Bolt or Semi Auto for this years deer Hunt?

[SpongeRock]

I wasn't successful drawing a controlled hunt tag this year so I'll be hunting the Western General Coast season next weekend. Hunting with my AR-15 simply to make a point with my left leaning acquaintances who say an AR-15 isn't for hunting. It sure is! Using 75 grain BTHP ammo and zeroed in this past week at Wolf Creek Public Range off Hwy 26.

 

[Flymph]

I wasn't successful drawing a controlled hunt tag this year so I'll be hunting the Western General Coast season next weekend. Hunting with my AR-15 simply to make a point with my left leaning acquaintances who say an AR-15 isn't for hunting. It sure is! Using 75 grain BTHP ammo and zeroed in this past week at Wolf Creek Public Range off Hwy 26.

Well, I had no idea that I could hunt deer with .223 until I just looked it up... i always figured it was .24 cal and larger. Good luck!
I value my AR all the more now!

 

[DLS]

I wasn't successful drawing a controlled hunt tag this year so I'll be hunting the Western General Coast season next weekend. Hunting with my AR-15 simply to make a point with my left leaning acquaintances who say an AR-15 isn't for hunting. It sure is! Using 75 grain BTHP ammo and zeroed in this past week at Wolf Creek Public Range off Hwy 26.

Make sure your HPBT is an expanding version. Most match grade HPBT will not expand and act like a FMJ by drilling just a tiny hole in game. You probably know this but I thought it would be prudent to mention in open forum.

 

[DuneHopper]

From what I know, and I know very little

Semis do better in heavier brush, theory is faster follow up.
However more open areas you can't beat the advantage of generally better stability and triggers in most bolts.

There, and thats all I know lol...

 

[No_Regerts]

What's with all the "overkill" talk? Can anything be too dead? Or are there varying degrees of dead?

Makes me want to hunt deer this year with a 375.

 

[DLS]

Overkill is when a friend takes his new 8mm Rem Magnum on a deer hunt because "he can" and it's a new gun he wanted to put through the paces. Then, on the last day he can hunt he shoots a slightly smaller than average mule deer doe (either sex unit). The doe is about 80 yards away, and he hits it square in the top of the shoulder. The round blows out both shoulders and makes a mess of pretty much everything in front of the diaphragm.

So big gun results in only the back half of the meat being usable. Needless to say, however, there was no need to track the critter and the meat was pretty well bled out by the time he walked that 80 yards!

Overkill, verb: To obliterate (a target) with more force than required
Overkill, noun: 1) A destructive capacity greatly exceeding that required for a given target
2) An excess of something (such as a quantitiy or an action) beyond what is required or suitable for a particular purpose.


Hmmmm …. yep I think the 8mmRM was "overkill:

 

[Flymph]

What's with all the "overkill" talk? Can anything be too dead? Or are there varying degrees of dead?

Makes me want to hunt deer this year with a 375.

To me, overkill is if the animal is half wasted from ballistics...
Like shooting a buck with .50BMG or 17mm... you might get some hindquarters left...

I imagine a semi auto being useful the same way a lever gun would be. In close quarters at about 100yards. I would use a bolt action for anytging further. Granted I would use a Ross ot Krag at about 200yrds average, and probably more modern calibers and platforms for anything past 200yds.
Of course if you were good with a garrand, you could probably stretch that out to 300yards.
Whatcha got, and what can you shoot at what distances?
If you're one of the AR guys with 6.5 creedmor and regularly shoot 300yards, that seems like the way to go.

Granted I'm just a plinker who was raised by a collector. I don't know much about deer rifles beyond 30-30 Winchester Mod94 for brush and a 30-06 Remington 700 for any sort of distance...

 

[DirectDrive]

The ol' man was a waist gunner on a B-17 so he liked firepower.
He used a Remington 740 30-06 for deer.
It was a crappy gun with a 3"-4" group at 100 yards on a good day.
Good enough for minute of deer boiler room, I guess.

I like the idea of precision with a bolt gun.

