Caliber question

Nitesky59

I know the easy answer is, "Because Hollywood is wrong and knows nothing about guns." But I've usually found the CSI shows to be accurate when it comes to firearms. However, I still don't understand how they can pick up a spent bullet and say, "Looks like it came from a .38"

First of all, isn't "a .38" actually a .357? And how come they know it's a .38/.357 versus a 9mm, unless of course they see shell casing. But in reality, it someone handed you the projectile from each of those 3 calibers, could you tell them apart with the naked eye?

Nitesky59

I only recently have gotten into hunting and am looking to buy my first good whitetail deer rifle. There seem to be so many different calibers out there, I'm just looking for opinions. I've heard some people swear by .308, or others brag about the power of a 7mm MAG or .300 MAG, while a good friend of mine lives and dies by a .270. I'm just curious if its personal preference, or what the advantages/disadvantages are in all the different calibers.

Benjamin D. Johnston

jdb123

.270

DancesWithSheep

You didn't say what region or terrain type you'd be hunting, so a better bet might be to ask hunters or FFLs in your area what they would recommend.

Often the mind believes it is thinking, when it is only passing from one metaphor to the next.

bama55

Welcome to the board Nitesky59.

It is mostly personal preference. My brother swears by the '06
and .308. I like my .270.

Don't send flowers when I die. Send money now, I can buy more ammo.

Big Sky Redneck

Now I may have a 7mm Ultra Mag and it is truly my favorite gun I must say anything larger than a .243 is a gross overkill for little whitetail deer. Whitetails are very easy to kill and these guys that need a moose gun to kill them are funny.

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Real men use little bullets.

will270win

I like a 270 as well. It hits hard and knock their nu.......well, you get the picture.

Or, you can be like ol' 7mm and shoot'em in the head with the trusty 223.

"When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend."
~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
Will270win@nraonline.com

muley

Nitesky59.....welcome to the best forum around.

Oh, I almost forgot.......25-06. If you get into reloading, all the calibers you mentioned will do great.

muley

****I love the smell of Hoppes #9 in the morning****

Nitesky59

Well, I live in TN and will most likely be hunting the woods of eastern TN and south KY, however, I am now a cadet at West Point and will most likely have the opportunity to hunt in upstate NY and possibly canada, but except for the additional rocks and more hills, the foilage is much the same as TN.

Benjamin D. Johnston

salzo

Hey 7mm-If thats the case, why are you always hassling me about my "cowboy" 3030?

"Sometimes the people have to give up some individual rights for the safety of society."
-Bill Clinton(MTV interview)

Nitesky59

I almost forgot to mention, in TN it is law that must be over .24 caliber to hunt big game, so that eliminates head shots with any .22 or .223 caliber.

Benjamin D. Johnston

Big Sky Redneck

uhh Salzo, I'm not good enough to hunt with a 30-30, can't get close enough to them to hit 'em over the head with the barrel

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Real men use little bullets.

Knifecollector

I would say personal preference is a big part of it. I use a .270 and would highly recommend it. Whatever you choose make sure you practice enough to become a fairly good shot. No caliber is big enough to make up for poor marksmanship.

DancesWithSheep

Since you don't need range, my preference would be a Savage 99 with iron sights in .308, .375 or one of the Savage calibers.

Often the mind believes it is thinking, when it is only passing from one metaphor to the next.

cowdoc

if i had to give up all but one of my rifles i would keep my 270 win as far as i am concerned the 270 is best all around cartridge shoots flat, hits hard,accurate and will kill any big game.
Opinions are like a$$holes we all got one.:-)
onething everybody has different hunting conditions that we have to deal with...where i live it is rolling plains you can see 10-15 miles any direction and you may need to have to take 500+yd shot. i'll probabaly get flamed about 500 yd shots but thats not a long shot where i live!
doc

will270win

I can't get my 30-30 to hit nothin'. It's 4 inches low @ 50 yds and the sight is all the way up. Reckon I need a scope?

"When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend."
~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
Will270win@nraonline.com

dads-freehold

greetings, welcome to the forum from hello. what the cowdo' said is true. but consider this , my great grandad and great granduncle hunted gator and deer and what ever all over north fla and south ga and bamma with winchester 1897 shotguns. their fathers and uncles hunted north ga and east tenn with single shot muzzel loaders. fer crying out load they're deer not grizzleys. a 357 at 50 yards is quite adaquite, in tenn if you can see over 50 yards your at the mall. respt submitted dads-freehold

if your going to be a savage, be a headhunter

aglore

Will270win, file the front sight down.

AlleninAlaska

http://www.outdoor-o-rama.com

He who dares not offend cannot be honest.
-- Thomas Paine

Big Sky Redneck

.24 cal or larger? Aglore must be in charge of the game commission in TENN! I've seen the deer in TENN, not very big I say. A .243 will do the job quite nicely, it will give you 3-400yds shooting depending on how good of a shot you are. My daughter shot her first deer at 140 yds with a .243, one shot in the shoulder with a light load daddy made for her so it didnt kick and the deer fell dead in its tracks.

It's like this, any gun will kill a deer, I have killed more deer than I can possibly count on the farms with a .22 rimfire. Some guys are not confident enough to use anything smaller than an '06. I know a guy who hunts here with a freaking 338 mag. why does he use that? because he is not confident enough to use anything smaller, I for one do not want to hunt with anybody who says they need an elephant gun to kill deer. If you are hunting extreme ranges then a larger gun may be necassary but for the most common whitetail hunting which is mostly 100 yds or less a large gun is a total waste. If you are hunting brushy areas then get a good shotgun, you can't beat them in the brush.

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Real men use little bullets.

Nitesky59

My first time out hunting I shot two deer within 20 minutes of each other with a NEF 12 GA slug gun with a rifled barrel with iron sights that i borrowed. i liked it a lot, but everybody seems to swear by rifles, so i figured i'd buy a rifle, but i dunno. i guess in the brush woods of TN, a slug gun with accuracy up to 100 yrd might be good enough.

Benjamin D. Johnston

DancesWithSheep

If you can down two deer within twenty minutes using a slug gun, we should be asking you the questions.

Often the mind believes it is thinking, when it is only passing from one metaphor to the next.

Nitesky59

well, my boss wanted me to have a good time out my first time, so he had the guy who's land we were hunting set me up in a good spot. stupid deer walked up to the same spot, about 30 yards out. shot one, watched her run over the ridge, was gonna wait 30 minutes before i went after her, and another one walked up to the exact same spot. i'm not much of a hunter though, i just put the sights where they told me, right behind the shoulders...bu anyway, i'm just trying to learn and grow my knowledge and arsenal. thanks for all the feedback.

Benjamin D. Johnston

Iconoclast

I don't have one, but IMHO, likely the best all-round deer cartridge for most of the Eastern US would be the .308 . . . most of the time, 150 yards is a long shot and 50 is more like it. But I've seen times when it was a good 300 and the .308 will shoot quite accurately at that distance. Anything more powerful - again JMHO - is over gunned in this sort of vegetation. Virtually any cartridge 6mm to .45 will do the job at 100 yards or less. I know one old guy who hunts with a trapdoor Springfield .50-70 which has been in his family since Custer lost his scalp . . . and he eats venison every year. Back before the flatlanders thought I looked like a buck, I used to use a .44 Magnum carbine. In the relatively dense woods around here - and upper state NY is much the same climate / flora - it was a rare deer out of range for that cartridge. I used the .270 for a few years, but found - the hard way, twice - it only took one tiny twig in the way to send a bullet off target.