Recommended Cartridges and Calibers

Modern hunters have access to improved cartridge and caliber options, and it is a hunter’s moral responsibility to use the options that kill deer efficiently. Before choosing what cartridge is best for your quarry, you must consider bullet design, distance, angle, and the animal’s size. However, some types of ammo give you versatility and range of any whitetail hunting.

One of such is the .308 Winchester, which boasts accuracy, strong knock-down (2,629ft/lb), mild recoil for a .30 caliber, and a wide assortment of factory-loaded ammunition options. Because of its 7.62 NATO designation, the .308 ammunition is inexpensive and available almost anywhere. However, it has lost part of its charm because of how common it is. But that doesn’t take away how much of a dependable deer round it is.

The .243 Winchester is another good contender. It has little recoil (less than 10ft/lb), making it an excellent choice for younger hunters. With a punch power of 1,945ft/lb at the muzzle, it is still suitable for hunting whitetail deer. However, even if it’s not a good fit for Saskatchewan deer because of how long the alfalfa fields are, it's already a good enough cartridge for most deer in the United States provided the distances are fair,

Next, the .260 Remington is a relatively new rifle cartridge based on the .308 Winchester case, just like the .243 Winchester. However, the case in the .260 Remington is reduced to a .264 diameter. This cartridge works with minimum recoil but is still able to attain capable velocities. The bullet travels at 2,930 fps, packing a 2,459ft/lb power and relatively softer recoil of 13ft/lb.

The 7mm-08 Remington is a hybrid of a .243 and a .308 with a wide range of applications. Many hunters have come to use this due to its adaptability; some hunters consider it a good caliber for all sizes of deer in all situations. Examining it, you can tell it’s a necked-down .308 that shoots a bullet at 2,770 fps and pounds a 2,386ft/lb shot. With this Remington, as long as you can see it, you can shoot it competently. In a 6 lb Remington Model 7, it produces only about 17 lb of recoil. Overall, the 7mm-08 Remington has struck a balance between good force and ease.

The best round to hunt whitetail deer is none other than the 6.5 Creedmoor. It’s still relatively new, but it took the hunting world by storm. It has such a good appeal that every ammunition manufacturer has decided to make it. The Creedmoor can knock a whitetail 500 yards away with its 6.5mm, 130-grain hunting bullet, flying at about 2800 fps with 2300 ft/lb of power. For this power, it generates an impressively low recoil of 13.5lb.

All these combinations of features make the Creedmoor a number one choice for many competent hunters. The 6.5 Creedmoor offers flexibility that you can tailor to your needs. For example, you can replace your 130-grain SSTs with 120-grain ones to hunt smaller Florida deer. Or, you can load 140-grain TSX to shoot Minnesota bucks out in the hardwoods.