Which gun would you use for deer?

A.J. · Dec 14, 2021

BrassMagnet said:
A.J. said:

I'm just getting into deer hunting. No luck yet. I don't yet own a dedicated deer rifle yet. Here are my current options. What would you hunt with?

Ruger AR556 with 5 round magazine and expensive hollow points. Scope.

Click to expand...

The scope will allow you to shoot earlier, later, and in the woods in shadows.
Quicker, too!
Hands down, the scope wins!

First of all, welcome back to the forum.

Secondly... Late deer season has once again opened up. I will consider your advice but will probably go out again with a shotgun with slugs.

My most important consideration is putting the deer down quickly and humanely.

contender · Dec 15, 2021

I think you'll be fine with the shotgun right now. And,, you have a whole year to study on selecting & getting an "improved" deer hunting rifle/scope combo. (And of course, ammo & practice before next season.)

kmoore · Dec 15, 2021

All of the choices you listed are not the best by any means for deer and the FMJ is nuts to use on big game. Please post the law that says FMJ bullets are approved for taking big game. I could give you a list of maybe 50 different common big game hunting rifles and ammo but you did not ask the important questions, what would a good rifle, caliber and ammo be to hunt deer where your at. The best is a debate, but good there are many.

A.J. · Dec 15, 2021

kmoore said:
All of the choices you listed are not the best by any means for deer and the FMJ is nuts to use on big game. Please post the law that says FMJ bullets are approved for taking big game. I could give you a list of maybe 50 different common big game hunting rifles and ammo but you did not ask the important questions, what would a good rifle, caliber and ammo be to hunt deer where your at. The best is a debate, but good there are many.

There's slim pickings on the deer rifle market. I will wait. Until then, I'll be using 12 gauge slugs.

Wife and I scouted our property today. Very little deer activity. Trail cam showed only squirrels. No fresh deer tracks.

I will, nevertheless, go out again.

contender · Dec 15, 2021

Trail cameras help,, but are NOT the whole picture of an area.

A good friend has many cameras on his place,, and several feeding places & knows a LOT about the critters who visit regularly. His grandson killed a NICE, big non-typical 19 pt deer,, that had never been seen on camera. Surprised everyone.

kmoore · Dec 16, 2021

Well I spend the time to look up Michigan hunt laws and unbelievable to me they only list tracer and explosive bullets are illegal for hunting, page 23. Unless I missed other lists in the booklet. Since you want to humanely kill a deer stay away from FMJs. I look into Cabalas used guns often, right now they list 842 centerfire rifles, 387 bolt actions. The smaller gun shops have more used rifles then new and I agree the choices are not what they used to be just several years ago. Gun shows here have ammo at prices way to high.

A.J. · Dec 18, 2021

kmoore said:
Well I spend the time to look up Michigan hunt laws and unbelievable to me they only list tracer and explosive bullets are illegal for hunting, page 23. Unless I missed other lists in the booklet. Since you want to humanely kill a deer stay away from FMJs. I look into Cabalas used guns often, right now they list 842 centerfire rifles, 387 bolt actions. The smaller gun shops have more used rifles then new and I agree the choices are not what they used to be just several years ago. Gun shows here have ammo at prices way to high.

Thanks. I'll give Caballas a look.

You're right about Michigan hunting laws. You can legally hunt deer with just about any cartridge.

A.J. · Dec 27, 2021

Good news! Got my first ever deer this afternoon: a good sized doe. I shot it with a 12 gauge foster slug, iron sights, braced against a large white pine at a range of about 50 meters. The deer went down almost immediately; a very clean kill, I'm proud to say. Beautiful animal.

I gave up trying to hunt in blinds and was having better luck sneaking through the woods. I'd walk a few paces, pause and look around. That's how I got this deer. It was positioned at a perfect broadside, upwind, standing motionless trying to figure out what I was.

All my buddies who offered to help me gut a deer were unavailable. Instead; I just did it myself, not really knowing what I was doing. It turned out far better than anticipated. The butcher was very impressed and said he rarely sees a deer carcass so clean and fresh. Steam was still rising from it!

Thanks so much for all your advice.

Biggfoot44 · Dec 28, 2021

First , Congradulatons !

You most imeadate need isn't a deer Rifle , it's deer Ammunition , you already have 2.5 suitable rifles . .30-06 in normal times easier to find than hunting ammo in 7.62 x 54R , but these days you find what you find . Either will have plenty of power , limited by your eyesight .

.223 * can * kill deer , * With proper ammunition * , precise shot placement , and holding out for proper angle of shot ( ie more or less broadside) . Don't know what your " expensive hollow points " are . W-W 64gr Power Point are the starting point . a 62-64gr Bonded , or solid copper X Bullet are better .

Yes , shotguns can kill deer quite well . Smooth bore and Foster are certainly Old School , but work great within range .

OP set a 50M limit for himself , and apparently that is relevant for his area . If you can test several slugs for accuracy , that could potentially be bumped to 75 yd or so . Add a ( commonly available in normal times ) fully rifled bbl to your Mossberg , and you will be capable " farther than you can get a shot in even fairly open woods " .

I prefer BRI Original Sabots for their consistent accuracy . I'm conservative in being catagorically confident to 125yds . Plenty of the new wave super duper Sabots claim 200 yds or more .

A.J. · Dec 28, 2021

Biggfoot44 said:
First , Congradulatons !

You most imeadate need isn't a deer Rifle , it's deer Ammunition , you already have 2.5 suitable rifles . .30-06 in normal times easier to find than hunting ammo in 7.62 x 54R , but these days you find what you find . Either will have plenty of power , limited by your eyesight .

