Best deer caliber

[Labs07]

So as my children grow up they are taking their guns with them and I am left with only a 338 I use for Elk and a muzzle loader.  My wife has said it would be alright to get a deer rifle.  For the past decade I have shot my deer with a muzzle loader and like it but I have been doing a lot of hunting in Wyoming the past 4 years and most of the shots I am presented with are well over my comfortable distance for a muzzle loader.  Any suggestions on a great caliber that can take white tails as well as Mule deer?

[headshot5]

270/30-06 Winchester if you don't reload.  Anything else if you do.


Modify:  to clarify if you reload, look into 260, 7-08, .280, .257R and so on.  All good choices.

[Gringo31]

270 Winchester if you don't reload.  Anything else if you do.

 

GREAT choice!

[bradslam]

This ought to get interesting...and I don't want to hear anything about the .257 Roberts only being suitable for rabbits and squirrels!

[pianoman9701]

.22 LR if you're hunting in the dark, otherwise .30-06. JK

[Labs07]

I am a novice reloader as well!

[Jburke]

You will not get a consensus on this question. Your 338 would work if you wanted to use that. Or any of the popular calipers. 06, 270, 300 win mag. I personally use an 06 and have shot both whitetail and mule deer with it out to at least 300 yards. 

[jackmaster]

30-06 great all around gun, or 300 wsm and just use lighter bullets for deer, and heavier ones for elk and bear  or go with the 270 it is also a good flat shootn deer rifle

[Jingles]

Get a hold of some reloading books and compare the 270 and the 30-06 you'll find they are very very similar in fact use the same brass just resized neck.... Myself I'd go with the 30-06 because you can get heavier bullets for it if you decide to reload and go after something larger. 06 reload everything from 110 grain to 220 grain

[Spuddieselwwu]

7mm Rem Mag, or .300 win mag.

[ing]

25-06 or 280

[Kowsrule30]

243

[bobcat]

270, 30/06, or 308.

Can't go wrong with any of those three.

[huntnphool]

Any legal caliber that you can hit the kill zone with comfortably, every time, will work. I prefer the 7mm.

[addicted2hunting]

.50 BMG..... jk. .270 all the way for me!