Minimum calibres

Roman, I sure agree with your comments. I guess my neck shot notions stem in part from a comment from my father that you either kill 'em or miss 'em. A central Texas whitetail deer is relatively small--field-dressing around 100 to 130 pounds, generally--so any hit to the neck tends to ruin things for him.

A moving critter is a whole 'nother story. :)

Art
 
I wonder if there is any room in the discussion for side shots versus front shots, which one needs a bigger slower bullet? One can drill through a deer from either direction but they don't want most of the power to waste.
 
I'd rather take a frontal shot in the breast than neck shot from the side. Again, the question of margins. You have a chance to take out both spine, which usually bends down and the lungs or heart.

Because anything may happen I'm a heavy bullet/moderate velocity/ deep penetration freak. I'm prone to believe that expansion is fine but penetration's even better.

If you can kill buffalo whith .375 or .416 solids you should be able to get a dear clean with .308 FMJs. After all what's Nosler Partition after nose get crashed on impact. If you shoot something really close, 180 grainer turns to let's say 110 grain FMJ anyway!

In any case I don't care what bullet - premium or otherwise- as long it's heavy and stays in one piece. Thanks God in my place I usually don't have to take intercontinental shots.

Then I'd rather worry about shooting skills - there the problem really is when bullet "fails".



Roman
 
From my experience :6.5x55mm - excellent for deer; .30 cal. carbine - no way

.243 is commonly held as a good cartridge for whitetail,
probably wouldn't want anything smaller.
Part of what would be the minimum caliber would depend
upon how close you are to the animal, ex. .357 and .44
magnum pistol rounds are apparently ok if you're in close.
Used a high-power rifle for the first time this fall and shot
a very large doe. The deer went down so fast I didn't see
it fall. Used an old Swedish Mauser, 6.5x55mm. Hit it in
the backbone. Excellent cartridge.
The only other time I've used a rifle to kill a deer was an
M-1 carbine, .30 cal. I would not recommend that as a
deer cartridge. I was 15 at the time. Hit the deer in the
right front leg and left front leg, broke both bones. The
deer took off running on its two hind legs, looked like a
kangaroo leaping. I had to run it down about 150-200 yds
from where I shot it and then killed it with 2-3 more shots.
My father used the M-1 to deer hunt for a couple of years
and then he also quit. Said he was tired of tracking deer
1/2 mile after he shot them.
 
Well, scotjute, I guess when you're young, you're an optimist. When ya get old, ya tend to expect to have to look up and say, "Why me, Lord?"

Be nice to be a permanent 40. Been doin' it all long enough to be pretty good at it; not old enough to get pestymystic.

:), Art
 
Art, are you saying your a pest mystic? Like you can call up the ghosts of prairie dogs?? They have anything usefull to say? Is that were you get your ideas for varmint loads?

:D
 
Bush baby, Let me welcome you here as well.
I am not going to take the time to figure the energy in your 7x30 from your 14" pistol but it seems quite enough from your range and descriptions.
Everything else said aside, I will would like to offer the following from this past Saturday. Whitetail at 185 yds shot wiith .270 130 gr. Rem Silvertip. Bad shot by young kid. I had to pick up teeth and bone to help age the deer. The deer,3.5 year, 125 lb. doe, was dropped in it's track.
Running buck at 40 yds shot with 45/70 350 gr. while quartering away in the high shoulder. Good quality round nose at Ruger velocity took a right in the deer and headed South. The deer was thrown down right there but the track of the bullet, once in the animal, was not expected at all.
:confused:
 
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