Is there an ‘ideal’ deer caliber?

[RCS Deer Management]

I meant retained energy and maximum effective range. Using a 2200fps cut of and Hornady 4dof for their cx offerings

25-06 90gr cx breaks 2200fps at just 310m
6.5 prc 130gr cx breaks 2200fps at 480m
.270 130gr cx breaks at 350m
7mm rem 160gr cx breaks at 505m

And even well before these maximum effective ranges the higher bc offerings will be hitting with more retained velocity which is important with copper.

The variable that you chose (drop) is the least important, easiest to account for variable in ballistics.

I bet that the 7mm and 6.5mm are a fair bit better in a 10mph wind at 300m than the 25 cal and .270 cal too.

Anyway, my point isn’t that you can’t get on well with .270 and .25 cals, I like both of them. But if you were going to crown a cartridge as being‘ultimate’ then why wouldn’t you choose one that utilises higher bc bullets, it’s literally a free benefit. No extra powder burnt, no extra cost, no extra noise, just free efficiency. If on 99% of you shots you don’t need the benefit of the extra bc then good for you, but on that one day that the wind is doing something you haven’t accounted for down range then why wouldn’t you want an efficient bullet? A .270 and 6.5 prc both shoot the same weight bullet, with the same powder charge, pretty much the same speed yet the prc gets blown less in the wind, retains more energy and hits harder down range. I’m missing the point where the .270 miraculously becomes the better cartridge?

 

[bowji john]

If I were to choose just one calibre to hunt with, it would be the 9.3 x 62

However I only shoot for the pot

 

[6pt-sika]

I understand more the situation most of you guys deal with there on the island , but shooting the same load in one or two rifles would get a bit boring to me rather quickly . And I’m not saying it’s anything wrong with that it’s just I get a charge out of trying different bullets almost each time I squeeze the trigger . And reloading is about the only way I can do what I’m after . Just saying .

 

[RCS Deer Management]

I understand more the situation most of you guys deal with there on the island , but shooting the same load in one or two rifles would get a bit boring to me rather quickly . And I’m not saying it’s anything wrong with that it’s just I get a charge out of trying different bullets almost each time I squeeze the trigger . And reloading is about the only way I can do what I’m after . Just saying .

It’s purely a tool to do a job for me I’m afraid, I think on average we shoot a lot more deer over here than the average American, so it gets viewed as a job that needs doing. 5 months of the year I’m in the feild 6.5 days a week, if I tried using my half a day off each week to reload ammunition I think my wife would become my ex wife! if I was shooting a couple of deer a week I suppose that I would enjoy using some more unusual chamberings

 

[Twodogs]

Ask the bullet manufacturers, they are the ones that have never produced them

Have they not?

 

[Twodogs]

How important is BC at most deer shooting distances anyway?

 

[griff]

I meant retained energy and maximum effective range. Using a 2200fps cut of and Hornady 4dof for their cx offerings

25-06 90gr cx breaks 2200fps at just 310m
6.5 prc 130gr cx breaks 2200fps at 480m
.270 130gr cx breaks at 350m
7mm rem 160gr cx breaks at 505m

And even well before these maximum effective ranges the higher bc offerings will be hitting with more retained velocity which is important with copper.

The variable that you chose (drop) is the least important, easiest to account for variable in ballistics.

I bet that the 7mm and 6.5mm are a fair bit better in a 10mph wind at 300m than the 25 cal and .270 cal too.

Anyway, my point isn’t that you can’t get on well with .270 and .25 cals, I like both of them. But if you were going to crown a cartridge as being‘ultimate’ then why wouldn’t you choose one that utilises higher bc bullets, it’s literally a free benefit. No extra powder burnt, no extra cost, no extra noise, just free efficiency. If on 99% of you shots you don’t need the benefit of the extra bc then good for you, but on that one day that the wind is doing something you haven’t accounted for down range then why wouldn’t you want an efficient bullet? A .270 and 6.5 prc both shoot the same weight bullet, with the same powder charge, pretty much the same speed yet the prc gets blown less in the wind, retains more energy and hits harder down range. I’m missing the point where the .270 miraculously becomes the better cartridge?

your initial response was that the 25/270/30 did not produce good BC bullets, when in fact they do! If you are going to compare cartridges then make sure you use the same BC bullet, even I know you cannot compare same weight bullets in different calibres for a fair comparison.

 

[RCS Deer Management]

your initial response was that the 25/270/30 did not produce good BC bullets, when in fact they do! If you are going to compare cartridges then make sure you use the same BC bullet, even I know you cannot compare same weight bullets in different calibres for a fair comparison.

You can if said weight bullet is the common choice in that calibre (130 mono 6.5 and 130 mono 270) and I said nothing about poor bc bullets in 30 cal

 

[RCS Deer Management]

How important is BC at most deer shooting distances anyway?

