Ep. 094 - The BEST Deer Cartridge? 

Thanks for all your answers! If you haven't, let us know your favorite deer cartridge and where you are in the world!

I’ve had good luck with a 280, but believe the 7mm-08 to be the best all around deer cartridge.

Voting 7mm-08 for the Appalachian mountains of Virginia. Shots can be as close as 8 or 10 yards in the thick stuff, or farther than you can ethically shoot in the fields. 150 or 162 ELD-X hand loaded. Great multi species combo as well. Wouldn’t hesitate to go west for elk with it.

Thanks for the great content you guys put out. I use a 7mm-08 Ruger American with 139 gr. GMX (and now CX) for whitetail deer in Kentucky. I hunt both fields and woods. I like to both shoot on the shoulders and get an exit. I may get shots from 10-250 yards. I like the security that the projectile will hold together at close ranges. Between my son and I, we have taken 10 whitetails with this combination. We get fast kills and good blood trails when we do not get an immediate drop. I originally got this caliber for my son for his first centerfire rifle. I have found that I end up taking it hunting in lieu of my 30-06 when my son is not using it.

In our family the four of us all shoot 7mm -08 and we live in Nebraska. We've tried 308win 270win 30-06 338win 243 and all agree when you consider recoil mag capacity shooting distances bullet weight 7mm-08 is the way to go.

7mm-08 in my opinion. This answer is coming from up in the great state of Maine. However I have shot them with 7mm rem mag, 35 Whelen, 30-06, etc. But overall- I love the 7mm-08. Heading to Saskatchewan tomorrow with my trusty browning 7mm-08 in hand!

Hard to pick between my weatherby vanguard 270 win or my tikka 7mm-08. I shoot 130CX out of both.🤔going with the 7mm-08 because the tikka handles a little better in the woods.

7mm-08 with 140 grain SST’s all day long in Kansas. Used to use a .270 Win and 130’s with consistent 1 shot drops. Got a deal on a Browning X-bolt in 7mm-08 a few years back. The 7mm-08 has the same terminal effect as the .270 Win I’ve witnessed. Also a big of the 30-06 with 168 grain Gold Dots. Fist sized holes! Regarding gelatin block testing, Wayne Vanzwoll once told me “gel testing bullets was like crash testing cars.” The FBI protocol is probably why the majority of people believe it’s the same medium as organic matter due to their requirements.

In Saskatchewan I'd say 7mm-08 with 139gr sst at 3000 fps it magic.

For the most part I think bullet selection is more important than caliber.

My 1st deer was taken with my .270 Win.. My last deer was taken with a 6.5 CM. Both cartridges (and everything in-between) get the job done!

Lol, From Africa here, my farm is 46 000 ha ( 2.4 acres in 1 ha) , I own 12 calibres , from 22 LR right up to 458 LOTT . I hunt almost all the time, from predators to plains game and every now and then big dangerous game. My favourite hunting rifle is a CZ model 557( no plastic on this excellent rifles) in 7 mm Mauser ( 7x57) on a long action and a custom stainless steel barrel, 1:9 inch twist. I use 140 gr Hornady SST for long shots on smaller game on a farm in Namibia……but mostly ,I use 160 gr Speer Hot Core , flat base bullets for all my plains game animals on my own farm…… this OLD cal. from the late 1800 just do it right , lol My brother loves his Musgrave( South African manufactured rifle) in 308 , shooting 168 gr Nosler custom competition bullets. One rifle for me in Africa…….. the King, my CZ 602 ZKK in 375 Holland & Holland Magnum. After all……. This is Africa!!!!

Love the conversation about the different gel and testing. Appreciate the podcast. Live out in the rockies in Canada and thinking 6.5 prc as a do-it-all first cartridge.

