Your Top Three

snake284

What are your top 3 deer cartridges? And give your reasons they're your favorites. If you don't have a top three, give your top 2, in other words your top choice up to 3 choices.

My first is my .270 Winchester. Why? It has good velocity and is flat shooting and it has served me well through 52 years. It's also supposed to be mild in the recoil department, however my particular rifle not so much. On the bench it will make you want to quit shooting. It slaps the hell out of you, especially after 3 or 4 rounds. However, I shoot full house hand loads and my rifle for a full sized deer rifle is rather light. However, as with many other rifles you don't notice it in the field.

One big gripe about the .270 seems to be bullet choice or lack of it. However through the years that has grown from about 3 different bullet weights, 100 grain, 130 Grain and 150 grain to as many as 7, all the way up to as heavy as 170 grains. And actually, that's 5 more than I'll probably ever use (unless I build a long range .270). Although I have shot 140s out of mine, I usually stay with 130s or on rare occasion I'll use 150 grains, depends on what and where I'm hunting. Once about 45 years back I went hunting on a ranch in South Texas and the deer down there are larger so I took some 150s. I had that box of Remington Core Lokts up until a few years back when I gave them to a friend who bought a new rifle and she needed some rounds to sight it in with..

There's a lot of hoopla over the 100 grain. I bought some once just to say I tried em, but wasn't impressed and I didn't see a purpose for them. They're fast but they won't last. If I want a varmint round I have a .22-250, a .223, a .243, and a couple of .25s that will do that job with less recoil and barrel wear.

My second choice is the .280 Remington. There's a dozen bullets for it, but here again, I can do with 2, maybe three. My go to bullet for deer is 150 grain. It's sort of a half step up from the .270 and if I think I need more bullet mass I like the .280 with 150 grain bullets. However, 140s work great for deer. I just started out loading 150 grain bullets because a friend sold me  400 7mm Nosler Ballistic Tips cheap and I've been using them for the last 11 years. I've also used Sierra 160 grain HP Game Kings but I'm not impressed with the velocities.

My third choice is my .250 Savage just because it's sweet. It's accurate and out to 300 yards its everything I need for deer and pigs. With 115 grain Combined Technologies Ballistic Tips its deadly on deer and hogs.

There's more cartridges I use and love but for my 3 go tos these are the ones.

What's your top three?

Zee

.223 Remington - Defense/Varmints /Plinking/Distance Shooting (800yrds)/Medium Game/Slaying MONSTERS
It is inexpensive to shoot (comparatively) and it will slay monsters  (with proper bullet placement).  What's not to love.?

.243 Winchester - From light to heavy for caliber.....it does it all.  from kid to adult.  It does it all.  From close to far.  It does it all.  What's not to love?

.308 Winchester - What can't it do?

bisley

Zee said:

.223 Remington - Defense/Varmints /Plinking/Distance Shooting (800yrds)/Medium Game/Slaying MONSTERS
It is inexpensive to shoot (comparatively) and it will slay monsters  (with proper bullet placement).  What's not to love.?

.243 Winchester - From light to heavy for caliber.....it does it all.  from kid to adult.  It does it all.  From close to far.  It does it all.  What's not to love?

.308 Winchester - What can't it do?

Given the parameters, I cannot disagree with this for a top three, or the reasons stated.

Just to relate that to what I actually have, I will mention 7mm-08 and .30-06. The 7mm-08 is a very nice, soft recoiling take-off of the .308 that kills deer and hogs every time, with a decent shot, and it works really nice for my AR-10 style hunting rifle. I bought the .30-06 because the rifle I wanted was chambered for it, and I knew there wouldn't be a speck of difference between it and the .308 168 grain loads that I like. The .30-06 actually has a little more versatility than the .308, for those who like heavier bullets with increased recoil. I like .25-06, too. although the loads I shoot in it have much more recoil than the 7mm-08 loads I shoot.

earlyagain

I have more of a tendency towards a certain rifle than a cartridge. My 30-06 is a Rem700 stainless/polymer and servres for bad weather. My 308win is a family heirloom and would likely be overly protected from moisture.

I've had such good sucess with my Hawken caplock it's a viable option if I can get close. No cartridges needed. Same with handguns. Good for close up because of my mediocre skill and easy to carry. If it starts with a 4 its out the door.

cpj

Not sure I have a favorite. I’ve shot deer with many different rounds, and all have worked. I keep thinking maybe I’ll have a “go to” deer rifle/cartridge, but considering I haven’t for the 25 years I’ve been hunting, I don’t reckon I’ll start now. 

