Least Favorite Deer Caliber?

I see a lot of post talking about favorite deer hunting caliber so I’m curious what everybody’s least favorite caliber is?


For instance, I don’t care for a .270 or 30-06. Don’t get me wrong they are great calibers and owed much respect, I personal just don’t have any interest in them for the fact that they’re “boring”. Not wanting to start any scraps just looking for food for thought.

.308 Winchester

Definitely a .270 Win. It makes no sense to me.

22 Hornet.

Anything much over 2800 FPS muzzle. Give me moderate velocity.

I like 2500-2800 fps with 110 plus grain weight.

Oh, for Pete's sake!



"I, personally, just don't have (yada, yada)..." (See "commas" and "grammar".)

And, as for "food for thought" - Just shoot what you shoot, and let the other guys that kill deer day in and day out with "boring" old calibers alone.

Least favorite for me is the .270, always had bad luck with that gun. Second is .243.

Because you can’t count that high or it’s physically taller than you?

Both...

That's how many times each of yall need to be smacked in the mouth.

Nah...

I'm one of the millions that live by the credo that there is no other deer caliber than .270

Earl

You asked for caliber and named a caliber and a cartridge.

Least favorite cartridge(s) are anything with a belt. I don't need the reach or recoil.
I don't dislike any caliber.

Papalote

243 I'm sure its good for coyotes and varmints but I could shoot a deer in the shoulder with it and it would still bloodshot both hindquarters. You asked-that's my opinion.

30-odd-six..

6.5 creedmoor. Because It’s like tits. Everyone has two.

.270

.25-06 with Ballistic Tips by far.

A friend took one on a four day hunting trip. We spent every single day looking for wounded deer or pigs he shot with that rifle. He bought a .308 after that trip and has been dropping them very dead ever since.

My least favorite caliber when used for deer hunting is .224.

Although I guess a .22-250 (or similar capacity) with a 1-in-7" shooting one of the new 90 gr hunting bullets might be okay. But I've never seen a rifle like that.

Anything that is not a 30-06. I went with cartridge since i figured that is what the op was looking for. If it really was caliber then anything sub 30 caliber

Funny how many guys on here dislike the .270. I can understand Icantjumpthathigh's reason for not liking it, but for everyone else, I don't get it. I think it is probably the quintessential deer rifle. I don't like .223 or .243, and any rifle cartridge that has Magnum in it.

Since you say deer hunting calibers I have to say anything below 24 caliber.

I realize they are cartridges, but any of the WSM's.

.30-30 and it's not close. I've never seen an accurate one and cleaned up too many messes made with one.

Hey Pink! Somebody's talking bad about your gun! That young Lady and her 30-30 is a deadly combination.

You in trouble now!

And .223

Yeah, they will work, but they better be super tight shooting. And the deer better be no more than 100 yards for a brainstem shot. I wouldn't shoot either one of those cartridges in vitals.

Nosler Partitions in vitals, yada, yada. Bring enough gun for a vitals shot.

243
300 blackout

I’ve made messes of lots of hearts and lungs with the lowly 30 WCF

22-250 or 220 swift. Typically not enough twist to stabilize what I consider good hunting bullets for the caliber.

The gun I have had the worst luck with on deer was a 30 carbine, the rifle my dad and brother shot their first deer with. I shot my first deer with it too, but we never recovered it. The side scope mount came loose and dad wasn't able to get it to hold anymore after that, been in the safe ever since. Damn that's been 21 years ago.

I'm also one who doesn't care for the 270, and the 243 is a close second. To me it always seemed like the ratio of recoil to bullet performance in both of those rounds are way off. And I'm not at all recoil sensitive. I shoot thousands of rounds per year, many in large magnums at targets well over 1000 yards away. But if I'm going to get thumped, I like to see results on the other end too.

That's just a case of using the wrong bullet. Ballistic Tips of old were simply too fragile for such a high velocity round. Put a proper hunting bullet in it and the 25-06 is a fantastic deer caliber.

some of these comments make me question how many deer some of ya'll have even killed....and saying a.270 is not a good round or is boring or underperforming is like saying.....is like saying......I really can't find a adequate comparison because its such a ludicrous statement. Very manageable recoil, good bullet weights, good velocity....its a great round and has been killing deer for almost 100 years very handily. Great deer caliber and a lot of elk and moose get shot with it every year as well.



back to topic.....


the 6.5 Grendel is my least favorite deer round. Was very underwhelmed with its performance.


the .243 is my second least favorite deer rounds.

the third is a .30-30. I've killed some deer very dead with it but its limited in range and power, but Its not something I would choose or recommend


I don't consider the .22-250 or .220 swift to really be deer rounds, but I've killed a lot of deer with the 250. Still don't consider it a deer round though

Yes it was and that is why I specifically included the bullet, but I still do not care for the .25-06 after that experience. Anything .22 caliber seems marginal to me. Can they work, absolutely, but a larger and heavier bullet increases the likelihood of a good result.



