Help choosing a first deer rifle caliber

J

jmicheals32

New member
I'm just starting the process of beginning to hunt deer (and possibly elk) and after reading a ton online was pretty set on a .308 ...until I went into Sportman's Warehouse today. Now I'm not so sure. The salesman really pushed the .270 and 7-08. So help me...what should I choose?
 
Recoil and range will be about the same for all of them at the ranges your likely to be hunting, it's really splitting hairs beyond ammo availability and price of ammo and rifle.
 
They will all work with the right bullet for your needs. The 270 will be the flattest shooting and would be best for varmints, if your looking for that too.
 
The 7-08 is the best all-around big game cartridge ever invented, IMO.

However, if you make your shots (which is all that really matters) there's not a hair's breadth difference between any of those, or a whole bunch of other choices.

7-08 ammo is usually available in any well stocked store but certainly not as common as .308 (or .270) and might be more expensive, for the same load.

I don't like recoil and will always choose the cartridge with the least that does the job. That too depends on the gun. A 7lb 7-08 will kick worse than a 9lb .270 for sure and you might not be able to tell the difference even if they're both 7lb guns. Depends on how sensitive you are. All else being equal, the .270 will kick harder though.

.270 is one of the most popular and common big game cartridges ever made and has been for decades. .308 is one of the most popular cartridges in world history.

Still, I'd take the 7-08.
 
Tough decision and all will do the job.

Personally I would go 308 or 30-06 because even gas stations in the areas that I hunt carry those.
 
The question is a bit too narrow.

To give good advice we need to know about YOU and about where you will be hunting. Killing deer an thick forest in New Hampshire doesn't require the same range and accuracy as it does in the mountains of Wyoming. Florida deer are smaller than deer in Nevada.

For example, if you are recoil sensitive a semi-auto, or a less powerful cartridge may fill the bill better. Muzzle breaks may be wanted, but some guns are set up for them from the factory and some are not.

Are you going to reload? That will be a huge help, but if you are not going to load your own you need to look at what is available to you.

Are you left handed?
If so you will not have all the options that someone else may have.

Asking "what's the best rifle" is like asking what's the best motor vehicle.

Depends on who's asking, and what they need to do.
 
Wyosmith said:
The question is a bit too narrow.



To give good advice we need to know about YOU and about where you will be hunting. Killing deer an thick forest in New Hampshire doesn't require the same range and accuracy as it does in the mountains of Wyoming. Florida deer are smaller than deer in Nevada.



For example, if you are recoil sensitive a semi-auto, or a less powerful cartridge may fill the bill better. Muzzle breaks may be wanted, but some guns are set up for them from the factory and some are not.



Are you going to reload? That will be a huge help, but if you are not going to load your own you need to look at what is available to you.



Are you left handed?

If so you will not have all the options that someone else may have.



Asking "what's the best rifle" is like asking what's the best motor vehicle.



Depends on who's asking, and what they need to do.
Click to expand...


Very good questions...I started off to general (showing in a totally newbie).

I'll be starting off hunting Blacktail in Northern California (might pursue elk in the future). Mostly hilly and mountainous areas. Spot and stalk.

I definitely plan on reloading.

I like the idea of a short action, to help reduce weight, but not necessarily chained to the idea. And I'm not recoil sensitive.
 
If you plan to reload then the cost and availability of ammo is essentially a mute point.

None of "what you plan to do" makes any difference in my recommendation. There is so much over-lap in those cartridges that any specific use doesn't change anything.

Very few rifles will be available in one cartridge and not also all the others. 7-08 is more likely to not be made but even it is very common and available in almost all rifle choices.

7-08, man, 7-08 ;)
 
The .270 will be a bit flatter shooting (desirable!) than the 7-08, and ammo will be cheaper and easier to find.

130gr for deer, 150gr for elk...or just use the elk load for both.
 
Do you know why the salesman was pushing the .270 or 7mm-08? Was it just his (or hers) unsolicited opinion or was there something you may have said that caused the recommendations?

Personally, I don't think there is going to be much difference between .270, 7mm-08, .308, .30-06 (or .280, 7mm Rem mag...). Get the one you want the most and don't let a salesman (or any of us here) sway you to purchase something you may not really want. You really only have to answer to yourself and you may find yourself regretting the decision to get a 7mm-08 or .270 if it's not what you really wanted.

