Of the 12 whitetailed deer I've taken (TX), all but 4 were with a Ruger M-77 (old style) .257 Roberts. Topped with an old Weaver 3-9 variable, it shoots consistantly at just under one MOA, as it has for the last 20+ years. Our secret has been to load it only midlin' hot, but stay with an accurate load.
2900 fps may sound like nothing with a 100 grain load, but it sure keeps that throat looking good after all these years.
It also let me drop a 175 lb. buck handily at 300 yds (after a lengthy stalk.). My father called it a stunt, and the very next year, my partner dropped a 160 lb doe from 315 yards with a reduced load of a 100 grainer (Ballistic Tip) at about 2750 fps. As a side note, my friend originally created the reduced load for his 12 year-old daughter to begin hunting with, and found that it reached out just fine.
My dad and I have found, over the years, that it's a toss-up between 4350 and 4064 with 100 grain bullets, but that RL 19 is superior with 120 grainers, which we just adopted. (I like the Sierra Game Kings) However, we've found that the groups seem to get tighter and tighter as we upped the charges; we just aren't willing to burn out the throats of our rifles for an extra .1".
For varmints, the 87 grainer is as good as they come. For deer, the 100 grainer is great, but the 120 (or 117) grainers give a bit more penetration, and perhaps some more reassurance should something more substantial (elk, hog, bear) present itself as a possible target. The +P loadings have improved the cartridge by leaps and bounds for those who don't reload, but it gets even better if you do. Recoil in a standard barrel rifle is about what you'd get out of a 20 gauge automatic shotgun. Read: pleasant.
If you can't tell, I'm still in love with mine. So, by the way, is my wife, who took her first deer with it last season.
