Ep. 268 | The Best Cartridge for Whitetails? 

I’ve found the most effective cartridge on whitetail is my wife’s 4 door sedan. Good info guys, thank you.

New drinking game: take a shot when Ryan says “folded like a five dollar tent”

Where I live in Maine You are lucky if you can see 30 yd in the woods. Also have a field 300 yd by 400 yd. The 270 Winchester has done it all for me for 20 plus years. The last five years though I have switched to the 7 mm 08. Last fall my household shot several deer useing hornady 139 grain CX superformance ammo from 40 out to 286yds and it is awesome. That combo is king in my woods. Thanks

I’m just gonna say my 270 win is the best thing since sliced bread for deer hunting.

Ryan talks a-lot about the proper bullet and construction. I would like to see a podcast on his thoughts on different bullets and the construction of said bullets. The rifle you have is most likely the best (within reason).

The 7mm-08 is darn near the perfect whitetail cartridge!!!!! Plenty of power, light recoil, very accurate, and great BC.

6.5 PRC !! controllable, accurate, medium recoil. It's neck and neck with the 280 ai. Hornady 130 cx. I've been hunting in BC Canada with this and used it on Lions, Wolves, Whitetail, Mule, and Elk. Incredibly capable

North Carolina hunter and I'm loving my H&R single shot 30/30 with a Nikon 3x9x40 scope shooting Remington corelok 150 grain. I've used this setup since 2009 with great success.

I personally love small rifles. With that being said, my choices of calibers follow suit. Browning x-bolt micro midas chambered in 7mm-08 and Remington model 7 chambered in 6mm Remington. I also own large rifles as well. Piney woods with open clear cuts and pipelines are what we have to hunt here in the south. Shots can range from 30-700 yards, though most are with 75-100. Great podcast gentlemen, keep them coming!!!!!

For me a 30 30 for the woods and a 30 06 for longer ranges, it's the perfect duo for me!

I'm a huge fan of 6.5 grendel for deer sized game. It will do the job in almost any situation with an accurate shot.

Two favorites are the 7mm08 and the 280 REM. They’re honestly just perfectly balanced hunting cartridges. Right in the sweet spot of power and recoil. The .270 is right in there too

I have to go with the 270 win! Jack O’Conner was not only a great writer but quite practical when it came to calibers! That being said, he did have to admit the 30-06 was a better all around caliber and if it was good enough for Teddy Roosevelt it’s good enough for me

6.5 Grendel loaded with 120 grain federal fusions. it does a fine job on Kansas whitetails at any ethical distance. Virtually no recoil. Love my Howa mini action, small handy rifle. Very easy to get into tree stands or blinds with and has a good enough trajectory to shoot without dialing out to 300 yards. Suppresses great as well. 308&30-06 are a close second and third for me!

I have a number of rifles I have used for deer. My first (as a teen) was a Model 70 in 25-06 Folds deer like a $5 tent Ha!!! Seriously it does. Still, have and cherish that rifle. At the time (Late 1970's) it was a compromise for deer, pronghorn, and varmints. It works. My next was a 30-06, mostly because a friend had one and praised it. Have not taken as many deer with it. After years of military service, I had time to get back into it. I added to my collection a 6.5 Creedmoor when it was first coming out, a nice 4x12 Vortex scope was picked and added. It has been my fav so far. Dakota's area. Now I am looking at a 6.8 Western or 6.5PRC or a 7PRC and cannot choose. I think one of the big reasons people bash on the 6.5 Creed has been it's own success. You go to a gun store and you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a 6.5 Creedmore, it is nearly like that is the only caliber existing anymore.

Here in Maine I just shot my best whitetail deer to date. I used my Christensen Arms Messa LR in 7mm Rem Mag. Hornady SST 154 grain. That is my Long range gun. I just picked up today a Weatherby Vanguard Hush in 6.5 Creedmoor for my coyote/deer rifle with a Burris signature HD 3-15 by 44 mm illuminated reticle. The 7mm Rem Mag has a Riton scope which is excellent.

