Driflehunting

Rifle Hunting

Why Use a Rifle?

The rifle is probably the most durable deer hunting weapon of all time. Depending on the cartridge, sighting system, and the shooter, a rifle can be effective from 5 to beyond 300 or more yards on deer. Thus, it is no surprise that the deer rifle, in its many forms, has seen such commercial success since the late 19th century. A rifle, despite firing only a single projectile, usually will pass through animals, leaving a more than adequate blood trail, and often times the shock factor from increased velocities will drop deer in short order, if not instantly. Rifles, in general, are easier to shoot than almost any other weapon, and because of the wide variety of calibers and sighting systems mentioned, there is a rifle for nearly any deer hunting situation. As a result of all of this, the advantages of using a rifle for deer hunting are obvious!

What Kind of Rifle do you Need?

The key to choosing a rifle is to find one that will shoot well. Sure, the latest .300 Superfat will lay 'em down great, but there is not a deer on this earth that could survive for any reasonable amount of time after being hit well with a single bullet from a .30-06. It has been my experience that the vast majority of them die instantly, as a matter of fact, if the .30-06 bullet is placed adequately. I'll take on a stance here that will upset many of you folks, but it's just the way I feel, with regards to deer rifles. In the other categories, I'm pretty close to home.

For Deer:

For deer, as I stated earlier, the most important thing is to get a gun that you shoot well. You should be able to hit a 6" plate offhand at 100 yards, period. If you can't do that, practice, practice, and practice more until you can......Hunting is not a game, nor a sport. This chart should help:

Recoil Tolerance

Range

Bullet Weight/Type

Light

Inside of 100 Yards

Bullet

.30/30 WCF

.44 Magnum (Rifle)

7mm-08

Inside of 200 Yards

7mm-08

7x57mm