Ive tried .308 150gr SST and .284 150gr ELDX on whitetail deer. I definitely prefer the ELDX. I’m a fan of copper monolithics but the 308 and 708 rifles are also used for high volume long range target shooting and the ELDX is a fantastic target bullet that is also great for deer. Up here in Northern Alberta, my favourite whitetail deer cartridges are: 7mm-08 with 150gr ELDX and 270WIN with 129gr LRX. Love them both for different reasons. I haven’t yet warmed up to the 6.5CM because I like the versatility of the 708 and 308 to handle heavy bullets for moose and elk. I have not been a huge fan of 308WIN but this year I am excited to try harvesting a deer with my Tikka CTR in 308 because I created a new load with the 178gr ELDX and now I think I understand the 308 better… It absolutely shines when loaded with heavier bullets. The 178gr ELDX perform splendidly at the 800m range. What I love about ELDX is they are cheap enough to use for high volume range practice and good enough to hunt deer with and also very precise. I like that versatility. Cheers!

Wisconsin hunting both woods and across fields, nothing past 300 yards as close as 10 yards. The .308 in a 16.5" barrel. Big fan of the Whitetail line, but the SST in the short barrel is hard to beat.

7mmO8 with a 120 or 140 grain monolithic bullet.

So many great choices but the venerable 270 Winchester gets the nod for me from Tennessee,it may have a little more muscle than necessary but if you need to reach out there a little your in good hands,not too much punishment on the shoulder either

The fist rifle I ever bought, and I still have it. Winchester Big Bore 94 in 375 Winchester!!! I grew up in western Washington State. It’s all rain forest. Now I live in northern Arizona, all desert. Right now for Deer/Elk I have a 308 & my 7.7 Arisaka. Still working on getting my dream rifle, a Weatherby Mark V in 300 Weatherby. It does EVERYTHING well! From Varmint (100-110gr), Antelope (125-140),Deer (140-155), Elk/Black Bear (160-180), Moose/Brown Bear (190-up). I don’t mind recoil and a suppressor will help with that anyway. Mmmmmm, back straps.

7mm-08 Oregon

Grew up hunting in Wisconsin, now live in Texas. .270 Winchester always works perfectly for me. Fast flat shooting, reasonable recoil, ample terminal performance, ammo availability. I do a lot of research on cartridges and still never saw the need to change. Going to try the CX this year. (Now as for bigger game I gotta agree the 7 PRC looks phenomenal.) P.S. I have a 6 ARC and love it too. I do my part to talk it up out here so help me out guys and keep the ammo coming. With the popularity of the AR 15 platform and the ballistics of the 6 ARC it should easily become a top 10 cartridge.

257 Bob. All 3 of my daughters started shooting that caliber at 8 yrs old, no complaints about recoil and a pile of dead whitetails. It has everything you need and nothing you don't. I'd love to see it make a comeback.

In Georgia I hunt with my X-Bolt 7mm-08. In one area where there are shots 330+ yards I shoot my .280AI.

My preference is the 243. In western Pennsylvania with proper bullet selection, and shot placement from ground hog to black bear it works.

North Georgia. Been using a 308 M77 for years but mainly because of availability of ammo. I think the 7-08 is about the best all around cartridge out there. 243 and 6.5CM are close too.

I see the 7mm-08 as upgraded 308. I just cant think of one that beats the 7mm-08 outight. Great all around.

My first whitetail at 16 years old was with a 357 mag pistol in Ga. First rifle purchased for myself was 270 win, and still use it in Ga.

It's a 7mm08 with a 140 gn Nosler partition , but you can't find this load or almost any 7mm08 for sale these days for some strange reason ?

I'm from British Columbia and use the 90 grain CX 6mm ARC for everything from Coyotes up to Mule Deer. If hunting Moose or Elk I would run my 7mm08 with the 150gr CX. Both are handloads

1) 7mm-08 2) 6.5 Creed 3) .30-30 .270 / .280 if you have to go long action 6.5 Grendel if you have to go micro action

I live in Western Maryland! If I could only own one rifle cartridge it would have to be a 6.5X55 Swede. I feel it is a proven cartridge but very underrated. The bullet would be the Hornady 143gr.. ELD-X Bullet

25/06 Remington

Glad to hear the 257 Bob getting some love. I have my grandfather's 722 in The Bob and i love it. Wish i could get some load data for it with your 110 gr interlocks ... Or is the SST? Can't remember which. I bought a box of 100 last year and can't find data... I'm in NE PA.

