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Gun question #5522462 01/06/15 02:57 AM
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So I am moving my stand next year to more of an open area. I would like to get a gun that I feel comfortable shooting deer at 200 to 250 yards. I have a 243 now but definitely feel I need to upgrade. What gun would y'all recommend? Thanks in advance.

Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5522485 01/06/15 03:04 AM
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243 would be a fine choice. But, if you're starting to become something of a rifle looney and just HAVE to have an excuse to buy a new rifle, I'd suggest a 25-06, 7mm-08, 6.5 anything or all of the above. All will take deer out to 250 yards without a stretch (even your 243 will do it with good bullet placement).
Heck, buy one of each caliber and have fun!


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Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5522718 01/06/15 04:36 AM
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270 would be a good option also

Re: Gun question [Re: djs303] #5522941 01/06/15 12:32 PM
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Originally Posted By: djs303
270 would be a good option also


270 is a good all around caliber and easy to find ammo and certainly has that range. I had one and it put down several large bodied mule deer, iirc best load was 160gn silvertip. Loved the Silvertip in the .270


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Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5522985 01/06/15 01:18 PM
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Another vote for the .270 since I have killed anything I have hunted with it for the last 30+ yrs now.


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Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5523080 01/06/15 02:16 PM
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Are you looking for something you can zero at 100yds and just hold on target to hit at 250?

Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5523092 01/06/15 02:23 PM
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.25 cal and .270 calibers don't have the best BC, but are capable of 250yds. 7mm, 6.5mm, .243, .308 calibers have better BC's and will carry energy farther. 250yds is not a distance to worry about the best BC but if your going buy a new gun you should consider the capabilities. For shooting 250yds and not worrying about hold over if your zeroed at 100yds I would go with something like 264 win mag, 26 nosler, 7 rem mag and have it zeroed a inch or two high at 100.

Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5523102 01/06/15 02:27 PM
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Originally Posted By: wtr
So I am moving my stand next year to more of an open area. I would like to get a gun that I feel comfortable shooting deer at 200 to 250 yards. I have a 243 now but definitely feel I need to upgrade. What gun would y'all recommend? Thanks in advance.


Send it to horizon and have it turned into a 6.5 creedmoor if your worried about it.


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Re: Gun question [Re: BOBO the Clown] #5523173 01/06/15 02:57 PM
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Here is another vote for the .270 Win. Use 130gr bullets. Sight in 2" high at 100yds & then a hold dead-on from 0 to 250yds will get your deer.


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Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5523185 01/06/15 03:03 PM
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Don't worry about the BC of 270 bullets when it comes to deer hunting. That's way overthinking things. Sight the 270 in at 200 yards and you'll be down 7 inches at 300 and 20 inches at 400, using a 130 gr bullet at 3000 fps. No turrets or fancy BDC scopes required to make the shot. Lately I've been using a 260, but it has nothing to do with bullet BC. I'd pick a 270 over 25 caliber (excluding the 257 Wby), and most certainly over any 6mm. And a 264 Mag won't give you much that the 270 won't. The 270 is just about ideal for deer hunting, and the 260 is close enough.

If someone is thinking about shooting deer out past 400, unless you are a superb shot, quit thinking it. That's just my experienced opinion after half a century of hunting deer.


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Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5523217 01/06/15 03:15 PM
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I'm not sure how different calibers can have better or worse BCs than other calibers. (?)

Also, out to 250 yards, all the mentioned calibers are flat shooting enough, and powerful enough for typical-size Texas whitetails.

The issue, is more accuracy, as I see it. Accuracy of the particular rifle, and accuracy of the shooter. And the latter is usually the more important factor. I'd be concerned with making sure your stand is designed in such a way as to allow you to hold the rifle really, really, steady.


Re: Gun question [Re: 603Country] #5523249 01/06/15 03:26 PM
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Originally Posted By: 603Country
Don't worry about the BC of 270 bullets when it comes to deer hunting. That's way overthinking things. Sight the 270 in at 200 yards and you'll be down 7 inches at 300 and 20 inches at 400, using a 130 gr bullet at 3000 fps.


