CA blacktail deer -- best caliber

Black tail will cross with mule deer so in the in the places where their territory over laps you can find black tail / mule crosses that are larger but may not have the longer ears.

I once watch a nature show about North American deer on PBS I think. They did genetic tests on all NA deer species and found that they are all closely enough related to interbreed. This is one reason the transplanted white tail deer don't seem to take hold in Oregon.

Tony
 
I'd go with a .243...from what I understand those blacktail deer are pretty tiny. That plus your need for lead free ammo affects this...It's debatable, but some people seem to observe that if a bullet does not meet enough resistance to really open up it just passes through and doesn't put the game down quickly...two things increase resistance...higher impact velocity and greater game weight/construction...the latter of these two things is not realized with the diminutive blacktail deer...the former is realized with the .243 shooting 80-85 grain barnes vortx, federal trophy copper, hornady superformance gmx ammo (If you don't handload). That plus it's just conducive to really accurate shooting. Those monometals should open up at .243 speeds and weights, even on a little deer, and so not only is anything larger unnecessary, but I would predict that in some cases it might be even less effective if DRT is what you're after...with monometals, speed is your friend!
 
by the way, the federal trophy copper 85 grain is the most accurate .243 factory ammo that this handloader has ever shot out of his savage 99 .243...but for my deer hunting I like my .270 more...with lead bullets. Sask whitetail is a lot different animal though (It's a real full body workout dragging something over 200 pounds after it's gutted through knee deep snow for a quarter mile)
 
All 3 are great for deer.

Recoil considerations- 270 recoils more than 308,7mm08 recoils less than 308.

Unless you live in a restricted area,ammo is readily available online for all.
Agree,with Llama Bob on possible another ammo shortage 308 will be the first to go.

7mm-08 120 barnes TTSX for the blacktails,140 TTSX for elk.

I,ve shot both the Barnes and the Hornady GMX,I easily choose the Barnes.
 
These are two Sonoma County bucks I took one morning in August many years ago. The rifle is a Savage 99 chambered for .308 cartridge. Both animals dropped in their tracks at the shots.

Jack

 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top