I'm from North Alabama. First deer was with 20 GA buckshot at about 5 yards. First rifle deer was with a borrowed Winchester model 70 in 270 Win. Now I hunt with a Ruger Scout Rifle in 308 Win and it really likes Hornady American Whitetail 150 grain interlock.

42:12 my ideal white tail cartridge would be the 6.5 prc with a copper bullet. 7mm08 with a copper bullet would be a great choice too From Idaho, hunt white tail in south Dakota

Without doubt you guys are super serious about what you do. I was intyroduced to Joyce many years ago and instantly switched from Sieera to Hornady reloading components ( I do have an old Lyman Orange crusher press thoughj). I shoot several calibres, depending on the species, but I now use only Hornady SST projectiles. I have taken many species from little rabbits to SA Eland. I will continue to use only Hornady. Cheers, Pete

Quebec and Ontario Canada. 35 years ago 30/30 with 170 Silvertips, then a few years later settled on 140gr Nosler Accubond hand-loads in 7mm-08. I keep thinking about that 1 rifle, 1 cartridge setup and I have not settled on choice. Oddly, 30/06 keeps poking the back of my mind after enjoying my M1917 at the range. Just wish my eyesight wasn't getting bad enough that the irons are no longer an obvious choice.

You are correct. The complaints that I’ve had about EDX or SST’s I realized was how they were designed Over multiple podcast you have basically said it. Horn today seems to like bullets that reliably expanded distance. And doing so that means they violently expand close up. With the exclusion of the interlock and the CX, I’m a Southeast hunter and rarely take a shot over 200 yards. I want to be able to drop a deer have blood tracks and penetration. I’ve learned so much from these podcasts And I appreciate all the information. I think generally speaking, it boils down to expectations and what someone is looking for in a bullet.

Nothing wrong with the 30-30 Win with 170 gr Interlock FN for deer hunting.

I love going old school with my hand rolled 30-06 loads. Just works from close to long shots across the fields.

Maine here. Hand loaded 7mm-08 with a TTSX or Ballistic Tip (sorry) 120 is a family favorite because they both work every single time from 10yds to 250. Realistically, we never shoot farther than that. 30-30 150s and 32spl 170s are also proven winners 100x over, just with the caveat that you know you're limited to much shorter range.

My first deer was with a 30-30 Win when I was 17 in 1976. My last deer was taken with 300blk with Hornady Sub X 190 at the age of 63 in 2022. However, my first bolt gun purchase in 1985 was a Browning A-Bolt in 280 Rem. That Browning is still going strong with the majority of animals being taken with it. From deer and big hogs to the big Red Deer. My Browning is partial to 160gr bullets.

I hunt in northeast Texas, which is heavily forested. I mean, sure, there are some shots with yardage but not a lot. In the woods, I have ranged from 71 yards to 250 yards max. I have been hunting with the .308. It's comfortable and up to 300 yards, which is my current range of comfort, It will do what I want. I have noticed that my rifles like 165 gr and a medium bull barrel that likes a 180 grain. However, the western part of the state has TPWD drawn mule deer hunt in a canyon. Mostly brush and rocks, like you would expect of a canyon in the near desert. Not a lot of trees. The description of the hunt suggests that you be able to shoot a minimum of 200 yards. So, my new 7 PRC is going to be my everything rifle (if you only had one rifle and one cartridge.) The 175 gr ELD-X. I have seen the guys at Mossberg hunt feral hogs with it. I know it will take down elk and all the game in between. For predator hunting, I would probably use my AR-10 in .308. Mainly because of the auto-loading. Although, it could be tempting to get a 6 mm ARC for that. So, yeah, for hunting whitetail deer at unknown ranges from 50 to 400 yards, any of the short actions could work.

