Best Round for Deer Hunting in Western Oregon?

[v0lcom13sn0w]

he made it a point to let everyone know it was a 30-30

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Seems irresponsible.

one might say that about me shooting an arrow at a deer at over 70 yards too but i do so with 100% confidence.

 

[jluck]

one might say that about me shooting an arrow at a deer at over 70 yards too but i do so with 100% confidence.

Yep. Except the deer will run away (possibly wounded) unlike the Cape running to shooter wanting to kill them.

People do dumb bubblegum all the time, doesn't make it smart, correct or good.

 

[Koda]

I'm just curious--would a well-placed shot with a 30-30 at 50 to 100 yards be enough to cleanly take down an elk?

yes. Make certain its well placed.

 

[Greenbug]

I think you need at least a 600 Nitro.....

 

[Joe13]

30-06 ammo is ALWAYS in stock.

When they had a small pile of each caliber on the shelves, they had a shopping cart FULL of 30-06.

You can also find great old guns in that caliber that are almost always under priced.

 

[The Heretic]

30-06 ammo is ALWAYS in stock.

When they had a small pile of each caliber on the shelves, they had a shopping cart FULL of 30-06.

You can also find great old guns in that caliber that are almost always under priced.

.30-06
.30-30
.308

All of those are popular and usually plentiful.

Of the three though, I would have to say .308 is usually the most plentiful at the present time.

If something happened (SHTF, etc.), it would probably also be the first to disappear from the shelves because everybody and their dogs that has a centerfire rifle, especially something semi-auto, has something that shoots .308.

At one point in time, some years ago, in a galaxy far far away , .22 LR ammo was the most plentiful ammo - everybody who sold ammo, had .22 LR ammo on the shelves. Everybody and their dogs has a rimfire firearm too - and they shoot a lot of it.

My point is that just because it is popular doesn't mean it won't disappear from the shelves if there is a run on ammo.

Conversely, I wouldn't want to only have a rifle in some weird wildcat magnum chambering on the basis that nobody else uses that and so therefore I would be more likely to find it on the shelf because nobody else shoots it.

I will stick with the common and popular, and stock up on it if availability in depth is my concern. If I am just concerned whether I can find it at the local bait shop where I am hunting because I somehow forgot my ammo and left it at home, then yeah - .30-06, .308 and .30-30.

 

[Koda]

agree the top 3 deer rounds are 30-06 308 30-30

i personally love hunting with the 3030 lever guns. The only caveat to that round is long range, out past 200 yds it drops like a wet sock and loses energy fast for deep penetration on larger game like elk. Years ago I passed up a nice trophy buck because he was on the move about 300yds and I had my 3030. Whats frustrating is 90% of the time deer and elk are taken well under 100yds.

 

[The Heretic]

Yes, once when I was in college I was hunting behind LCC (I don't know what it is like now, but back then it was all forest back there) and there was a power line I was crossing. A deer stepped out about 300 yards away and it was too far for the .30-30 I was using at the time. The long shots do occasionally present themselves, but they don't always give you the time to setup properly for the shot either.

Most of my deer have been taken at less than 100 yards. This one was taken at about 10 yards:



And yes, that is my grandfather's .30-30 rifle (not a carbine) with a 24" octagon barrel.

 

[P7M13]

In the coastal range, short barreled 308, 20". Otherwise I'd use a .270 or 7mm-08. Just bought a 7-08 for my daughter as her first rifle. She loves it.
<broken link removed>

 

[P7M13]

Yes, once when I was in college I was hunting behind LCC (I don't know what it is like now, but back then it was all forest back there) and there was a power line I was crossing. A deer stepped out about 300 yards away and it was too far for the .30-30 I was using at the time. The long shots do occasionally present themselves, but they don't always give you the time to setup properly for the shot either.

Most of my deer have been taken at less than 100 yards. This one was taken at about 10 yards:

View attachment 270562

And yes, that is my grandfather's .30-30 rifle (not a carbine) with a 24" octagon barrel.

Is that an old International behind you? Great picture!

 

[Koda]

I used to zero my 3030 (scoped Marlin) at 200yds. The trajectory with 3030s sucks, with it zerod at 200, it shot about 7" high at 100 yds.... I hunted with that for years and took several deer under 100yds aiming low for the heart and a couple deer and 1 bear out closer to 200yds dead on but I was never comfortable pushing it out to 300yds. Hornandy has a new round for it with slightly improved trajectory... im thinking of rezeroing on those...

regardless its still my favorite rifle

 

[The Heretic]

Is that an old International behind you? Great picture!

No. That is a '72 Datsun 620 pickup that I later converted to a 4x4

I did later own a '79 Scout Traveler, but that was in college after I got out of the military.

 

[Koda]

No. That is a '72 Datsun 620 pickup that I later converted to a 4x4

I did later own a '79 Scout Traveler, but that was in college after I got out of the military.

I always thought those old 2x2 Datsuns converted to 4x4 looked cool...

 

[The Heretic]

I always thought those old 2x2 Datsuns converted to 4x4 looked cool...

I thought so too, but it was a lot of work and the factory Toyota 4x4s are better (that's what I own now). I put a lot of work and money (over $5K in 1980 dollars) into that conversion and then bought the Scout for $400 and it was a much better rig so I sold the Datsun for a loss. Live and learn.

 

[Koda]

I thought so too, but it was a lot of work and the factory Toyota 4x4s are better (that's what I own now). I put a lot of work and money (over $5K in 1980 dollars) into that conversion and then bought the Scout for $400 and it was a much better rig so I sold the Datsun for a loss. Live and learn.

I had a 1980 Datsun 4x4 lifted with 33s I used to hunt with, it was a money pit... I sold it for a loss, but it was the most fun truck I ever had....

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Yes, once when I was in college I was hunting behind LCC (I don't know what it is like now, but back then it was all forest back there) and there was a power line I was crossing. A deer stepped out about 300 yards away and it was too far for the .30-30 I was using at the time. The long shots do occasionally present themselves, but they don't always give you the time to setup properly for the shot either.

Most of my deer have been taken at less than 100 yards. This one was taken at about 10 yards:

View attachment 270562

And yes, that is my grandfather's .30-30 rifle (not a carbine) with a 24" octagon barrel.

Looking at picture is like looking at a modern day 20 year old.

 

[The Heretic]

Looking at picture is like looking at a modern day 20 year old.

Close enough, that was almost 40 years ago and I was in my mid 20s. Now my beard is grey and I wouldn't even think about walking down into that ravine, much less spending half the night hauling that deer back out (with help).

 

[No_Regerts]

Lots of great advice. If you're a reloader, there is lots of neat calibers. I have an M70 Featherweight in 7x57 Mauser that I load to modern pressure and its cool. Not any more effective than a 270, 308 or 30-06, but its cool. I'm also a big fan of the 257 Roberts and 6.5x55 Swede.

If you're not, I'll give you the same advice I gave my buddy. Go to a store that sells ammo and pick one of the standard non-magnums with the most boxes of ammo on the shelf. This will almost always be the cheapest ammo compared apples to apples with similar branded bullets. They'll be 270...308...30-06. All will have a good supply with lots of options and you can go as cheap as you want to. Some of the only hunting ammo that can be had for less than $1 a round will be in thise calibers. I suggest calibers between 264/6.5 and 30. More margin of error and bigger holes to bleed out of.

Once you find a factory load your gun groups well with, zero it and stick to that load. Your point of impact can change if you switch it up.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

I've killed 99% of my animals with the .270