Written by Bill Gabbard
What is the best caliber for deer hunting?
This question has been discussed over campfires, in deer hunting camps, and during Monday morning quarterbacking sessions for ages! I watched two co-workers nearly ruin a good friendship over the difference between a .243 Winchester and a 6MM Remington. A fellow that I used to work with had a .264 Winchester Magnum named “Big Joe” that, in his mind, was the only viable caliber for deer hunting.
When I started deer hunting in the 1970s, most of my friends either used a 30-06, also known as the classic thirty-aught-six, or a 30-30. A few folks used a .243 Winchester (the smallest caliber that was legal for deer hunting in Kentucky at that time), a couple of guys that I knew used a .270 Winchester, and one guy used a .280 Remington. The guy with the 280 hand-loaded because of the limited availability of ammo. Back then, no one that I knew used a “magnum” anything for deer hunting. Magnums were what those folks that went out west used!
Boy, how times have changed! When I began writing this article, I asked many friends of mine who deer hunt what caliber they used and why they thought that particular caliber was the best. The variety of calibers used has expanded greatly in the last 40 years. Just from my friends and family, the list now goes from .222 Remington to .300 Remington Ultra Magnum. I have personally taken deer with rifles ranging from a .204 Ruger to a .300 Win Mag.
The reasons for this change are many and could possibly be worth an article all on its own, but let’s look at what hunters are using now and why. Keep in mind that I am not attempting to cover every caliber available, so if I missed your favorite, let us know what it is and why you love it.
.204 Ruger
While this round will kill deer, is exceptionally accurate, and has almost no recoil, I would not recommend it for deer hunting. The bullets are just a little too light and not constructed heavily enough to hold together for clean, consistent kills. This is especially true on mule deer, which require better penetration than the Ruger cartridge can muster. For me, this is primarily a varmint cartridge since the smaller bullets also have the velocity and shot placement capability to make a quick kill on something smaller.
.222 Remington
Henley McIntosh, a cousin of mine, loves this round and has killed several deer with it. However, due to the light bullets in most factory ammo, I would only recommend it in the hands of a competent marksman. For a newer hunter, it’s just going to be too hard to hit a vital, especially at long range.
.223 Remington
Randy Bryant, Vice President of the local Sportsman’s Club and a competitive shooter, is a big fan of the .223, using heavy bullets in an AR-style rifle. He hunts at fairly close range and is a great shot. Bullet selection is critical if using the .223 for deer hunting. By default, though, there’s not a lot of knockdown power with a .223, and if you’re attempting it at long ranges, good luck.
.243 Winchester
More than one of the folks surveyed said that this is the best deer rifle ammo choice for whitetail deer hunting. Ashley Sandlin, a local Deputy Sheriff, said that it kills well, doesn’t kick, and that her kids love to borrow it when they go hunting. Henley McIntosh stated that this was probably the best all-around caliber because of the lack of recoil, accuracy, and all the energy used up in the deer.
My brother, my granddaughter (Maddi Mastin), and lots of other folks mentioned .243 in their answers as well. From my point of view, I think this is one of the more versatile bolt-action rifle cartridges. Just remember to match the bullet to what you’re hunting; I like bonded variations since they work well when penetrating bones and cutting through the chest of a deer.
.244/6mm Remington
Very similar to the .243 Winchester, but the limited availability of factory ammo is an issue. This is a good go-to flat-shooting cartridge since the trajectory of each shot doesn’t really have much of an arc. Still, expect to pay a premium for each shot.
.257 Weatherby Magnum
Another Magnum! One of my old friends swore by this, calling it “the best quarter bore cartridge on the market.” I have to agree about one thing when taking a look at the .257 Weatherby: this is the preferred mule deer cartridge for many deer hunters out there for a good reason. I’ve seen these cartridges compared to bolts of lightning, and they hit deer like a truck. In fact, with so much power, I’ve heard that some prefer not to fire these within 100 yards of the target. They pack that much of a punch.