I bought a Rem model 7 the first year it came out. In 7-08. It was devastating on whitetail. That rifle with its scope 4-12 Leupold.was less than 7 lbs. I was teased all the time about it being a ladies gun. It’s a rifle for everyone. In year one I got 2. The next year I was the stander for our drive. I got Four; taking five shots. That bullet went in 7mm wide and came out almost three fingers wide. I shot 140sp’s. It was a delightful shooter. I felt no real recoil and was back on target extremely fast. The following year the changed the barrel and that added weight. It didn’t need that. For an East coast 150 yd shooter it was perfect. I’d take it for Black Bears NP. Pennsylvania’s state record is 830+ pounds and that was taken with a 30-30. The 7-08 has more at any point of reference.

7mm08 is superb, but generally not as readily available as it's also superb parent cartridge the 308Win. Both are excellent for killing deer. I was an avid deer hunter for around 13 years and killed about 40 Whitetail Deer using mostly a 308Win and mostly the high shoulder shot. The 308Win puts them down. P.S. A 270Win, or 30-06 would be excellent also and MANY other calibers including the 6.5 Creedmoor utilizing the right projectile.

25-06 is the perfect deer cartridge. In the midwest I use 7mm-08. 6.5x55 is a wonderful cartridge for many things. The classy answer is no doubt 257 Robert's which shoots like a dream. But the best all-around is 270 win 😁

I love the 30/06. My first and favorite deer cartridge.

I love Ryan’s choice of Barnes TTSX bullets! They’re my favorite…. Especially in 7mm-08

I recently chose a Browning X-Bolt Hunter chambered in 270WIN with 129gr barnes LRX for my dedicated deer hunting rifle in Northern Alberta. Reason: I wanted a flat shooting rifle with a 7”MPBR exceeding 300m but with moderate recoil so I can avoid using a muzzle brake. I also wanted to be able to deliver 1200ftlbs energy with a copper monolithic to 500m. I compared 29 different cartridge/bullet combinations to see what options best suited these specified performance preferences. I compared 6.5CM, 6.5PRC, 708REM, 308WIN, 25-06, 270WIN, 6.8W, 30-06, 7mmRM, 270WSM, 300WSM, 300WM. Before I started the review my guess was that 6.5PRC would win hands-down… boy was I surprised when the numbers came in and the old school 270WIN/129grLRX was the clear winner. The only other cartridge that could match or beat the 270 was the 6.8 Western… but lack of availability unfortunately disqualified it. Sure all the WSM’s beat it for flatness but at the cost of recoil. The 708/145grLRX qualifies in terms of energy and lower recoil but is not nearly as flat. The 270 is a sweet spot cartridge IMO.

I'm going with 243 Winchester for where I hunt whitetail for the distance of 300 yds and in select a good bullet and good shot placement does the trick everytime I just can practice a long time at the range from the light recoil and place the shot's where they need to be

I too cast my vote for the 270 Winchester. It seems to have plenty of power and really smacks them, but it’s not crazy overkill either. Moderate recoil, able to reach and kill 500 yards of need be. Most of my shots are 100 or in so I use a heavier 150 grain bullet and it knocks them down real good Edit: 270 is ballistically superior to the creedmore And- a bullet is neither flying or simply passing through the air, but falling. It is falling the moment it is shot.

There are more than a few perfect whitetail cartridges. .280AI is my by far favorite cartridge, but my 7mm-08 is by far my favorite whitetail cartridge. 140AB’s for years but switched to 120 HH’s and very happy. Very efficient, low recoil, and a dream to load. Out to 300 yards in SE USA with great performance.

The old .257 Roberts with 117 grain Winchester silver tip - always a great deer cartridge out of the Remington 700 BDL. Mild recoil with good ballistics at most common hunting ranges (under 300 yards). Would love to know what your opinions at Vortex are of the old "Bob" for hunting... Great podcast. I bought a Tikka 6.5 CM 2 years ago and it is truly a fine deer and antelope cartridge for here in MT. Much easier to find ammo for than the .257 Roberts.

