Deer hunting Gun Selection

[Younggun]

I like 3-9X or 4-12X for hunting at 100-300 yards.


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[HeavenIsInvadingEarth]

.243 is plenty. Recoil isn't snappy at all. Very soft shooting. Drops'em without wasting meat.

.270 is a good round too. Won't waste meat if you use the right bullet.

30.06 is more than needed. It will work, but I don't really see a reason to go that route unless you just want more recoil.

.243 is the way to go IMO. If you need to blow away large sections of the animal it's probably due to being a poor shot. Deer aren't tough. If you go with .270 choose the right bullet so you don't waste meat.


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Okay that really helps my decision going to go with 2 .243 one for my wife and one for me. Want to save all the meat I can for sure.

Question as well vortex crossfire 2 rifle scope with everything ready for a rifle is $275 a bad deal?

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[Dawico]

If I were in your shoes I would get a rifle/ scope combo. Walmart, Academy, wherever have them.

A Savage model 10 combo from Walmart will do everything you need and be plenty accurate. Get one to start with for you two to share then upgrade (or buy the same as you see fit) on the second.

Savage and the model 10 are my preferred choice but the Savage Axis, Rem 770 or 700, or Ruger American or others will do what you need. It just depends on what brand you like and what you want to spend.

The .243 is a great round for TX deer but stick with the heavier bullets. The light bullets are generally for varmints.

 

[Ranch Dog]

If I were in your shoes I would get a rifle/ scope combo. Walmart, Academy, wherever have them.

A Savage model 10 combo from Walmart will do everything you need and be plenty accurate. Get one to start with for you two to share then upgrade (or buy the same as you see fit) on the second.

Savage and the model 10 are my preferred choice but the Savage Axis, Rem 770 or 700, or Ruger American or others will do what you need. It just depends on what brand you like and what you want to spend.

Really good advice Dawico offers. All of these outfits, the manufacturers, are offering really good entry level products and in that you are just starting they would be appropriate for your wife and self.

In that that you are not jumping into this for this year, you might hold off until Thanksgiving for the Black Friday sales particularly Academy. I'm not a fan of this outlet, I don't like how you are escorted out of the store with your new firearm like a criminal, but the savings on a multiple firearm purchase might be worth the walk of shame. Usually, the larger guns stores host similar sales so it is really a good time to buy as all the gun counters have gone dormant since the start of hunting season.

Out of curiosity, what area are you located and where are you going to hunt? Also, need to think of hunter education and other things...

 

[baboon]

Yeah I want to be able to just drop them, I don't want to leave a crater in them but want them to be taken out without going too far

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Head & neck/spine shots do that. Seen many a heart shot animal run a bit even though they were basically dead.

 

[MtnSpur]

Every deer I've taken has been with a .243

The .243 is a fine round and doesn't seem to tear up your target. The .30-30 is good for brush (if we're talking a Win 94 or like). The only 2 I have experience with and prefer the .243. Your Mileage will vary so get plenty of range time to experience the recoil, accuracy and reliability. Don't just shoot paper because it's hard to gauge. A watermellon makes a wonderful visual :-)

 

[ed308]

The 95 gr Nosler ballistic tip has a half dollar size exit wound at 275 yds.
The buck never took a step.

Agreed. A 95 gr Barnes TTSX or a 110 gr Nosler Accubond in 6.8 is a great hunting AR out to 300+ yards.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Head & neck/spine shots do that. Seen many a heart shot animal run a bit even though they were basically dead.

Every buck I have shot were neck shots.
Used everything from a .222 when I was 8, to a 25.06 for my last one.
I don't hunt any more.

 

[baboon]

Every buck I have shot were neck shots.
Used everything from a .222 when I was 8, to a 25.06 for my last one.
I don't hunt any more.

I seldom hunt anymore also. I even get offers for deer & hogs that I turn down. Gave my cooler feeder & tripod to a buddy years ago.

 

[oldag]

Every .243 should come with a deer dog. Makes tracking the wounded deer much easier.

 

[DubiousDan]

Something to take into consideration is the size or your wife. If she's under 5'6" or so, she may be more comfortable with a youth model rifle. Start with a full size one for yourself and see if it is comfortable for her to shoot. When I did hunt I used the Hornady 100gr SPBT Interlock bullets for the 243. They were handloads and I never had to track a wounded deer. A buddy used the same load to hunt Mule deer in New Mexico every year with good results. Since I stopped hunting there have been improvements in bullet design.If I was still hunting I'd use something in the 90 - 95 gr range like a Nosler Ballistic Tip Because I always had great accuracy with Ballistic Tips.

I used to weigh bullets and the Ballistic tips were always uniform in weight bullet to bullet.

 

[DubiousDan]

Every .243 should come with a deer dog. Makes tracking the wounded deer much easier.

I guess I was lucky because I never had to track one and my memory was good enough to remember where they were when I shot them.

 

[jrbfishn]

Dawico and DubiousDan are are right. If you can, get one for each of you. If she can shoot a full size, fine, share one. If one of you needs a shorter rifle, get a youth model too. You can get combos at Walmart or Academy without breaking the bank that are more than accurate enough.
.243 is plenty. With the bullet selction available today, shot placement is more criticle than caliber for whitetail. More than adequate for Texas. If you get into reloading, even better.
If you shoot the same caliber, less ammo to buy.


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[ZX9RCAM]

Every .243 should come with a deer dog. Makes tracking the wounded deer much easier.

I've never had a deer do much more than just fall over, even with the .222 at close to 200 yards, when I did my part.

ETA: Please do y'alls part as far as practice...

 

[40Arpent]

ETA: Please do y'alls part as far as practice...

Exactly. The neck makes for a much smaller target than the heart/lungs, especially with a 2-3 MOA rifle and an average shooter.

 

[Younggun]

I guess I was lucky because I never had to track one and my memory was good enough to remember where they were when I shot them.

Shot placement is always better than tracking or compensating with bigger bullets that fragment and ruin meat.


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[jrbfishn]

^^^^^This. I am a predator. I want meat want to chase it as little as possible.

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[grasshopperglock]

Redacted.

 

[HeavenIsInvadingEarth]

Really good advice Dawico offers. All of these outfits, the manufacturers, are offering really good entry level products and in that you are just starting they would be appropriate for your wife and self.

In that that you are not jumping into this for this year, you might hold off until Thanksgiving for the Black Friday sales particularly Academy. I'm not a fan of this outlet, I don't like how you are escorted out of the store with your new firearm like a criminal, but the savings on a multiple firearm purchase might be worth the walk of shame. Usually, the larger guns stores host similar sales so it is really a good time to buy as all the gun counters have gone dormant since the start of hunting season.

Out of curiosity, what area are you located and where are you going to hunt? Also, need to think of hunter education and other things...

Thanks for the tip will definitely be on the look out. Well I live in Texas so mainly there but with my job I end up out of state so possibly whatever state I am in at the time too.

Oh yeah haven't forgot about hunters education..

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[HeavenIsInvadingEarth]

Thanks everyone who has pitched in with advice about ammo and guns i greatly appreciate it!!

Will definitely let me wife use my .243 first, she has grown up hunting were just starting to do hunting/fishing etc together so I believe she can handle a .243 but we will find out as time goes on as well!

Thanks again everyone I appreciate it so much!!

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