Author Topic: POLL-- Bare minimum cal. for deer? (Read 4885 times)

m-g Willy · « **on:** February 09, 2014, 07:39:16 PM »

Was wondering what other HUNTERS (not couch/experts) would consider as the minimum cal. for deer if shots were at the most 150 yards.

cudatruck · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2014, 09:33:41 PM »

.243 Winchester or any like 6mm.

.223 is ok too but some states don't allow it.

gr8ful · « **Reply #2 on:** February 09, 2014, 09:51:09 PM »

My personal opinion is .223. However my personal belief is that shot placement is more important than calibre. I don't believe that a deer is harder to kill than a coyote. But I do believe that the average hunter is not a very good blood trailer. A.22 hornet in the hands of an experienced hunter is a deadly weapon whereas a 300 win mag in the hands of an inexperienced marksman is a disaster waiting to happen. 17 and 204 will kill a deer but will only be recoverable when shot placement is exact. Caliber is a poor standard. A 25 acp is no match for a 25-06.

Land_Owner · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2014, 01:03:00 AM »

pastorp · « **Reply #4 on:** February 10, 2014, 01:45:52 AM »

I agree that with today's good deer bullets caliber is not as important. If a marksman is practiced and understands shot placement a 223 works. And works well.

Drilling Man · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2014, 03:12:37 AM »

.243/6mm or the like, with good bullet choises...

DM

mechanic · « **Reply #6 on:** February 10, 2014, 03:45:49 AM »

The most important thing is not caliber but hunter ability. Smaller calibers should only be used by expert shots. Larger calibers should only be used by expert shots.

Most hunters need to shoot more.

cwlongshot · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2014, 04:29:15 AM »

I agree 243 Winchester is safest bet.

In a survival situation a accurate 22 hornet and good shooter/hunter. If shotEned to INSIDE 100 my 22 Maggie and head shots would work fine.

CW

m-g Willy · « **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2014, 09:08:59 AM »

I'm surprised .
I thought with the 150 yard max. range I would get more handgun cal. guns.
I would say for myself a 357 or 44/40 would be the least cal. I would use for deer out to 150 yards.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2014, 09:13:46 AM »

You ask bare min. most including me think cal. and both 44 and 357 are larger than .243.
243 min , but I won't go below .25.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #10 on:** February 10, 2014, 09:14:27 AM »

Maybe you should poll min. cartridge.

flintlock · « **Reply #11 on:** February 10, 2014, 09:37:21 AM »

Back in the '70s, before there were "deer" hunters and "deer" calibers I killed several dozen with a 22-250 Remington 700 in and 55gr Remington Hollow points...

I wasn't "experienced" as I couldn't yet drive, hadn't killed many deer at all...I was a squirrel hunter, and used a 552 open sights...

Dad would drop me off at one of our farms and tell me to kill every deer that came into the peanut field...I would sit with my back to a tree in blue jeans and a t-shirt...

That gun was deadly on whitetails....It wasn't until the age of the internet until I learned how unethical I was killing animals with such an undersized caliber.....

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #12 on:** February 10, 2014, 09:52:47 AM »

So I got to ask , if the trophy of a life time was in your sights would you want a 22 or a larger round ?

Wyo. Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #13 on:** February 10, 2014, 10:12:24 AM »

Did you recover every deer you shot that came into the peanut field?

spruce · « **Reply #14 on:** February 10, 2014, 10:24:26 AM »

Easy question to answer if whitetails were the same size everywhere - but they're not! Some places you can find some that reach 300 pounds, other places a good sized one might go 125 pounds.

Same goes for range. Are you limiting shots to 25 yards or shooting out to 300 yards or beyond?

Land_Owner · « **Reply #15 on:** February 10, 2014, 10:53:11 AM »

Quote from: SHOOTALL on February 10, 2014, 09:52:47 AM

So I got to ask , if the trophy of a life time was in your sights would you want a 22 or a larger round ?

The round with which I am most proficient and I don't care if that is .223, .270, .357, or .454.

If I am proficient, I will be confident and shoot small to hit small.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #16 on:** February 10, 2014, 10:56:27 AM »

Land_owner , so wouldn't you take rifle larger than a 22 cal. to start with ? Here we can't hunt deer with anything less than a .243 so I don't consider it a choice here.

no guns here · « **Reply #17 on:** February 10, 2014, 11:20:35 AM »

Personally, I'd say .243... BUT hordes and legions of Texas hunters swear by the .22-250 and .223. Now, caliber is different than CARTRIDGE.

as said before a .25acp does not equal a .25-'06

a smaller caliber in a large case can be more powerful than a larger caliber such as say a .223 vs a .45acp

NGH

mechanic · « **Reply #18 on:** February 10, 2014, 11:43:10 AM »