On that 7mm08 vs 280 comment. Had a chance at a real nice Ruger #1 in 280. After doing some looking around in the reloading manuals. I will say, with the right powder. Getting similar ballistics of a 280 from a 7mm08 is there. Since I already have a Tikka 7mm08, I let the Ruger go home with someone else.

I think you need to do a podcast on why Ryan hates the 7 mag lol

Loved this episode, I can’t believe you guys went thru a whole episode talking about the best deer cartridge and didn’t mention the .260! I hunt in the northeast where a big whitetail buck weighs about 200 pounds, and most deer are around 125-150 pounds. The .260 is perfect for this size game. Also if you asked 10 hunters in this area what cartridge they use 8 would say 6.5 creedmoor and nobody would say .260, therefore too me if you don’t want to follow the crowd it is a great option

6,5x55 Swede is the best over all cartridge, please do a full episode on 6,5x55 Swede and show some modern rifles.

I love the 30-06! Can't go wrong with it. Never know the scenario you're faced with. Never a bad thing to have a little more power to back you up. I'm hunting with the 7mm-08 right now and feel confident to take anything in the south with a shorter barrel and a suppressor added

Great episode. Can you do this same argument for elk size game?

For whitetails, in the dakotas, I have lately been shooting a savage ultralight in 308 with 175g terminal ascent. I have shot them here with a 7mm-08 and a 25-06. I have only shot 1 with Ryan's favorite 7 mag. It was at close range and there was a lot of meat damage.

Ok, Ok, let’s hit the brakes here! My worthless 2¢, I’ve hunted Texas whitetail for over 30 years. I’ve used the 308 out of different length barrels, 243, 25-06, 300 Hamr, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 CM, and the 7RM loaded at full capacity and down loaded to 280/7mm-08 levels. All of these calibers work out to 300 yards and some farther. Out of all these “experiences” the two standouts were the 25-06 and the 7 RM. The difference between the 2 is the level of tissue damage. In the end velocity is king and is far more forgiving than a slower cartridge. The 6.5 as a hunting cartridge is pretty average at best. The 30-06 is the standard that all others are measured by for good reason. Ryan nailed it!

This is also a generational thing. I am 54 and got my first centerfire rifle 41 years ago. At that time, obviously, scores of catridges existed. But for a new shooter, you basically had two options at the local gun store rifle counter for a first simple bolt rifle: .30-'06 or .270. I chose the former - a Howa 1500 action in walnut branded as a Smith and Wesson rifle with a Weaver K4 - and still shoot it today. My guess is that in the pre-online gun buying era, the same was true for 75% of people. And now there is a new generation of ballistic advancements and focuus on higher BC bullets that require faster twist rates for modern cartridges the 6.5 CM. If I was that same 13 year old kid today, I'd get a 6.5 CM or a 6.8 Westerner or maybe a 7 PRC. Right now for ammo availability, selection, and price and rifle options at all price levels, hard to be beat the 6.5 CM.

Great episode guys, really agree with Mark's evolution theory. Southeast/Mid Missouri hunter here. Most of the terrain is rolling hills and woodlands that range from dense woods to mature timber and small farm lots. My grandpa shot a remington woodsman in 30-06. My father passed on a marlin 336 in 30-30 to me which I used for many years successfully. I've since used a .308 and a .270 winchester. All have been fantastic whitetail cartridges. I keep coming back to my 18in ruger american in .308 with a 1-4x scope. It's handy in the woods or the fields and replicates the ballistics of the .300 savage from a 24 inch barrel. If you want to buy factory ammo in my area you are guaranteed to find .308, 30-06, 6.5 creedmore, and .270 winchester on the shelves at most Walmarts or sporting goods stores.

