Which one of my rifles for deer hunting?

[Marko Kloos]

I'll be going out to get some deer into the freezer this season, and I haven't yet decided which one of my curent rifles to bring along. For you who don't know the East TN/Northern GA area, our deer are moderately sized, 80-100 pounds on average, and our terrain is wooded and hilly, with the typical shot being 100 yards or less.

I have a handful of rifles that would be suitable for such a scenario, but I can't decide which one would be best for a brush-type environment on deer. None of them is a purpose-built deer gun, as I mostly collect war veterans. Which one of these would you take along? All of these rifles have their original iron sights, and I have soft-point or ballistic tip hunting loads for each of them.

- Enfield No.4 Tanker Carbine: a cut-down No.4, it's my favorite rifle and a very pleasant and accurate shooter. Shortened to carbine length, chambered in .303 British. I am sure that .303 is more than enough for any deer I might happen to come across. Fast action, which would facilitate quick follow-up shots.

-U.S.M1 Carbine: an unaltered military-issue carbine, extremely handy and fast to swing around, with very good sights, very light and short. Chambered in .30 Carbine, of course, which should do the job when loaded with good soft-point ammo. Semi-auto means very quick follow-up shots if necessary.

-SLR-100: a Bulgarian AK-47 clone with a milled receiver, a fairly exact copy of an early milled AK-47 with original Soviet furniture. Shoots 7.62x39, which is supposedly the ballistic twin of the .30-30, the most popular deer cartridge around. I'd have to get some 5-round mags for it, of course, and hunting Bambi with an AK is definitely very un-PC.

-Mauser 98k: Original WWII issue, unaltered Mauser carbine in 8x57JS, which might be overkill for the scrawny deer around here. The rifle itself is not as handy as an AK or an M1 Carbine, but reasonably short, and there is no doubt about the terminal effectiveness of 8mm Mauser.

-Hungarian M-44: Carbine version of the Mosin-Nagant rifle, short and handy, chambered in 7.62x54R, which should put any deer on this continent on its butt. It's shorter than both the Enfield and the 98k, although not quite as diminuitive as the M1 Carbine.

Moderators: Please move to the Art of the Rifle. Posted in the wrong forum...haven't had my caffeine yet...

 

[Mike Irwin]

I voted for the 98k, but the .303 would also be an excellent choice.

All of the guns you list would be suitable except for the M1 Carbine. It just really doesn't have the oomph to be a credible deer rifle.

7.62x39 generally lags behind the ballistics of the .30-30 until you get out about 100-125 yards, where the 7.62s pointed bullet gives it better retained velocity & energy.

 

[Halffast]

I voted for the .303 because you said it is your favorite rifle, which probably means you shoot it best.

Good luck,
David

 

[Dave R]

Ditto.

You don't want to carry a heavier full-size rifle around, do you? You shoot it best, so most humane option.

Are there any good hunting loads for it? I would not use FMJ. Get something soft point or reload the equivalent of a Nosler Partition, etc.

 

[Marko Kloos]

I have Remington Soft-Point Core-Lokt loads for the Enfield, and I've heard many good things about the terminal performance of .303 British on deer and similarly-sized game. Anyone ever take a deer with .303?

 

[Johnny Guest]

The .303, for certain

--always presuming you have it properly sighted-in.

1. The aperture sight is more optically correct--Looking through it, you only have one sight on which to concentrate, so it is faster to shoot well.

2. It is easier to get good sporting ammo for it. Both my .303s like the Remington, but, if you find the Winchester, it is good, too. Choose the 180 gr loads, if you have a choice--Not that you need the bullet weight to slay the mighty white tail deer, but because it is very close in weight to the 174 gr. MK VII ball for which the Enfield sights were regulated.

It is possible to find decent hunting ammo for both the 8x57 Mauser and the 7.62X54, just more difficult, and FAR more expensive, for good stuff. And no, I don't consider military ammo with pulled bullets replaced by SPs good ammo. Both can be excellent deer cartridges, again, with proper ammo.

The .30 US Carbine is a fun little gun, but really not powerful enough for deer. You can buy SP ammo, but I haven't seen any that reliably would expand in a deer-size animal. I know a lot of deer have been killed with these, and the .32-20, but so what? A lot of deer have been killed with .22 LR, too.

As to the 7.62x39--about he only ammo worth considering is the Remington, and it doesn't shoot particularly well in AKs. And, the Russian Short .30 from a 20-inch SKS and from a 16-inch AK is almost like two different cartridges. The Remington ammo will often expand from the longer barrel, but I'm told it doesn't do well from the shorter. It is entirely possible to kill a deer with an AK, but I personally recall film of African troops ganged up on an elephant with AKs. Also--It is popular to compare 7.62x39 with the .30-30. Study the charts, and then shoot each, side by side, and you can see this is not really true.

I have an AK, and I really like it for what it is, which is NOT a deer rifle. Same with my .30 Carbine.

Whichever you choose to use, I hope you have great success on your hunt.

Johnny

 

[Richard]

I voted for the M98 as the M1 carbine let me down once. The SMLE kicks like a mule. I would have voted for Moisin/Nagant if it were a rifle. Why? They have the balance of an old muzzle loader and I doubt you would need more than one shot to down a small deer. Regards, Richard

 

[Redlg155]

I voted the Tanker Cabine. This would be a great all around weapon that would definitely get the job done. I would have preferred the standard No4Mk1 over your shortened version for that extra bit of velocity, but otherwise it is a sound choice.

When hunting deer I pretty much don't have a particular rifle. I hunt with whatever I'm in the mood to hunt with. This year I'll use a No4Mk1 because its my new toy. Although the AK's can be fun to hunt with, they can be heavy to lug around in the woods. You also get cautious looks from Game Wardens. I got some very strange looks last year when I used a BM Shorty with AK brake topped with a 50mm scope.

Good SHooting
RED

 

[Poodleshooter]

And no, I don't consider military ammo with pulled bullets replaced by SPs good ammo.

Why not? Sure, some of the brass is real crap, like the Albanian 7.62x54 with "variable thickness rims", but some of the newer stuff isn't bad. I think pulled 8mm or 7.62x39 with remeasured & reaveraged charges and topped with new commercial SP would be just fine. Heck, that's a lot cheaper than buying new primed boxer brass. I'm hoping to conduct an official trial with some rebuilt Wolf 7.62x39 soon.

 

[griz]

Every man should have the pleasure of hunting with his favorite rifle, so I voted for the Enfield. If it was me, I would pick the 98.
Good luck whatever you use.

 

[PreserveFreedom]

I would stay away from the M1 Carbine. It may give you a clean kill, but it also may not. Any of the others have a much better chance.