Best Deer Hunting Round, LOL!

[hammz]

I love 6.5 Creedmoor more than probably any other round, so that'd be my first choice if I can use anything on deer. My 6.5CM rifle is really heavy and solely for target shooting, though. My main hunting rifle and dedicated deer/elk gun is a Winchester Model 70 Extreme Weather in 300 Win Mag.

 

[Ray B]

I voted OTHER because the 257 Roberts wasn't listed. For deer and deer sized game it is the optimum goldilocks cartridge.

 

[BigSteve57]

I would say that in some cases, (such as thick, heavy bush), a 30-30 is probably a more suitable choice than a 30-06. However, the -06 will still get the job done. If you are taking a 250 yard shot the 30-06 is the obvious choice between the two.
I would imagine that your father and many others who are casting their vote for the 30-06 are looking at versatility. The 30-06 is incredibly versatile, and for many, that's the key! In my opinion, the 300wm is even more-so and why many choose to hunt deer with it. Both are truly overkill for most hunting, probably 80-90% of the time, but as long as you are not recoil sensitive then it doesn't matter much.
But if you ARE sensitive to recoil then you may have MUCH better results with a different choice altogether! That's why what works for one, will not always work for another, and why this debate has continued for generations! I think it's a great debate, and I enjoy hearing people's experiences and opinions.

I have hunted and bagged a LOT of deer so I'm wondering what your reasoning here is. Is it because thick heavy brush means shots 25 yds or less? Or because the rifle, like a 30-30 Marlin lever used by my brother in law is shorter, lighter and easier to maneuver? I'm not saying I disagree, I'm just wondering a bit on your reasoning here.

I will say that the 30-06 with my stated cartridge (Remington 180 gr PSPCL) has made pencil sized entrance and exit wounds at <=50 yards. At very close ranges that cartridge is more like a drill. I have never lost an animal with that cartridge but it is something to note. So, if I am very close I am VERY careful to not make a perpendicular high lung shot for fear of losing the deer. So at very close ranges in thick brush the 30-30 indeed may be better. Unless of course you're talking about shooting THROUGH brush.

 

[Cam Moon]

@BigSteve57 You answered a lot of your own question! Yes, in heavy bush you will have shots that are very short distances, well within the capabilities of the 30-30. And yes, shorter, lighter, easier to maneuver! Also a lever is (typically for most people) a little faster to cycle than a bolt. Another factor is recoil. (There's a reason your wife shoots a 243 and not 30-06 right?) Why subject yourself to unnecessary recoil if you don't have to? And possibly the biggest reason would be what you said about the pencil sized whole in and out and what you said about having to be a little careful about shot placement for fear of losing the deer. Not as much of an issue with the slow moving 30-30. They seem to expand well in a deer, even at close range. (Compared to a 30-06 or similar) Which brings me to the final point, that you're more likely to have a bullet exit the far side of a deer with a lot more speed and energy with a 30-06 (or similar) than you would with a 30-30. In dense bush you can't see very far, and I'm sure you'd agree that you don't want a "stray" bullet going through the bush where you can't see what, or who may be in it's path. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of the 30-06! It's a favorite of many hunters everywhere, and for good reason! As I said, versatility probably being the best reason. But in thick bush, and thick bush only, I don't see an advantage to the 30-06 over the 30-30.
But I also know for myself that I seldomly find myself ONLY in thick bush, and that is a whole different conversation!

 

[DG870]

I’ve helped at our local Hunter sight in days for the last 15 years and it has been real interesting to see the different types of rifles and calibers that people use. We work one on one with each person and ask them how far their typical shot is.

Based on this and 50 years of hunting deer myself I’ve come to the following conclusions. Cartridge selection should be based on the following.

- it’s like real estate “Location location location”. The gun/cartridge that works best a tree stand where your shots are less than 100 yards won’t work well in a tree stand on a sendaro where your shots are 300+ yards. If you are a spot and stalk hunter in the west you want a flat shooting caliber in a lighter weight portable rifle (Unless you’re really in shape and can pack a 12 pound rifle all day).

-Where are you hunting and what kind of deer are you hunting. The “average” deer in the US is like the “average American”. The “Average” American has slightly more than one breast and slightly less than one testicle but there are hard to find. The average deer in the US weighs between 75 and 350? pounds and will be shot at 10 yards to (how far is too far yards?). A firearm that will cleanly kill a Florida Key deer At 50 yards might not be the best choice for a 300 pound Montana whitetail.

-Bigger harder recoiling rifles don’t work better if you can’t shoot them well. You might be better off with a 270 or something similar if you flinch with your 300 whiz bang.

I liked the OP’s title to this thread ending in LOL because he knew that all this would come up.

There Is a best deer cartridge for YOUR hunting situation but it may be different for all of us.

 

[BigSteve57]

@BigSteve57 You answered a lot of your own question! Yes, in heavy bush you will have shots that are very short distances, well within the capabilities of the 30-30. And yes, shorter, lighter, easier to maneuver! Also a lever is (typically for most people) a little faster to cycle than a bolt. Another factor is recoil. (There's a reason your wife shoots a 243 and not 30-06 right?) Why subject yourself to unnecessary recoil if you don't have to? And possibly the biggest reason would be what you said about the pencil sized whole in and out and what you said about having to be a little careful about shot placement for fear of losing the deer. Not as much of an issue with the slow moving 30-30. They seem to expand well in a deer, even at close range. (Compared to a 30-06 or similar) Which brings me to the final point, that you're more likely to have a bullet exit the far side of a deer with a lot more speed and energy with a 30-06 (or similar) than you would with a 30-30. In dense bush you can't see very far, and I'm sure you'd agree that you don't want a "stray" bullet going through the bush where you can't see what, or who may be in it's path. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of the 30-06! It's a favorite of many hunters everywhere, and for good reason! As I said, versatility probably being the best reason. But in thick bush, and thick bush only, I don't see an advantage to the 30-06 over the 30-30.
But I also know for myself that I seldomly find myself ONLY in thick bush, and that is a whole different conversation!

I had my own opinions with regard to the 30-30 vs. the 30-06, I just wanted to hear yours because I thought I might hear something new. Well it sounds like we're in total agreement as to the pros & cons and the reasons behind them!

Incidentally, the high lung shot I referred to I remember well as about a 100yd shot from a tree stand. The deer ran about 100yds then fell. I literally couldn't tell where the entrance wound was and the exit wound looked like an entrance would. It wasn't until I field dressed the animal that I realized that the bullet traveled horizontally in between both sets of ribs just below the spine and behind the shoulder. Since then I have been very careful with the 30-06 and that load. I'm not sure if a soft point would have made any difference. I'm reluctant to change cartridges because I have had so much good luck with them.

PS: my wife shot the 30-06 (different cartridge - Federal P3006F180 gr Nosler Partition - this load was wonderful BTW) in Africa and did fine by taking an Oryx, Blue Wildebeest and a Red Hartebeest. Her main complaint was that the rifle was too heavy. She managed to get the PH to carry it for her most of the time LOL. For me, I took a good sized Zebra and a Springbok with that same rifle and round. The PH flatly refused to carry the rifle for me, however.