I cut it in the middle, between 308 and 6.5 creed. I use 7mm-08 for whitetail, but if your not a reloader it’s getting hard to find ammo for. If I had to buy a new rifle right now, and shoot factory ammo it would be 6.5prc because I see the most ammo and rifles in my area.

Area: Southwest MO. Rifle: 7mm-08 with a 140gr bullet is what I've used the last 10 years or so. Fun fun to hunt with but I will pull out the old .30-.30 marlin in 150gr every once in a while for nostalgia sake.

30-30 or 308 for woods hunters. 270 for longer range plains hunting.

What I’m using is a Tikka .30-06 super light with vortex razor LHT 3-15 shooting 178eldx @ 2800 here in eastern Idaho. Carry a box of 180 Nosler partitions if I am close to grizzlies. I’m thinking a 280AI might just be about the most ideal cartridge for me. But first I need to be successful with what I got now. Thanks for the longer format video, I enjoyed the rambling. :)

270 win. Gas enough to kill deer at range and more power than 243, 7-08. Not as loud as 7 mag. Better PBR than larger calibers

Big fan of the growing 280 AI, Appreciate the 270 Win also. 7mm-08, 6.5 Creed both share a valid spot for Whitetail. Being in Nebraska/Wyoming I like to default to something a little flatter with a little more energy. So 280 AI gets my vote - Never know when your hunting Mule Deer on a StateWide tag. Not that my 6.5 Creed hasn't put those down and even at over 400yds. But really appreciate the 7mm variety

Mainly hunting mountains of WV and bottomlands/ pine Savannah of Eastern NC. I really like my 308. I’m shooting a Remington Model 7 with a lightweight aftermarket stock, and 150gr TTSX handloads. Plenty of power of course, always get complete pass through a BB resulting in good blood trails, and relatively flat shooting for a 308. I plan to take it to Wyoming next year for antelope as well

I bought my self a retirement gift in 2021. A T/C Encore Prohunter. I have 3 barrels. 25-06, 30-06, and a 35 Whelen. Last season I shot a deer and an elk with the Whelen. Great cartridge. First time I’ve hunted with it.

I hunted the U.P. of Michigan with a model 94 Win 30/30, 1 Brother a 336 marlin 30/30, My Dad his trusty 32 Rem pump and oldest my brother 35 Rem pump. We hunted the hardwoods and swamp and never lost a single deer. Only rifle I needed till moved to Utah and got my Tikka 300WM. Just picked up a Tikka T3 Superlight in 7mm08 for my Wife and Daughters. I suspect Dad will be using that 7-08 alot too!

I’m actually surprised Ryan didn’t say 280. Easy button for deer is definitely the 30-06. But 280 is the perfect blend. I would like to change my answer. Lol

Savage 110 270 Winchester 20” barrel. Switching to the 130 gr cx from a 130 nosler ballistic tip. Also a cva scout in 450 bushmaster currently with a 250 ttsx in northern michigan.

As much as I love my 300 win. The perfect deer cartridge the south is a steer prohunter in 7mm08 loaded with 140 grain accubonds. That combo has totaled well over half of my kills. And until you get past 400 yards it actually beats out most 6.5 Creedmoor loadings

White tail -35 Whelen Mule deer -35 Whelen Elk -35 Whelen Moose- 35 Whelen Mountain goat -35 Whelen Sheep -35 Whelen Black bear -35 Whelen Grizzly bear -35 Whelen My guns safe shrunk quite a bit after I had my Whelen built 😂😂👍

My Winchester Model 70 in .270 Win still gets the job done here in the southeast U.S. I shoot the Nosler 130 grain ballistic tip. Might try the 130 grain accubond someday.

Ive never owned a 7mm08, and it gets my vote. It checks a lot of boxes. Ok power, low recoil, decent bullet options, could be used on bear or elk if the opportunity came up, and a short action. It's like a .270 and a .308 had a child.