There are so many great, mild-recoiling cartridges with ample power for deer: .270 Win, 7mm-08 Rem, 6.5 PRC, 6.5 Creed, 6mm Creed, .243 Win., and more niche cartridges like 7x57mm Mauser, 6.5x55 Swede, .25-06, .257 Rob, and 6mm Rem. Then there's classic .308 calibers like .30-06 and .308 Win. Today's hunters are fortunate to live in a time when we have an abundance of choices. If I had to choose only one rifle and cartridge for deer, I think I'd go 6.5 Creedmoor with an 18-inch barrel, suppressed, loaded with 120gr CX Superformance. Great discussion, gents!

I have been a fan of the 6.5x55 which is a ballistic twin to the 6.5 CM for over 30 years and it has served me very well. I thought about getting the Creedmoor but given the fact that I already have my 6.5x55 dialed in to under 1/8th MOA I have a hard time justifying it. Many deer and hogs have fallen to my little 6.5, all were one shot kills and none was an exceptionally difficult tracking job, it has always done the trick with either 120 or 140gr class bullets. I have six other rifles and while they all have done reasonably well the allure of the little 6.5mm is overwhelming. Low recoil, light and handy, crazy accurate and rock solid consistent performance has always made it a winner in my book. You could make a very good case for the hydrostatic shock of a 25-06 or the heavyweight punch of a 35 caliber the best all around deer bullet will always be in the .264 cal although I can hear my 7mm-08 begging to differ from within the gun safe.

I've recently invested in the 6mm ARC for TX gulf coast whitetails. Planning to use 80gr or 90gr CX. On paper it seems perfect out to a rare maximum range of 300 yards. I'm excited to start my handloading.

Love these videos from your team…Normally use 308 as I’ve taken more deer with this caliber. But hunting this year with 6mm Creedmoor 90gr GMX because it’s super accurate, has mild recoil, max range is 200 yards and more importantly want to have confidence in this caliber before I pass down to my grandson.

I live in Pennsylvania and I actually get to hunt at the sportsman's club where I shoot. They close the range for members and allow us to hunt, so shot distances can be a little different than what most Pennsylvania hunters experience. I start my day before first light getting setup on the 600 or 650 yard shooting lanes, because the deer tend to be in the lower fields early in the morning. I have a 20" 450 Bushmaster and a 22" 6.5 Creedmoor that I rotate for that particular situation. I stay there until a little after first light then go back to my vehicle and change out the rifle to my mountain ridge rifle, which is a 16" barrel 450 Bushmaster. I work a ridge the rest of the day until almost last light, when I switch back out and return to the shooting lanes until dark. If I had to choose just one, I'm sticking to the 450 Bushmaster, because I don't need more than a 250-300 yard shot (if I position myself correctly on those shooting lanes, say sit at 300 or 400 yards and shoot 300ish either direction). It's a thumper for the ridge and I wouldn't want to give that up. It would also allow me to hunt Ohio and Illinois, where I have friends living in those places and could hunt there. I do know that you mean about PA and 300 Win Mag...seems like most hunters here think that's the ultimate answer and I've never understood it. I've owned a couple and they're neat, but completely overkill for what I need. For example, when I'm hunting that ridge I mentioned, a long shot is probably 75 yards and I've literally been 50 feet from a deer up there. They've crested that ridge and we've literally been staring at each other! So I don't think a Win Mag is necessary, for me at least.

