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Help with caliber decision!

Yep, pistol caliber carbine is my vote. 44 Mag/Special is pretty versatile.
 

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heretic said:
Something that is cheap to shoot and can put down a deer? What about 7.62x39? Pretty much a 30-30 with a spitzer bullet.
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I picked up a PSA AK recently. I'm thinking about getting some hunting rounds for it. Granted, I could only use it on private land here in Indiana. Ammo is still relatively cheap compared to 5.56.
 
The 30-30 mentioned earlier is a solid choice for plinking and deer hunting. In the cartridges you listed there is a huge gap between the 30 cal and low pressure 45-70. Why don’t you look into the 338 Federal or 35 Whelen? You could go magnum with the 338 Win, 340 Wtb, 33 Nosler, 338 Rum, 338 Lapua etc. The 338 option go on forever. If you reload try a wildcat cartridge. I have some Ackley cartridges that are interesting. The 338-06 AI is the most impressive killer I’ve ever seen. The 280 Ai is a great cartridge but similar in ballistics to your 7 rem mag. On the small side of cartridges my favorite plinker is the 22 Hornet. It’s also the smallest legal cartridge to hunt deer with down here in Louisiana. It’s no recoil, not as loud as the 22mag and if you reload the brass is good for lots of reloads, it only uses a few grains of powder, the pluses just go on. Anyway there are lots of choices, Have fun!
 
Deltahuntr said:
The 30-30 mentioned earlier is a solid choice for plinking and deer hunting. In the cartridges you listed there is a huge gap between the 30 cal and low pressure 45-70. Why don’t you look into the 338 Federal or 35 Whelen? You could go magnum with the 338 Win, 340 Wtb, 33 Nosler, 338 Rum, 338 Lapua etc. The 338 option go on forever. If you reload try a wildcat cartridge. I have some Ackley cartridges that are interesting. The 338-06 AI is the most impressive killer I’ve ever seen. The 280 Ai is a great cartridge but similar in ballistics to your 7 rem mag. On the small side of cartridges my favorite plinker is the 22 Hornet. It’s also the smallest legal cartridge to hunt deer with down here in Louisiana. It’s no recoil, not as loud as the 22mag and if you reload the brass is good for lots of reloads, it only uses a few grains of powder, the pluses just go on. Anyway there are lots of choices, Have fun!
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Great recommendations, I’ve though a lot about 338WM and 35 Whel. I’ve also put some thought into 375 Ruger. I really think a medium bore is the ticket, with my ownership gap
 
I’m a medium bore fan. The 338 WM is a very versatile proven cartridge. The 35 Whelen is available in the CVA single shot line. Those rifles fill the requirements for primitive weapon season lots of places now. They are also affordable and very accurate.
 
Deltahuntr said:
I’m a medium bore fan. The 338 WM is a very versatile proven cartridge. The 35 Whelen is available in the CVA single shot line. Those rifles fill the requirements for primitive weapon season lots of places now. They are also affordable and very accurate.
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My hunting buddy in Moss Bluff wants a break over 35 for primitive season. We don’t have that option here. But a nice 700 in 35 whelen would fit the bill perfect for me
 
I’m another vote for a 30-30, 35 whelen, or 35 Remington. I’ve always used a 30-06 to deer hunt with, but never liked how much damage it does to my venison. Last year, I got a wild hair and decided I would pull my grandpa’s old 30-30 lever gun out, put a cheap scope on it and give it a try for deer season. My shots are never much past 50 yards, as most of my setups are designed for archery and the lever gun with a 3x9 was super accurate out to the 100 yard target at the range. The first deer that gave me the opportunity was a tasty looking yearling doe and she only went about 30 yards and piled up, with no damage to what little venison she provided I decided that would be my new deer rifle. Ammo is cheap and was easy to find until more recently, but now all ammo is hard to find. I also kind of want a 35 rem or 35 whelen, but don’t really need one.
 
Hossmiller said:
I’m another vote for a 30-30, 35 whelen, or 35 Remington. I’ve always used a 30-06 to deer hunt with, but never liked how much damage it does to my venison. Last year, I got a wild hair and decided I would pull my grandpa’s old 30-30 lever gun out, put a cheap scope on it and give it a try for deer season. My shots are never much past 50 yards, as most of my setups are designed for archery and the lever gun with a 3x9 was super accurate out to the 100 yard target at the range. The first deer that gave me the opportunity was a tasty looking yearling doe and she only went about 30 yards and piled up, with no damage to what little venison she provided I decided that would be my new deer rifle. Ammo is cheap and was easy to find until more recently, but now all ammo is hard to find. I also kind of want a 35 rem or 35 whelen, but don’t really need one.
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You have valid points on the ole 30-30. Hard to believe that in 40 years of deer hunting I’ve never had one
 
fbwguy said:
You have valid points on the ole 30-30. Hard to believe that in 40 years of deer hunting I’ve never had one
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My grandpa gave me that 30-30 a year before he passed away and that was 8 years ago. I just put it up in the safe and never messed with it; I had a nice tack driving Remington 700 30-06 and had just always used that to hunt with. I don’t rifle hunt much anyway as most of the places I hunt are archery only. It’s a fun little rifle to shoot for sure.
 
Do you have an AR15? If so I’d go with 6.5 Grendel. You’ll only need to buy a complete upper receiver and some glass turning one gun into two. Good all around round and can easily take whitetail.
 
Plinking and squirrel hunting is like peas and carrots. Plinking and deer hunting?

But if there were such a thing as plinking and deer hunting, as others have said, 30-30 would seem to fit the bill, in Model 94 obviously.
 
SnakeEater said:
Do you have an AR15? If so I’d go with 6.5 Grendel. You’ll only need to buy a complete upper receiver and some glass turning one gun into two. Good all around round and can easily take whitetail.
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No AR platforms. Just bolt guns and levers. The Grendel is intriguing but not sure if it benefits with already having the Creedmoor and a 243
 
REGould said:
Plinking and squirrel hunting is like peas and carrots. Plinking and deer hunting?

But if there were such a thing as plinking and deer hunting, as others have said, 30-30 would seem to fit the bill, in Model 94 obviously.
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Plinking for me is range time. I have no problem putting 40 or 50 down range from the 300 WM. I just enjoy shooting
 
That’s a wise decision. Great rifle chambered in a capable proven cartridge. There are lots of articles about cartridges that can hunt all large game in America. Most cartridges short of 7mm magnums are marginal for brown bear and moose. That’s especially true when you stretch range out 200yds are more. The 338 Win mag will handle all those animals with authority at distances beyond that 200 yd mark. The Tikka 338WM definitely fills the bill for a general purpose do all hunting rifle. Now it’s time for a worthy scope?
 
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