Caliber Preferences?

[McClura]

My favorite caliber was .284 with 140grn Accubonds for deer, antelope and pigs around here until I had a 300 SAUM built. It is scary accurate out to 400 yards which is as far as I have tried it so far. I have taken two whitetail with it at 205 and 180 yards last year. It is by HS Precision that builds the custom rifles. They quit making the pistols this year so I'm very lucky to have this one.
Top photo is of the 300 SAUM, HS Precision single shot.
Bottom photo is of my Apache Machine, XP100 in 284 Winchester. It shoots as good or better.
Mike

 

[muzzleloader48]

I love the term "bug-out" maybe good for some but not for older guys.

Where is the safest place you have? Go to the mountains and live under a tree or canvas at best? Have friends that watch all these programs and have spent thousands on equipment and special vehicles. They tell me they are ready for whatever .....

We live 20 miles outside Salt Lake City. Every morning during the work week I-15 is a traffic jam for an hour, same at night or longer. I ask these guys what do you think I-15 will be like if there was a national problem? They just look at me. Hell they would run out of gas before they got to where they were headed with all the other vehicles.

Several neighbors and myself would just sit tight, live as we normally do and be comfortable have a years supply of goods. We have enough water stored for 6 weeks and have access to a well if needed, etc. It wouldn't be to bad to defend our area with only one road in or out. Too old to run and sit with a million people like ducks on a pond Hanshi.

Unless necessary...I believe defense at the home property is probably best. Situations change and so do plans. Having an up to date hard print map with access to 4wd/off road trails is a good idea just in case. I live up in the mountain area at 7350 elev. and many, many dirt roads, trails, etc. However, Neighbors are far spaced away, but, have email addresses & cell numbers for emergency situations. Yeah Buck, you're right. The last place you want to be is on a major thoroughfare....very dumb move. Same here: already live on well water, pantry full, plenty fuel, fairly easy to defend as we have the high ground.

 

[muzzleloader48]

For hunting, my favorite cal. would be mainly my Winchester 30-06, 165gr BT. Would not hesitate to use the 30/30 I have for shorter ranges.
Other than hunting I like the 7.62x39, 7.62x51(.308), 5.56x45(.223), 7.62x54. Strictly WSHTF.

 

[bobbythehunter]

My favorite caliber was .284 with 140grn Accubonds for deer, antelope and pigs around here until I had a 300 SAUM built. It is scary accurate out to 400 yards which is as far as I have tried it so far. I have taken two whitetail with it at 205 and 180 yards last year. It is by HS Precision that builds the custom rifles. They quit making the pistols this year so I'm very lucky to have this one.
Top photo is of the 300 SAUM, HS Precision single shot.
Bottom photo is of my Apache Machine, XP100 in 284 Winchester. It shoots as good or better.
Mike

thats some great shooting with that setup. remind me not to sneak around your back 40 !!!!

 

[Hanshi]

That big guy mounted in the center was taken with a 30/30 back, I believe, about 1971, IIRC. The others shown, as best as I can recall, dropped to either a .250 Sav or .350 Rem mag.

 

[Marty1]

That big guy mounted in the center was taken with a 30/30 back, I believe, about 1971, IIRC. The others shown, as best as I can recall, dropped to either a .250 Sav or .350 Rem mag.

:thumbs up:
VERY nice pic of the past. Every wall hanger has a great story. Thanks for posting.

 

[Buck Conner1]

.
Here's a few of the deer that hung out on our farm over the years Then the ex-wife rents the 300 acres to a Lama Breeder, the deer herd and elk left. !@#$%^
.

.​

 

[Idaholewis1]

.
Here's a few of the deer that hung out on our farm over the years Then the ex-wife rents the 300 acres to a Lama Breeder, the deer herd and elk left. !@#$%^
.

View attachment 2364

.​

All of Them are DANDY’S Buck!!! (That 86 is a DREAM of Mine ) Hunting These Whitetails is an EXTREME Passion of Mine, I enjoy Elk Hunting as well, But NOTHING like these Whitetail Deer.

