which one is best for deer hunting?

[Letus]

I have .308, 30-06, .270 and 7mm rem mag. Which one is best for deer hunting?
I am in Hillsboro area, where is the best place to hunt?

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[Andy54Hawken]

This is a difficult question to answer.
Any of the above cartridges will serve you well for deer hunting.
What makes it difficult is that all of the listed cartridges have a long and excellent "track record" for deer hunting.
Many folks also have strong opinions for their favorites on your list.
Short answer:
I would use which one I shoot the best , with the rifle I handle the most comfortably.

Whatever rifle and cartridge you choose , be sure to shoot it often with the load you plan to hunt with.
Be sure to practice at different , but realistic ranges.
Where I live a 200 yard shot is uncommon ... but 100 and under is more the norm... So no real "need" for me to practice long distance shooting.
Shoot the rifle in bad weather and off the bench.
Also be sure the rifle"fits" you...
Fits as in you are able to carry and shoot said rifle all day , in poor weather , lousy terrain and bad light.
Andy

 

[Joe13]

Shotgun - that's why it has a shell marked 00 "Buck Shot".

30-06 is the cheapest and will kill elk too.

Ignore the next 50 posts


Best place to hunt is where there are deer and on legal land

 

[edslhead]

Checkout the section
Northwest Hunting
all kinds of good info in there.

 

[Sniper03]

Letus,
As was mentioned here the rifle fit is most important. And when we say fit it is not just picking up a rifle.
Some things to consider if you are not familiar with hunting rifles and calibers are some of the following.
1. Does the Rifle feel comfortable when you shoulder it.
2. The weight of the rile if you are going to be packing it all day
3. The game you will be hunting for now and possibly in the future
4. The caliber that will get the job done. As mentioned the 30-06 is a great caliber as well as the 308 for most American game. I use a 7mm Remington Mag in Texas because of it's flat trajectory for longer shots. However IMO, if select the 7mm Rem. Caliber one has to be aware of placement of the shot. For example using it, if you shoot the deer for example in the area right behind the front leg as normally suggested you will ruin a lot of meet in the front joint area.
5. Are you sensitive to recoil? Lighter rifles usually have more recoil. Excellent But Pads are available today! Just something to consider! If so, depending on the weight of the rifle. 270-308 toped by the 30-06 would be a suggestion.
6. Lastly the cost $$$$ and availability of the ammunition. Any store of any kind would probably have 30-06 or 308 Winchester caliber ammunition.
And as was stated by Andy. Shoot often and at the ranges you would possibly be shooting. And the other excellent point was Zero the Rifle and use the same ammunition and lot number on the box to zero and hunt with. For example I purchased 5 boxes of the 7mm Rem. Mag ammo so I will be shooting the same ammunition and lot number for several years. And I have some similar ballistic ammunition just for shooting the rifle. But I save my Hunting Rounds for the objective!

Good Luck on your Rifle choice and caliber!

sniper03

 

[bbbass]

Shotgun - that's why it has a shell marked 00 "Buck Shot".

30-06 is the cheapest and will kill elk too.

Ignore the next 50 posts


Best place to hunt is where there are deer and on legal land

^^^ This

 

[clearconscience]

which ever you shoot the best and can pack around all day.

The .270 and .308 probably have the least amount of recoil which would make them more comfortable to shoot and practice with.

I'm not sure on where to hunt though.
Check the ODFW hunting maps and I alway search google maps for houses and roads.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Remington makes a "managed recoil" round for the 7mm, It makes shooting the rifle a lot more enjoyable. It will shoot and kill a deer at 200 yards.

It's like shooting.38's out of a.357 Magnum.

 

[Letus]

Reading Oregon State Regulations on hunting is so confusing. Can someone here simplify it a little?
Any other requirements like orange coat or required gears?
Any helpful gears like binoculars, rangefinder?
I am new to hunting, so please help, thanks.

 

[bbbass]

Orange may be required in some areas but I'm not sure. I know it is for youth. Wearing orange has a controversy among the general hunting population... some think the more orange the better, others that orange makes you a highly visible target. I will say that I was "scoped" (looked at thru the scope of some other hunters rifle, not a comfortable experience) sooo much when I went out in my blaze orange sweatshirt and hat. My hunting buddies didn't wear ANY orange. But I finally decided on an orange knit hat or ballcap which I could remove when I heard other hunters or cars on the road nearby.