So many good cartridges for white tail. Don't forget 300 savage and 257 Robert. My all time favorite is the 270 wsm

own 1 "hunting" rifle, had it since 1988 when i bought it new, and i have filled the freezer every year, and its a 30-06. never felt the need to replace it cause it wasnt good enough. from a turned a corner and the deer was literally 10 feet away all the way out to a long range(for me anyways) 450ish yards. always brings home the meat.

In my country people love the 243. We don’t have a lot of elk size game so the flat shooting and affordable cartridge is appreciated.

For me.....308 Winchester! Remington 700 VLS in MDT stock, 6x24 Springfield Gen II scope, with 165-169gr handloads more times than not. Its more than enough for deer out to 400 yards which is further than most should even be shooting at. But I would be quite happy limiting myself to a 30-06. Im really loving these Pod Cast!

I like the 270 so much I have 2. A tikka and Rem 700 both with the old Razor LH with the G4. Works well for Missouri deer and Wyoming antalope with 145gr ELDX

My personal favorite is a 6.5x55 Swiss out of a Sako Bavarian Carbine, but I've actually taken more whitetail with my old trusty Savage M111 in 270 win, but I currently carry a 6.5 Grendel

Do an episode to explain Ryan’s hate for 7rem mag…. It must be a fantastic cartridge understanding Hornady’s goal was to beat it with the 7PRC.

WI deer hunting family, they hunted for food...allot. This was my father's side. Thier basement had a rack of rifles, the one that was preferred by Grandpa, 243 in a 16" barrel with a low power scope that stayed flipped to the side. That rifle put more meat on the table. There was a reference about results that yielded the most meat. It is a Remington 600, light weight, it was with hand loads. The bullet I do not know.. Previously a Winchester Lever action in 30/30 did the job...like in the 1920s. Later in late 60s, a .270 was purchased with a robust optic and made the appearance....the phrase I remember was, it will take any game in North America. Thier discussions on best cartridge was also long-winded. The 30.06 was always touted for versatility and bullet selection. The elite hunting was the elk. They would practice and chose the rifle that they could shoot. As time progressed, I inherited the 243 and 270 because I was an avid shooter. The .243 Remington 600 was the revered rifle, it put the most meat on the table....the preferred rifle of Grandpa, the best hunter. The man ran me down and dunked me in a rain barrel by my ankles, just because I said he looked a bit old. Case close, white tail, 243. I do not hunt but when I got to speak up, 6.5 Swede was my caliber of choice... Grandpa was gone but my Uncle the veteran Elk specialist seemed to be the only one familiar with it.

Ryan and I just agreed! Amazing. Although I use a 7mm mag for Deers😆

Ryan mentioned .35 Rem!!! When do we get the 10 min talk?

In California, we have black tail mostly, with slivers of possible mule deer. My go to is a 308 Win with handloaded 150gr TTSX at 3000fps. I also am plan to use it on black bear. For strictly deer hunting, the 243 or 6.5CM will work great, will less recoil. The 6.5 will buck wind better then the other two.

.308 Winchester is obviously a great choice. It is also right on the heels of the 6.5 Creedmoor ballistically. Compare the ballistics of Federal's 6.5 CM 130gr Terminal Ascent to Nosler's .308 Win 168gr Trophy Grade LR. Very, very close ballistically, and with the higher terminal performance that comes with a .30 caliber.

Just got my 13 year old a 6.5 for Christmas he loves it. I use a Sears and Roebuck (Winchester Model 70) 30.06 that I love. We hunt here in western ky. Love the podcast!!!

🤠 Ronbo (Montana Mountain Man) - I live in a place where the Big Buck Whitetail can get 300 to 350 lbs (or more) and shots can be 500 yards! I would prefer a short action and shorter barrel (lightweight rifle), but still be using something that can reach out to at least 400 yards and have a heavy enough bullet for bigger bucks (without being excessive), on windy days! So, here are my Top 5 calibers and Factory loads for Whitetails and that is why they are ranked them in that order: 1.) 7mm-08 (139 grain Horneday CX Superformance Ammunition) 2.) 270 Winchester (130 grain Horneday GMX Superformance Ammunition) 3.) 260 Remington (129 grain Swift Sirocco II Ammunition) 4.) 6.5 Creedmore (120 grain CX Superformance Ammunition) 5.) 25-06 (117 grain SST Horneday Superformance Ammunition)