Quote from: no guns here on February 10, 2014, 11:20:35 AM

Personally, I'd say .243... BUT hordes and legions of Texas hunters swear by the .22-250 and .223. Now, caliber is different than CARTRIDGE.

as said before a .25acp does not equal a .25-'06

a smaller caliber in a large case can be more powerful than a larger caliber such as say a .223 vs a .45acp

NGH

There is a lot of difference in say, a 22.250 and a 22 hornet, both of which are legal for deer in Ga. Would I use a hornet? Not if I could help it, but if I did, I would treat the situation much differently than with the 22.250. Again, I say the caliber is less important than the hunter. Does he really know his cartridge? Will he try a 225yd. shot with a Hornet? Can he place the bullet in the heart or head, or is he just trying for a body shot anywhere as so many do?

I hunted with a guy, ONCE, that used a 12 ga. with slugs. At about 150 yds. he managed out of five shots to get two in a deer. I tracked the deer well off our property, and found it bogged in a swamp with it's intestines floating. I dispatched it with my 22 pocket pistol and left it for the coyotes. Too far to carry, and the shooter had gone home.

I would never have tried the shot with the slugs at that distance, because with a smooth bore slug gun I would doubt my ability to dispatch the animal. I would have with a 22.250.....a 22 Hornet?..nope.

Ben

BBF · « **Reply #19 on:** February 11, 2014, 06:34:13 AM »

We, in Nova Scotia are probably one of the few if not last Province that does not allow 22 cal CF's for Deer.
There has been a Resolution by the NS Hunters&Anglers Assoc to ask the Govt to allow 22 CF's for several years. So far the Govt has not allowed it.

My take is that if they do( I hope not) they would specify a ft/lb and bullet weight minimum performance to keep the 22 Hornet illegal.

flintlock · « **Reply #20 on:** February 11, 2014, 08:09:00 AM »

Quote from: Wyo. Coyote Hunter on February 10, 2014, 10:12:24 AM

Did you recover every deer you shot that came into the peanut field?

I never lost a one...

Wyo. Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #21 on:** February 11, 2014, 01:09:04 PM »

I guess my question was if you shot every deer that came into the peanut field what did you do with the meat?

m-g Willy · « **Reply #22 on:** February 11, 2014, 01:51:00 PM »

Quote from: SHOOTALL on February 10, 2014, 09:13:46 AM

You ask bare min. most including me think cal. and both 44 and 357 are larger than .243.
243 min , but I won't go below .25.

Good point.
My mistake

flintlock · « **Reply #23 on:** February 11, 2014, 02:17:40 PM »

Quote from: Wyo. Coyote Hunter on February 11, 2014, 01:09:04 PM

I guess my question was if you shot every deer that came into the peanut field what did you do with the meat?

None were wasted, Dad grew up during the Depression, we picked them up and took them to needy families...

BBF · « **Reply #24 on:** February 11, 2014, 04:15:18 PM »

How many hunters only have a 22CF to hunt Deer with?
Top of my head I'd say very few.

For young/petite hunters a 6mm or larger can be loaded down.

This wasn't the OP's question, however I felt moved to add.

What I have seen as the biggest reasons why some folks( kids& women) only try shooting a rifle once is:
a. Noise
b. The rifle doesn't fit them.

Solution:
Start them with a 22 rimfire. most of them will fit. get hearing protection and if you are in the position to give them something more fun to shoot at than a paper target.

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #25 on:** February 11, 2014, 05:25:24 PM »

We shouldn't be worried about bare minimum caliber as much as we should be worried about bare minimum rounds down range before the season starts. I know way too many hunters who shoot 2 - 3 rounds per year to check their scope before the season and that's it. To me the '06 that gets shot 3 times a year is much more unethical than the .22 Hornet that is practiced with on a regular basis.

Pick something that's legal in your state and practice as much as possible.

BBF · « **Reply #26 on:** February 11, 2014, 05:33:37 PM »

BB
With the present meager supply of ammo and components, you/others may have to limit yourself how much you sent down a Range.

Doublebass73 · « **Reply #27 on:** February 12, 2014, 01:50:17 AM »

Quote from: BBF on February 11, 2014, 05:33:37 PM

BB
With the present meager supply of ammo and components, you/others may have to limit yourself how much you sent down a Range.

That's true for the past couple years but the people that I know personally don't even bother to send one box of ammo down range before the season. A box of ammo lasts them a minimum of five years.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #28 on:** February 12, 2014, 01:56:44 AM »

So if year after year I take my deer rifle out and shoot one shot at a target and hit where I aim then go deer hunting and kill my limit of deer I did it wrong because I did not waste more ammo ?

Swampman · « **Reply #29 on:** February 12, 2014, 02:15:22 AM »

.223 is plenty but a lot are harvested with the .22LR.