.223 * can * kill deer , * With proper ammunition * , precise shot placement , and holding out for proper angle of shot ( ie more or less broadside) . Don't know what your " expensive hollow points " are . W-W 64gr Power Point are the starting point . a 62-64gr Bonded , or solid copper X Bullet are better .

Yes , shotguns can kill deer quite well . Smooth bore and Foster are certainly Old School , but work great within range .

OP set a 50M limit for himself , and apparently that is relevant for his area . If you can test several slugs for accuracy , that could potentially be bumped to 75 yd or so . Add a ( commonly available in normal times ) fully rifled bbl to your Mossberg , and you will be capable " farther than you can get a shot in even fairly open woods " .

I prefer BRI Original Sabots for their consistent accuracy . I'm conservative in being catagorically confident to 125yds . Plenty of the new wave super duper Sabots claim 200 yds or more .

Thank you. You offer more ideas and options. Sabot slugs through a rifled shotgun barrel are a possibility. Never really considered that. I may look into that for next season. Adding a scope to my existing Mossberg might be another option.

For stalking deer in heavy woods (like the way I got this one) a shotgun works pretty well. It allows me to shoot in more directions without having to worry about a round leaving my property. A rifle might be better suited to stationary hunting where I'm up high shooting into a berm. Lots to consider for next year. In the meantime, I'm very happy I managed to get my first deer (at age 57) and enjoyed the challenge of stalking. My greatest concern was wounding a deer, and thankfully I was presented a picture perfect shot at short range. Yep. I got lucky. (We won't tell my buddies that part!).

kmoore · Dec 28, 2021

With practice I and many other co workers shot 18 inch barrels with a only a front sight bead. Using slugs in smooth bore barrels standing at 75 yard is easy to have 3 shots in a 2 inch circle. At 50 yds 3 rounds can be touching each other. It just takes practice. On my own 18 inch barrel I have rifle sights and it does shoot better. I was going to hunt doe deer with it this year but water levels to low to travel to area. I never shot slugs or 00 buck at anything longer than 20 inch barrel. With those, I mentioned you need to aim at the waist of a man size target to hit center of target.
Good job, you got it done and sounds like you did a great field dress. Next one should go a little faster.

contender · Dec 28, 2021

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Patience,, careful HUNTING,, and you were able to do it right! KUDOS!

And the dressing part,, you have learned it's not as hard as it may seem. The compliment from the butcher says it all.

Now,, you can relax a bit,, study what YOU desire,, and go from there. I still think the Ruger American may be your better option,,!

WillWard101 · Dec 28, 2021

If you need to hunt close in woods and are having troubleshooting with your firearm, use the slug gun

You can find a great variety of shooting aids, including shooting slugs. We have products to help you improve your shooting accuracy and endurance. For the best prices and the best service, visit deerhuntingfield.

A.J. · Dec 29, 2021

kmoore said:
With practice I and many other co workers shot 18 inch barrels with a only a front sight bead. Using slugs in smooth bore barrels standing at 75 yard is easy to have 3 shots in a 2 inch circle. At 50 yds 3 rounds can be touching each other. It just takes practice. On my own 18 inch barrel I have rifle sights and it does shoot better. I was going to hunt doe deer with it this year but water levels to low to travel to area. I never shot slugs or 00 buck at anything longer than 20 inch barrel. With those, I mentioned you need to aim at the waist of a man size target to hit center of target.
Good job, you got it done and sounds like you did a great field dress. Next one should go a little faster.

You're a little better shot than I. When I sighted in the 24" barrel at 50 yards, I was grouping around 3". For that reason, I didn't want to engage a target any farther. I probably just need more practice.

A.J. · Dec 29, 2021

contender said:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Patience,, careful HUNTING,, and you were able to do it right! KUDOS!

And the dressing part,, you have learned it's not as hard as it may seem. The compliment from the butcher says it all.

Now,, you can relax a bit,, study what YOU desire,, and go from there. I still think the Ruger American may be your better option,,!

Thank you for the kind words. When I walked up to the deer for the first time, I remembered what you said concerning your Indian heritage. It was a weird feeling. I was pleased at finally getting my first deer but felt a tremendous sense of responsibility and respect for the animal. And yes, the butcher's comments were a huge source of pride.

Yep. Looks like I'm officially a "deer hunter". Thanks again for the sage advice.

kmoore · Dec 29, 2021

My thoughts, If or when we as a hunter looses respect for any game we harvest, we should not be hunting. I always give thanks for any game I harvest.

A.J. · Jan 2, 2022

kmoore said:
My thoughts, If or when we as a hunter looses respect for any game we harvest, we should not be hunting. I always give thanks for any game I harvest.

Agreed. Taking a large animal like a deer immediately makes you responsible for ensuring it does not go to waste. As I said before, my greatest fear is that I would only wound the deer. Instead; it went down almost immediately. I got it to the butcher clean and still warm.

I'm already planning next year's hunt. Owning a muzzle loader would give me 2 to 4 more weeks of hunting. Hmmmm... I got a birthday coming up!

buckeyeshooter · Jan 10, 2022

None of the above! This is a good excuse to buy a new gun.

A.J. · Jan 10, 2022

My brother and I grilled a couple of the venison steaks yesterday. To me, it tasted just like beef, just a tad leaner and tougher, but still delicious. No gamey taste at all. I'm a believer! Already planning next season's hunt.

I'm considering a muzzle loader. I know NOTHING about them, but if I start hunting with muzzle loader, it essentially gives me two additional weeks of hunting time.

bill1944 · Jan 22, 2022

No fmj
If you are a yooper thick woods 50 yards max

Which gun would you use for deer?

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