Best deer caliber

[3Under]

WELL ...Best throw my  in  in order  .270 / 25-06 / 7mm-08 / 243 .... No need to go any bigger in my book but some just have to have the magnum power 

I was expecting you to say 100 grain Wasp...

[Hoythunter]

When I dont have a bow in hand I've used nothing other than a 7mm.  With that being said, I just picked up the Sako A7 .270 that I'm anxious to shoot.

[JLS]

For Wyoming, and especially if antelope are also on the docket I think the 25-06 is quite possibly the perfect gun.  If you want to do elk too, get a .270 and don't look back.  Deer aren't that tough if you put it in the boiler room.

[norsepeak]

 

[TommyGun496]

.257 Bob!

[bobcat]

Honestly you cannot beat a 270 Winchester for a deer cartridge. (I say that because that's what I shoot) 

[cem3434]

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

  I use a 300 wsm on the Eastside and a 243 win or 270 win on the wetside. My wife uses a 243 wssm on the wetside and a 270 wsm on the Eastside. Its not about the caliber, rather its about shot placement. With that being said, the wsm's are a little more forgiving (to you, not the deer) if your shot is a little off.

[AlpineMuley]

Any heard, built or fired a 6.5 x47 lapua?  I might be off on something for full description.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

You asked for only a deer rifle.... if you only want it for deer no need to soak up more recoil than necessary.... The following calibers would be a great balance of performance and and recoil on deer size game.

7mm-08
.260
7x57
6.5x55

[Dan-o]

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

I agree!   The 257 Roberts is also perfecly capable of taking opposum..... as long as you keep the range close.

 Iheard that someone once killed a coyote with a 257, but it took several shots to the vitals.

[Dan-o]

I do think that the 7MM-08 might be the coolest new deer cartride of the bunch.

Any of the calibers mentioned (with the obvious exception of the caliber who's name shall not be typed) will work just fine.

[Huntbear]

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

I agree!   The 257 Roberts is also perfecly capable of taking opposum..... as long as you keep the range close.

 Iheard that someone once killed a coyote with a 257, but it took several shots to the vitals.

This coming from a person driving a Hot Pink Prius, and has Magnum Rifle Envy..   

[splitshot]

this is a loaded question.  25-06 then 260 then  it is the guy shooting that makes the diff.    mike w

[JackOfAllTrades]

You asked 'Best deer caliber', but we're all going to answer with 'cartridge'.   
 
OMG!  This has been written about and argued about since the 50's!   People used to love the 44-40, then the 30WCF came a long and has probably killed a lot more deer across this fine nation of ours than anything else. (30-30)  A lot could be said for the 35Rem too.  No hunters arsenal is complete without a good iron sited lever gun for the brush country and short range hunting. If I was in the market for one, I'd really look at a Marlin lever gun in 308Marlin Express. I don't think that round will unseat the 308win or the venerable 30-30, but I like the balistics represented by that round.
 
For a little more oumph, comes the 300 Savage, which is not something you see on store shelves every day. From that came the development of the 308win. Gee... Why is it popular? Because it is an accurate cartridge, not hard on the shoulder and just about every rifle manufacture chambers multiple models for it.
 
Shy of the magnum cartridges, the 30-06 is the near do-all in the lower 48. It is a versital cartridge that can load 150gn up to 220gn bullets. A great backup to your 338winMag that will do quite well for any deer sized animal.
 
That said, the 270win, 280rem, 243win, 257Roberts, are all great deer cartridges. (Yes, I said 243win)  There are others, but for a beginning reloader, I would not suggest jumping into any of the wildcats. A popular cartridge gets the job done and is readily available to the hunter. A popular cartridge also has a good following of components available to the reloader.
 
I have killed more deer with the 30-30 and 44mag than anything else. Runner up is 30-06.
 
-Steve

[JLS]

it is the guy shooting that makes the diff.   

 :tup:Absolutely.  Load up a .22-250 with a 55 grain Barnes X and you could kill any deer that walked.