.257 Roberts
We always called this hunting rifle ammo the .257 Bob, and it’s a wonderful caliber for deer, but hardly anyone in my circle of friends even mentioned it when I asked. A good friend of mine who passed away a few years ago loved this caliber for its accuracy and lack of recoil. The limited supply of readily available factory ammo is a major shortfall.
.25-06 Remington
Another old classic deer hunting rifle cartridge that seems to be getting passed by these days has great accuracy, light recoil, and great long-range capabilities. Trish Bishop has tried different calibers but keeps coming back to her 25-06. When I tried this one out on a hunt, I appreciated the flat trajectory and speedy velocity of the bullet.
6.5 Grendel
Jon Allen of Nighthawk Tactical Solutions uses the Grendel on hogs and plans to deer hunt with it this year. Jon says the Grendel has high accuracy (which I have to back him up on), almost no recoil, and delivers some truly dramatic kills.
All of this has him excited about this specific caliber. My granddaughter Maddi is already eyeing my bolt-action Grendel for this coming deer season. The growing supply of ammunition, the choice of types of bullets, and the ability to use AR-style rifles as well as bolt guns are all positives for the Grendel deer hunting rifle ammo.
6.5 Creedmoor
The Creedmoor has taken the hunting world as well as the shooting world by storm, and I’m sure that there are tons more venison in refrigerators due to this cartridge’s inherent accuracy. While none of my folks surveyed have taken a deer with this caliber, at least four said they are planning to use it this year. Most are citing its accuracy, long-range capabilities, and light recoil as their reason for wanting to give it a try this season.
Gun-nut Dustin Cooper killed a deer with a .243, .270, .30-06, and .300 Win Mag and said, “I just want to see what it does on a big ol buck.” This could be the go-to big-game rifle, and I’m sure time will tell.
.260 Remington
Mike Gross, a custom gun builder and competitive shooter, uses a Model 7 Remington in .260. Light recoil, incredible accuracy, and “drop in their tracks” kills are his reasons.
.264 Winchester Magnum
I must mention the .264 out of respect to my friend Dexter Evans, as it is the only caliber he recognizes. As far as I know, the Remington Sendero SF II is the only production rifle currently available, and factory ammo is limited. This cartridge is also known to shorten barrel life, especially compared to more popular options like the 6.5 Creedmoor. I’ve also been told the recoil is really well-managed with this cartridge, but I haven’t used it as much as others.
.270 Winchester
This long-time favorite was mentioned to me by several folks. The .270 has been available as a factory-round since 1925 and is showing no signs of letting up. Extremely accurate, incredible kills, long-range capabilities, manageable recoil, excellent variety, and ready availability of factory ammunition are on its long list of attributes. They are available in bolt action, pump, semi-auto, and even lever action rifles.
7mm-08 Remington
As a cross between the .243 and the .308, the 7mm-08 offers an incredible array of possibilities. This caliber has a tremendous following and for good reason. Paul Johnson mentioned the amount of versatility in tailoring loads, lack of recoil, incredible accuracy, and great knockdown power. Carl Cooper laid down his .300 Win Mag for the 7mm-08 because of the lighter recoil and plans to never look back because of the savage killing power of the little round. Phyllis Cornett likes it because of its accuracy and lack of recoil. Mossy Oak’s Walt Gabbard said, “It is still hard to beat the 7mm-08.”
.280 Remington
While the .280 has never seen the commercial success that the .270 Win has, most gun writers agree that it is ballistically superior to the .270. Factory ammo is available with bullets ranging from Norma’s 125 gr. to Remington’s 165 gr. The availability of ammo from online and big box outdoor stores are just a few of the reasons that this great caliber is staying alive. From what I’ve heard, you’ll get fairly accurate shots in the 700- to 800-yard range.
