If you're looking for a broad overview of what people think irrespective of their well thought out rationale, I have to go with the flow and say the 30-06 is an excellent standard. All the world's armies around the turn of the century adopted cartridges of similar power - there's a reason they settled on that much power at a good tradeoff. Same reason it's the most popular round on this continent too.
A number of rounds tip the tradeoffs one way or the other, with their respective advantages and drawbacks.
Me, I'll be using a 300 RUM, but my rationale is that it performs like a 30-06 a few hundred yards further.
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There are more bullet weights and style choices in the 30.06...especially if you ever look to reload.
But, a lot of the choice will have to do with your personal shooting environment, experience, and tolerance for recoil.
Where I grew up in a very wooded and mountanous northeast Pennsylvania you rarely had a shot over 100-120 yards and a 30.06 or the .308 will handle that range with ease with the .308 having a little more carry and energy for longer distances out to, say, 300 yards.
I don't know your potential shot distances or the environment in which you will be hunting.
And, you have to understand the ballstics of the rounds and at what distances each one begins to drop of in energy and ability to get the job done.
Also, I know of several guys around here that hunt with sporterized 8MMs who swear by them.
That might be a consideration for you considering the ready availability of mil surp 8MM rifles and the lesser initial cost.
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"It confuses me how some people can vigorously go against the 2nd. Amendment and still call themselves patriotic"-me
For where I hunt in Southern Missouri my 45-70 guidegun is the best deer rifle you could own. Most shots here are less than 50 yards. Now as far as an all around rifle is concerned I have a Remington 700 BDL Stainless in 30-06.
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It depends where your at, and where you shoot if its really in thick bush i would get a 30-30. If its open .308 or 30-06 or whatever you get a better deal on.
For distances needing a scope - .30-06
For closer distances using iron sites - .30-30
My current skills don't allow kill shots over about 350 yards and I don't have any hunting areas where I could shoot over 250 yards, so a long range gun is not needed for me.
In Pa I havent shot ANYTHING over 100 yards. Ya don't get that much distance often around here. So my 30-30 is perfect.
I hapen to hunt in an area where I have a 300 yd field where the deer cross through. A 30-06 would be fine for that. I may end up using my 300 RUM, simply because after 300yds it pretty much flies like a 30-06.
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Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf
In Pa I havent shot ANYTHING over 100 yards. Ya don't get that much distance often around here. So my 30-30 is perfect.
I'd like to echo that. It really depends on where you live. If you're in the same situation Gio and myself are in, where there aren't many open areas over 100 yds for a clear shot, a .30-.30 does just fine. If you hunt an area where there is big open fields, like BRG3 does, something with the legs to get out far is best.
I'm going to use my Remmy 7400 in .308win., but I'm going to take my 8mm mauser turk as old reliable, just incase. My favorite though is my 12 ga. mossy 500 with a rifled slug barrel on it. I can hit 6 inch targets at 300 yards with it. The saboted slugs cost as much as most premium rifle ammo per shot, if not more.
That's some great accuracy for your slug gun! Question - would you actually bring two rifles along hunting? I thought of that, since I hunt in a field on the edge of a forest, where deer can come out at any point between 100yd and 400yd. Like having a set of golf clubs, a 35 Rem for short range and a 300 RUM for the longer shots. But I don't think it's legal. I'd only even want it in a fixed position.
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Trust is earned, not... GIVEN away. - Worf
there is no one best deer rifle. if i had to pick one caliber for across the board shooting in any environment deer are found, it would be a good bolt gun in 7mm-08.
Location: Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C.
Posts: 3,788
Iron sights at 100 yards or less a 30-30 is plenty of rifle. Scoped out to about 150 yards again a 30-30 will do nicely. Over 150 yards a 30-06 or something bigger would do better.
I just bring both to camp in case something happens to my 7400, I have the old reliable in case. I was thinking about taking my 20 mossberg with a slugster barrel on it. I can shoot 75- 100 yards with these brenneke rotweil rifled slugs.
It ain't the rifle, it's where you put your bullet. I've killed a truckload with everything from a .243 to a 50 cal. Hawken. Put the bullet where it belongs and they'll all kill. I do have a preference for the .44 mag if the shot is under 100 yards.
i personally use sako 7mm rem mag, but here in kansas we have a lot of flat open ground. i have friends that shoot anywhere from 243 or 270, and uncle and grandpa with 30.06. and everything we have is sighted in at least two hundred yards with my seven mag dead on at three so it is just personal preference.
Blow you up.
