My deer hunting is in Wyo. Most of the country is fairly open, a mix of sage brush, aspens, and some hunting in the mountains which is dense dark pine timber, with some cut over areas, and open parks. My main rifle for hunting this country is :
A. .300 mag. with mostly 3-9 scopes with 165 grain Serria hollow point boat tails.
This are my serious big deer rifles. It can kill a buck at 30 yards or 500.
I also keep some sort of close range or spare rifle in the pickup. Often it is a .25-35, 30-30, 300 Sav. or 358.
Also I usually hunt deer in the state of Penna. Here it is a mix of open country strip mines or the steep mts. where shots from one mt. to the other are possible.
Of course much time is spent simply watching runs ways looking for bucks to escape or move from one area to another.
A.for the open country, I often carry one of the .300's from the western hunt. Also, my coyote rifle gets some play, a .25-06 with a custom barrel and 4.5-14 Burris. Its load is 115 grain Nosler BTBT. I usually, have some sort of rifle for watching trails in heavy timber. This year I will probably carry my old 30-06, with a 2.5- 8 Baush and Lomb, that my Grandfather carried on my first deer hunt 50 years ago: I used it to take a bunch of deer years ago. May also carry the .300 Sav. Usually, I take several rifles if I make the trip east for deer.
