You favorite deer caliber.

[ACEarcher]

Yep you guess it. You all should of known this was coming soon. What is you favorite caliber for deer in Pa. I have listed some of the more popular calibers. If I missed your favorite sorry. Just pick other then state what it may be.

[BarnesX.308]

I personally use a 300 Weatherby Magnum but that's only because it is my favorite rifle and I can't bear to leave it in the gun cabinet.

I voted 30-06. If anyone were to ask me what rifle to buy to hunt PA deer, I would tell them the 30-06. That's what I used one for a good 15 years and it did everything I needed it to. I also plugged a bear and a caribou with it.

Next on the list would be the .308 Win.

[ACEarcher]

I'll be honest here. I picked the 30-30. It's my favorite gun to carry around. Light, just enough power, took my first buck with it, I can rattle off rounds with it like no other, it's a brush gun and my bbl dosen't stick up past my head, not to mention lever actions are just so cool enough said about that. Second would be a 270 and that flat flying trajectory.

[Setterman]

Mine would be the .444 Marlin for some of the same reasons (handy size, lever action). Another would be an old 1960's vintage 760 carbine in .30-06 as a pet favorite. Both are handy "woods" rifles.

[njbowhunter]

I hunt nj but I love my 50 caliber muzzy

[Winchester 54]

I voted 30-06. It's what my Winchester 54 is chambered in and my favorite gun in my collection witch is where I got my screen name from. This firearm has been in my family since 1925 and still shoots as good as it did back then.

[Darrin Greene]

you forgot .729 caliber...

aka 12 gauge

[Pagrizz]

I have taken deer with everyone of them on the listed ,but I picked my old 30-06 pump. A very close second is the 280 remington mountain rifle

[MattG]

I voted 30.06 as based on my 30 years experience, I've seen more deer killed with it than any other cartridge, and using anywhere from 150's to 180's. For something to stew on, I have seen the best results with the 150's and 165's and the poorest from the 180's on deer out of the .06, beleive it.

Not that the .06 is any better than the .308 or the .270 as i've seen almost as many deer killed with either of those 2 cartridges as i have the .06. Those would be my top 3 and the 7mm 4th, though downloaded to shoot at .270 velocities it's right there with them.

[Makoman]

I voted for the .243 Winchester. I have used it for a long time in PA and have never lost a deer with it. It is a pleasure to shoot at the range which means more practicing and better accuracy. I use 95 grain Barnes X bullets.

[IMR]

I went with my 308. I've used this cal for too many seasons to mention here. And I've had '06's but never fired a shot at a buck with it. I'll stay with the 30's. But I must say all the cals listed are good for wood. I'll also say, no offense to the MArlins which likely are more accurate, that I like the Win. 94- it's just plain handy.

[Setterman]

Maybe this doesn't belong in this thread, but the note about the Winchester 94 made me smile. My Dad has a pristine M94 in .32 Win. Spcl. It's as new as the day he bought it back in 1954. He used it once to shoot tin cans with my Mom on their honeymoon trip they took to Maine. My brother used it a couple of times in NY for deer back in the 70's.

[deerslayersean]

i perfer 100 grain switchbalde on a 28 in st axis :D

[The Wadd]

270, 140 gr Light Magnums! Backed up 44 mag 200 gr XTP Hand loads!:fight:

[IMR]

Setterman, reminds me of my Dad's Win.64

[jonny one shot]

30-06 for me i got a 30-30 for back up too:thup:

[Unami]

I'd be happy to take any of them out for deer. It comes down to the favorite rifle for me. An old browning bolt in .308 that I just enjoy too much to leave it at home.

[35ruger]

definately 270 Win. I shot my 10 point with my Ruger M77 RL in 270 Win.

[Setterman]

IMR, a while ago ago I picked up 1953-made pre-64 M70 in .257 Roberts. I just started load development for it this year. So far, it appears to be a shooter. Very well-made and something that is typical from that era in the way of craftsmanship.

[reel_smooth]

270, 140 gr Light Magnums! Backed up 44 mag 200 gr XTP Hand loads!:fight:

Only difference here between you and me is that I put 130 gr's out of my .270. Which make/model .44 you using?

[MattG]

IMR, a while ago ago I picked up 1953-made pre-64 M70 in .257 Roberts. I just started load development for it this year. So far, it appears to be a shooter. Very well-made and something that is typical from that era in the way of craftsmanship.

Began hunting with a Ruger M77 in .257 used it for almost 20 years ,and killed just about as many bucks with it, never lost one and dropped most in their tracks. I still bring it out when stalking or for drives as it's lighter and quicker handling than my 7mm along with less recoil I can shoot it accurately off hand. I'd put it above many and right up there with most on that list with the right bullets. . which can go up to 120 grs though it likes the 100's the best.