🤠 Ronbo (Montana Mountain Man) - A Sako Model 85 Carbon Light (5.7 lbs) chambered in a 7mm-08, scoped with a straight 2.5 Leopold scope, and shooting a 139 grain Horneday CX bullet in their Superformance Ammunition at 2,900+ ft/s! 🥳 Fully scoped and slinged, the rifle will weigh just over 6 pounds! 😁

I’m a 308 man but I have hunted with the bloody aut six with great results, just more recoil than I want after 45 years of hunting. I’ve always shot my 308 T the range now I hunt with it all the time, results are the same.

I hunt in Nova Scotia Canada and choose the 7mm08 and the 280 Rem 140 grain Federal Trophy Copper Tipped bullet works on everything from deer to moose , they haven't let me down yet .

worked up a load in my buddies 7mm-08 with a 120 grain TTSX with varget. Chrono at 2915 fps out of a ruger american 18 inch barrel. it shot about .75 at 100 yards. That was the first time loading up the cartridge as well. im with Ryan. I wished I had a 7mm-08. Damn rifle is a sweet shooter for the budget minded.

I am in Saskatchewan and hunt mostly in the open prairie. Also do some northern woods. The 257 Wby Mag has been my go to cartridge for some time. Use the Hornady 110 gr ELDX. I personally am a 7mmRM fan as well. Great for our longer shots. But also used cartridges the 243 to 45-70. Why pick one!

Always a fun debate! It's probably easier to come with a list of "inappropriate" cartridges. Bullets are fare more important than what the headstamp says. Three step process, 1. Set up a rifle that fits you and you shoot well in a reasonable cartridge. 2. Practice, practice, practice. In field conditions. 3. Find a deer.

I've used 30-30, 30-06, 300WM, 7mmRM, 25-06, and 7mm-08 over the years. Now I've settled on .308 and even a .223 with proper ammo and limited range. Overall the .308 has become my all time favorite cartridge. The recoil is acceptable and it is capable of excellent accuracy. I have considered 6.5 Creedmore, but in South Alabama where I hunt the .308 is more than adequate. Shots beyond 500 yards are uncommon and the .308 is perfect inside that. Maybe some day I'll pick up a 6.5, but for now the .308 is my go to.

Missouri hunter here where the longest shot I have is ~200 yards. The Hornaday 300 BLK 110g CX is a great choice. And in an AR pistol for alternative season, it is a great double duty round!

It really depends on where you're hunting (wooded or open range, hilly or mountains), the type of ammo you're shooting and the hunting conditions! I shoot many different calibers based on those parameters! I love the 30-30 in confined wooded conditions, and 45-70 in thick-thick brushy situations... The 243 is great in smaller ag fields (100 acers or less). The 25-06, 7MM-08, 270, 308 and 30-06 are great for open timber, or wide-open long-distance shots! 7-MM and 300 Mags are hard to beat across a valley in hilly terrain and or windy conditions. In an AR Platform, I really like the 300 Blackout. AND NOW, in states where you can only use shotguns, the 350 Legend is becoming very popular!

I like the 257roberts

Southern Missouri here. We hunt thick woods to 600 yard fields. I come from a .270 Win/30-30 family. The .270 has never let me down. 130gr Winchester silvertips has been my ammo of choice, but I had one that didn't expand in a lung shot and almost caused me to lose my PB buck. The 270 has less recoil than a 30-06, and is flatter shooting than something like a 308win. We have tacked (3/4 miles), and ultimately lost a deer that shot with a .243 Win. The .270 Win has enough power to help make up for a poorly placed shot where the 243 didn't.

