Texas Hunting Forum

Gun question

Posted By: wtr

Gun question - 01/06/15 02:57 AM

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.
Posted By: Bbear

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 03:04 AM

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!
Posted By: djs303

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 04:36 AM

270 would be a good option also
Posted By: Western

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 12:32 PM

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
Posted By: stxranchman

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 01:18 PM

Another vote for the .270 since I have killed anything I have hunted with it for the last 30+ yrs now.
Posted By: spg

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 02:16 PM

Are you looking for something you can zero at 100yds and just hold on target to hit at 250?
Posted By: spg

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 02:23 PM

.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.
Posted By: BOBO the Clown

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 02:27 PM

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.
Posted By: pertnear

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 02:57 PM

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.
Posted By: 603Country

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 03:03 PM

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.
Posted By: postoak

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 03:15 PM

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.
Posted By: TXHOGSLAYER

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 03:26 PM

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.
Posted By: landsurveyor

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 03:34 PM

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
Posted By: rowdydog1

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 03:46 PM

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.
Posted By: TFF Caribou

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 09:15 PM

.243 is more than capable at that range. Not sure why everybody thinks you need a magnum to shoot Texas deer.
Posted By: postoak

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 09:19 PM

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.
Posted By: QuitShootinYoungBucks

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 09:23 PM

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.


For the same reason they need 8" exhausts, 6" lifts and 35" tires on a commuter vehicle.
Posted By: tigger

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 10:00 PM

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.
Posted By: tigger

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 10:02 PM

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.
Posted By: titan2232

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 10:09 PM

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
Posted By: krmitchell

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 10:16 PM

7mm mag STW. Shoots really flat and will kill basically anything in North America.
Posted By: 603Country

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 10:35 PM

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.
Posted By: Mambajeep

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 10:37 PM

270
Posted By: PMK

Re: Gun question - 01/06/15 11:14 PM

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.
Posted By: Mickey Moose

Re: Gun question - 01/07/15 02:34 AM

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

<grin>
Posted By: Pitchfork Predator

Re: Gun question - 01/07/15 03:44 AM

Originally Posted By: pertnear
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.


I agree with this and other 270 comments speaking from 25 years of experience taking deer out to 350 yards with 130 grains.

welcome to the forum pertnear
Posted By: bp3

Re: Gun question - 01/07/15 04:08 AM

270 with 130 grain hand loads with 54 grains of dupont 4350. rifle
Posted By: kmon11

Re: Gun question - 01/07/15 07:26 AM

Originally Posted By: PMK
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.


30+ years with the 7mm-08, it will hang with the others listed.
Posted By: Mathp

Re: Gun question - 01/07/15 03:07 PM

The issue for me is can I make a good decision whether the deer is a shooter at 250+. Maybe if I was younger with better eyesight!
Posted By: Rustler

Re: Gun question - 01/07/15 04:09 PM

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.


The .243 will work fine at those distances if you can put the bullet where it needs to go.
Or, if you want a new rifle;
Short action - 7-08
Long action - .270
Magnum - .257 Weatherby
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