 

[No_Regerts]

Overkill is when a friend takes his new 8mm Rem Magnum on a deer hunt because "he can" and it's a new gun he wanted to put through the paces. Then, on the last day he can hunt he shoots a slightly smaller than average mule deer doe (either sex unit). The doe is about 80 yards away, and he hits it square in the top of the shoulder. The round blows out both shoulders and makes a mess of pretty much everything in front of the diaphragm.

So big gun results in only the back half of the meat being usable. Needless to say, however, there was no need to track the critter and the meat was pretty well bled out by the time he walked that 80 yards!

Overkill, verb: To obliterate (a target) with more force than required
Overkill, noun: 1) A destructive capacity greatly exceeding that required for a given target
2) An excess of something (such as a quantitiy or an action) beyond what is required or suitable for a particular purpose.


Hmmmm …. yep I think the 8mmRM was "overkill:

See, I really like the 8mm Rem Mag and its skinnier twin, the 7mm STW. When I hunt the east side of the state and dont want a deer or elk to run or fall down a cliff, I punch out both shoulders and anchor his azz.

 

[DuneHopper]

I have also heard the 7.62x.38 in a bolt makes one nice Deer brush gun.

 

[bbbass]

Imagine sitting there in the cab with a pizzed off bear stuck in your grill!

Or a rattlesnake!

new 8mm Rem Magnum

I looked at getting one when they first came out... impressive ballistics. They don't seem to have caught on, appearing to have been eclipsed by the .338win mag, and I didn't think they were making them anymore.

 

[DLS]

Or a rattlesnake!



I looked at getting one when they first came out... impressive ballistics. They don't seem to have caught on, appearing to have been eclipsed by the .338win mag, and I didn't think they were making them anymore.

Great cartridge, but you are correct, it never caught on. The story I posted was from quite a while back, it it still underscores the issue!

 

[Reacher]

Makes me want to hunt deer this year with a 375.

I have used a 375H&H on an antlerless deer hunt, the doe was DRT with virtually no bloodshot meat

 

[MrMillspecer]

My first choice would be a bolt but that's only because that's how have always deer hunted. My brother on the other would trade rifles around so he could drop one with a bolt , lever , single shot and a semi . Didn't matter he liked experience different things. He also went through the 300 win mag phase.

It's funny people don't think an AR can hunt. I have one that could easily take fox, yotes , rockchuck ECT, at 300 yards no problem. It has the accuracy. And a .223 will drop deer with proper shot placement and bullet.

My first choice for deer is a Remngton 6mm . Some think that's a Varmint round. Lol

 

[tkdguy]

I take both a bolt and semi for deer and switch depending on topography. Lots of deer like the thick woods on the west side of the blues and I use a semi auto 7400--which will produce 3 inch groups at 200 years, but in open areas I use a bolt gun gun because of the scope magnification and slightly better accuracy--2 inches at 200. Both in 30 06. If I go elk hunting I take a 338 bolt Win 70 and a Rem 7400 in 30 06. Works for me. Maybe buy both?

 

[DuneHopper]

Just use a 10/22 with a 30rd magazine.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Whoever said a bolt action has a "better trigger than a semi auto", has never tried the Geissele SSA-E in my Noveske... Next thing they will be saying is the bolt action is more accurate

 

[Flymph]

My first choice would be a bolt but that's only because that's how have always deer hunted. My brother on the other would trade rifles around so he could drop one with a bolt , lever , single shot and a semi . Didn't matter he liked experience different things. He also went through the 300 win mag phase.

It's funny people don't think an AR can hunt. I have one that could easily take fox, yotes , rockchuck ECT, at 300 yards no problem. It has the accuracy. And a .223 will drop deer with proper shot placement and bullet.

My first choice for deer is a Remngton 6mm . Some think that's a Varmint round. Lol

I was specifically concerned about deer hunting with one. I've heard stories about .22lr being used, but always figured the law was 24 cal and over for deer. Which I still suspect to be a recent change to the regs, perhaps one in the AR's favor.

Just use a 10/22 with a 30rd magazine.

Exactly...

 

[DLS]

Oregon has allowed .22 centerfires for as long as I remember. Washington requires .24 cal or larger.

 

[Flymph]

Oregon has allowed .22 centerfires for as long as I remember. Washington requires .24cal ot larger.

Thanks, sometimes I forget which side of the river I'm on.