The Most Popular Is...
 

GD357 got me thinking about the gun choice, so I decided lets do a poll. Feel free to leave comments, but definately vote. I know this subject has been discussed many times, but lets see if we can get scientific.
So here is the poll:
Which weapon was your first for deerhunting?

Maybe we could start another one that is you favorite caliber too.:)

First deer I ever shot was with a .243 Remington 18 years ago,still have the rifle and still use it every year.Have also taken Mulies,Antelope,and Moose with this gun.

My first ever deer was taken with a Model '94 .30-30... My second was taken with a .303 british, and my third was a .30-06... the last 3 were all taken with a 6mm rem...

Winchester 670 in .243

A little surprised that no one started with a bow. Even though I didn't, most younger hunters in Michigan probably start with one. They can bowhunt for deer at 12 yrs old, but not gun hunt till 14. That is an assinine law that needs to be changed.

Winchester 94, was old in 1969, .32 special with buckhorn irons. Never could hit too good with it untill rear sight was replaced with a partridge type leaf. Think the too-tall buckhorn obscured my vision. Still great to take out even if the meat gun is a '59 760 in '06!
The 760 has tip-off Weaver mounts that still repeat sweet, haven't had to move '0' in years.

My grandpa's .30-30 for a doe and my first buck was shot with my uncles BSA .30-06. Have used 7mm Rem Mag since.

First deer I ever killed was with an old WesternField 16 gauge smoothbore pump. Around 60 yards or so, and I put the first (and only) shot right through it's heart. Since then I have used a various assortment of weapons (archery, rifles, frontstuffers).

gd357

I started hunting late, and in Germany:( But I still get to hunt so it aint so bad. My first rifle was a sporterized Mauser 98 in 7x64, still got that puppy. Still trying to find a way to bring it back, when I do go back.


I've shor European Roe Deer, Mufflon, Damm (Fallow)with fox and cats. Accurate, looks good too, it's in a Boyds JRS stock. It usually wore a Burris Fullfield, which now sits on my Marlin MR-7 (excellent rifle by the way). It's a true game thumper.



But since I might not be able to bring it back, I am centering all hunting on the MR-7 in .30-06. I use a .308 and .243 (both excellent Savages!), and Savage 24 & 93:D



With the exception of the M98 and my Remington varmint, all my rifles have steel weaver type rails with standard and sure grip Weaver rings.

I prefer to bow hunt, but I really like to deer hunt with my .243 also. Too bad I can't choose 2 methods.

First deer I shot was with a 30-30 Marlin. Mostly use a 280 Rem or 30-06 since. I felt the 30-30 wasn't enough gun for deer so I got into the more power thing. Yaw I know. Sure wish I had kept that gun but didnt. I'm pretty happy with the 280's and 06's.

No rifles in Indiana for deer.

.54 knight muzzleloader.

Jabba

First whitetail was with a 270 win, passed the rifle to my son and bought another, probably pass it to my grandson in a couple of years.

Jabba
 

I was going to add muzzle loaders to the list, but the poll was limited to 10.;)

I use my 6.5 for everything bigger than a bird...just have to use the right load is all...and this year hope to get out for bow season...:)

well just started deer hunting last year!
But... i was using a 12 g shotgun, but i didn't really like shooting it with a slug, so my dad was letting me use his 30-30 marlin but i didn't really like it.... it need to be fixed... and i didn't like the scope that much... and one day my gramp got me to try an old 303 enfield that he gave me and wow i liked it alot... so i used it for the rest of the season but didn't get one... shot at one deer that hole year with a shotgun and i wont do it again :( i missed.
I have sence got 2 more 303's one more enfield and a nise brit! i'm getting a scope put on the brit i think... or aybe the enfield dunno yet... my gramp got a 30-30 win that he said would be good for me... i don't wine the marlin but i have heard from alot of people about the win not going far so i dunno.. the win is brand new last year.... might have some pics of em' sometime....!

The first gun I ever went hunting with was a hand me down from my dad a 303 british.

My first was a H&R topper 20 guage. For deer it used remington hp slugs when they came out originally all we could get was peters solid slugs and yes I mean peters not remington peters. The stores in east Texas at that time had LOTS of old ammo. We used to buy ammo predominantly at The Brookshire brothers grocery store in Crockett, Texas. Or at the Fina gas station or Ag Coop in Grapeland Texas. Although I do seem to remember buying a few boxes at one of the gas stations that sold bait, ammo, and guns off the rack out close to houston county lake way back then. You could walk into the store and the guns were on a rack buy the ice machine. Rifles standing up and pistols hanging by the trigger guards on the walls above them. Man that was the day. Heck I can't count the number of times I coulda bought a garand or a 30 caliber carbine for less than $75 bucks back then. Course back then we thought they were nuts asking that much for them when you could get 303 brit rifles at the surplus store for $25 out of a barrel on the sidewalk.

What the heck every happened to those days you know now that I think about it we didn't have school shootings back then and I ain't all the freakin' old.

GoodOlBoy

First whitetail was with a Savage model 99e lever action in a .308 cal. That rifle shot great. (inside 1" with factory). Was a gun that my father gave me when I was 14. Should have never gotten rid of that one........