7mm Remington Magnum
This is the caliber that many choose when they first get a case of “Magnum Fever.” The choices in factory ammo are staggering as are the options in building a suitable handload. The 7mm Rem Mag, as most folks call it, is accurate and hard-hitting, making it a favorite. When Walt Gabbard was 14, he got his first case of “Magnum Fever” when he killed an 8-point buck. Its only drawback is that with a poorly designed or ill-fitting rifle stock, the 7mm Rem Mag can be a little bit uncomfortable to shoot.
.30-30 Winchester
The .30-30 was one of the most popular deer cartridge calibers around years ago, and it is still hanging in there. However, based on my small sample of local hunters, not nearly as many folks use it now. Retired U.S. Army Colonel Brad Turner is still a fan, though. Col. Turner stated that where he hunts, 100 yards is a long shot, and the .30-30 still drops them in their tracks!
.308 Winchester
The .308 is one of the most popular calibers around, and there are plenty of reasons why. Accuracy, long-range capabilities, good knock-down, manageable recoil, and an incredible array of choices for factory-loaded ammo, as well as an almost endless list of components for the hand loader are just a few.
The .308 is available in bolt, pump, lever, and single shot, as well as semi-auto rifles. Sheriff Kelly Shouse quickly replied .308 when asked what his favorite deer caliber was, an answer that was echoed by his son Hunter, as well as Benny Gabbard and his son Ben. Several others mentioned it as their second choice.
.30-06
The old .30-06 has been around since 1906 and is still extremely popular. Several people mentioned it as their all-time favorite or as their second choice. Availability of ammo, knockdown power, and just about any style of rifle being available are among the top attributes listed for the 06. Its only drawback can be recoil if it is in an ill-fitting stock. This is an optimal cartridge for both whitetail and mule deer. Brands like Noreen also make semi-automatics that use the thirty-aught-six cartridge.
.300 Winchester Magnum
You might be surprised by the number of hunters that use the .300 as their primary deer rifle. An exceptional round for long range, it gives no quarter in performance on whitetail. When paired with the proper rifle and the proper bullet weight, the .300’s main drawbacks would be recoil and that a fairly long barrel is required to maximize its performance.
Gary Deaton, Mike Gabbard, and Hank Patton, all accomplished deer hunters, can usually be seen carrying well-worn .300 Win Mags that they are very comfortable with. Patton said, “I just love watching them smack the ground at the drop of the hammer, no tracking involved.”
.300 Remington Ultra Magnum
Only one of my friends uses this caliber. Jamie Thomas said that, hands down, this is his favorite. “It flat kills - no tracking, no chasing. I pull the trigger, and the game is over!” The limited selection of factory ammo and recoil are the only two downsides to this caliber. We call this one the RUM, and it’s really effective at hitting big game at long ranges. As Jamie indicated, it hits hard with little bullet drop, so it just feels like a really accurate cartridge from greater distances.
This article is not a scientifically researched article quoting feet per second and foot-pounds of energy retained at specific distances. It is a collection of observations calling on the knowledge of experienced and successful deer hunters. Each of the hunters that I have discussed here fits this description. Some of them have been deer hunting for more than 50 years, while some are new to the sport.
So my conclusion to the best caliber of deer hunting is the caliber your centerfire rifle with properly constructed bullets will shoot comfortably. It is every hunter’s responsibility to be familiar with and know the capabilities and limitations of their rifle in order to become proficient with it.
Oh, and to the guy in the back there asking, “Hey Bill, what do you use?” I always put a lot of thought into what I am going to hunt with accuracy, energy, and my comfort level with the rifle. For the past 12 years here in Kentucky, I have reached into the vault and pulled out the same rifle. An old Remington 700 chambered in 7mm Weatherby Magnum. Nobody else I know hunts with one, but it shoots 0.3 in groups with my hand loads, just fits me, recoil is not an issue, and results on the other end are incredible!