🕵️‍♂️ Yes, I'm Glad You Said It! Bullet Selection Is Every Bit As Important As Cartridge Selection, Depending Upon What Species You're Hunting And Trying To Accomplish! 🤑 I Believe That Your CX Bullet Is An Example Of How Lighter Calibers Will Work On Bigger Game And Why Most Hunters Don't Need To Be Buying Magnum Cartridges Anymore! 👨‍⚖ The 6.5 Creedmore Was Wildly Successful, Because It Appealed To The Needs Of The Average Deer Hunter (Which Is What Species Most Hunters Hunt, The 6.5 Creedmore Is An Especially Good Cartridge For Beginning Hunters and Women Too)! 👍

I’m from Northwest SC and I’d say my choice would be a .270win with a 140 SST. Have been using a .270Win since I was 12 and have taken a good many deer.

Southeast PA, .308 Winchester is almost perfect. I’ll admit it could be a little much recoil for some younger/smaller shooters but I would have no issue using the .243 Winchester, the 7mm-08 or the 6.5 Creedmoor. They are all great. For bullets, Interlock, SST, ELD-X. The CX would be great if you want to make sure you get the best penetration possible on a tough angle shot or biggest whitetail. I am getting very interested in the 6 ARC. It seems very promising for a lightweight build and on close to medium range Whitetail.

My Henry 30-30 works great in the woods of WI. My gun for hunting fields is a rem 700 bdl in 270 win.

I live in Maine. The interlock is the best bullet Hornady ever made for about any north American game. It just works. I have used it from pests to Moose. From the 243 to 300WM. With that siad I started using the 120CX in a 6.5 creedmoor for deer. Two taken last year and great performance so far.

7mm-08 hammer 101gr is what I’m gonna use this year, other years I’ve used the 120gr ttsx

Live out in yamhill Oregon. Hunt between farm ground and deep thick timber. First deer shot was with 30-30 win. Then used 300 win mag for a long time till recently. 260 rem with 143 eldx and h4350, has brought down 2 bucks and 2 cow elk one shot on all, no problems. Trying 6 arc this year for deer. We will see how it goes

I'm from Southern Idaho and I bought a 300 RUM in 1999 when I was a senior in high school, love it so much I got rid of my 30-06 and 25-06, only takes one shot, and the elk and muley's I've taken with it haven't taken another step after being shot, farthest I've taken anything was 426 yards on a 5 point bull, and I want to start loading the 220 ELDX for it, just need to get magnum primers.🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸

You need to be promoting the 6ARC as a deer cartridge. I love the 6ARC in both my gas and bolt guns. It is an inherently accurate round and would be a perfect in lightweight rifle. I have a lightweight 243, but would swap it, for the right deal, for a Howa mini rifle in 6ARC for myself and my kids. BTW - Please crank out more 6ARC brass. Because it lacks recoil and is accurate, I shoot more round per range session like someone would use a 223 as a trainer rifle.

When I go back to Pennsylvania for buck season, it's a 6.5 Creedmoor with an 18" barrel and suppressor shooting a 129 grain SST @2800 fps. Shots can be anywhere from 25 yards to 600 yards where we hunt. That combo is money.

My first deer was a 30-30 150 grain American Whitetail. My last was a 6.5 Creed 143 ELDX. In West Texas with hills and open fields and while most shots are inside 250 there is opportunity for 1000 yard shots. I like a flat gun. I was once a 300 WM believer and it was great but just SOOOO much gun. I like the nostalgia of a wood stock 30-06 BUT sometimes I just close my eyes and reach into the safe because 6.5 Grendel, 243, 7mm-08, 308, 30-30, 30-06, 270, 6.5 Creed all are absolutely fine for whitetail and 99% of situations. It’s more just flavor of the month to me.

Northern MN whitetails. I shoot a Tikka T3 in .30-06 with superformance 150 gr SST. I’ve hunted 35 years using mostly rem core-lok and federal classic growing up before all the tipped ammo. My accuracy was always “meh” until I tried the superformance. Suddenly my gun had amazing accuracy. My son shoots .450 bushmaster with hornady black 250 gr FTX in his ar (bushmaster lower/ bear creek arsenal upper) 3 shot groups touching at 90 yards if he does his part. He won’t shoot anything else. Love the podcasts. Keep them coming!