NCFUBAR

My most used is a .308 ... I can reach across fields if needed with decent confidence. Then a .30-30 ... to me the best brush gun for my area ... light, compact and for “in brush” distances iron sights works great. For a third I’ll go over kill with a .30-06 but the main reason is it was my Grandpa’s and I have to keep his memory going each season with taking one deer.

JerryBobCo

The .243 has to be in the list.  After that, it changes.  That's kind of like asking who my favorite kid is.

jaywapti

I guess I'm just old school, 
1) .30-06 with 180gr. Rem. Bronze Point
2) .358 Win with 225gr. Sierra SBT
3) .270 Win. with 140gr. SBT
Why, because they always do the job.

JAY

HAWKEN

Easy pesy:

1. 243 Winchester
2. 270 Winchester
3. 1894 Marlin .44 magnum

JerryBobCo

Wow!

At least 3 votes for Snake's favorite .270 Winchester.

It's been nice knowing you guys.

knitepoet

1) 6.5 Grendel Low recoil, all the "legs" I need, small, compact rifle

2) 223: Is now the quietest hunting rifle I own. Big enough for the small deer around these parts

3) 7x57: Been killing everything from elephants on down for over 125 years

I expect my 300BO to replace one of them (probably 223) some time in 2019

orchidman

Assuming we are talking about deer,,,,,,,,,,,

Sako Vixen in 222 ( 50gr psp)

Tikka T3lite in 7mm08 (Sierra 120 and 140gr sp)

3rd is a tossup between the Tikka TX in 243 or the Howa 204. Taken more deer with the Howa........but thats because I have only had the 243 for about 8 mths.

Jayhawker

6.8 SPC......stalking rifle
.300 Win. Mag.....wheat/bean field rifle
.308 Winchester....anything else rifle

bullsi1911

1) .30-06
2) .308
3) kind of up in the air. Maybe .454 Casull or .44 Mag

Diver43

1.  .223 Remington

2.  tie between .30-30 Winchester and .45 Colt (lever action)

3. 30-06 Springfield

snake284

JerryBobCo said:

Wow!

At least 3 votes for Snake's favorite .270 Winchester.

It's been nice knowing you guys.

Hey, do I have to research the archives and dig up your old posts? I've seen you say the same thing. You know you have, now Cowboy up and admit it! LOLOLOL!!!

jaywapti

We have many calibers based on the 06 case from the .22-06 thru the .40 Whelen, all of which are fine cartridges according to this forum, with the exception of the 27-06, you dont like the number 27,  fine I like the .270

JAY

shootbrownelk

  .243  30.06 and .375 H&H because that's what I have.

knitepoet

We like EVEN numbers 24, 26, 28, 30
27 is just ODD

Zee

Hey!  .33 and .35 are cool too. 

knitepoet

Zee said:

Hey!  .33 and .35 are ODD too. 

FIFY, and Yes, yes they are :rotflmao:

jaywapti

knitepoet said:

We like EVEN numbers 24, 26, 28, 30
27 is just ODD

But ya like .25, .33, 35, & 37 -06

JAY

knitepoet

Notice I didn't mention any of them??

JerryBobCo

snake284 said:

JerryBobCo said:

Wow!

At least 3 votes for Snake's favorite .270 Winchester.

It's been nice knowing you guys.

Hey, do I have to research the archives and dig up your old posts? I've seen you say the same thing. You know you have, now Cowboy up and admit it! LOLOLOL!!!

Busted!

I have to admit that I like the .270, but it's more fun to tease others.  As I've stated before, I've taken javelina, whitetail deer, antelope, mule deer and elk with this puny cartridge.  Dead is dead, and that's about all anyone needs to say.

mitdr774

Seeing as how I have only taken white tail deer with a .30-06 and 6.5x55, I guess those would be my top two so far.  Hopefully this year I can add a .45 caliber to the list.

Now if we throw Red Deer in there I can go with .243 and .22-250 as options.  Well at least I think it was a .22-250 as it was an estate rifle and I only used it for one day.

Does it still count against you if you purchase a .270 caliber, never fire it, and swap the barrel to a different caliber??  Is the .270 WSM somehow less despised than the standard .270?  

snake284

mitdr774 said:

Seeing as how I have only taken white tail deer with a .30-06 and 6.5x55, I guess those would be my top two so far.  Hopefully this year I can add a .45 caliber to the list.

Now if we throw Red Deer in there I can go with .243 and .22-250 as options.  Well at least I think it was a .22-250 as it was an estate rifle and I only used it for one day.