Agree 101%.

Sometimes it is just personal preference. I have a friend that hates the 30 caliber. 30-06, 30-30, .300BLK, .308... he just does not like 30 cal. He is a West Point Graduate, and Vietnam era Veteran, and probably has more hunting experience than most of us will ever achieve. I see no argument against .308 or 30-06, but that is his preference.

.223 or any of the magnums

When I was a youth, the only center-fire rifle I had ever shot or hunted was a Marlin 336. I took two good sized bucks in 1984 and 1986. In 1987 we had to make a medical trip for my grandmother. It was the weekend before Thanksgiving, and none of us were even thinking about hunting. However, my uncle thought I should get away from the hospital and he took me on an early morning stalking hunt. I had no gear, so he hooked me up with his wife's 30 carbine and some clothes. I took a boiler-room shot and the deer bolted. My uncle thought he found him a few days later, several hundred yards away in the brush. Animals and nature pretty much got to enjoy that kill.

After years of hunting and shooting, i lean more towards bullet selection vs caliber. I'd rather shoot a deer with a 90gr partition than a 168gr BTHP. My least favorite deer caliber would be anything in a gun weighing over 9lbs

CR, were you having a bad day yesterday?

Your interpretation skills are about as good as Adam Schiff's.

On the contrary...it was one of my good ones.

'Whole lotta stupid in this thread.

Yeah, well your ugly

Periods people. They're not just to breathe a sigh of relief.

You're roasting hard today, shorty! I'm "blessed" in other areas to make up for being ugly.

I'm starting to suspect that you really don't like me

I cant say enough good things about partitions, have served me so well from 60 grains out of a 223 to 200's in a 300 wby.

The one hunting experience I have with it was not positive. It was my first shot at a deer and I could well have botched it. I was shooting for behind the shoulder. Deer was broadside facing the left. We trailed blood and never found him. The next weekend we shot the gun and it was just shy of a foot low and left. I finished the season shooting my brothers new 270 win and collected 3 DRT deer two bucks and a doe.

Dad and brother shot many deer with it though.

I like you better than 2beez.

Chevy you should give the accubonds a try in your new rig

At common distances which most people shoot deer at, caliber is so secondary to bullet construction, I don't really concern myself with caliber much anymore.

The feeling is mutual jackwagon

And even that is a moot point for most of your standard “deer calibers”. A regular cup and core soft point does a great job of deer killing.

Elk or grizzly or something big might require a premium bullet, but a deer is, well, a deer.

308 and 30.06

I prefer a cup and core in standard calibers.

My .270 with hornady interlocks works very well on deer

I was wondering if you were going to catch that.

My .270's as well. They make hogs pretty darned dead too.

The amount of deer I've smoked in the neck from 50-400 yards with a 220 swift is ridiculous. My all time favorite caliber right up there with 264wm. That being said I absolutely hate the 6.5cm....260 wanna be

6.5 Creedmoor

That means you also hate the .260, right?

I'll probably never own one but I don't mind them, pretty cool caliber. I think the main reason I hate 6.5cm is because every other guy has one in a Ruger American predator and acts like its the greatest thing since sliced bread. The .260 is pretty much the same thing without a "cool name" and its been dropping deer since 1997.

Wait a Minute...so you hate the 6.5 CM, but the .260 is a pretty cool caliber? C'mon, not liking something just because it is popular...are you some High school teeny bopper girl?

Or in other words, what caliber would you never use to hunt deer that others use quite often?

.223 or 5.56 NATO

I’m new to using this forum so I’m not exactly sure how to go about answering creekrunner’s post, but, Creekrunner, doesn’t it not seem a little childish to call someone stupid for not liking the something you do?

Find some .260 Rem ammo MANUFACTURED with a 140, 143 or 147 gr bullet.

I'll wait...

Not quite sure how to answer. "...doesn't it not seem..." My brain hurts. I believe you mean "doesn't it seem a little childish."

Congratulations on creating a popular thread though, despite your desire to dabble in psychology. You show great promise to be one of the great "stirrers" on here. And after all, entertainment is really what this place is all about.

That is why I am not a fan of the gaymoor. It is a cartridge that makes everyone an operator and TAF.

I've owned one but probably won't own another. It was the gateway drug that led to the mess I'm in

Oh I completely understand it's purpose and the advantage of being able to use a better bullet for long range shooting but we're talking about deer hunting. 9 out of 10 people I see that own one shoot deer from a feeder at 100 yards with a regular ol 129gr soft point. The only reason they own one is because it's the thing right now, not because they use it for its intended purpose. And btw berger makes some pretty nice 140gr FACTORY ammo for the .260, $29 per box. And Remington, and Federal, and Barnes..