First and Foremost, The Meat is the MOST important Part to me!! Not a piece of it goes to waste, i even take the Meat between the Ribs when i Can. That said, I love to Hunt for Trophy Size Deer, I pass up MANY MANY a Year that Many Folks would be EXTREMELY Proud of, I Hold out to the End in hopes of Getting a BIG One

I can be on a Hillside in Sept Archery, Bow in Hand, with a GIANT Bull Elk In Full Rutt with his Cows, Tearing the Hillside up (I’ve been in this Situation MANY Times over the last 10 Years) And i am as Calm as a Church Mouse, I get excited for sure! But i don’t get Shook up over it.

NOW on the other Hand, If i see a 150“ inch, Or Better Whitetail Buck, I COMPLETELY FALL APART That’s the ABSOLUTE TRUTH! I have HORRIBLE Buck Fever over BIG Whitetail Bucks (ONLY Whitetai) I emptied a 6.5 Creedmoor on a HUGE Buck a Few Years back (Stil haunts me to this Day, and Always will, It was a GIANT!) They were in the Rutt Here, I stepped up on an overlook at Daylight And there he was Standing there, 180 Yards out, EASY EASY Shot for me, But once i seen his Head/Horns i was so shook up I couldn’t hardly Breathe, I couldn’t stay on him with my Binoculars, i was Shaking like a Leaf in a Hurricane It’s Funny to look back on it, I can LITERALLY Shoot a Dime at 200 Yards NO PROBLEM, But I couldn’t hold it together on a HUGE Whitetail Buck

This is my Best one here, He is a Decent Buck, But these are the Kind that a Guy Really needs to LET WALK OFF, Like my Dad said, “Son, You Can’t kill a BIG Buck if you Shoot those kind” And he is ABSOLUTELY Right! But it’s hard to let these Walk Away, Especially the last Week of the Season

This Guy needed another 2 Years, He would have been a BRUTE

This is another one, Decent Young Buck, But He needed another 3 Years

 

[Hanshi]

I still get "buck fever" a lot and really have to clamp down to control it. I think if I ever get to the point where I DON'T get buck fever I'll hang it up as far as hunting goes. I think it would be difficult, Lewis, for anyone to let that guy walk, I know I wouldn't.

 

[Marty1]

All of Them are DANDY’S Buck!!! (That 86 is a DREAM of Mine ) Hunting These Whitetails is an EXTREME Passion of Mine, I enjoy Elk Hunting as well, But NOTHING like these Whitetail Deer.

First and Foremost, The Meat is the MOST important Part to me!! Not a piece of it goes to waste, i even take the Meat between the Ribs when i Can. That said, I love to Hunt for Trophy Size Deer, I pass up MANY MANY a Year that Many Folks would be EXTREMELY Proud of, I Hold out to the End in hopes of Getting a BIG One

I can be on a Hillside in Sept Archery, Bow in Hand, with a GIANT Bull Elk In Full Rutt with his Cows, Tearing the Hillside up (I’ve been in this Situation MANY Times over the last 10 Years) And i am as Calm as a Church Mouse, I get excited for sure! But i don’t get Shook up over it.

NOW on the other Hand, If i see a 150“ inch, Or Better Whitetail Buck, I COMPLETELY FALL APART That’s the ABSOLUTE TRUTH! I have HORRIBLE Buck Fever over BIG Whitetail Bucks (ONLY Whitetai) I emptied a 6.5 Creedmoor on a HUGE Buck a Few Years back (Stil haunts me to this Day, and Always will, It was a GIANT!) They were in the Rutt Here, I stepped up on an overlook at Daylight And there he was Standing there, 180 Yards out, EASY EASY Shot for me, But once i seen his Head/Horns i was so shook up I couldn’t hardly Breathe, I couldn’t stay on him with my Binoculars, i was Shaking like a Leaf in a Hurricane It’s Funny to look back on it, I can LITERALLY Shoot a Dime at 200 Yards NO PROBLEM, But I couldn’t hold it together on a HUGE Whitetail Buck

This is my Best one here, He is a Decent Buck, But these are the Kind that a Guy Really needs to LET WALK OFF, Like my Dad said, “Son, You Can’t kill a BIG Buck if you Shoot those kind” And he is ABSOLUTELY Right! But it’s hard to let these Walk Away, Especially the last Week of the Season

This Guy needed another 2 Years, He would have been a BRUTE

This is another one, Decent Young Buck, But He needed another 3 Years

Anyone hunting for that personal trophy whitetail certainly has their work cut out for them. Buck fever is a natural response and the reason why trophy bucks are still out there. However persistence, patience and a little luck usually prevails in the end.

