Deer the most popular big game animal in North America. They ranges from Mexico north all the way to central Canada and are plentiful througout this range. Their habitat varies widely, from thick swamps to open prairies and mountain sides. It's a wary game animal that provides a very challenging hunt. The size of a big buck varies from region to region.It's can weigh from about 120 lbs in the south to up to 350 lbs or more in parts of Canada. It's not particularily large boned but is quite tenacious and if not hit in the right spot, with the right bullet from the right cartridge, it can quickly get away, maybe never to be seen again. The varied terrain where it lives, and the difference in it's physical size, can lead to some confusion about which cartridges, bullet and rifle types are recommended.
Probably more deer have been taken with the lever action Winchester model 94 in 30-30 Winchester than any other rifle, cartridge combination. It remains an excellent choice, and is still widely used, especially in the thick bush of the east. Also excellent choices for this area are semi automatic and pump action rifles and shotguns fitted with low powered scopes or red dots. The shots in this area are usually at close range, so iron sights also work well. Further out west where deer can be seen and shot at longer ranges, the preference is a bolt action or single shot rifle in a flat-shooting cartridge. Here a scope is almost mandatory. Popular power ranges are 2-7, 3-9 and 4-12. The scope should be high quality and the rifle must be accurate, to pull off shots out to 300 yards or more. Shooting sticks, bipods and laser randefinders are handy items to pack along, as is a good pair of binoculars.
In the eastern regions where thich bush and close, quick shots are taken, fast shooting rifle actions like semi automatic, pump action and lever action are excellent choices. Traditional eastern deer cartridges are slower moving numbers in medium to large calibres. The 30-30 Win falls into this category as does 300 Savage, 32 Win Special, 35 Rem, 348 Win, 38-55 Win, 358 Win, 375 Win and 45-70 Govt, amoung others. Some newer very effective lever action rounds are 308 and 338 Marlin Express and 450 Marlin. Browning lever actions, as well as Browning, Remington, Winchester and Benelli semi autos, and Remington pump actions are availabe also in flat shooting cartridges from 243 Win to 300 Mag. All these actions and cartidges will serve the eastern deer hunter well, where closer range and quick shooting is the name of the game.
Out in the plains or in the mountains, the game changes. Lever actions, semi autos, and pump actions can still get the job done, but really, this is bolt action and single shot territory. Fast, flat shooting cartiridges are the order of the day. Suitable cartidges start at the 243 Win and go up to 340 with the ideal range being between 270 Win and one of the 300 magnums. As the distance the deer will be shot at increases, the ideal cartridge caliber and power level also increases. A variable that must be taken into consideration is the skill level of the hunter. The 243 Win, 6mm Rem and 257 Roberts can be used effectively out to 250 to 300 yards, or more if in the hands of an experienced hunter. The 25-06 and 257 Weatherby have the power to increase that range even more, and the various 270's and 7mm's will allow stretching it another notch. When you get to the 30 and 338 calibers, from 308 Win to 340 Weatherby, there's enough power for shots as far as someone has any business shooting. There is an elite group of long range shooters who use these calibers chambered in highly accurate, benchrest-style rifles for shots at as much as 1000 yards. They are expert shots with a lot of experience, and with the right equipment. Any hunter with a regular out-of-the-box hunting rifle should limit his shots to much closer ranges. Regular long range shooting practice will reveal the maximum range for you and your equipment.
What about bullets? In most cases for eastern deer hunting, regular conventional bullets are all that's needed. The heavy slow moving "traditional" cartridges really won't benefit from premium bullets for use on deer. If a fast, small caliber cartridge like a 243, 6mm or 257 Robert, etc. is used at close range, especially for big northern deer, premium bullets may be a good idea. At these close ranges, a fast moving bullet that stikes a shoulder bone may break up and fail to penetrate sufficiently to reach the vitals. Some excellent choices, but not limited to, would be Barnes TSX, Swift A-Frame and Trophy Bonded Bear Claws. For longer shots out west, bullets with high ballistic coefficients will retain energy better and flatten trajectories. The bullets won't need to be as heavily constructed as for close shots because at the longer ranges the bullet's speed will be reduced by the time it reaches the deer, however, they do need to be accurate. Some factory ammunition worth trying are Remington Accutip and Scirroco, Winchester Accubond and Ballistic Sivertip, and Federal Premium with Sierra Gameking, Nosler Ballistic Tip or Nosler Accutip, etc. If loading your own, try some of these same bullets or Hornady Interbond, Barnes TTSX, Berger VLD, Speer Spitzer Boat Tail, etc.
To sum it up, although they can be made to work out west, fast shooting actions such as semi automatic, pump action and lever action are best suited for the thick bush of the east. Out west, where more accurate rifles are prefered, bolt actions and single shots using fast cartridges with aerodynamic bullets make sensible choices.