[fraid.knot]

for those of you who like a lever gun try a savage mod.99 I love my savage mod.99E in .308 like most levers they are fast as hell and accurret less then 1inch groups at a hundred yards and deadly to 300 yards.I use 165 gr. fed. prem. after that a like my rem. 700 bdl in 30.06 same weight then my .243 100gr rem.gotten deer with them all and one was just as dead as the other:D but there is just something about my 99E :p

[ACEarcher]

Yeah I always thought about trying to find a good used post 64 model 88 in 308.

[Setterman]

for those of you who like a lever gun try a savage mod.99 I love my savage mod.99E in .308 like most levers they are fast as hell and accurret less then 1inch groups at a hundred yards and deadly to 300 yards.I use 165 gr. fed. prem. but there is just something about my 99E :p

Some years ago I picked up a pre-war M99R in .300 Savage. It's not drilled and tapped for mounts, so I've been looking for the correct period peep sight (Lyman or Redfield) for it but the prices for those are just too high for me to pony up and purchase right now. I've enjoyed just shooting it with iron sights and it is suprisingly accurate. You are right, these are slick handlers and very well made.

[WoodsHunter]

Have used the 444Marlin the pass few years. Most of the shots are under 100yds. on state forrest/game land. When I swing over to private property go with my .308 Browing (BLR) my first rifle bought back in 1972.
It's been a change from years passed, use to use a 30.06 for everything that I hunted. Using a 180gr. premium bullet shot everything from groundhog to black bear, no changing bullet for different type game just stuck with the one bullet (Nosler) and it worked well, knew the rifle/caliber would be exactly the same every time I pulled the trigger. I'm going to retire the Browing, my son has been eyeing it up for some time, I bought him a 7M/M-08 when he was 14 now his son is eyeing that rifle for himself.
It will be a great feeling when father, son, and grandson will be hunting together in a few years. :thup:

[eastcoasthunter]

It used to be the 30-06 that I used for 25 years until I bought a 300 WSM to use out West...still have not gone out west but it has done a number on some PA Whitetails and a 260 pound Saskatchewan buck:thup:.

[eastcoasthunter]

Winchester 54, how can you possibly have a favorite firearm when you own as many guns as you have:D.

[Setterman]

Have used the 444Marlin the pass few years.
I have shot deer with the .444 Marlin and it is a devastating round under 100 yards. I handload the 265 gr. Hornady bullet and it's surprisingly accurate from my Marlin using IMR4198. Brass seems to last a while and I've even loaded "light" loads for practice/varmints using 240 gr. bullets and 2400. It's a pretty versatile cartridge within its confines. Then again, most are if you handload.

[Winchester 54]

ECH,
It came down to two things the first being that this particular firearm has been in our family since it was purchased new in 1925. Ask Gr8ful and Procastinator how many deer my old man has hit with this one they can give ya some great storys about it(since I wasn't there not old enough to hunt at that time). And the second being it is what I shot my first buck with.

Winchester

[bowcrazy]

I would agree with Mattg and Setterman, I have an old model seventy 257 roberts that I have been using for years and it puts them right down. No recoil and very accurrate, shooting the 100 grain sierra bullet.I think ole 20 pt would agree with me, he has been using the 250 savage for years and has no problem dropping a deer.:thup:

[Setterman]

My "other" .257 Roberts is a Browning BLR. Great caliber.

[ShurShot07]

Used to only use my 30.06, but the last 5 years been using my

remington 700 in .243 a lot lighter to carry and a great shooting gun :cool:

[ACEarcher]

A good buddy of mine used to use his 06' all the time. Yet he always missed deer. Infact this is the first year he got a buck ( it was in WV, he's from Pa) and he's been hunting since 12 now he's 23. He also had a 243 win. We all told him to stop shooting the 06. Not that he's really that bad of a shot just we all thought he couldn't really handle a 06 that well. He's a shorter smaller guy. Go figure the night we bugged him enough he took the 243 he shoots a doe with one shot.

[droptine]

browning a bolt with a 130 grain 270 drops them in their tracks, never hunted with a 30-06 used a 300 mag and 7mm mag, bullet would go strait threw with no penatration and i would have to track my deer, i have not tracked my last ten deer in pa 270 drops them in their tracks, :fight:also with little recoil, and i can bolt up a second shot without loseing eye contact with the deer, try that with your cannons, 270 BABY:thup:

[ub1243]

i'm really liking my .300wsm
it a savage ss/snth.
with a 150gr balistic silver tip it doesn't kick that bad, and woops up on the pa deer.
i also shoot 180gr fail safe. a bit more punch. maybe someday head out west.

[SEMIAUTO]

I have both calibers but my lucky 7mm. is the flattest shooting gun I've ever shot , it's a Parker Hale from England.(The World Record Grizzly Bear in Alaska was taken down with a 7mm. Mag and it was a SEMIAUTO !:shoot:

[BPS 10]

.300 Win Mag