I once enjoyed taking my deer every year with a AR10, then the goverment took that ability away from me. So now that the season is comming close, I was wondering what you people find to be the best deer rifle and caliber?

A Weatherby Ultralite in a 25-06.

If you still like the .308, check out Savages Mdl 110.  They are a good value for the money.  

OSA

Since your in CA, a 30-06 would be a damn fine choice. a 25-06 or 7mm would also be good. Around here (NY) the 30-30, 44 mag, and 35 rem are favs.

If you handload, the old standby 30-06 can be loaded to do almost anything you can imagine.

If your in IA, like me, it would be a TC encore .50 muzzleloader. No highpower out here. We can use (or carry for quick backup) handguns now on muzzleloader & shotgun season.

Why can't you hunt with an AR10???

hehe

coz "they" think its an assault rifle.

I want to buy one of these, but the $575.00 price tag has scared me off. The interchangable barrels do make it worth it though.

Maybe I will find a used one.

OSA

Still use the same Weatherby in 7 mm RemMag. 20+yrs.

7mm is my first choice, but .308 and 30-06 offer a better selection of factory loads.

Jeez! A 7mm Mag on a deer???  I guess you're hunting mule deer. For whitetails, I usually use a Rem 700 in .243 or a 54cal black powder rifle, depending on season.

PC Hunting in CA?

How 'bout a Remington 7600 Synthetic Carbine 18 1/2" bbl. in .30-06?

Or the same gun in the full 22" bbl. in .308--hint, hint.

Either one works like an 870, to boot.

If a semi-auto is approved, just not an "assault" type of rifle, then the 7400 would be a good choice in the above configurations, only in the semi-auto format.

Rem 700 270 cal ,Rem 742 6mm,will try one with AR this year.

I have to agree with some of the other guys go with a 308 or 3006 in a Savage 110.

I have a Winchester mod 70 Featherweight in .243 I use for whitetail. Just decided to go with something in .308 to replace it. Consolidating, so I could remove another round from the arsenal. Still the .243 is a great cartridge for deer.

exactly.

[url]guns.connect.fi[/url]
go to GUNWRITERS
then scroll down to the article on; "The use of firearms suppressors in wildlife management"
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If whitetails.....

243, 260, 7mm/08, 308, 25-06, or a 270.

IMO.. anything more is overkill.

This leaves open, Rem Model7 ( I have in a 243)
also a 700bdl, win mod 70, ruger M77, savage 110.

I am sure I missed quite a few, but this is a good start, its really a matter of what you like and what fits you... All of the above have alot of good things about them.

Rem 700 probably the strongest action out of the above if you are into hoping up your loads.

.257 Lazzeroni Scramjet.[;D]

22 long rifle

Since your in PA as well, and speaking of the AR10... I heard you can hunt with this if you install a single shot follower, is that sound right?

A good condition Swedish Mauser w/28" barrel in 6.5x55mm.

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got 4895?

I use a Ruger M77 Mark II all weather in 7mm Rem. Mag.

and also use a Steyer SBS Prohunter in .308 Win.(this is my favorite).

They both get the job done.  The 7 slams 'em harder though!

[:E]

I have a Tikka All Weather Stainless w/ syn stock. 7mm Mag, but you can get a variety of cals to choose from. Sh1t hot rifle - fully free floated barrel, smooth as silk action (think Sako) and outstanding quality. Finally it has a price you simply can't beat. Check out the Sako website and click on Tikka. It is made for people who hunt...it is a working man's rifle. http://www.sako.fi/

I am shooting sub 3/4 MOA - just depends on my flinch.

Personally, if my hunting lands were remote enough, Scarecrow, I'd still use an AR-10 if you prefered to. Screw the politicians.

First there are some questions you have to ask yourself.

What is the average distance of my shots?

What type of game will I be hunting?

Do I want a "pretty" rifle or a "durable" rifle?

How much do I want to spend?

How far will I have to carry this rifle?

First off, you have to know how far you're going to be shooting to know what caliber is best.  If most of your shots are within 100yds, then most anything will do.  If you're going out past 300yds., I would carry nothing less than a 7mm mag.  Sure a .308 and the like will reach that distance easily but you have lost a good bid of your velocity at that range which greatly affects knockdown power.

If you primarily hunt whitetails and the shots are under 300yds., take your pick.  However, if you want a rifle that you can hunt damn near anything with, I'd go with a 30-06.  This caliber can be had in many different load sizes for most any game imaginable.  Again, you may want something a bit larger.  Just in case you get to go on a dream Elk hunt[:)]  There's no such thing as overkill when it comes to hunting rifles, well maybe .50BMG.  I can take a whitetail at 45yds with my .300 mag and have just as much meat as I would after taking it with a .243.  It's all about shot placement.

The rifle itself is all preferance.  If you like the look of a fine wood stock and shiny blued barrel, by all means get one.  If you want a rifle that will stand up to rain, snow, walking through thick brush, etc. etc., get a stainless action and barrel with synthetic stock.

If you want a moderately priced rifle, get a Remington or Ruger.  For higher prices, look at Browning, Tikka, etc.  That all depends on how much you wanna spend.  Personally I think Remington is the best rifle you can buy.

If you have to walk a few miles to get to your hunting location, you want a lightweight rifle.  If you ride a vehicle to within a few hundered yards, it doesn't really matter.

Me, personally, I hunt with a Remington Model 700P in .300win mag.  It's a heavy rifle but it's nice to know you've got the ability for long shots.  I make two annual trips from here in Mississippi to southwest Texas each year for a whitetail hunt.  The rifle comes in handy for out there; you never know how far you'll need to shoot.  My backup/bad weather rifle is a Ruger M77 stainless/synthetic in .270.  This is a good performing rifle and is very durable.  You can forget rust with this rifle.

Ask yourself these questions and decide what's right for you, then go to your local gun store and pick several up and see which you like best.  Good luck

I guess I'm used to hunting in my area - you almost never can see more than a couple hundred yards. I've used .243 and also .257 Roberts, both are my dad's guns. I used his lightweight 7MM Mag Rem 700 on a bear hunt in Canada about 20 years ago, and as far as I'm concerned, the 7MM is a CANNON! Just right for medium/big game and can do the job from afar. I was just picturing taking aim on a whitetail here in southern Pa. with the 7MM and was thinking "It's gonna hurt me almost as much as the deer!"  Dad's gun is an old lightweight and has absolutely brutal recoil! The deer would have had to have pissed me off personally before I'd reach for that gun!
I've never had any stopping power issues with the .243 or the .257. You want good shot placement anyway so you don't ruin the meat.

I wouldn't see why not. I would check with the game warden before I went out with one though.

Tikka is one of the MOST affordable rifles out there. They are less expensive than your standard Remmington 700. You can get a Mag cal for about $450 US. Less for non-mag cals. Mine was about $550 (incl rings)

The action is outstanding. It is the best value out there in my opinion.

For alot of guys on here with AR's, AK's and SKS's, I'm supprised no one said 5.56 or 7.62X39.

A Rem 700 or Win 70 in .270.  I have a Sendero.
If you can't kill a deer with this, go home.  Be a vegetarian or something.