That is exactly how I have mine set up, although I don't think I would be comfortable going much past 300. My longest to date is about 235.




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Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5523270 01/06/15 03:34 PM
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I've shot deer with everything from a 22-250 to a 300 winny but if I'm after a mature big bodied buck I grab the 30 cal every time. Get you a 308 or a 30-06 and call it good. Like said above whatever caliber you decide on sight it in at 1.5-2" high at 100 and you are good to go


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Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5523296 01/06/15 03:46 PM
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I'd argue the 30-06 has killed more deer and big game in the US then any other caliber, followed closely by the 270. Hard to argue the performance of either of these. There are a lot of new calibers floating around these days but you have to ask yourself why? I'm guessing its a ploy to sale more guns. The performance difference when it comes to hunting is too small to worry about. If you're paper shooting at 500 yards then maybe it's worth thinking about.

I killed a lot of deer with an old 30-06 using remington core lock bullets at $20 a box out to as far as 350 yards. Most dropped in their tracks.

Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5523858 01/06/15 09:15 PM
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.243 is more than capable at that range. Not sure why everybody thinks you need a magnum to shoot Texas deer.


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Re: Gun question [Re: TFF Caribou] #5523862 01/06/15 09:19 PM
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Originally Posted By: Tff caribou
.243 is more than capable at that range. Not sure why everybody thinks you need a magnum to shoot Texas deer.


Exactly, and to repeat, it's more about you being able to hold a rifle steady enough to hit a whitetail vital zone at 250 yards than what you are hitting it with.


Re: Gun question [Re: TFF Caribou] #5523867 01/06/15 09:23 PM
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Originally Posted By: Tff caribou
.243 is more than capable at that range. Not sure why everybody thinks you need a magnum to shoot Texas deer.


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Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5523950 01/06/15 10:00 PM
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Last Elk I killed, I killed with a 243 at 437 yards and it ran 120 yards a piled up. One shot in lungs. 100 grain bullet. Works every time.


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Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5523957 01/06/15 10:02 PM
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Last elk I lost shot at 110 yards with a 300 mag. Found blood bone etc. Looked 3 days and never found. Obviously I did not make good bullet placement.


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Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5523973 01/06/15 10:09 PM
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I hunt the Trans Pecos Region using a .270(Remington 700)and 243 (51 Winchester Model 70). Both are fine calibers and I simply alternate guns for whatever reason. My advice is to take up bow hunting so rifle hunting will never be a challenge again smile



Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5523977 01/06/15 10:16 PM
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7mm mag STW. Shoots really flat and will kill basically anything in North America.

Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5524010 01/06/15 10:35 PM
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I wasn't trying to trash anybody's favorite caliber, but I have favorites of my own. From personal experience, I have come to the opinion that a good deer caliber will launch a 100 gr or larger bullet at 2800 fps or more. The 243 will do that, but I'm just not a big fan of that caliber. I shoot a 100 gr bullet at about 3000 fps in the 260. I used to shoot a 130 grainer at 3000 in the 270. I could be happy with a 25-06 or a 6.5-06. I'm not a belted magnum fan. I'm not a 30-06 fan, but it's a fine caliber.

As for BC, inside of 400 yards, who cares much about the BC. I was shooting out to 400 yards and eating deer long before I heard about BC. Now folks are shooting deer with match bullets purely because they have very high ballistic coefficients. Some folks want to shoot deer at 600 or 800 yards or more, and it is purely to show that they can. Something about that makes me uneasy. To me that isn't hunting like hunting is supposed to be. So flame me if you want to, but I think I'm right.


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Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5524015 01/06/15 10:37 PM
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Re: Gun question [Re: wtr] #5524075 01/06/15 11:14 PM
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243 is fine with proper shot placement out to 250 yards ... but ... I personally would opt for a bit more juice of the flatter shooters ... 257, 25-06, 260, 270, 280, 308, 30-06, 7mm RM. Not overly familar with 7mm-08 to have an opinion there.


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Originally Posted By: Tff caribou
...need a magnum to shoot Texas deer.

<grin>


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