In the woods where the longest shot is under 100 yards, I've used .270 Winchester with off-the-shelf 130 and 150 grain ammo. Handloaded that same .270 with a 140 grain Hornady Interlock bullet at 2700 fps to replicate the 7mm-08. Used handloaded .300 Blackout with 110 grain Barnes Tac-TXs doing 2400 fps. All of those have done the job well. My hunting buddies have used 12 ga slugs, .50 cal muzzleloaders, .243 Win, .308 Win, .300 Win Mag, .35 Remington, .30-06, and 7mm-08. At our ranges, none of those has failed to do the job with a well-placed (and some poorly placed) shots. I'm sticking to .300 Blackout in the woods for deer. A light, 16" barreled AR is a handy thing with a quality, quick-adjustable, 2-point sling. Recoil and report are minimal. You can easily keep your sights on the animal through the shot, allowing for good visual tracking. It damages less meat than more powerful cartridges, while penetrating deeply enough to pass-through the vitals from any angle I would shoot. If I ever get the opportunity to hunt at greater ranges, my .270 Winchester will always be there for me.

7mm-08 should be more popular than what it is if people would do some research on it. It can and will literally do anything you want it to.

So many awesome cartridges out there but hard to go past the 308. Good in scrub good at longer range. Can load from 125 grn to 200grn. I’m in Australia and shooting pigs and Fallow deer which I think are similar to white tail. Always used 150grn but now using 130 grn sierra and found them awesome. But will go Back to 150 or 165 grn for scrub or bigger deer.

7mm-08 rules, South Texas, 140gr fusion

Lots of fun! Southern Illinois, near Missouri, agricultural and wood blocks, IF we could use a rifle here, 6.5 Creedmoor, 308, and 243 in that order. Since we can't, the Savage 220 slug with Hornady SST bullet has performed flawlessly FOR ME out to 167 yds. For my Muzzleloader, Same bullet in 240 gr. w/ 120gr BLACKHORN 209 has never failed me. it delivers the payload and they have folded like a 5 Dollar Tent! cheers

For Texas hill country deer I prefer a 22-250, but lately 6.5 creedmoor had done the trick.

The rifle in my house that has more deer taken than all the others combined is a ruger m77 mk2 in 22-250.here in southeast texas it’s a hammer !

I was going to say 6.5 creedmoor with the 143 eldx, but now that mark picked it I'll probably have to buy a new caliber.

So many great options for white tails. I’ve taken them with 6.5 creed, 7mm-08, 30-30, 30-06, 300prc. But for all the calibers I own i will never not have a 30-06. Just too versatile IMO.

Over many years i have used 223, 243, and a 30/06. I loved the smaller yet fast calibers and they never disappointed me ever with a barnes bullet! Finally moved up to a 6.5cm and was not happy when using a lead core bullet. I thought it needed more speed to open up faster. Started hand loading a 127lrx barnes and again it did not disappoint. Got a 6.5prc, now we are moving fast enough for the lead cores to work. Just got some 127 barnes for itand just waiting to find the next wondering hog. Stepped up to a 300prc and bought some 208lrx barnes and waiting to load these.... SO! I love the 223,243,6.5cm and 6.5prc for deer. Anything bigger is just overkill and waisted energy. IMO. Ill take accuracy and bullet choise over caliber size any day. Ryan and i would be bffs! Lol!

For the handloading hunter the .3006 is easily the most versatile cartridge available. I prefer 130 gr TTSX blistering fast, but I have eabco Sabots to shoot 30 grain .224 Barnes Varmint Grenade bullets at nearly 5000fps all the way up to 220 grain SMK to shoot a mile or beyond. I LOVE .3006.

7mm-08 Coues deer 120 gr Barnes Ttsx in Az that little 120 is a Hammer.

