Which caliber would you choose for mostly shorter range stuff on deer? (<100 yards) My current favorites are .270, 30.06 or 308. Pick one of those or sell me on something different if you think it is warranted. Caveat thing to mention. I may hunt black bear with it as well but that will also be close range. Edit: I have shot 30.06 165 grain bullet my whole life for deer if that matters.
For short work like that I would use a short action, .257 Roberts, 7mm 08, 6mm rem, 7x57, or a .308. All are pleasant to shoot and will work at short range and even if you had to reach out a bit. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
IMO, .270 too fast. 30-06 too big, .308 just right for close range and distance alike. Also works good on black bear.
When it comes to whitetails any of those calibers would perform well as would others even at distances under 100 yards. I have several rifles in different calibers and one of my favorites for short range, not including my Weatherby magnums, is my 35 Whelen. I have used it on deer under 100 yards and the energy ft lbs at 100 yards would be devastating to any game animal. I have never hunted bear but I would tend to think that the 200 grain bullet would do very well on them as well...Just my .02
I'm a huge fan of 30-06, good hand load will out shoot a .308 with more knockdown... but you said short range.... What could beat a good 'ol 30-30?
I'm a 30-06 fan myself. I shoot 180 gr Remington Core Lokts or whatever they call them, the ones in the green box. At 100 yards, most of my 3 shot groups have 2 1/2 holes out of my Remington 700 hand-me-down rifle from who knows when.
I shoot a .270 WSM. Great gun. But, if I were buying it again, I'd probably go w. a 30-06. My main reason is the price and especially the availability of ammo. You can get it at any Wal-Mart or even Tractor Supply. My .270 WSM is pretty tough to find locally. I have to get it at Cabela's or Bass Pro most of the time.
I have been short range hunting my *** off this season. I am using a 250 grain .50 cal muzzleloader with 100 grains of BH 209. Iron sights, I have no scope on this one, and my max range is 50 yards. No treestand, no sitting and waiting. I have cover a lot of ground and found out a lot of new, very good, info about the deer on my home turf. One deer down. It has been very, very enjoyable.
I killed many deer with my 30-06, everyone I've shot hasn't taken another step. Can't hardly beat that.....
Again, I love my .270. I haven't had issues finding rounds anywhere, has enough power for bear or elk, and my Hornadys are leaving the muzzle over 3100 fps.
I have hunted with the same 30-06 for over 40 years. I've killed over 50 deer with it. Range was from 2 yards to 128 yards. I have always used factory Remington pointed core lock in 180 grain. Not all of my deer have dropped in their tracks but an awful lot of them did. The rifle is an old Remington 742 Woodsmaster with a Weaver 2 1/2 power scope. Great gun for most anything you want to hunt. I also have a Remington 700 XCR with a 3 1/2 to 10X Zeiss Conquest scope (Dan turned me on to that), chambered in .270 wsm. It a super accurate sweet shooting rifle. Easily shoots deer to over 300yards. Shot a moose with it as well. However, ammo is expensive and hard to find. I just stocked up on it so I don't have to look for it for a while. Another thing is that where I mainly hunt, I'm using a long range gun in short range terrain. The above 30-06 really shines in this type of setting. The .270 wsm is really just one of my big boy toys ( I really didn't need it, I just wanted it).
.30-06 is my go to gun with the same loads as iHunt. Killed my first deer at 45 yards running at me and flipped him right over. The bullet also cracked a large portion of the rib cage where the ribs meet in the middle.
