Author Topic: Caliber for hunting whitetail Deer and black (Read 3779 times)

Old Cane · « **Reply #30 on:** April 15, 2005, 04:02:45 PM »

Dave in WV, what you said. In the first place, what range was this where an instructor had people on the line with no ear protection? and 100% right if it was under a cover. I wonder if the guy had people on the line with no eye protection so they could see what blowback in the eyes feels like. I can't tell a lot of difference between my 38sp and my 30-06 when I have no ear protection. One pop and they ring anyway.

CT, like most folks here have said it's different when you are the loose nut behind the trigger. You probably won't notice much different in any adequate caliber. Get a 24 or 26" barrel if you need to as long as the rifle will do the job. A 30-30 is always a good choice but most have a 19 or 20" barrel. Try one out first. Try as many as you can. Buy as many as you can.

kudzu · « **Reply #31 on:** April 17, 2005, 01:31:04 PM »

Depending on the range, the 308 would be a great choice. there are a lot of bullets to choice from in the 30 cals. Hard to pin point which would be louder than the next. to many variables (powder, bullet, barrel, etc.)

TScottO · « **Reply #32 on:** April 17, 2005, 02:12:59 PM »

I like the idea of a 35 Remington or maybe a 450 Marlin. I'm not a bear hunter but if I were I believe I'd choose fatter calibers.

Take Care,
Scott

Thebear_78 · « **Reply #33 on:** April 17, 2005, 03:56:48 PM »

Its hard to go wrong with a lever gun in 45/70 for shots out to 200 yards but its every bit as loud as my 30/06, maybe even seem louder due to my 45/70 having a 18.5" barrel. Sadly guns are loud, we just have to learn to live with it.

rickt300 · « **Reply #34 on:** April 21, 2005, 04:39:12 AM »

A 22 inch barreled 308 would be perfect, not nearly as loud as a 30-06. You can then use 180 grain bulllets that will perform fine on both animals and just in case you need to shoot down a powerline right of way you will have the range. I have both a iron sighted 30-30 and a 308 to cover all situations.

DanP · « **Reply #35 on:** August 19, 2005, 05:04:34 AM »

Big difference between a white-tail and a black bear; big difference between a small black bear and a big black bear. Even though it doesn't take much to kill a small/average black bear, it takes more to kill a larger one. Even then, they are tougher than one expects.

Another consideration is they don't have hooves, and have fat and long hair to limit blood trails. A wounded bear -- even well hit -- can be hard to track. You might want to use a little larger diameter caliber just to punch a big enough hole to leave a trail.

I know this track is OLD, and you've committed to your purchase, but its worth thinking about before you pull your trigger on a bear.

Dan

Raging480 · « **Reply #36 on:** August 19, 2005, 07:27:15 AM »

For your situation, might I suggest a .35 caliber or larger cartridge, at a moderate velocity? The .35 Rem, or .444 Marlin might be the ticket. These cartridges have been knocking down deer and bear for years, and are excellent when hunting in thick terrain. The larger caliber will help if you have to track, because a larger hole means a better blood trail.

Slamfire · « **Reply #37 on:** August 19, 2005, 03:22:31 PM »

Any cartridge that meets the specs of this forum will do just fine. As to noise, get a set of the hearing enhancers that cut off noises louder than 90 dB. I think you can find a nice pair at Cheaper than Dirt for $100. :wink:

JD338 · « **Reply #38 on:** August 20, 2005, 10:24:27 AM »

I also agree on the 7mm-08 Rem or 308 Win.

As for noise, they are all going to be loud. You might want to consider using some hearing protection.

Regards,

JD338

coopershooter · « **Reply #39 on:** August 29, 2005, 02:02:31 PM »

I ONCE OWNED A MARLIN IN 356 WIN. IT WOULD PUT FACTORY LOADS IN ABOUT AN INCH AT 100 YDS. WITH FLIMSY OVER UNDER SCOPE MOUNT RINGS AND A 3X9 SCOPE. KICKED A LITTLE HARDER THAN A 30-30, BUT NOT MUCH. IT WOULD WORK FOR DEER OR BEAR!

Kragman71 · « **Reply #40 on:** August 29, 2005, 04:42:39 PM »

Coyote Trapper
A while back,I decided that the 30'06 was too much gun for little Whitetails in the New York woods.
I decided on the 30/40 Krag,and can highly recommend it to you.I also tried the 300 Savage;it's also a oood choice. A 35 Remington,would also be fine.
Now,I'm using the 30/30 Winchester,and believe that almost all the deer that I got,would be killed just as well with the little 30/30.
The 30/30 is more then enough for any Whitetails,in the woods,an the biggest blackbear that I ever saw,was killed with one.
Good luck
Frank

Savage .250 · « **Reply #41 on:** August 30, 2005, 02:56:37 AM »

In an earlier post Wink_Man mentioned a savage .300.....fine choice.
If you can find Savage 99(used) in that cal,.300 you`ll have yourself a really fine gun. One that will certainly take care of business. Course there are many different choices that will do the job but it`s got a great track record in the hunting world established over many years. Guys that own-um know what i mean.
The .35 has been mentioned as well. You take it into the woods with you and rest assured it`s got your back. Easy to carry, can find shells almost anywhere and will help you bring home the groceries.

" The best part of the hunt is not the harvest but in the experience."

jro45 · « **Reply #42 on:** September 02, 2005, 01:18:09 PM »

I used the 338 for my 500 lb black bear hunt and am not sorry that I did.

