I have the same situation. I really like my 6.5X55 Swede Mauser sporter, But There's .308 Win, .270 Win, 8X57, 7mm mag and .300 Savage. When it all comes down to it though, I always come back to my 30/06
I use various rifles as well. However, I've kept a hunting journal for years and the question prompted me to look back. I've taken more deer with a Ruger Model 77, .308 Winchester than any other rifle I have. That must be my favorite.
On the other hand...............................hmm.
Choice changes from morning to afternoon. Might be 9.3 X 75R Nimrod, 43 Mauser, 6.5 X 54 M/S, 45-90 Sharps Straight, 500 BPE, 9.3 X 57 or 9 X 57 or 9 X 57R, 8 X 56 M/S, 9.3 X 62R.....or some other rifle. Never know til it's time to go.
The never ending conversation around deer camps, 100 years of outdoor magazines and now around the digital campfire....
I have killed deer with: 30-30, .32 Winchester Special, 30-06, .308, 300 Win Magnum, 7mm Remington Magnum, .243 and .257 Roberts. Oh yeah, and one with a .357 Magnum revolver. The ones I hit all died.
But the question was what is my favorite. If I could only have one it would be a 30-06. Just can't beat the versatility in my opinion. But the best one for you is the one you are most confident in hitting that deer with, because they all work unless you miss.
My model 700 30-06 is my favorite rifle/caliber for deer hunting because my dad gave me that rifle for Christmas when I was a teenager and I killed my first buck with it. I also missed a buck with it for the first time, and later one of my ex'es killed her first buck with it. My dad only killed deer with a shotgun and buckshot before he bought me that rifle, and unknowing to me he took it on a hunt before giving it to me on Christmas and killed two bucks with it, ha ha.
That old rifle has a bit of a history.
That's more rifle than caliber as favorite. I've also killed deer with a .243, 25-06 and even a 9mm Glock pistol. They were all dead just the same.
I'll add to this. What's interesting is that when I was living in Texas and doing a lot of deer hunting there, a lot of my fellow deer hunters made a big deal what rifle and caliber they hunted over feeders with. I sniped a few off of one myself, and honestly caliber played little role in killing a deer under 100 yards like that. So controlled. One good friend killed so many he couldn't remember off of feeders and he used a good, accurate bolt .223 and ball ammo. He would put the round right behind the shoulder, tight and avoiding bone and through the deer's heart. They never ran far. Under a feeder a deer will give you a good broadside shot like that almost 100% of the time.
Depends on how I feel the day I go out. Killed them with many different calibers. However my favorite rifle is a Ruger 77 in 7x57. Took a 5x5 whitetail at just over 300 yards with a hornady 139 grain interbond.
With the plethora of cartridges more than capable of taking deer sized game and, being either blessed or cursed with a curious mind, it is impossible for me to pick a favorite. Those adequate cartridges include the very old, old and new. 'Course anything newer than "old" or the common holds no interest for me....
I've taken deer with 30.06, .308, a 30-30, and a 7.62X39 (SKS), in rifles. It would appear that I like 30 caliber bullets. But most of the deer I've taken was with a 12 gauge shotgun.
Favorite? Probably killed more deer with a 308 than anything else. But have killed them with 243, 25-06, 6.5x55,280, 7mm rem mag, 308, 338 Win mag. I don't shoot any magnums at all any more! If I had to pick just one, I'd be unable to do it!
Personally, and I know someone will have a problem with it but, my caliber of choice is .223. It works well and out of the deer that I have shot with it, Ive only had to track one, and it only went about 100 yards. If I am hunting really heavy brush I carry my marlin 30-30
I've always wanted a '99 in that caliber.Now all the nice ones for sale are out of my budget range, and thinking about it,that's rightfully so with that particular rifle.
I have both and wouldn't hesitate to grab either.Neither of mine has failed me in any way that one shot has killed all deer shot with them.
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