Missouri here. I was using a 300win mag previously as my one rifle to do it all. This year I gave the 6.5creed 143 eldx a try. Took a doe at 210yds quartering away. I got a full pass through and decent trail, with the deer only making it 20-30yds. That might have to be my pick.

@hornadypodcast, I’m deep in the Missouri Ozarks and I have very few good shots above 150yds I’ve found that my Ruger American Ranch 7.62x39 with the hornady 123sst (black) has been the best deer gun for me now. Last three years my shot has been under 60 yds. Preforms great! First rifle was Remington 7400 243 hand me down from my dad.

Texas. Hunting mostly west Texas and New Mexico. Kind of along the lines of what Miles was saying early on, from 6mm to 30 cal, just pick what you like. Hard to choose wrong. I think my 25-06 is really tough to beat as a deer cartridge. It likes the Hornady American Whitetail load. I recently got a box of Precision Hunter with the ELD-X that I haven't tried yet. BUT, I'm thinking that my new 7mm PRC will - probably - kill a deer, lol. I've only put 14 rounds through it, on paper, but from all the research I've done I'm with Ryan on the 7 PRC as the one cartridge for everything. I've only shot the Precision Hunter so far, but I now have a box of Outfitter with the 160 CX. If my rifle shoots it well, I want that to be my load, for the penetration. I'll give up a little BC and a little long-range, lower velocity expansion for the confidence that it will hold together in a close-range, high velocity impact. (Especially if it's my one cartridge, one bullet, and I'm shooting a pissed off Alaskan brown bear at rock-throwing distance.)

I've taken a ton of WI whitetail with 270 130 gr SSTs, but right now I'm loving 185 CX in 338 federal.

North Western NC. Agree with Miles, 243 is a little light (it's my favorite to shoot), 308 is the largest I shoot, 6.5CM is the one I deer hunt with most often. I have confidence in it with American Whitetail ammo. Mild recoil.

I live in western michigan and i started with a .410 slug was my first deer. Then muzzleloader, 12 ga, then moved into our rifle hunting zone and started with a 270 130gr nbt now shooting the 130 cx. My next deer rifle will be a 6 arc that I’ll get dialed and let son hunt with it in a few years once he gets ready.

For Arizona Coues, I switched to a 300WSM with 165 Sierra Game Changers a few years ago. I know it sounds like a lot for little deer but I'm almost always shooting across canyons with weird wind. I've shot three deer, one at about 130y, one at 320y, and one at 412y. The bullets performed great and did blow the deer up like some would think.

For Indiana public land I’m taking out my 350 Legend this year, but you guys are working on my dies for next year - RUM case cut to 1.8” with a 250gr .375 CX bullet.

In Kentucky. I have mostly hunted bean and corn fields, some woods. Browning Abolt medallion 25-06 with 120 Nosler solid base. Old bullet discontinued. Never had one take a step. Also used 270 wsm. I have a kimber 280 ai I need to get out there.

I live in northern Idaho and my favorite white Tail cartridge is a 7.62x39mm hornidy black 123.g SST awsome for deer I use it ever year and it drops them right whare thay stand wish you guys would make more of it The last couple of years, it's been getting hard to find.

My first WT cartridge was the 30-30 with the 170 gr Remington corelock worked fantastic. But the first new rifle I bought myself was a 243 Remington 788 loved that gun deadly accurate. After a few years I thought I needed a bigger cartridge so I bought several different cartridges over the years 270 , 30-06 , 308 , 7mm mag , 45-70 , 444 and on but now I am 62 and don't like being beat to death so I love my 260 and 243 and am planning on getting me a Howa mini 6.5 Grendel. Ok lets be real here any size cartridge will take even the largest deer . I think it boils down to shot placement and bullet construction, I like a complete pass though so here the past 15 to 20 years I like bullets like the Barns ttsx , Hornaday cx , Swift A frame and the Nosler Acubond but being a handloader my best accuracy comes from the Hornaday SST in most cartridges.