Take survival gear in either a fanny pack or a backpack. What would you need for an overnight stay? Flashlight, fire starter gear, rope, space blanket,a water filter straw, etc.

Also take some compact binoculars, that way you will not be scoping other hunters. Take field dressing kit... knife, twine, something to get thru the pelvic bone, etc. A headlamp so you can keep hands free.

Radios to stay in contact with your hunting party. Do NOT go alone!! A cell phone.

 

[The Heretic]

Remington makes a "managed recoil" round for the 7mm, It makes shooting the rifle a lot more enjoyable. It will shoot and kill a deer at 200 yards.

It's like shooting.38's out of a.357 Magnum.

For the 7mm Mag, ammo is a significant issue.

Back when I owned one in the mid 70s, the ammo was very limited, and the bullets would blow up on deer under 100 yard (which are most of the shots in the western part of the state). I sold it and bought a .308 instead, as it is - IMO - more versatile and at the time I did not have the luxury of owning multiple rifles.

As to which is best - besides how the OP may shoot them, and how the rifle may fit the OP, I would suggest the OP consider the advantages and disadvantages of each cartridge. If you are hunting in wide open areas, then the 7mm might be best there. In brushy areas - which is most of the western state it seems - then the .308 might be best there.

Any of the rifles will get the job done and then some, so use them to their best advantage.

Personally, I don't care for venison, my parents are not living anymore (they always liked venison so I gave it to them), and I can't walk for very far due to a back injury - so I don't hunt anymore. But if I did, I can take deer off my porch so I would just walk out with one of my centerfire handguns and plug one if I absolutely needed the meat.

 

[jbett98]

Have you bought your buck deer tag yet?

 

[Letus]

got my tag yesterday
I currently don't have any hunting partner yet. It's nice to have one.
I am not sure if staying overnight is a good idea. I will probably go within 2 hours drive so I can go home when it's dark but I might stay overnight if it's better. I have a good size minivan so I can rest and haul whatever necessary.
Since I am new at hunting, my thinking/plan is not the best, that's why I need help here
I don't have problem with ammo here, I have plenty of 30-06, 100 of 7mm Rem Mag, some .308 and .270. I will get more if I need to, they are available in stores near me.
I remember there is a hunting area around Henry Hagg Lake, I wonder if that area is still available for hunting?

 

[Certaindeaf]

I have .308, 30-06, .270 and 7mm rem mag. Which one is best for deer hunting?
I am in Hillsboro area, where is the best place to hunt?

There's a bunch of deer in Missouri and stuff.. just look for automobiles with dead deer riding directly against destroyed windshields in your daily travels. pretty easy to do.
It seems that a Buick would be your best bet.
lol
welcome to the site and good luck!

 

[Caveman Jim]

Did you inherit those 'Hunting Rifles"?
Just wondering why you say that you are new to hunting when you already have the tools is all?

 

[The Heretic]

Since you are new to hunting, I suggest that you get or look at the maps for where hunting is legal and where you need to ask permission to hunt because it is private land. Remember, if it is private land, it is assumed, by law, that you cannot hunt on it unless you get permission first. I would be very put out if I caught someone hunting on my land without my explicit permission.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

which ever you shoot the best and can pack around all day.

The .270 and .308 probably have the least amount of recoil which would make them more comfortable to shoot and practice with.

I'm not sure on where to hunt though.
Check the ODFW hunting maps and I alway search google maps for houses and roads.

A .270 is a necked down .30-06. No reason for it to kick any less than a .30-06. In fact, at 18 I had a Remington 721 in .270 Win that weighed about 6 pounds and would make your shoulder black and blue after just a few rounds (if you could stand it). Needless to say I got rid of that rifle. Gave it to my nephew. It was kind of like the fruit cake at Christmas time. It was a gift to me from my brother, and people just kept on re-gifting it to unsuspecting souls.

 

[Letus]

9 years ago, I got my 30-06 and 7mm rem mag, Just added .270 and .308 recently. It's harder to decide now than before
Public land is what I am thinking unless someone here got private land and willing to share

 

[Sgt Nambu]

.30-06

 

[Letus]

.30-06 seems like the best option. I got plenty ammo for it. Now is time to gather necessary gear, planning and looking for hunting partner. Thanks all for helping.