Ramrod · « **Reply #43 on:** September 02, 2005, 03:15:31 PM »

Quote from: Kragman71

Coyote Trapper
A while back,I decided that the 30'06 was too much gun for little Whitetails in the New York woods.
I decided on the 30/40 Krag,and can highly recommend it to you.I also tried the 300 Savage;it's also a oood choice. A 35 Remington,would also be fine.
Now,I'm using the 30/30 Winchester,and believe that almost all the deer that I got,would be killed just as well with the little 30/30.
The 30/30 is more then enough for any Whitetails,in the woods,an the biggest blackbear that I ever saw,was killed with one.
Good luck
Frank

Darn right, deer in the woods are shot at close range, and the old 30-30 kills as well as any other .30 caliber. The bigger cases give you more range, but inside of 200 yards, if you can't kill it with a 30-30, you most likley can't kill it with a .300 Mag.

Buckeye · « **Reply #44 on:** September 04, 2005, 09:28:49 AM »

If you are hunting from tree stands and or in thickets and your shots are not over 150yd.s A good levergun in 44 Mag. or even a 357 Mag. would fit your bill.
Heres a pic. of my 357Mag. Puma,and my 357mag. Blackhawk.

NoKness · « **Reply #45 on:** December 17, 2005, 01:00:54 PM »

I may be a big fan of the 358 win and do most of the rest of my hunting with a 308 but I have shot two pretty big bodied adirondack deer with a 30.30 170grain. One of those shots went through both shoulders and exited. My impression( based upon verylimited personal experience) is that the 170 grain 30.30 bullets penetrate as well as a lot of faster calibiers loaded with more rapidly expanding bullets.

With the 30.30 use the 170g load. I think it will work well.

One of my flaws as a game shot is I tend to take the best shot I can and then I I look to see what happened. This seems to work well on deer for me. I lung shoot them and they run a few feet. However i have heard that bear don't bleed so well If you shoot at a bear, keep shooting until its down and dead. The more holes you can genterate in a bear the more blood it will leak.

Good luck

Daks · « **Reply #46 on:** December 17, 2005, 04:03:21 PM »

My first 11 deer were taken in the Adirondacks with a Winchester 32, which I guess is similar to a 30-30. It was my aunt's weapon of choice, with a flip-up peep sight on the tang. Nice gun, great for the close-in shots we got.

I went to a 30-06 because it was THE gun. I've taken a lot of deer with my 30-06 but the shots haven't changed - the deer could just as easily been taken with my aunt's 32. I changed, not the conditions.

Nice thing about the 30-06, I tell myself, is that if I do see a deer at a cutover in the woods, I can take it easier than with my 32. But you know what? I know that little gun pretty good, and I know the deer up here, and if I had to take a long shot, I know just how that shell is going to drop, so there wouldn't be a problem. And because I know the deer and where they go, I've never had to take a long shot.

So though I use a 30-06, I could just as easily be using that old 32.

I like guns, so I use different stuff. My aunt, though, took deer and bear with that 32, as underpowered as it seems today.

coyote trapper1929 · « **Reply #47 on:** December 17, 2005, 04:41:42 PM »

Wow, I did not think this topic would still be going!! :grin:

Update:

I looked over both the Marlin 336c in 30-30 and then I looked at the Winchester Model 94 Legacy with the 24 inch barrel in 30-30 Winchester. I chose the Winchester Model 94 Legacy for a couple of reasons.

1. It handles VERY WELL!!!

2. The safety is on the top , just like on my father's old Winchester Model 24 double barrel shotgun. That also works VERY WELL!!

3. Fit and finish is PERFECT!!!!

4. Price: Besides the lever action rifles, I looked over a variety of different makes and styles of centerfire rifles. I really liked the Browning BAR , but could not see spending over $700.00 for it.

5. I like the longer 24 inch barrel.

Now , I just have to get a better scope for it. The old Redfield 4X riflescope keeps going out of alinement(SP?) I have a new Simmons 6-18x40 riflescope picked out for next season.

Thanks for all the replies!

Andy2590 · « **Reply #48 on:** December 17, 2005, 05:13:03 PM »

:shock: !!! 6-18x40 !!! :shock:

coyote trapper1929 · « **Reply #49 on:** December 18, 2005, 04:47:44 AM »

That's right :grin: A new Simmons 6-18x40mm riflescope

:grin: I figure that it will come in handy with the new Hornady LeverEvolution ammo :grin:

Andy2590 · « **Reply #50 on:** December 18, 2005, 05:54:16 AM »

I'm not gonna tell you what to do, but you might regret getting a scope that high in power, especially if you are hunting in the woods where most shots are under 100 yards. Where I hunt a long shot is 100 yards, and i keep my scope on 3x. If a deer runs up close and I don't have time to change the power then its already on 3x, but if one comes out 100 yards away, 3x will still work, but its more likely that I will have time to crank it up to 9x if I want. Anyway, if you do go with the 6-18, make sure you post a pic, I don't think I've ever seen a lever action rifle with that size of scope on it :lol: . lol

Gregory · « **Reply #51 on:** December 18, 2005, 06:22:02 AM »

Quote from: coyote trapper1929

That's right :grin: A new Simmons 6-18x40mm riflescope :grin: I figure that it will come in handy with the new Hornady LeverEvolution ammo :grin:

I've got the perfect scope(s) for your new rifle. Both are Tasco World Class gloss blue, waterproof & fogproof. (These are Japanese made, when Tasco was a well made scope not the Chinese made junk). Lens caps and Tasco Weaver style rings included.

I have a 1-3.5X and a 1.75-5X. Both used with slight rings marks but otherwise excellent condition. email me if interested.

gdk45@yahoo.com

If these had a matte finish I wouldn't be selling them.