I’ve got 3 boxes of Precision Hunter with a batch of bad primers. Avg. 1 of 4 or 5 wouldn’t fire. Hornady basically told me it wasn’t the ammo and that the problem was my rifle. Best whitetail cartridge, Federal Premium Terminal Ascent, bonded, 175 grain, .30-06. Mississippi. I even offered to send the remaining ammo back for test and evaluation, nobody wanted to look into it. Still love the show, informative, keep it up. Customer service, step it up.

For deer as a while I think too many people are thinking about whitetails in the eastern half of the country. Deer hunting as a whole, from Maui to Anchorage, Maine to Montana, New Mexico to New York, the 6.5 PRC is hard to beat. Same ballistics at the muzzle as the time tested 270, with better bullet characteristics. I know this is a hornady pod but a 125 Badlands Bulldozer driven to 3100+ is capable of a lot of things, especially on a deer sized target. Out to 500yds you'll be shooting flatter than a 300 win mag load, with more energy than a lot of 06 loads, and less recoil than a 270. That's a pretty sweet blend for me

Out here in Utah we don’t have any white tail, but if I were to go I’m taking a 300 PRC with a 190 CX because I’ve fallen too deeply in love with that combo 😂 if you want your animal to stop living you can’t go wrong with that combo

Here from Indiana, got some weird deer hunting laws that got extended just a few years back if you got access to private land. While a slug gun is pretty much the standard. I would have to go with 44 mag with 240gr JHP. Despite my affinity for 44mag this year because of access to private land I’m gonna give 45-70gov or 7.5 Swiss a shot.

243 or 6mm Creedmoor on whitetail. I’ve shot many of deer with many different calibers and the 24 calibers are the best for quick kills and not losing meat.

Hi Seth, great podcast. 9 days only for rifle season in Nebraska? That’s very short. In the U.K. you can shoot various of the 6 deer species virtually all year round. Maybe have a few boxes of ammo on the table of the calibers you’re talking about, in each podcast. Cheers

I'm shooting 140gr Superformance SST .270win hunting in the Nebraska Sandhills

My cynical side says that this was a corporate answer dictated to these guys to push a backlog of Creedmore inventory. I really hope these guys didn't participate in such theatre and truly were expressing their 100% honest best Whitetail caliber. Of course even if I were going with that answer it would be pronounced 260 Remington in a Terminus action pushed to equal pressure to outpace and better the Creedmore. But I honestly do not understand why I wouldn't just go either 308 or 243 depending on whether trajectory or diameter were more important to me (and I would take either over the Creedmore. The 243 is perfect in that it drives its heavy bullets to their hunting speed limit and neither short of it nor beyond it which would make it anemic or over-bore). As such the PRCs are likewise perfectly designed to put the heaviest bullets right into the best efficiency for hunting and long range shooting. But given difficulties with cost and availability I'm still not sure the 6.5PRC is worth the added expense and difficulty over the perfectly designed 243 Winchester (the 308 is anemic, heck the 30-06 is anemic until necked down to at least 6.5mm).

Eastern Nebraska 25-06. My 11yr old daughter loaded some 140sst for 260 (1:8 twist). She excited to harvest her first deer this year.

First deer, Ruger 44 mag carbine. Last 7 PRC. Most were with .308 and just bought a Howa Superlite in that caliber after retiring my Abolt after 36 seasons.

I have used the .260 Remington for the last 2 years and the cartridge has done an excellent job.

I’m in NC . First 2 deer was with a 110 gr Barnes black tip hand load… in 300 blk. For those 100-200 yd shots it can handle that easily. But I use a bolt gun these days and .308 would be my go to for diversity of projectiles especially when working with subsonic stuff with my nomad .30.

