Planning on my first Axis hunt next month. What caliber and ammo have yall used with success? Thanks

.30 caliber should be the standard, stay with the proven winners such as 30.06, .270, .308, stay in that family and you can't go wrong.
Stay away from the modernized military rounds such as the 6.5, .223, and .22 call. Ammo you'll only get into problems with these on axis deer.
After almost forty years of shooting, guiding, and tracking wounded game I can tell you what works, use good quality hunting ammo and shoot straight.
Unless you're meat hunting where head shots would actually make sense, stay away from the gimmicks and fads going around in the shooting world lately.
Shoot straight
DC

I like something in the middle of the road caliber wise- .270, 7mm-08, etc.

They are heavier boned than whitetail and I like having a little extra horsepower for them

Doesn't take any thing big just WT calibers, .260, 6.5, .243 etc.

I use my 270 with 130 grain or my 308 with 150s. Biggest thing is to shoot lower behind the shoulder than on a whitetail.

Not a problem with a 150 grain .300wsm

killed many with 7mm-08 and 25-06 with absolutely NO issues....

Have taken several so far with 6.5 CM using Hornady 143 grain ELD-X. No tracking required on any. Distances from 100-268 yards.

A buddy of mine also uses a .243 regularly on them.

I'm no expert on axis but I've killed probably 200+ deer that includes whitetail and mule deer. This advice above couldn't be further from reality. There is no better deer cartridge than a basic 243, 7mm08, or 6.5 CM, given you're using good bullets. My kills have included partition, accubond, and ballistic tip bullets primarily, with a scattering of Barnes TTSX and Hornday IL's. I can guarantee a 7mm08 teamed with a 120 ballistic tip is a deer killing machine.....culled over 50 whitetail does with that combo, and killed a couple of axis bucks with it as well. Put good bullets in the right place and you'll kill 'em dead with any decent deer cartridge, IME.

Here's reality, the question was relating to success, assuming clean one shot kills, even if its marginal, there simply is no comparison to the .30 calibers, and ill bite, sure I can go hunting with a 125 or 60, or 145 grain bullet, and they will all do the job, if the shot is good, if the shot is placed correctly, if the deer isn't walking, too many variables to have fun with , at the expense at loosing your deer or upsetting a guide that's busting his but to get you that shot, did I forget the real kicker, energy and foot pounds.
Use enough gun.
DC

It all depends on the skill of the shooter.
Pictured is my grandsons girlfriend. 143 yard head shot with a .223.

Outstanding!

Any whitetail caliber will work.

Make a poor shot with a .30 cal and you'll get the same result as you will with a poor shot from a 6mm,6.5mm, or 7mm bullet Heavier calibers don't make up for bad bullet placement, ever. Besides all of that, lighter recoiling calibers are easier to shoot more accurately than heavier recoiling calibers. Recommending a .30 cal as minimum for deer is a joke, IMO.

Yeah the only axis I have ever lost was with a 300 and was a decent shot. My 6.5 cm only has four kills on it 3 being axis and a 250 lb boar. Any whitetail caliber that you are comfortable and accurate shooting with will do the trick. Have killed axis using .243 up to 45-70 so I don’t know about the whole 30 caliber only comment.

6.5 Creedmoor, 7-08, etc will all work. Good shot placement with a good bullet will kill any axis. Take what you can shoot most accurately with.

6.5 through the front shoulder. Anchored him, no tracking required. Same result with an Axis doe on the same hunt. 143 grain Hornady ELDX.

What is your ELD-X opinion?

What is your ELD-X opinion?[/quote]


5 shot group consistently has one flyer but the rest are usually within 1/2 MOA. Flyer always “close enough” for hunting. Could be me. Not a bench shooter or reloader. I use the Hornady Precision Hunter and have been happy with the results

I think the ELD-X is an excellent round. It’s basically an Amax and I’ve killed a ton of stuff with that round, only a few have even taken a step. Complete pass thru every time from 50-250.

Looks like I'll use a .308

Or maybe my .450

Make a poor shot with a .30 cal and you'll get the same result as you will with a poor shot from a 6mm,6.5mm, or 7mm bullet Heavier calibers don't make up for bad bullet placement, ever. Besides all of that, lighter recoiling calibers are easier to shoot more accurately than heavier recoiling calibers. Recommending a .30 cal as minimum for deer is a joke, IMO.



I agree with Mr. Raider, make a poor shot with 300WM or 7mm and you still have a problem. Learn to shoot any WT round and you will be successful. Both of these were DRT kills with the much maligned 6.5 Creedmoor and Hornady factory 143 grain ELD-X ammo.

I feel like there’s a valid point in there somewhere. Finding it is just a matter of sifting through the nonsense. I feel bad for the greenhorn that has to do it. Thankfully, I won’t have to.