I simply asked what everybody’s least favorite deer round was. I even stated I didn’t want to start any scraps. I was just curious as to what people didn’t like and why. I never said the 270 or the 30-06 wouldn’t work or aren’t good deer rounds I just don’t care for them or have any interest in them. I hope your day is more pleasant than you are.

You started a caliber discussion. Discussion on caliber =

Right back at ya Buttercup.

The rifles section may not be for you

I looked at Creekrunner's post that you took issue with as funny. And I'm pretty sure he meant it that way.

Maybe your skin is a little too thin for this section.

I am starting to look at it as a take off from the swede except you can find ammo for it everywhere.

I am gonna get one in a walnut stock with a light contour barrel and shoot the heaviest roundnose soft point i can find in it.

^ because low recoil and good sectional density. I think it will be a great family rifle.

Just as has been mentioned...it's a great round and really excels for the folks who don't reload and I recommend it for that application....frequently, unfortunately. But it isn't followed by angels as Gary thinks

LO - you using a soft point bullet might cause the operators to stroke out

6.5 CM is increasing in popularity and taking shelf space away from the .260, but the .260 is very well supported with match bullets, far better than 7-08 - which is hard to understand.

The .260 will produce 30 - 50 fps more than the 6.5 CM with comparable bullets, which is not enough to worry about.

Lost in the shadows, the 6.5x47 Lapua is a very nice cartridge as well. There's not a dime's worth of difference in the three as far as launching bullets in my opinion.

I have a .260, which is a wonderful rifle for deer hunting. If I was starting over, the 6.5 CM would be the pick for the low power 6.5 niche.

For pushing the heavier 6.5 bullets, the 6.5 PRC, 6.5-284, .264 WM, or 6.5-06 produce a meaningful amount more of velocity.

.260 match quality ammo offered and available right now for shipping:

Berger 140 https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101987333?pid=296278

Berger 130 https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019873277?pid=884876

SMK 142 https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1001906283

Hornady ELD 130 https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101823011?pid=527398

Lapua Scenar 136 https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019873467?pid=952536

Berger loading the 136 Scenar. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019873467?pid=952536

Black Hills loading the Hornady ELD 140. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019439729?pid=786387

Barnes Match Ammo - https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019439729?pid=786387

And there are 15+ loads with "hunting" bullets.

Well, things have changed then. Several years ago, when I loaded and shot .260, there was zero ammo available with a 140 gr bullet. I'm glad for the .260 owners there is now. I wonder if a guy can go into Academy or Cabela's and pick it off the shelf?

My .260 load was a 140 A-Max at 2800 fps, that's just where it shot. My 6.5 Creedmoor load is a 140 ELD-M at 2780 fps, but I have had it over 2800, but it didn't shoot as well there, and was a little tough on brass.

6.5 X 47L is overlooked, but it is a handloaders cartridge more so than the .260 Rem is. I built my daughter one, and it is sweet!

Of my rifles my 300 Wby is my least favorite. I love that it is a Sako but in my 60s it is painful to shoot. Of course it only takes one round to kill a deer.

Literally every long action caliber out there. It's a deer, not a moose. I'll stick with a 223ai and 75 eld's...stupid accurate, and that bullet is killer.

I have three but I don't own a 6.5 Creedmore.

I read all the comments, and I enjoyed the back and forth snarking. And I realized that I don’t really have a least favorite deer hunting caliber. I could probably do Ok with a 25-35 if I had to. I’d avoid the calibers with killer recoil because of the recoil. The only caliber I won’t hunt with is a 280, but that’s because my cousin used to talk about it endlessly while trashing my 270. And I suppose I don’t want a 6.5 CM, because everyone seems to have one, while I have a 260. I will, however, admit that working up loads for my brothers Bergera 6.5 might have been the easiest work up I ever did. Might have been the caliber or maybe it was the rifle, but little groups were easy to do. So maybe I’d own a 6.5 CM, but wouldn’t tell anyone.

And I don’t want anything belted.

I like Short Action calibers and tend to dislike long action calibers.

I don't even own a long action.

I love them all. Will take any kind of action I can get.

I was in Cabela’s in Lubbock Saturday. I did not see any 6.5 Creed ammo or .260. I was quite surprised at the former. It wasn’t like they were sold out...there was a solid selection from 243 straight to 25-06 and 270.

You must have been looking at the wrong shelf if they didn't have 6.5 CM or at least a place for it on the shelf.

Any caliber that instills so much fear of recoil that the shooter cannot hit a stationary piece of paper at 100 yards. This is doubly true if the safety is on.

As I’ve been in various feed stores and hardware stores lately, I’ve been looking at what ammo they have to sell. Pretty much the standards are 243, 270, and 30-06.

When I was recently in that good gun store in Hico, I was chatting with the young guy working there. In the course of the conversation, he said he’d had quite a few folks come in recently wanting 260’s built. He said it was the most asked for caliber all of a sudden. Seemed odd to me, but not to him.