Rifle Calibers

Here are a few of the most common hunting rifle calibers and a little about some of the cartridges. They are in ascending order by size, or diameter. Keep in mind that the bullet is most important component regardless of ammunition , caliber, or cartridge.

.17 cal. or 4.5 mm: Common in air rifles, two new rim-fires the .17 HM2 and .17 HMR . Several center-fire varmint cartridges including the somewhat popular .17 Remington. Not for deer.

.20 cal. or 5 mm: A few air rifles, one "dead" rim-fire the 5 mm Remington, and the Ruger .204 center-fire varmint cartridge. Not for deer.

.22 cal. or 5.56 mm: Air rifles, the most popular cartridge in the world the .22 long rifle rim-fire, the .223 military cartridge which is also the most popular center-fire varmint cartridge. Other well known cartridges include the .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, .22 Hornet, .222 Remington,.22-250 Remington, and the .220 Swift. The center-fires are legal deer rifles in some places, but should only be used with the heaviest bullets, 60+ grains, if at all. Do not use military FMJ(full metal jacket) bullets; they will not expand and will cripple deer!

.24 cal. or 6 mm: Most hunters would consider the very popular .243 Winchester and 6 mm Remington to be good for deer and varmints. The heaviest bullets are designed for deer, most common are 100 grain. I most often use my .243 for whitetail.

.25 cal. or 6.35 mm: Similar to what was said about the .24 cal., the .257 Robert's and .25-06 are perhaps even better for deer and still ok for varmints. Use the heaver 100+ grain bullets for deer.

.26 cal. or 6.5 mm: Not a popular rifle caliber in the USA, but the .260 Remington could change that. It should be great for deer with the right 120+ grain deer bullets.

.27 cal. or 6.8 mm: Famous gun writer Jack O'Connor helped to make the .270 Winchester a popular favorite for big game in North America. The 130 grain bullets have an enviable reputation for moderate recoil, flat shooting, and deadly. My choice except for big bear or moose.

.28 cal. or 7 mm: Weren't very popular rifle calibers (in the USA) for many years, but that has completely changed. The old 7x57 and the .280 Remington are great cartridges which have been overshadowed by newer, more powerful, rounds. A .280 would be my choice if I could only use one gun for everything in North America. The 7 mm Remington Magnum has made this caliber more popular. With these powerful higher velocity rounds you need a 140-160 grain bullet designed for deer, not those made for bigger game.

.30 cal. or 7.62 mm: This is kind of the middle of the middle caliber, and it may still be the most commonly used caliber. There are some very popular .30 cal. cartridges both military and civilian. The .30-30 Winchester was once thought of as "the" deer rifle. The .30-06 was once considered the most versatile of all center-fire hunting rifles. Many would say the same for the .308 Winchester. The 30-30 still works, and the 30-06 could still be the most versatile rifle caliber, but many hunters are attracted to newer rounds.

Some hunters say that .30 cal. is larger than needed for deer in a modern high velocity cartridge.

Over .30 caliber: Once we go to hunting rifle calibers larger than .30; the cartridges really split into several different categories. Many of the larger cal. deer cartridges are made for lever action rifles. Some are also revolver rounds. Some are made for the really big game; moose, big bear, and even African game.

I really like some of them, and don't discount their effectiveness, but believe most hunters will use something else. Again, make sure the bullet used is designed for deer, not moose, bear, elephants...

The revolver rounds such as .357, .41, and .44 magnums are large caliber, but very short range deer loads. Even when fired from rifles their short fat bullets loose energy / velocity rapidly. There are some more powerful revolver rounds, but even those don't extend the range very much.

Some still believe in the brush-bucking-rounds; rifle calibers, such as the old .35 Remington and .45-70; the newer .444 and .450 Marlin rounds. Years ago some hunters believed that lower velocity cartridges with bigger bullets would shoot through brush better than higher velocity cartridges with smaller bullets.

While there could be a very slight difference, test have shown; little or no difference. Trying to shoot through brush is not a good idea anyway. It may be a safety risk, and it certainly could cause a miss or a crippled deer.

These can be really big cartridges, and they will kick and roar; especially out of a short, light, gun. If you can handle them; they are good deer cartridges. Most have a more limited range. Their bullets start slower, are less streamlined, and drop too rapidly for good long range shooting.

There is a wide range of bullet weights from 180-300+ grains. Stay away from the heaviest and hardest bullets, they are usually made for big bear, buffalo, moose... Although they are big and powerful rounds, they still need the correct bullets for deer.

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