It depends on the distances you are shooting, if you can remember when you came on your stalk with me I don’t let my clients shoot past about 150m tops, but if you are experienced and doing it for a living in open ground then shots past 300m arnt uncommon. As I have said every time Iv posted, I don’t think bc is a massive advantage, but it’s normally a gain that can be had for free with sensible cartridge choice. So if looking for a new rifle, you might as well choose a cartridge that will help you as much as possible

 

[Greener Jim]

1. No there isn't

2. My general thought process is to use the cartridge that pushes your chosen bullet weight as fast as possible (or the heaviest bullet possible at your chosen velocity depending on your outlook), that you can shoot accurately, and that the police will approve. If you use factory, work down that list till you get to one you can get easily. If you don't use factory, follow your heart

 

[6pt-sika]

It’s purely a tool to do a job for me I’m afraid, I think on average we shoot a lot more deer over here than the average American, so it gets viewed as a job that needs doing. 5 months of the year I’m in the feild 6.5 days a week, if I tried using my half a day off each week to reload ammunition I think my wife would become my ex wife! if I was shooting a couple of deer a week I suppose that I would enjoy using some more unusual chamberings

For the last couple years in the county I reside our entire season encompasses seven months with a two per day limit . By no means do I plan on killing two per day seven days a week for the entire season but I try and get a dozen or so a year .

 

[waggy 1]

If I was only allowed one Rifle Calibre it would be a 7x57 with out a doubt!!

 

[Scipio]

If I was only allowed one Rifle Calibre it would be a 7x57 with out a doubt!!

if you're reloading it is a fine shout for sure. Well at least if you're in a country where you have to use non lead only, and the available commercial options for the old 7 are thus more limited

As to the OP, i hope enough and constructive input have been given, and that the poster in question now feels more informed as to evaluate what might best suit their needs and preferences, because in the end, i think that is what this thread should really ideally help towards achieving. .-)

 

[NP435]

It depends on the distances you are shooting, if you can remember when you came on your stalk with me I don’t let my clients shoot past about 150m tops, but if you are experienced and doing it for a living in open ground then shots past 300m arnt uncommon. As I have said every time Iv posted, I don’t think bc is a massive advantage, but it’s normally a gain that can be had for free with sensible cartridge choice. So if looking for a new rifle, you might as well choose a cartridge that will help you as much as possible

One of my favorite projectiles is the Speer Grand Slam, blunt low bc and very effective you must know the trajectory of the chosen load. learned by doing the shooting not some theoretical drop table.

 

[FeckArseIndustries]

What he says

Yep. That.

 

[RM100]

Yes, and it’s mine.

 

[njc110381]

My opinion is that folk spend far too much time thinking about stuff like this. That's an opinion which has changed recently - I used to spend far too much time thinking about this and I've worn myself out!

Pick any cartridge/calibre from .243 to whatever your local Gestapo will allow you to have. They all kill deer. I don't think anyone can say what the ideal calibre is because there isn't one. I really like my .35 Whelen using down loaded 180gr soft points for woodland muntjac - most people would tell you to buy a .223 for that job. They're all a little bit different, all have their own flaws and benefits.

If I could only have one deer rifle what would I pick? I honestly don't know. Big and slow is great for close up work but rubbish out in the wind on the hill. High BC and fast is great for out in the open at longer ranges, but shoot a small woodland deer with that same rifle at 50m and there will be more dog food than usable meat on the front end. I guess the perfect cartridge is one that can do both to a degree and .30 sits there well with deer bullet offerings from 120gr up to 220gr+. The .300WSM is supposed to be very good down loaded, I've not tried it with mine yet. That would give a broad choice of options from light speed lightweight bullets to very slow heavy ones and everything in between as long as your twist rate could cope with it. If you don't want to shoot very far then scrap that and just buy a .308 - it'll do all but the high BC fast option at a fraction of the cost.

 

[JH83]

It’s an impossible task to decide as deer stalking is so varied in the UK, from CWD and muntys out of a highseat darn sarf to culling stags on the hill in the highlands.

Certain calibres stand out as do it all, 6.5cm or swede, and .308 being the most glaringly obvious.

But….is copper going to change this? Most accept that solid copper bullets like the TTSX or Blade need velocity more than pure horsepower, smaller weight bullets being able to punch through the largest deer….so are the higher velocity type rounds going to take precedence? A .270 using 110g TTSX looks pretty sensible, 6.5 PRC…possibly smaller magnums like 7mm RM?

Food for thought.

 

[smokey]

Folks I’ve been humming over a new rifle for a while now and I’ve been toying between a 6.5 and a .30 cal,(mainly an 06).

The more I look into it, there seems to be a lot of plus points for a high BC bullet.

The 6.5’s recoil less. Even if we tolerate recoil well, in theory, there is increased gun movement and higher recoil is harder to shoot as accurately.

But the .30 cals,(mainly the 06) can be used for almost anything bar dangerous game.

The Americans seem to really rate the 7mm’s at the moment as a happy medium between recoil and down range efficacy.

I was listening to an interesting gunwerks podcast recently and they were chatting about moving away from a ‘bigger hole is better’ and more towards high BC bullets minimising effects of wind and drop, so easier to hit the target.

Now I appreciate most of our deer are probably shot at around 150 yards so this becomes academic.. but is a 6.5 creedmore the boring, sensible, cover most boxes caliber these days? Or is the .30-06 still the one rifle to fill a cabinet that covers everything?

stop watching American crap they have been dreaming about going shooting more than once a year for fifty years that i know off they will all kill deer efficiently try and keep to some sort of professional ethics we are hunters or deer stalkers not wanna be sf deer snipers blowing legs off animals

 

[Rafter]

stop watching American crap they have been dreaming about going shooting more than once a year for fifty years that i know off they will all kill deer efficiently try and keep to some sort of professional ethics we are hunters or deer stalkers not wanna be sf deer snipers blowing legs off animals

Wow.

You are basing this on personal knowledge of a range of people, or just making **** up?