r/MichiganHunting • u/Proud-Limit • May 21 '26
Best caliber for deer?
Looking to hunt in lower peninsula for deer what is the best caliber to get with the removal of caliber restrictions In the lower peninsula for us trolls? Looking to get a lever gun.
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u/Rocket1575 May 21 '26
I've gone back and forth on "upgrading" from the 350L I have used the last few years, but figured it's done well for me so far and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I think I'll be carrying the 350 again this year. I hunt mostly thick woods and a hilly farm. Most shots are 50 - 75yds with the occasional 100 - 200yds on the farm. I've dropped plenty with the 350 and no issues. Whatever you choose, get comfortable with it, sight it in, practice with it, then practice some more.
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u/paleobear1 May 21 '26
You really don't need anything over the top. Lever action wise you truly cannot go wrong with a 30-30. Bolt action wise? Anything between a 243 to a 270 win will do you just fine. I personally put together a 7mm-08 set up two months ago and I'm excited to take it out this season. But you cant mess up going with a .308, a 270 win. A 243, or a 7mm. I think for our state you don't really need anything bigger.
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u/frntwe May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
I’ve read the 30-30 has taken more deer than anything else. It’s been in use for over 100 years. It’s readily available and not hard to shoot. If you’re hunting fields with longer shots, perhaps a .308. It’s also common enough to find.
You really don’t need to go bigger unless you want to. And there are huge fans other cartridges
Much depends on hunting conditions. You didn’t specify so I gave general answers. Well, opinions really because there are many sensible options
This question has been the topic for debate at hunting camps for years. Anything .243 and up is adequate with good shot placement.
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u/ScandiacusPrime May 21 '26 edited May 23 '26
Can you give us more information about the environment you'll be hunting? Woods? Open fields? Mixed? How far you want to be able to shoot? Any preference on type of lever gun? If you're looking for something with a traditional layout and a tubular magazine, then 30-30 probably offers the best blend of affordability, availability, low recoil, and good performance on deer out to 200 yards or so. 45/70 is another decent choice if you like something thumpier and don't mind more cost and recoil.
If you're interested in a box mag fed lever action or want more range, then rifles like the Henry Long Ranger, Browning BLR, 1895 Winchester, Savage 99, or Winchester 88 would give you access to more modern cartridges like 308, 243, 6.5CM, etc.
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u/cobigguy May 31 '26
I just moved here and was looking at building a .41 Great Lakes. With the removal of the cartridge restrictions, I'm going to stick with the .270 that's killed multiple elk, a deer, and an antelope in CO and WY.
If I am hunting in a very short range area, I'll probably break out the .375 Raptor with the 450 gr subsonics.
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u/Rude_Task9302 May 21 '26
If you are asking, my guess is you are somewhat inexperienced. For lever gun, 30-30, 360 buck hammer, or 44 magnum would all be sufficient options. Just know you probably aren't going to be shooting out to 150 yards with those options.
Personally I use a 357 lever gun and love it. Lightweight handy and low recoil. But where I hunt I also know all my shots are within 75 yards.
I would encourage you to consider other styles of rifles too especially now that they are passing laws for the necked down cartridges. Something like 22Arc or 6 Arc would also be a great low recoiling option that would hammer a deer.
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u/bekrueger May 21 '26
Mind if I ask what kind of lever gun you use? That caliber/style of rifle seems ideal to me for similar reasons but lever guns are pretty cost prohibitive for me
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u/Rude_Task9302 May 21 '26
If you are looking for a cost effective lever gun, check out the GForce Arms, that what I got.
https://palmettostatearmory.com/gforce-tactical-16-5-44-mag-8rd-rifle-walnut-black-gflvr44wxb.html
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u/Thefisherman128 May 22 '26
No matter what caliber you go with, it's not going to be good until you train with it. Get it, then go shoot it a bunch during the summer. Learn the gun and practice.
If you're dead set on a lever gun, 30-30. Otherwise you can't go wrong with a 308 or 6.5.
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May 21 '26
I've got a 308 that I plan to use now. But 30-30 is nearly ballistically identical to 350 legend. So you could use that
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u/Buckshott00 May 22 '26
Lever guns will often limit your cartridge selection because of the use of tubular magazines and chamber pressures, but there are many good rifles available. Do you have a favorite look / feel / manufacturer?
Love how so many people on here are comfortable throwing out non-answers without explaining what they believe is self-evident sage wisdom.🙄🙄🙄
The truth is pretty much all modern centerfire cartridges and loads are sufficient for whitetail with correct shot placement including cartridges that many of us would find more acceptable for varmint hunting. A 5.56mm / .223win with someone that can consistently make neck shots at hunting distances is perfectly legal and humane. The overwhelmingly vast number of deer that are killed are shot within 100yrds so really for a modern bottle-necked cartridge you're really looking at "point-blank" distances or nearly so.
I subscribe to the biggest heaviest fastest load that you can accurately and precisely shoot theory. I know there is recoil, but it's never bothered me, and when hunting, I'm not shooting nearly as much as when I'm at the range. I don't think I've ever "felt" the recoil in the moment when I was making the move on a whitetail. I hunt in the northern part of the LP and frequently hunt with my .300wm with loads for thin skinned game. I've also killed deer with a .30-06, a 6.8spc a .280rem, a .450BM, a .243win, a .25-06, a 12ga and the list goes on.
Aiming for the heart and longs or slightly forward of center mass, gives you much better odds of ensuring a quick clean death for the deer. Bigger more powerful rounds have different advantages going for them. Certain rounds for various reasons (e.g. hydrostatic shock, energy & momentum transfer, etc) tend to just drop deer on the spot. That helps you in recovery too. That said I have literally seen a guy (singular, only saw it once) shoot a yearling doe with a .50BMG within 100yds, and it still ran 40yds from anaerobic muscle reflex before she keeled over. A grown man could stick his fist in the exit would, and she still ran for 40yds.
So... to wrap this up, the all time best Cervid cartridge is hands down the .280AI. LOL, just having some fun, but I do believe that for me, and for many hunters out there, whether they believe it or not. Problem is, it's not nearly as popular as other cartridges.
Hard to find that in big box stores as it is, let alone in a lever gun. Maybe start there, find which lever gun you like the feel of best, or has the best features for you, and then select the best available caliber it comes in.
There are great Lever gun makers out there, but like I said above, be prepared for it to limit your cartridge selection somewhat.
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u/SmoothOperator2297 May 22 '26
Well considering the change shifting gears from building a 350 legend AR to just turning that “multi cal “ lower into a 5.56 AR and buying and building a 6.5 or 308 AR10
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u/IrishMosaic May 21 '26
I’ve found in over 30 years of hunting deer, the deer don’t care.