whats YOUR favorite DEER rifle and WHY??

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.
Staff member
I've got several, but if its deer that's on the license tag I tend to grab my browning BLR in 358 win or my ruger single shot falling block in caliber 270 almost all the time, I sight all my big game rifles to hit 3.5" high at 100 yards.
remember bullet selection is critical to getting the correct or best accuracy and bullet expansion at longer ranges
the 358 BLR gets grabbed maybe 80% of the time simply because it works flawlessly, loaded with the same cartridge and load I've used for elk for decades, a 250 grain speer bullet over 44 grains of IMR 4064 with a federal 215 primer,
this rifles sighted dead on at 200 yards, 3.5" high at 100 and about 11" low at 300 yards,
the 270 is loaded with 55 grains of H4831 under a speer 150 grain bullet with a federal 215 primer, its lighter weight and very accurate and flatter shooting than the BLR, but I just tend to grab the BLR more often, both work flawlessly, that 3.5" high sight in puts it dead on at 320 yards
on rather rare occasions Ill grab my marlin 44 mag lever action, but with cast bullets its limited to about 150 yards due to trajectory consideration, but is sure killed its share of hogs in florida where shots over 50 yards are very rare.
 
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I've always wanted to build a custom deer rifle and went as far as getting 2 donor rifles 1 is a Mauser thats too nice to destroy and a 700 in 7 Mag that shoots too good so I go into the gun store the other night and theres a brand new Weatherby 30-06 in a Boyds stock wearing a Leupold VX3 -3x9 scope and it has had trigger work so I have a new favorite until next one
 
I hope it was a mark V action weatherby not a vanguard
the mark V action, 30/06 is a damn nice rifle!
I hope you got it at a reasonable price?
I know every once in awhile you stumble onto a real bargain!
if it was a mark V at anything under $1K you did fine if the barrels in good condition,
I see the vanguards for considerably less frequently


 
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It is a Vangard but was unfired at less than 1/2 that price the Boyds thumbhole stock costs what I paid for it what I can't understand is why you would buy a rifle and stock and have work done on it and sell for less than 1/4 of whats into it but thats not my worry I will buy them every day and twice on Sundays
 
My favorite is a Sears 30/30 lever action used for deer and bear . Most shots were up close (25) yards or less Shot bear from back of running horse mostly on private property with wide paths.
Last bear I shot was running away from me and I got close enough to shoot it next to me and the horse. Never know why it didn't go into the woods but it fed the club the next weekend.
Furthest shot at a deer was with a Browning 7 mm Remington at.350 yds.

Can't do anything like that anymore.
 





 
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