Caliber and best factory rifle for Whitetail deer - NC

[bigdogone]

Creedmoor if deer size animals are all you are going to shoot (in or out of state). If you want something that can take darn near anything in North America without issue go with a 300 win mag. No such thing as too much gun for deer and you would be ready for anything else you might hunt down the road. Yes I know plent of people take elk with a creedmoor but there definitely are better options out there.

This guy read my mind about the 300 win mag. Having a rifle in the safe to cover every occasion is the dream. I sometimes admit that I invent new situations to justify getting a new rifle - haha, don't tell anyone I admitted it. For me a new rifle is about options, covering bases and that includes not only the one in front of me but other future dream hunts.

That 300 win mag is a beauty for so many options. Could not only hit your current goal but also fill a nice spot in your battery of rifles depending on what else you have. It'll travel to Alaska and Africa well.

For smaller caliber deer rifles, I'm a believer in the old 243 win. It's the smallest caliber Ive used on deer and the most effective. I've gone up to 375 H&H in rifles and 45 cal in pistols. Nothing kills deer any quicker or cleaner than my 243's. And recoil? Fahget about it.

Have fun with your search.

Regarding makers, seems like it's wide open depending on budget. I like the R700 actions as you have so many options later down the road to add to it, barrels, triggers, mags, stocks, bottom metal, etc. I also like the Tikka (got two), butter smooth just like the Sako (got two). That Begara is a nice looking rig. Don't own one but have thought about it.

 

[41magnut]

Goodness, for WT under 500 write down the cartridges that capture your interest throw 'em in a hat and draw one. Some have more factory selections available, some calibers have larger bullet selections if you reload.

I would concentrate more on the platform, and optics if I were in your position.
Myself, I am a 30 cal guy, but that is just me.

 

[noluck]

7mm-08

 

[tknuts103]

Welcome to the site from MN. For NC deer to 500 yards the world is your oyster. The 6.5 PRC is a dandy and the 260 or 6.5 creed would also fill the bill with less recoil and more readily found brass. I used the 25-06 out in VA and NC and found it to be perfect for them 'cross the holler' shots. Killed a truckload with the Sierra 90 Grain HPBT Gameking. The 240 Wby. w

Thanks, yes the 6.5 CM would be a good option. I don't know a lot about the 25-06, but need to look at it. Any ideas on a good semi-custom factory rifle? That Bergara HMR Pro or the Seekins PH2 are looking mighty good to me. Thanks for the help so far.

25-06 is the best deer cartridge in my opinion. Low recoil, ammo is way cheaper that 6.5 prc if you don't reload, and it will drop a deer in its tracks out to 600.

 

[SteelBanger]

Tikka T3 in 6.5 creedmoor or 7-08 and call it good ... especially if you have to rely on factory ammo.

 

[chav0_12]

It sounds like you want to spend a lot of money on a rifle. I just picked up a Nosler M48 Liberty(discontinued now), it's not a full custom by any means, but it seems like a decently built rifle. The Weatherby Mark Vs are always good rifles, with a lot of different models. Christensen seems to make good rifles too, I have a couple of buddies that have the Mesas(their base model), they seem to shoot well and are well built. If you're not reloading, which it doesn't sound like you are, Brownings X-Bolts are on the higher end of the middle-ground factory rifles, IMO, I just don't care for their plastic magazines so I sold the one I had. Sako also makes a really exceptional factory rifle too, I bought an A7 for my ex-wife and she ended up keeping it even though I begged her for it, a really superb rifle in 270 WSM, on the light side for what you're doing but they'd be a brand I was looking at too. Really as far as factory rifles go, it's hard to narrow it down because there are a lot of good rifles in the $2k price range.

As for cartridge/caliber, weigh in how much recoil you want to handle and then take a pick from there. There are too many cartridges to narrow it down to something that would fit your needs without being you. Personally, I'm a 7mm guy, so a short action might be the 7mm-08, 7mm WSM, or SAUM. Long actions I'd start with the 280AI and work my way up to the big boomers. Personally, I have the 28 Nosler, 7mm WSM, and a 7-08 but I really want to add a 280AI for some reason. The 6.5/.264 is a great caliber too and I wouldn't hesitate with most of them. Don't forget to put good optics on whatever you're getting because that makes a world of difference, I wouldn't spend less than a grand. If that means you need a cheaper rifle then so be it, there are a ton of really good rifles in the $1k range nowadays.

It just comes down to you taking your pick, most any cartridge in the 6mm and up range will do what you want it to do, pretty much any rifle built today is capable of it too.

 

[VTbluegrass]

There is a nice Montana Rifle Company X2 on 7mm Rem Mag in the classifieds. Shoots 160 class bullets lights out and a lot less expensive than a Seekins. Bonus I'm even in NC.

 

[rbTanzan]

270, Tikka. Accurate out of the box and will pretty much duplicate your 7mm-trajectory with a bullet 20 grains lighter. My wife shoots 110gnTTSX at 3350fps and has two deer out of her 270 Win Tikka, one a bang-flop, one ran 50 yards.

Why Tikka in 270? Accurate out of the box. We've had two in 270, two in 338WM, and one in 223, all so accurate that I didn't bother bedding the last two, and wouldn't have needed to bed the first three.
Why 270Win? So that you can experience what Jack O'Conner knew: the 270 was the pre-magnum magnum, yet noticeably gentler than the 7mmRM. If you handload and want an 8"-twist, then you could try the new 6.8Western. That pretty much duplicates the 7mmRM but you won't need heavy for caliber bullets for whitetail, so you wouldn't need an 8-inch twist, bringing you back to the good old 270.

 

[Crusty Buck]

Tikka 308 win or 7 mm-08. Both short action and lethal to 600 yds for deer. I have a Begara 6.5 CM and Tikka 308. I prefer the Tikka.

 

[Gator 06]

2506 weatherby vanguard

 

[rbTanzan]

PS: Tikka uses the same actions for short and long action rounds. Tikka are already lightweight, so there is no difference for carrying between the short caliber and standard-length caliber.

 

[264MHC]

I am in eastern NC and my favorite rifle for our deer here is my 6mm grendel AR. Short with a 20" barrel, lightweight at 8.25lbs scoped, accurate out to 500 easy and has almost non existent recoil. If I were you looking for a nice bolt gun I'd look into the 6mm Creedmoor. One of the 90-95 grain bullets at 3100+ would make for a mpbr over 300 yds and make holdovers easy. I know that my Grendel shooting that class bullet at 2830 gets the job done easily so the creedmoor would do it in spades. Just need to check ammo availability. Whatever you buy, buy ammo before the rifle to make sure you won't get in a bind.

 

[bigbrad53]

Light recoil , great bullet selection, kills way better than it should , and fairly easy to find factory ammo for . What's not to love

 

[bigbrad53]

That's why I shoot a 7x57 with handloads. Does every thing I'll ever really need.