Rifle-Caliber Combination for Whitetail Deer
Which one works the best for you?
I get numerous questions every year before deer season asking about the best rifle-caliber combination for whitetails. Which rifle is the best? What caliber should I use? What type of rifle is the most accurate?
Well, that’s an easy one to answer — all of them. I’ve seen deer taken with just about every rifle-caliber combination imaginable, and I personally have used most of them to put meat in the freezer.
I shot my first deer with a Thompson-Center .50 caliber muzzleloader. Next I moved to a Marlin 336CS lever-action in .35 Remington. Later I went all out and bought a Remington Model 700 BDL in .30-06. I upgraded from there for a sleek Ruger 77 MKII in 7mm Remington Magnum.
I have also used a Winchester Model 94 Wrangler lever-action in .30-.30; a Rossi 92SRC .357 magnum lever-action; a Savage Model 110 bolt-action in .30-06; an SKS semi-automatic in 7.62x39mm; a Remington Rolling Block in .444 Marlin; an EMF Sharps in .45/70; and an Ithaca Model 37 pump-action shotgun in 20 gauge.
I have used these rifle-caliber combinations to take deer at ranges as little as 15 yards out to well over 200, each one has been the appropriate weapon-caliber of choice as long as I used it within the limitations it was designed for.
So which one should you use to hunt North America’s favorite big game animal? To answer this you must look at several factors to include you budget and the terrain you will be hunting.
You can get a new lever-action for $225 to $500. These include the Marlin, Rossi, Savage and Winchesters in .30-30, .35 Remington, .308, .30-06, .44 magnum, .444 Marlin and .45/70.
If heading to the woods with a cowboy gun isn’t your thing, you could go for a bolt-action for $275 to $600. Here, the selection is larger to include Remington, Savage, Marlin, Winchester, Ruger, Howa, Browning and Weatherby in just about every caliber imaginable.
If you decide you need quick follow-up shots, you can purchase a semi-automatic sporting rifle for $400 to $700. Browning, Marlin, Remington and Ruger are some of the companies known for good-quality automatics. Like bolt-actions, these are also available in many calibers.
I didn’t mention single-shots like the rolling and falling block rifles, but these are also available for $500 to $2,500. EMF imports Italian reproduction Sharps; Navy Arms imports and Dixie Gun Works import Sharps and Rolling Blocks. These are fine quality weapons in .45/70 caliber.
Browning is also in the competition with two excellent modernized breechloaders — a low- and a high-wall model. Unlike the others, these can be had in many calibers. Of course there is the infamous Ruger No. 1, which is still being produced in everything from varmint to elephant calibers.
As you can read, there are many rifles available to fit every budget, but that’s only half of the equation. The other side of buying a new deer rifle is contingent upon the terrain you will hunt.
It doesn’t do any good to use a .30-30 if your shots are in the 200+ plus range; just as using a 7mm Rem. Mag. for 50 yard shots is the wrong choice (.30-30 can reach it, but the energy remaining is considered minimal at this range — 7 mm will normally punch right through at 50 yards and the deer will keep moving many times).
Let’s say you hunt river bottoms, thick with hardwoods. Although great calibers, a .30-06 or 7mm will easily deflect off the smallest twig, causing you to miss the target. And you sure don’t want a bullet traveling at over 2,200 fps going anywhere but the intended target.
For this scenario, a brush-buster would be the answer. These include the .35 Remingtons, .444 Marlins and the old workhorse .45/70. Each will punch through vegetation and drop a whitetail in its tracks, versus ricocheting into oblivion.
On the other hand, let’s say you’re to hunt open woods or fields with 200 yard shots. Here the brush-busters can work, but I wouldn’t use them for anything over 150. In this case, any of the .243, .270, .30-06, and 7mm’s are appropriate. In fact, this is where they work best and most will shoot farther than we can actually hit anything.
But what if you don’t know what type of terrain you’ll hunt, or it will be a combination, or you only have enough money for one deer rifle? Well, buy a lever-action in .30-30 or a bolt-action in .30-06.
The trusty .30-30 has probably taken more game animals than any other caliber and will do the job if you can. When noted that it comes in a fast action lever gun, it makes for instant follow-up shots.
I remember taking a friend deer hunting two years ago. It was his first time, but since he had his grandpa’s Winchester 94, I said come along. Well, I had to start calling him “The Rifleman.” Every time we went hunting, I would hear five or six shots sounding like an automatic. By the end of the season, this “cherry” had taken four whitetails. He was as fast as Chuck Connors with that repeater.
If you want a little more bullet, then go for a .30-06 which has been around since the turn of the century. This flat shooting, tack-driver can effectively take an animal out to 400 yards and was a favorite of President Teddy Roosevelt.
If you’re wondering why I recommend these two calibers, it’s simple. You can walk into any store in America and buy these cartridges. I don’t care where you are, they will have .30-30s and .30-06s.
The last item to quickly talk about is accuracy. Everyone seems concerned, and many hunters deliberate to the point of going crazy over this. Well, forget it. Any new rifle you buy today will be accurate straight out of the box. You might not be — but it will.
Don’t worry about anything. Just pick a good rifle in an acceptable deer caliber legal in your state, put a scope on it if you desire, sight it in at 100 yards and drive on. That’s it, that’s all you need. Nothing more, nothing less in most cases.
Most deer a killed within 100 yards and if you bore sight dead-on at 100 you’ll knock him down every time. If you live out west, or hunt long open fields all the time, sight in at 200 and you’ll hit the mark.
Regardless of the rifle-combination you use for whitetails, if you are like most, it won’t make any difference because you won’t practice with it. Oh many hunters spend countless hours at the range refining their trade, but most don’t. They pickup the rifle a week before opening day, head to the range and shoot three rounds. And they wonder why they didn’t hit that big buck when he stepped out into the open.
Make sure you practice — practice — practice until you can hit a target the size of a coke-can lid out to 100 yards every time. If you can accomplish this, that buck won’t get away and you’ll have meat for the rest of the year.
