.416 Rigby

Sacrilege! You left out the best of all, the .280 Rem!

That's right.

I've used my .243 for many years for whitetail, hogs and coyotes. It has always worked well for me. The last 5 years I've used .270 & 30.06 for the same critters. Plus the .223 for hogs, and coyotes but not deer. Everything I've shot with each are dead. They all work. Some just have a little more kick. The 30-30 and 45-70 work too. Still, dead is dead.

I've recently considered though that if I used just one rifle for these same animals, it would be a choice between the .243 but might lean heavily towards a 7mm-08 even. I've read a lot of good things about that one and think it could be a contender due to the fact that you can use heavier ammo than the .243 in case you go for something larger than whitetail someday. Ya just never know. As stated before, you don't need a cannon type gun for Texas really unless you just want more guns. That's my .02 anyway.

Forgot to throw in the 22 creed that is what I am using and it is a hammer

I was a huge .30-06 fan for the longest time and I still like and use it. I'm now using a .270 Win. mostly. Bought my wife a 7mm-08 and it anchors deer just as well as the other two.

Use a suitable caliber with a good bullet and PRACTICE so you can put that bullet in the right spot. It's about shot placement so shoot what you are comfortable with.

And now there has....

Can't say why, but I've never gotten around to the .280, a truly versatile cartridge. The .284 Win is its ballistic twin and fits a short action (sorta), so I gravitated that direction. That said, if someone twisted my arm and made me choose just one, it would be the 7x57 because I can reload the round up to its potential in Winchester cases, and I'm a sucker for the nostalgic allure of the old cartridges.

I'd love to have one but so far as I know they don't make dies or brass for the cartridge otherwise I'd be having my 22-250 rebarrled to 22 creed.

I hear ya. There are just so many choices out there a man can't try em all, so we choose based on what appeals to us. We all have quirky taste and quirky opinions and that's just being human. I personally like cartridges based on the '06 case and have always avoided things based on the .308---except for an ill-fated dalliance with the .243 Winchester that further reinforced my prejudice against the .308 family. Intellectually I know there's not a thing wrong with the shorter cartridges, but I'll probably never play with them again unless I decide I want am AR in .308 or .260 someday. Probably best to avoid using "never!"

+1 on both Dawaba's response's in 7mm's...and I'm beginning to think in the One Caliber for everything terms that the spread of 7mm's could cover. But then it's only taken me 50 years of trigger pulling to even think about changing my mind since I've never lost a deer I hit with a 270. I Just HATE rushing into things. It'd be easier to change my brand of scotch or store bought chili....

However....Once again Jason, with his alleged lack of prejedices, has trouble even typing anything connected to the name "270 Winchester" and he's gone and created a red herring fantasy round called a "280 Winchester" ...I'm sure Jack O'Conner would be amused LOLOLOLOL

Oh the Horror of It
I can't believe you guys gave him a pass on that...where's BinL when we need him.... as many times as Jason' busted my chops on the 270's lack of Long Range appropriate BC's of my life long favorite round.

Careful there or folks'll think you got as much 'hiemers, or as I like to refer to it Short Term Memory Loss, as I do....
Ron

Sorry Ron, you're right. I miswrote it. 284 Winchester.

Yes I have all but blocked the 270 from my thinking.

I like picking on the cartridge just to poke people in the ribs that get butt hurt over it.

There. I went back and edited. Happy now?

This has been long decided, get a Tikka T3 in 7mm-08 with a zeiss conquest 3-9x40mm.



edit: dnz one-piece mount too

****Note To Chad
Show Jason the TRUTH of your recent outings with the 270 Howa's performance you've been talking about, and let him SEE The Light for himself.
Ron

Were you in the wind we had yestarday?

I had a THF member and his 11 year old son shooting to 800 with a 308 Win pushing 178 A-maxes. I'm quite sure I could make a 270 work, but there are other cartridges I'd rather use. A 308 isn't on the top of that list for what we were doing yesterday, but I had to borrow the rifle and that's what was available, so I made it work.

The largest wind hold was at 800 yards and was 2.0 Mil. That's holding 57.6" left of center (at the target), but that's what it took.

At one point in time, years and years ago, there might have been one truly best rifle for deer. However, the people who invented the safe conspired with others to make sure that there were sufficient choices, and therefore confusions, as to what people really needed because they wanted to be able to sell more safes. It worked.

The 270 Winchester is a great cartridge for responsible long range hunting. - That is, for shots at game animals at 400 yards or less.

That's why you can be sure that more often than not, a hunter carrying a 270 will also be a sportsman.

For extreme long range shooting, out past 400 yards, the 270 Winchester is not very popular at all. Nobody makes a rifle (barrel) in 270 that is set up for that kind of shooting, from what I understand.

The bullet selection for 270 has advanced somewhat, but it is still all hunting oriented stuff. - Not a lot of match or VLD bullets produced for 277 caliber.