 

[Buck Conner1]

All of Them are DANDY’S Buck!!! (That 86 is a DREAM of Mine ) Hunting These Whitetails is an EXTREME Passion of Mine, I enjoy Elk Hunting as well, But NOTHING like these Whitetail Deer.

I emptied a 6.5 Creedmoor on a HUGE Buck a Few Years back (Stil haunts me to this Day, and Always will, It was a GIANT!) But I couldn’t hold it together on a HUGE Whitetail Buck

.
Had an old military rifle - an Italian 6.5 Carcano rifle cut down for a 12 year, iron sights (lots of practice for a 12 year old then). Had the tin clips that worked about half the time, young should have used another rifle.

Like you, saw a very large White Tail, close like 50 yards away and the damn clips wouldn't release the round into the chamber. Should have loaded one round by hand, didn't even think of that until days later. Tried several times then sat there and watched him disapear into the brush. I'm now thinking about him 68 years later, I hope he had many off spring, God Bless him.

,

 

[JonE]

Depends.... I have 4 calibers to choose from 5.56x45, 45-70, .50cal or the .54ca.

 

[Hanshi]

I've owned and fired so many cartridge calibers I'd be hard pressed to list all of them. Basically, I never met a caliber/cartridge I didn't like. But it's been long since that I was into shooting, owning and reloading for about everything available at that time. A lot of new stuff has come along since then and I've fired, but never owned, many of them. I'm old fashioned and currently only have a tiny few calibers and they'll do nicely. And they are old cartridges and my few rifles are no longer manufactured. A couple or three are still available new but they have been either/or both redesigned, discontinued or built by some other company. The only "new" cartridge that I find very interesting is the .338 Hornady. It will sorta "approximate" my .350 with 200 grain bullets but eats dust if I go to 250 grain slugs. Recoil is no problem in the light Kimber rifle I fired.

 

[mark1945]

Hanshi, You sound like me I am a nut for anything that shoots I love reloading about as much. I took a pic of all the calibers I have a gun for and also reload for except the rimfires. Also should be a 16 gauge in the pic but I missed it.

 

[Buck Conner1]

Hanshi, You sound like me I am a nut for anything that shoots I love reloading about as much. I took a pic of all the calibers I have a gun for and also reload for except the rimfires. Also should be a 16 gauge in the pic but I missed it

View attachment 2384​

Top row, forth from the left (next to yellow 20 ga bright red).
.

 

[mark1945]

That a 28 gauge Rio hull , Buck

 

[Hanshi]

I still have ammo and bullets for rifles I no longer have. Noticed just the other day I had a bunch of .375 H&H cast gc bullets and 230 JSP bullets. Found some .338 mag bullets. Most I gave away either with the guns or to friends. But I did find more .30 180 and 150 grn slugs I used in .30/06 & .308. I'd thought I given all of them to a friend who shoots 30/06. I supplied him with .30 tracers, JHPs and lots of brass but seem to have uncovered even more. Before we moved I had about 200 lbs of brass; everything from 5.56 to 45/70 and .22 cf to .45 Colt for pistols. Not much of a shotgun guy, only had 20, 16 and 12 gauges. But Mark, you may have my record beat. Everything I ever used was available in the 1970s and nothing that came on the scene after that.

 

[mark1945]

Hanshi, I think the only ammo I have that I dont have a gun for is a few rounds of 8mm Mauser, its not in the picture . Actually I still have the rifle it was for but I re-chambered it years ago to 8mm/06 . I guess i should also add my muzzle loader balls and bullets to ,they got left out .

 

[rusticbob]

I would vote gun you shoot the best, and have confidence in would be most peoples favorite. My personal " go too" game taker would be a Ruger 77 in 30-06 all weather. It has the "boatpaddle" stock, very durable, very accurate. Its taken numerous bucks, at least 20, and two bull moose. Wish I had all the pictures, but back then there were no cell phones.

 

[Okie Hog]

i've shot deer with calibers from .22 Hornet through .50-70. Since 2000 the vast majority of my deer hunting has been with muzzleloaders, mostly .50 caliber: Mostly with inline guns. Several years ago i took a large doe at 418 yards with my Remington 700 in .30-06.


In 2013 i also began hunting with a .50 or .54 caliber conventional muzzleloader using patched round balls. This was after Fort Sill changed the first week of muzzleloader deer season to conventional guns only.