Ohio here - gonna have to go with 350 Legend. You can get it in super handy rifles like a Howa Mini. For that reason I’d still use it in the big woods of KY and WV and be good out to 200 yards no problem.

Don’t really have whitetail in Utah. I’m leaving for a mule deer hunt in two days in southern Utah. The best is the the one you have, and can shot well. My 7mm rem mag is having problems. So I’m taking 7mm-08.

From British Columbia. My favourites for deer are the 25-06 Rem or the 6.5 PRC. My largest deer were all taken with the 7mm STW

I’m in Mississippi and have hunted with a 30-06 for 45 years and have killed a ton on deer. But on the 6.5 train now, I bought my 6 year old grandson a micro midas 6.5 last year and I watched him drop a 7 point in his tracks at 157 yards with the 143 eldx . Never to old the learn

IMO, whitetails have a tenacious will to live, but it doesn’t take much to put them down for the count. Shot placement is key, followed by bullet terminal performance. Have killed 4 whitetails in the past 2 years w/ 25-06, monolithic bullets after having lost my first deer in 40+ years of hunting w/ same setup. Great podcast, thanks!

Iowa, we were a straight wall state but for reasons I don't know we dropped the "straight wall" requirement but kept all other regulations relating to a straight wall, including the .350" bore minimum. So no 308 or 243 allowed. So for legal reasons I'm deer hunting with a 375 chey tac. 😂

I’m from SC and personally for white tail, a 6.5 creed is all we really need. If I were to pick one cartridge, I’d go with a 7mm08 and load it to 2.9” or so. A 7 creed with a factory 2.955 max COAL would be a solid offering for hunters and precision shooters for those that don’t want magnum recoil.

Central Virginia, mountains and farmland. .243 for many years and my best buck field dressed 178 lbs. with that one. Switched to 7mm-08 as we have more bear today. 139 sst Great round for the task addressed.

You forget the 260 Remington, the 6.5 Needmores nemesis, 270 also kicks it ass, the Hornaday Interlock is the best lead core bullet you make

Sorry to say I'm in upstate NY. My average shot is 175-200yds with a possible 350. 2yrs ago I built a AR-10 chambered in 243win. (NY compliant) I have a 1 in 8 twist bbl and use and love your 103gr ELDX! My son and daughter use the 90gr in there 1 in 12 twist bbls.

I have a Savage 110 in 308 good for 350 to 400 yards. I recently picked up a Springfield Way Point 2020 in 6.5 PRC good for 500 to 600 yards and fun to shoot out to 1000 yards. To answer your question I would choose the 308

medium sized 6.5s and 7mms. I'd pick 7mm-08. I live in Wyoming but think it's versatile enough for anywhere.

Subsonic, suppressed 300 blk for me. The area I hunt seldom presents shot opportunities beyond 50 to 70 yards, so it suits my needs perfectly.

From Utah. Loving the 6.5PRC 143 ELDX.

.44 Mag Levergun for the thick stuff, 265 gr SP with a full case of H110, good to 150. 6.5 Creed for longer range. This year I'm hunting a Shotgun/Muzzleloader control hunt with my 12 gauge Stoeger M3500 Waterfowl, rifled barrel and American Whitetail 325gr, because it groups about 2.5 inch at 100 yards. Originally from Muskoka, now across the border from Detroit.

270 Win, 257 Roberts and 6.8 SPC are my favorites. I'll be trying out a 6.5 CM this year.

Western Ny, my new favorite is 6.5 creedmore shooting 140gn SST handloads shot my first buck last year with my own handloads at 200yds which prior to this was unthinkable. Love the content, great disscussion! We need a podcast on bear hunting, we have so many around where we hunt now over the past 10 years, is our standard hunting combo for whitetail good enough for 400lb black bear? Is shot placement different on a bear, how about penetration is it going to be different than a deer?.

All of my deer were harvested with my grandfathers 30-30. I started hunting with it in 1956.