I don't think so, a larger comparable round gives a larger wound channel.

ft
 
Ade

Flytie makes another good point. I have successfully shot stags with a .243, but wouldn't do so again. Use a rifle that packs more punch and remember, if the situation isn't right for you, don't shoot.

Rgds JCS
 
Hill or woodland Ade ?


Just a big beastie EEE, call it over 18 stones. I've grassed a few and been fortunate enough not to wound (currently touching wood, tree wood boys, tree wood !!!!). I heard of an experienced stalker recently who has changed his mind on his 'minimum' choice of calibre after clipping a shoulder using .243. The bullet deflected upwards and not to where he had intended, with the obvious consequences. So with this in mind, I wondered what the common consensus was on a 'minimum' for a big boy !



Ade
 
Just a big beastie EEE, call it over 18 stones. I've grassed a few and been fortunate enough not to wound (currently touching wood, tree wood boys, tree wood !!!!). I heard of an experienced stalker recently who has changed his mind on his 'minimum' choice of calibre after clipping a shoulder using .243. The bullet deflected upwards and not to where he had intended, with the obvious consequences. So with this in mind, I wondered what the common consensus was on a 'minimum' for a big boy !



Ade

Ade bach...I think the .243 is a superb 'all rounder' calibre. However, it will only work well when put in the right place and when it doesn't quite go there, then the available energy doesn't fully do the job and runners are the result. (1 or 2 of mine have done 80mtrs + even when in the engine room). Again however, if a shoulder were to be hit in any calibre, it's still in the shoulder. My choice for large woodland reds in a well wooded arena (without a deer dog for follow up) would be the .270. Normally down on the spot but rarely run more than 20 mtrs.

IMHO

EEE
 
Last edited:
Our lowland 'Thetford Reds' weigh about 18 stone as yearling 'spikers'. Their daddies are somewhat larger!:eek:
Sure, a 243 100grain will down one if you hit it in the right place - exactly the right place!!
However, if you don't you could be in for a very long follow up!;)

Why not give the animal the respect it deserves and use something a bit more appropriate for the job?
Your 30.06 should do nicely!:cool:
MS:)
 
EEE,
Makes sense to me Bychan.


Ok lets turn this upside down and vary it. Muntjac. Is there a calibre you would not go over with your standard load, out of thin air a ..... eg 168gn Nossler partition in .308 say ? Would that smash a little 'un ?


Cheers Rocky

Ade
 
I think Muntjac are much tougher critters than most - including Roe! I've shot them with a 30.06 using 180 grain winchester silvertip heads. Hell of a 'thump', but surprisingly little meat damage as it is a very solid penetrating round. I expect only a small amount of the energy was imparted in the animal. Less damage than a smaller faster round though, so hardly overkill?
MS:)
 
I think Muntjac are much tougher critters than most - including Roe! I've shot them with a 30.06 using 180 grain winchester silvertip heads. Hell of a 'thump', but surprisingly little meat damage as it is a very solid penetrating round. I expect only a small amount of the energy was imparted in the animal. Less damage than a smaller faster round though, so hardly overkill?
MS:)

i agree with you there mate 100% good to see the 25-06 getting a rest occasionally !
 
Back
Top