The Best Deer Rifle

More likely the old .30-30, a popular .243, .270, .308, or .30-06 will be recommended. The Winchester Models 70 & 94, Remington 700, Savage 110... are only a few of the guns which have been around for years.

An almost endless combination of calibers, cartridges, and guns are used on deer. A hunter may have simple ideas about the best deer rifle, or he may talk for hours in great detail. It depends on a hunter's experience, knowledge, and his personality.

There are many rifles which can be used effectively on deer. I feel sure they have been taken with everything from a .22 rimfire to an actual cannon. Knowing men, boys, it's likely that somewhere a deer has wandered on an artillery range, and some guy said, "Hey! Watch this!"

The best deer rifle is surely somewhere between the little .22 and the cannon. In my opinion is it's somewhere between the .223 and the .300 magnum. No one knows the best, but I'd pick a popular middle-of-the road rifle, in a popular middle-of-the road caliber.

I was much more fun to talk guns with when in my twenties or thirties.
I was a gun "expert" back then, I could have quoted the ballistics for the more popular cartridges of that time. I loved to argue the merits of individual guns and cartridges. Today that is still fun, but I know better.

Back in those days I'd have told you the perfect gun for the East Texas woods (where I grew up) was a short 18 inch barreled, fast handling semi-auto or pump gun chambered for the (then new) .308 Winchester cartridge. It would wear a low power variable or a 2.5x scope for the sometimes quick short range shots there.

The bolt-action is simple, dependable, and accurate. It has been the most popular rifle action for a long time. Even in a bolt-action I would have pointed out that the .308 was a shorter cartridge and would cycle through the action a little faster :-)

The best deer rifle for the open plains of Oklahoma (where I live today). I'd have picked a bolt-action in the (then) cool new .264 Winchester magnum, or a .257 Weatherby magnum. I'd have told you to get a heavier rifle with a long 26 inch barrel to burn all that powder, and to put a big variable power scope on it.

Those would not be 'bad' choices even today.

In those days much of what I knew was from reading. In those days I was impressed with the idea of long shots with the long barreled magnums. Back then I believed that a cartridge which was a fraction of an inch shorter, or produced a few feet per. second more speed was important :-)

Today I would still spend a great deal of time choosing a new rifle, but I know the hunter is far more important than the cartridge, rifle, scope... I've been on many hunts and shot a fair number of whitetail. None at much more than 200 yards. The rifles used were most often .243's and there was no indication that more gun was needed.

I've seen a friend take two small deer at 400+ yards with a .243. I don't promote long shots on game, but both deer dropped. Today I get more excited about being within 15 or 20 yards of a whitetail.

But you are here because you want the best deer rifle!

My advice try to put away those images of special expensive guns for a few minutes. Think about your needs: how you hunt. Do you carry a gun for miles, or do you sit in one spot. Are you more likely to have a quick, close, shot, or a relatively long shot...

If your not sure, then simply choose a "middle of the road rifle" in a popular .24 - .30 caliber. You don't need the kick of a Magnum, not even a .28 or .30 caliber if all you hunt is deer. Magnums are for moose, grizzly, and African game in my opinion.

If you want to be able to find ammunition almost anywhere; buy a .243, .270, .308, or .30-06. These old favorites will most likely be around when many of the hot new magnums are only faint memories.

The .243 has less recoil, and is the best combination varmint/deer round. The .270 is arguably the best for game up to elk. The .30-06 is better for game bigger than elk. The .308 is a little shorter cartridge than the .30-06.

If your a new hunter a "middle-of-the road rifle" is any popular brand bolt-action with something like a 22 inch barrel, weighing around 8 lbs. when including a variable power scope and mount. This is a common and popular deer rifle for good reasons.

If you like short or light weight rifles, carry one for miles, could get quick short range shots, then go for a slightly lighter and/or shorter rifle.
I would also choose a caliber on the lower end because a lighter weight gun will kick more.

If you will sit, are less likely to get a quick short range shot, then your best deer rifle could be a little heavier, longer barreled rifle, and closer to the .30 caliber. Especially if you may hunt some bigger game, and think you can shoot well with the recoil. :-)

This page is based on some facts, but more opinion. My opinion, and experience is that whitetail are not hard to put on the ground.

If you are crippling deer, with any reasonable rifle and cartridge, you're doing something wrong. Your not putting the bullet in the right place, or your not using the right bullet. Not likely the wrong rifle, cartridge, or caliber; the wrong bullet.

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