Does it still count against you if you purchase a .270 caliber, never fire it, and swap the barrel to a different caliber??  Is the .270 WSM somehow less despised than the standard .270?  

You can take solace in the fact that it's mainly just this forum where the .270 is dispised and some of those dispisers I suspect have owned or own one but don't bring it up here. They'd rather just take shots at those of us brave enough to admit it. They either just keep them in the safe or they hunt with them and call them somethng else when discussing them here. I mean how you gonna know? LOL!

And why would you change the barrel providing it was in good shape? Try it, you might like it.

And yeah, I think I would love a .270 Short Mag. It would spit out 150s as fast as my regular .270 will push 130s. Not that you need them for deer, but for Elk or other larger species I think it's definitely a winner.

snake284

1. 0ww
   

   JerryBobCo said:

   snake284 said:

   JerryBobCo said:

   Wow!

   At least 3 votes for Snake's favorite .270 Winchester.

   It's been nice knowing you guys.

   Hey, do I have to research the archives and dig up your old posts? I've seen you say the same thing. You know you have, now Cowboy up and admit it! LOLOLOL!!!
   

   
   

   
   

   
   Busted!

   I have to admit that I like the .270, but it's more fun to tease others.  As I've stated before, I've taken javelina, whitetail deer, antelope, mule deer and elk with this puny cartridge.  Dead is dead, and that's about all anyone needs to say.

   
   

   snake284 said:

   mitdr774 said:

   Seeing as how I have only taken white tail deer with a .30-06 and 6.5x55, I guess those would be my top two so far.  Hopefully this year I can add a .45 caliber to the list.
   
   Now if we throw Red Deer in there I can go with .243 and .22-250 as options.  Well at least I think it was a .22-250 as it was an estate rifle and I only used it for one day.
   
   Does it still count against you if you purchase a .270 caliber, never fire it, and swap the barrel to a different caliber??  Is the .270 WSM somehow less despised than the standard .270?  

   You can take solace in the fact that it's mainly just this forum where the .270 is dispised and some of those dispisers I suspect have owned or own one but don't bring it up here. They'd rather just take shots at those of us brave enough to admit it. They either just keep them in the safe or they hunt with them and call them somethng else when discussing them here. I mean how you gonna know? LOL!

   And why would you change the barrel providing it was in good shape? Try it, you might like it.
   

   
   

   And yeah, I think I would love a .270 Short Mag. It would spit out 150s as fast as my regular .270 will push 130s. Not that you need them for deer, but for Elk or other larger species I think it's definitely a winner.
   

   
   

snake284

Ah JBC, you are a bigger man than most here. I knew you were at least once a .270 fan, I think you said one time you had one and it was stolen. But for my part, it's all good. No such thing as a bad cartridge. Our favorite cartridges are usually that because that's what we had and/or used growing up..

With the right bullet and if we do our part, they all work.

Jeff in TX

1. .22 LR - for the little critters and plus it's just plain fun to shoot and plink with
2. .243 Win - for deer hogs and most any four legged critter in NA that's too large for the .22LR!
3. .308 Win - allowed me to reach out to grand when I used to shoot that far and can take any critter in NA, though if I were going for a Grizzly I'd want a bit more horse power and bullet size

Honorable mention would be my .300 WSM for Griz and Big Shaggy's if I ever decide to hunt them again!

Michakav

1. .243 Win (best deer cartridge ever)
2. .260 Rem. (have never used, but want one)
3. .308 Win

Yup, a very common theme with a ton of overlap....

For some odd reason I have a love affair with the .25-06 also. Never had 1 or even fired 1. I just want 1. Will probably never actually get 1 though.

Linefinder

I really love my A-Bolt in .270 Win (with BOSS), because....well I've killed a lot of deer with it, a couple bison, an elk and all I've had to track was one deer that traveled 60 feet...unfortunately, through a blackberry thicket. With the exception of the bison, the only thing that required a second shot was the smallest deer I've ever shot. Still trying to figure that one out fifteen years later. But, if I wanted a "deer-specific" chambering, I'd pick the .243 Win if you don't handload, or a 6mm Rem if you do. I own a 6Rem, but have never shot it at a deer, though it has tumped over a few antelope out to a quarter mile, and a pdog or two at almost twice that. Problem with my 6Rem is that it was set up as a long range varmint rig and weighs a ton. Okay for stand hunting, but not much fun for hauling up and down mountains. So I guess my .270 A-Bolt is it, but if I had the same platform in .243 Win/6mm Rem, that would be my go-to deer rifle. That way I could save my .270 for the big stuff. Mike