I think you hit it right on the head talking about looking at performance aspects that happen beyond 400 yards. I'm not gonna tell anyone what to do, if you want to shoot at 800 yards go for it, and you're gonna want some high BC bullets for that. But that is really a minority group for deer hunters. Any of the standard deer cartridges or more modern equivalent cartridges are gonna do fine. Take your pick: 30-06, 308, 270, 280, 6.5, 260, 7-08, 243, 7rem mag, 300 WM, any of the WSM, any of the PRC whatever they are all gonna kill whitetails dead. When I started with a rifle I did all kinds of research and number comparisons and I came up with 270 for my first deer rifle. Shot a bunch of deer with it. Later I won a 308 in a raffle, a cartridge that I had thought 'inferior' to my 270. Well it was a nicer rifle and I ended up using it and you know what? It works exactly the same as the 270 there is not an ounce of difference between them for whitetails. In fact if I brought two identical rifles on a hunt and one was 270 and one was 308 and you randomly handed me one to shoot a whitetail with I don't think I would be able to tell you which it was without looking at the case or the hole in the barrel.

Guys, the grandfather from Europe is a perfect shot for a game of that size. It is the 7X64 Brenekke, otherwise a very common bullet here in Europe, with a very rich history that dates back to 1917. Ballistically very close to .270 Winchester, with the advantage of shooting heavier grains than it, which we know how important it is for some long range. An American copy or ballistic twin of this wonderful European caliber would be the unjustly neglected .280 Remington. There is no mistake with him either! European hunting greetings, Good view!

783 in .243 eastern Washington. Box store package deal. 1.25 MOA with 100 gr. Soft point. Always a great show to watch!

I personally go with 270 but What about 6 creed? or 25-06?

Shot many whitetails and mule deer with a few different calibers. I live in North Dakota and have had many different ranges of shots, as little as 50yds out to past 500yds. I like shooting "different" rifles and ryan mentioned them all. I have a 270 in Rem 7600, a 270wsm in browning blr, and ryans favorite 7mm Rem mag in a browning BAR. All are perfectly accurate and just fine with practice(from distances i mentioned). Shot many different bullets and weights but have now settled on Federal Terminal Ascent in all calibers. Great bullet with tremendous accuracy and terminal performance. Best bullet on the market in my humble opinion. In all calibers. Also shoot a 6.5 creedmore and a 300 win mag with wonderful results with those same bullets. But my go to favorite is ryans dreaded 7mm mag. Someone ask ryan why he loves on 280ai and hates the rem mag? Doesnt make sense being its "almost" the exact same round with very little ballistic difference...

I have a BLR 270, and a Savage 111 270......... Because I strive to be different than everyone else.. wait, What ? LOL

Well, I use the .308 Winchester. I love it, and that is what I use. I have for years. It is what I am comfortable with. What is right for me may not be right for you.

For in North Carolina. I chose the 6.5 creedmoor with a 156gr Barnes hybrid hunter bullet. I feel like this combo would work for everything in the state from white tail to black bear and even game out west.

Do a 10 min talk on the 6.8TVC, I’m curious what Ryan thinks about the plastic ammo

I loved how you had to push through saying .270 😂😂 I personally think the .270 is the most PRACTICAL round for white tail. Especially when the average person hunting, probably 80% of the time, the shot is sub 200 yds. The .270 is also a flatter shooting cartridge than the 6.5 with similar recoil. The .270 is also the step-child of the 30-06, an excellent cartridge. Everybody hates on the .270 because it's an old cartridge, yet nobody is arguing that the Colt 45 is the baddest revolver ever made, that the 45-70 is the most iconic big game cartridge, and the .270 is probably responsible for the most deer taken in the Midwest or even across the country, It has been around since 1925 after all. I hunt big deer in northern Michigan swaps, so the furthest I am shooting is just over 100 yrds. 😅 But its also the only cartridge I have used for whitetail, so im not an authority on the subject 😅

I went with an X-Bolt long range in 300WSM for my all around western big game combo in Arizona. Running a 165gr Sierra Tpped Game King at 3,150FPS. Tics all my boxes.

Central Wisconsin. Huge ag fields. 1963 Remington 700. 7mm rem mag. Nosler partition lr. Barrel is custom glass bedded. Shoots moa out to 400.