Whatever your friends are using and they do all the work and bring you the yummy venison. :>)
Are you hunting mountains with heavy forests??? Are you hunting over flatland soybean fields? Are you hunting rolling prairies??? Are you hunting around coastal swamps???
It is ridiculous to ask the best calibre for deer hunting without taking a lot into consideration...
It depends. Are targeting large mature males, or Bambi?
The computer results seems somewhat flawed. .30-.30 is a cartridge, not a caliber. A caliber is a diameter of the bore or bullet. Also, an ideal cartridge for a whitetail deer in brush country in the northeast may not be best for whitetail deer in an open farmland in the Midwest. Did the study call for any deer, or whitetail deer specifically?
I’ll pass and just go by my own experience. YMMV
Just like all the debates over best defensive sidearm, it really boils down to what you're comfortable with and what you shoot well.
The answer to that question has a very wide parameter. Depends a lot on the species of “deer” one hunts and where they are hunted. For example, deer in Florida are considerably smaller than the same species in Minnesota or another “northern” state. Mule deer are physically larger than whitetail deer. There are numerous differences all over the county. Certainly caliber (bullet size and velocity) are important BUT, no matter what the caliber or velocity, the more important question is how well one shoots that counts. You can harvest a deer with all those calibers listed. No doubt someone will take exception to my opinion so pick the caliber and learn to shoot it well.
The answer to that question has a very wide parameter. Depends a lot on the species of “deer” one hunts and where they are hunted. For example, deer in Florida are considerably smaller than the same species in Minnesota or another “northern” state. Mule deer are physically larger than whitetail deer. There are numerous differences all over the county. Certainly caliber (bullet size and velocity) are important BUT, no matter what the caliber or velocity, the more important question is how well one shoots that counts. You can harvest a deer with all those calibers listed. No doubt someone will take exception to my opinion so pick the caliber and learn to shoot it well.
What part of the country..?? What's the terrain like.?
22 caliber, suppressed. Works best with spotlight.
577 Tyrannasaurus
50 BMG
these are the cartridges with the most kinetic energy i can think of, so they are going to be the best killers, for those that don’t mind pain on both ends of the barrel.
The one that 1) you’re comfortable with; 2A) suits your hunting style; and 3) is adequate for the terrain in which you’re hunting.
I use a 7mm STW out West for Coues and mule deer, a .45-70 for still hunting here in PA or a .270 or .260 for hunting from a stand when I can see out to 200-300 yards.
280 Remington, load it any way you like.
For me. 7mm Rem Mag, followed by my trusty .308.
I recently bought a .45-70 for Iowa, and have great expectations for that
Who needs a caliber?
.54 caliber (.535) patched cast round lead ball over about 90-95 grains of FF black powder.
.............works for me.
Never shot a .243
Have killed numerous deer with the rest AND a 16ga shotgun, both with slugs and 00 buckshot.
Personally prefer the .270 in the open and 00 buck 16 ga in the woods/marshes. I like the .270 best because I get the most accurate shot placement with that rifle/scope combo.
What ever the blue helmets are using.