Hunting Deer with Varmint Rounds

Hunting Deer with Varmint Rounds

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Who is Ron Spomer
For 44 years I’ve had the good fortune to photograph and write about my passion – the outdoor life. Wild creatures and wild places have always stirred me – from the first flushing pheasant that frightened me out of my socks in grandpa’s cornfield to the last whitetail that dismissed me with a wag of its tail. In my attempts to connect with this natural wonder, to become an integral part of our ecosystem and capture a bit of its mystery, I’ve photographed, hiked, hunted, birded, and fished across much of this planet. I've seen the beauty that everyone should see, survived adventures that everyone should experience. I may not have climbed the highest mountains, canoed the wildest rivers, caught the largest fish or shot the biggest bucks, but I’ve tried. Perhaps you have, too. And that’s the essential thing. Being out there, an active participant in our outdoor world.

Disclaimer
All loading, handloading, gunsmithing, shooting and associated activities and demonstrations depicted in our videos are conducted by trained, certified, professional gun handlers, instructors, and shooters for instructional and entertainment purposes only with emphasis on safety and responsible gun handling. Always check at least 3 industry handloading manuals for handloading data, 2 or 3 online ballistic calculators for ballistic data. Do not modify any cartridge or firearm beyond what the manufacturer recommends. Do not attempt to duplicate, mimic, or replicate anything you see in our videos. Firearms, ammunition, and constituent parts can be extremely dangerous if not used safely.

[robertmattson]

My Dad hunted many years with a Mini 14. He shot many Whitetails in Northern Wisconsin, never lost a single one. It's shot placement, plain and simple.

[BillSprague]

I hunted and harvested many mule and whitetail deer with my .243.

[J.HuntermmRemMag]

270 Win, 30-06 Springfield, 7mm Rem Mag, 308 Win... just go with one of this classics and let varmint cartridges for varmint hunting.

[willmichael]

I use a 30-06, but just because it’s the rifle I inherited. Obviously more than enough for deer, and the results speak for themselves.

That said, I have friends who use 5.56, 300 blk, and 243. None have had any issues.

[Grain_side_carving]

I love my .243 for deer but for how big they are here I could never trust a .223

[kennethhowell]

Here in Oregon a 223 is legal to hunt blacktail deer. It's all about "shot placement." I've taken blacktail deer with a 22Hornet and it hit him like a hammer.

[danwillis]

I shot a buck broadside right behind the front shoulder with a 25-06. The deer ran about 100 yards and laid down. It had to be finished off with a follow-up shot. We found that the bullet blew up on the near side and came to rest in the hind quarter on the far side. The 100 grain bullet was not constructed well enough for deer. When I switched to Barnes bullets, I was able to put the bullet through the near shoulder and pass through. Bullet Construction makes a huge difference.

[chrisb]

You Can hunt anything with varmint rounds, but that doesn’t mean you should! I’m of the school, I like my bullet to expand, drive through & break any bones, then exit with most of its energy dumped in the target.

[karloz]

220 Swift 52 grn
We are the same 270 is minimum caliber in aus for deer but I find the 220 hits harder and drops them just as fast as 270 and 300

[enigmaticgwichin]

I’ve noticed that hunters from the city to hunters in the small village I live in here in Alaska have a huge difference in what they need to put down game. In the city here it’s all about .375 H&H/.338 and in the village its .556 and 30-06. With people still shooting Caribou with 22mag. Shot placement is huge and just the larger amount of game taken successfully with smaller calibers here in the bush is something I see alot

[chadwilliams]

I use my .270 vs gophers works very well lmao

[DL-ijtf]

I saw a deer shot with a 50gr .223 varmint round from an AR that dropped it where it stood. When butchered the entire heart and lung area was liquid soup, probably the most devastating damage I've ever seen on a deer.

[paulmkz]

I think 60 grains and up should be a minimum for any deer bullet IMO. So yes small rifles can work but you need the right bullet and shud limit your shots to 150 yds and under.

[SteveEnke]

The 243 is the deer crippler of all time. For young hunters and women, the 708
Is much better for deer and hogs.

[TheTurbineEngineer]

I killed my hog with a .223 fmj (i messed up and packed the wrong magazine). I spent many, many hours getting my AR sighted in after buying my sub MOA barrel and it paid off. I stalked it, propped up on a tree and put it right behind her eye at 50 yards. She went down quick and painless.

[biginjun]

I've seen more deer shot with a .223 than just about anything. It's a wicked little bullet that'll do dramatic dastardly damage to a deers vitals. And my dad uses a 17 HMR. My brother shot his first deer with a 22 LR. It's not so much about the bullet as it is the shooter.

[JohnKendall-jerx]

The real question should be can you hunt with varmit bullets. I have had bullets blow up hitting grass before it got to the groundhog. All it did was pepper them. Not way should anyone hunt deer with these bullets. With the proper bullets the larger varmit rounds are marginal but can get the job done.

[Magnum_Express]

in my 20 some odd years of hunting ive seen deer downed with everything from 22 hornet, 223, 22-250 all the way up to 300 ultra mag. If it kills, it kills.Personally the weakest thing ive ever taken a deer with is a 30-30, and at times I've considered it a guaranteed deer dropper to barely adequate. Shot placement is everything.

[GunGuy]

.243 has never failed to put a deer down, unless you don't know shit about shooting!

[approachingtarget.]

I don't get it. Some of the laws don't make sense. Like the straight wall cartridge being banned for hunting. Can they just choose a minimum for energy on impact or something.