If you really want a .308, get it! It will work for both deer and elk. If you are simply waffling because you don't know which cartridge you really want then assign 6 different cartridges to a number on a die. Roll it and let it pick for you. If you find you are disappointed that it picked .270 when you really wanted a .308 then you'll know what your heart really desires. Sometimes you have to trick yourself into telling you what you want. :D
 
Azar is right.
You should get what you want.

But if you don't know what you want look at the gun first and then the caliber.
For example, if you want a light rifle and an autoloader you will get a light rifle in a short action. Same if you want a lever action.

If you want a bolt action there really is no reason to go with a short shell unless it's because the 308 can be made into a 7-08, or a 260 or just left alone and the brass is cheap and in some cases free.

Dead is dead, and all the cartridges you named will kill deer and elk.

Bullets are actually more important then the shells that hold them. Use a bullet that holds together and you'll be fine on anything from rabbits to elk.

My personal favorite is the 270, but not because it's "better" than some other one.

There are better shooters and better hunters, but having a cartridge that is 4% (or even 15%) more powerful than some other doesn't actually make it "better". That's just a way for companies to try to sell new products.

Even if one shoots 1 foot flatter that another, you still have to hold a 6" wobble on target (the deer's chest) to insure good kills. If you can hold 6" at any given range you obviously can hold it 1 foot higher. If you can't hold that 6" wobble having a flatter trajectory helps you not at all.

If we look at a large deer, and have shell X at factor of "10", is the deer going to die better if the factor of shell Y is "10.25"?

Or is there some kind of deer that is ".025" harder to kill than a "standard deer"? How does having 5% more power or a trajectory that is 5% flatter help? If you can't hold where you need to, you can't hold.

Buy what you like and shoot it until you need a new barrel. Then you will be an excellent marksman with that gun, and nothing else will really matter.

All the rest is simply theory and in most cases, the Emperor really is naked!

Don't let someone make you believe they are the know it all and there is some special magic to their choice that you need to follow.

It's the man that does the job, not the tool. Be a better workman.
 
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For deer only a 243 is as good as it gets. If you include elk it is very borderline.

The 7-08 will do anything a 270 will do 50 yards closer and a 308 anything a 30-06 will do 50 yards closer. Both are viable elk rounds to at least 400-450 yards. The 270 or 30-06 will recoil more and give you about 50 more yards before bullet velocity reaches the point that you may not get adequate expansion. An extra 50 yards most people aren't good enough to take advantage of.

Either of those would be my picks as an all around North American cartridge. Although the 260/6.5 Creedmore option is starting to interest me as well. The 7-08 looks a little better on paper, but I doubt it offers any real advantages over 308. Ammo for a 308 is a lot easier to find and usually less expensive. I give a slight nod to the 308. The 7-08 tops out at about 175 gr in bullet weight. There are some high BC 200-215 gr 30 cal bullets available for hand loaders that will do some pretty amazing things at extreme range.

I know they are classic rounds, but I can no longer recommend 30-06 or 270. Nothing wrong with them, but the more modern short action options do 99% of what they do in a smaller package and with less recoil. If a 308 or 7-08 won't do the job you really need a lot more gun than 270 or 30-06.
 
Caliber is a personal choice. I have bolt guns in .308 win, .270 win, 30-06, and 300wsm. Here in eastern NC shots can be up to 500 yards and the pine rows are super thick. I have hunted Virginia, Maryland and Wisconsin as well and the pocosins of eastern NC provide unique tracking problems. Mainly thick brush and lots of standing water.

My point?

People will act like they know what you need but only you know your situation. I have found that my .270 is my go to at any distance. Plenty of knock down and I can dead hold out to 300 yards with less recoil than my ought 6. My .308 is great for stalking but you have to think about drop a lot more past 200 yards. Have fun picking ok ut your new rifle!
 
I vote for the 270 Winchester first with 30-'06 coming in a very close second place. Either one, really, as long as it's a model 70 Winchester with a Walnut stock.
 
There are some high BC 200-215 gr 30 cal bullets available for hand loaders that will do some pretty amazing things at extreme range.
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And the above are aimed at the .30 bracket magnums and .30-06 , while .308/7.62x51 can be loaded past the 175 or so mark you won't be getting optimal results..........especially at extreme ranges. 175-180 grains in .308 are down to the 2500-2600 fps or so mark , you can push to 2700 but that's pushing it.

200 and up in .308? Go to something with more case capacity.Or rein in your distance expectations.
 
Any of the standard rounds from .243 on up will do fine with the right bullet.

Pick a rifle you like and go from there.
 
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