Number one is my 257 Roberts and then comes my 7mm.

My first to years were with a 30-30 marlin given to me by my great grampa. the next 2 years were with a .303 British. Since then .270 Savage. Although I prefer to hunt with my Hoyt.

My first weapon was a Marlin 336 in 30-30 but my first sucessful deer hunt was accomplished with a bow! I was a greenhorn bowhunter and was amazed at how many more deer I was able to see during bow season here in Missouri. Well it did'nt take long for a doe to come into range and I was able to control my nerves and the shakes and make a nice shot! Needles to say I was hooked for life! I much prefer to take my game with a bow rather than a rifle but I am still a diehard gunhunter, I have taken all my best bucks during gun season. A nice 11 pointer last year fell to my custom model 700 in 338-06. My most memorable bowhunt took place in New Brunswick in 1999. I took a nice black bear at just 15 yards! Man was my heart pumping for that one! Someday maybe I'll get a digital camera and I'll be able to post pix of my mouted critters.
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mac games

I sympathize with you Big Johnson. I too foolishly traded my 30-30 that was first deer rifle for a Rem Model 7 in .308. Not that the little 7 in not a joy to carry but I just miss the old 336 in 30-30. I don't buy guns to trade or sell but rather to hang onto and enjoy even if I haven't shot many of them in a while. I learned my lesson though and have never traded or sold another gun after letting my old 30 twice go. I suppose that if I fell on hard times then I'd have to start liquidating but hopefully that does'nt happen. I'll just keep cart'in my wore out butt off to work
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grape ape marijuana strain

I started with a bow, 30-30 was short lived as I bought a 30-06, then went to a .280. I still hunt with a bow (compound) but mostly hunt big game with a muzzle loader and rifle. Good hunting, grayghost

Voted "other"
I use 25-06 if there is no overlap with elk. If their is I use my 300 SAUM. I can also be found using muzzle gun. All classify as "other".

other
 

My first deer was a doe to a .243, first buck a30-30.My last deer with agun was adoe with a30-06.Abow has gotten them since.THis year i may try agun again,7mm wsm maybe.
bud

first deer was a 3x3 blacktail
3006 bolt action

Remington 742 30-06. Federal 150 gr. Hi-shok ammo. That combo got me over 20 deer over the years until I stupidly traded it off. But the 243 I traded for hasn't failed me yet either. Just bought a 7 mag, so we'll see how it does.

My first deer was taken with a Savage 99 in .300 Savage. Still shooting it now. Had a lot of guns through my hands but it's knocked down everything it's pointed at so far.

Took my first couple deer with a 30-30 winchester. Then moved on to bears. My dad passed his 7mm on to me and I use almost full time now

257 Roberts
 

Great for young hunters. I was nine when I killed my first buck. The lack of recoil meant that I had no fear of getting kicked across the pasture!!:D

rem sportman 78 270win, dad gave it to me brand new when i was 10 I think, shot my first deer with it when i was 12, shot my first elk a year later. along with my first and only big buck a week before the elk, the elk I shot happen to be taken only a few days before my 14th birthday.

still have the rifle, Ive taken deer elk coyotes, grourn squrils and badgers with it. its better rifle than i could of ever asked for and shel never leave my side. no matter how many other rifles I have or go through.

My first deer was killed with a .410 slug out of a Winchester model 1948 pump. My first deer with a rifle was killed with a Rem 700 in .243 and my first buck was killed with a load of 000 buckshot out of a 12ga Rem 58 automatic. Still got the shotguns and my uncle still shoots the .243.

Long Time Ago!
 

12 gauge L.C. Smith double barrel with 00 Buckshot. Range was under 20 yards. We were hunting the Trinity River's Big Thicket country in East Texas. I was 10 years old and the year was 1941.

Thanks for stirring up the memory!

GrayBear

6.5 Rem.Mag
 

I still love my 6.5 Rem Mag with a 120 gr Nosler BT. With a max load of IMR 4350.

Good Hunting
Westerner

First deer rifle
 

I was 13 years old ( and a bit runty) and used a Win.94 full-lenth octagon bbl in 25-35. I was the biggest kid in school that fall...Especially after I later killed a sow black bear with a 1911 .45 from a r/r speeder car while hunting pheasants with an older friend of the family! This in Western Montana in 1950.

My first umpteen were with my Win Model 88 in 308, a few were with my .338 but the last years its been my 50 cal Omega all the way!:D

300 weatherby mag

Well, I must have misunderstood, as I thought this thread was about MULIES and not just any deer speices.

Now for mule deer, I favor the 7mm mag with a 150 grain handload for the high country out west.

My venturing to harvest the whitetail bucks, turned my head towards the Marlin 444 for use in the hardwoods. This was after using a Ruger semi-auto version of the 44magnum for a half dozen years in the woods.

However, the last decade or so has had me rely more upon a rifle scope instead of just the iron sights on my Marlins & Winchester lever guns. So I guess I would have to put the model 70 Winchester in the 1/4 Bore (25-06) down as my favorite all time whitetail deer gun.

270 win first time was the last time way to easy needed more of a challenge took up bow hunting (the truth is way too much buck fever could hardley see thru the scope)