There are different kinds of deer hunting. Some calls for close-range shooting at smaller animals, and some calls for long shots at much bigger, more robust deer.

I believe that reduced loads are the key to having an all-around deer rifle. It should be able to handle long shots at large animals with full power loads, but also be good for whitetails in the brush by shooting a reduced load that won't turn the poor thing inside-out.

Remington offers multiple loadings for some of its magnum cartridges. I'd like to see more of that from some of the other manufacturers.

Handloaders are already set up for that... Starting loads for the 270 WSM gives you 270 Winchester velocity, for example... Max loads put you very close to 270 Weatherby performance.

Coming from a Sporting Goods Sales background, as well as hunting in Texas longer than most of ya'll have been alive...I have a more moderate take and would offer these suggestions for a One Size Do All Critter Getter.

A. Rifle brand & Model: Rifle stock Fit IMO Is THE very most important thing in purchasing a Hunting Rifle is HOW Well the stock fits YOU & More important than caliber, scopes and cosmetics. A badly fitted stock will never allow you to shoot to your ability. FWIW A wood/blue rifle makes a poor paddle, but a SS/Syn rifle can work well in an emergency BTDT...but I will never be without 1 of each...and thinking of downsizing into the same brand/model AND caliber to further simplify my geezerhood.

B. Range Appropriate: You don't need a rifle capable of reaching a 1000 yards when you will NEVER take a shot longer than 200 yard's. LR rifles are neat and sexy to contemplate but as useful as %$$@ on a Boar Hog in thick brush .... vice versa a 30/30's 150 yard avg range is not appropriate for 300+ yards shots.

C. Do All Calibers using Store Bought Factory ammo at the BEST "buy anywhere" availability & cheapest price: The Big Box Stores like WalMart/Academy/BPS/Cabellas etc will all have Fall Sales and inventory on 30'06, 270,7Rmg & 223 99% of the time year round + 308/243&30-30 most of the time at the VERY BEST prices and widest assortment of bullet weights and styles.

The 2nd group of calibers like 22-250/25'06/7-08/280?/ 260-6.5CM Yadda yadda will be at slightly higher prices and only "usually" in stock line wide going into Deer Season. Some excellent deer calibers are only made once a year by US Mfg'ers, like a 284 Winchester, 6.5 RMg, 6.5x55 Swede ( an OUTSTANDING deer killer )7x57, 338 Federal, the various 35 calibers etc.

I've bought 270 & 30'06 ammo all over the United States from gas stations, Zona Rosa "establishments", C Stores, fast food joints & BBQ & roadside fruit stands you name it etc...that was then & this is now so there may be other calibers too out there like that these days....243 & 308 would be on that list too.

**IMO & YMMV If you don't learn anything else from this post learn this....Bullet Placement Is Everything in killing a game animal. The ability to correctly place a well constructed HUNTING bullet TRUMPS all else, and is the Benchmark Standard by which we judge how well a Deer Rifle shoots.

However I do not think a 223 is appropriate for deer on a every day regular basis and never at over 100 yards, even with easy to place shots, mebbe with hog, varmints and pests ...but not a deer that I would chose to shoot and be assured of an easy recovery.

D. Best Rifle Brands & Models: Only dictated by what I said in A. & your wallet.

I've killed deer sized game animals with over a couple dozen different brand rifles and calibers, and am waaaay more into the Hunting Aspect of Shootin, as expressed by an old time Gun Writer, Elmer Kieth who was one of the fathers of the 44Magnum pistol I think & the 338 WMG with his 333OKH that was named for him in a LR Antelope cartridge from the late 40's & 50's when I was "coming of age" to learn to hunt. Kieth was noted for lots of things related to guns, but had a particular pet phrase that has stayed with me of "...GET Closer...and ....USE enough Gun"...or ..."Hell I was THERE when THAT happened"....mebbe he was mebbe he wasn't but he certainly made a impact on this young nimrod at the time

To the OP...learn to shoot accurately, buy Equipment you can afford that will give you good service, be proud of your skills and enjoy the Hunt.
Ron

Boomalakachaka

It really is hard to beat the good old 270 Winchester for deer hunting, though for the last couple of years I've gone to the 260. I think that move finally showed me that you don't need a cannon for deer hunting. All a fellow needs is a 243, or a 250 Savage, 257, 260, 7-08, etc. If the caliber will push a 100 gr bullet at 2800 fps or more (or even a bit less), it'll do just fine.

I have a .308 now, and it would certainly be on my short list for a new rifle. I don't see the need for a LA cartridge to kill deer in Texas, so my list would be .260, 6.5 CDMR, 7MM-08, or .308.

I love my 250 savage. Just wish factory ammo wasn't nearly impossible to find. I bought a .270win just for that reason.

Can't go wrong with a 25-06