[tanman83]

Which Rifle To Use For Deer

This coming weekend we have an early doe season in NE.
just can't make up my mind on what to use my old trusty Rem Mod 700 BDL 22-250 which i have killed pleanty of deer with, or my half a year old REM 700 SPS 300 WIN mag.
have practiced For 600 Yard Shots for elk This november and can hit milk jugs all day at 550 should the 300 lose it's virginty let me know

 

[broom_jm]

On the off chance you see a giant of a buck and you get a little nervous, compromising your shot placement a tad, take the 300 for the added insurance. 22 center-fires will kill deer under good circumstances, but when things go awry, as they often do, a heavier bullet that will penetrate farther through bone and tissue makes for more of a sure thing. That's my .02, anyway.

 

[mr_tw]

I agree with broom_jm, nobody is doubting the killing power of the .220250, but the .300 does give you that little extra leeway that never hurts to have

 

[hillestadj]

It should be obvious that the 300 WM is the suitable choice for whitetail....

 

[Tnhunter]

On the off chance you see a giant of a buck and you get a little nervous, compromising your shot placement a tad, take the 300 for the added insurance. 22 center-fires will kill deer under good circumstances, but when things go awry, as they often do, a heavier bullet that will penetrate farther through bone and tissue makes for more of a sure thing. That's my .02, anyway.

I agree, very well said.

 

[Big Z]

I'd take my chances with the 22-250 and an X bullet, just because I can. Besides, that season started 2 days ago, yes? It's for easterners and you can sneak up on 'em real close-like in them woods ya got down there

 

[broom_jm]

I'd take my chances with the 22-250 and an X bullet, just because I can. Besides, that season started 2 days ago, yes? It's for easterners and you can sneak up on 'em real close-like in them woods ya got down there

You go ahead and take your chances...I'll take the sure thing. Bravado, false or otherwise, has no place in hunting camp. I learned that from my Grandpa when he told me to wear gloves while using a sledge n' wedge to split camp wood. Being young n' dumb, I said something like, "real men don't need gloves". I didn't get a scar from it, but had to wear a bandage under my hunting glove the rest of the week. Discretion is the better part of....oh, never mind.

 

[Tang]

The .300 Win Mag and a 180gr Accubond is the obvious choice.

 

[hailstone]

Normally the 300 Win Mag is way too much for white tail deer in my opinion. However it would be very pratical experience for your later elk hunt too become familiar with the rifle in this case. After all there might be some bugs that need correcting before the big event.

 

[Sandman1]

Neither would be my first choice, but of the two I would go with the .22-250

 

[Dan 444]

Man, you guys are in long-shot territory. I'd like to try it sometime, but I would have to invest in a rifle that would reach out that far. I love my 219 Zipper (about the same as a 22-250) for 'yotes, but for deer & bear hunting at less than 100 yds (50 yds. typical), I'll go with my triple-4. Don't mean to hijack the thread...
Dan

 

[Bird Dog II]

The one time my .22-250 was fired at a deer (at about 225 yds), you'd think it was hit with a M2 .50 cal by the way it folded. Still, you need to have a bowhunters eye for shot selection IMO when going down to .22 cal for deer. With super accurate rifles and good optics, that is not hard. But you do need to pass on the front quartering shots, where as you surely wouldn't need to worry about that with the big 300.

I would have them both zero'd and ready and chose whatever you gutt tells you the morning of the hunt. If you shoot them equally as well, the 300 is the "safer" choice. A lot of shooters would shoot the .22-250 better though. It sounds like you have no problems with recoil though so it is really whatever you feel like.

 

[Range Junkie]

The 300 is the obvious choice out of those two IMHO.

 

[bruceissippi]

+1 on the .300 - my choice is a 300 Weatherby.
Don't NEED the extra thump, but I like it and I know for sure it works from 5 ft to way farther than I ought to be shooting

 

[Sandman1]

+1 on the .300 - my choice is a 300 Weatherby.
I know for sure it works from 5 ft to way farther than I ought to be shooting

I say the same thing about my .243.

 

[Tang]

I say the same thing about my .243.

A .243 on deer at 600 yards ? Pah-leeze ! Dream on hooker, dream the **** on lol


...drop'em in like a mortar haha

 

[Jakeway]

Since you've asked for our opinions, I have a spectrum of rounds I consider good deer rounds. The 300 is nearly out of my spectrum as approaching "Too much", but it's still in there. I don't include any calibers below 6 mm.

So between the two, the 300 is the only one that qualifies as a choice.

These are my opinions. If 22 caliber centerfires are legal in your state, and you are confident in them, then it's your perogative to use them. As they say, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

 

[2Bits]

I would say go with the .300 win mag! It will take deer at 600 yards but this is no serving of cake on anyone's plate. I mean to say, that it is not a given to harvest a deer out to 600 yards with any type of magnum or none magnum caliber.

I used to limit myself years ago to 300 yards with the .270 or 30-06 and the .300 mag to 450 max. Unless one is shooting everyday, such distantces become "barber shop" conversations only.

I really think that all these so called hunting shows have given many young hunters the wrong impression about hunting big game animals and certainly changed the ethics somwhat over the last dozen years or so. I have hit plastic milk jugs out at 500 and 600 yards very regularly in years gone by.

However, with an animal being out that far, just to many things can happen (the TV shows don't show the screw ups or wounded game) in a fraction of a second during the trigger pull. Thus you now have a wounded animal on your hands and that is certainly not the way things should happen or would happen a lot less if folks never took those 600 yard shots on big game.