Whitetail hunting

[Snakebite]

What do ya'll think is the smallest caliber for a whitetail deer? Not everything in Texas is big, up here in central Texas a 100lb deer is about average (down south and out west they get a lot bigger). I have a .54 custom Hawken which I have no doubts about, but I'm having a .40 Southern Mtn flinter made. I was wondering if that might be enough considering fairly close range, say 75yds or so and what powder charge? Of course I'd work up a good acurate load, round ball only.

Chris

 

[Sharp Shooter]

I have shot 3 deer in Texas and they are not much bigger than my Greyhound. I saw a lot of guys using a 223cal so I think a 40cal would be just fine. How much doese a 40cal roundball weigh?

 

[roundball]

What do ya'll think is the smallest caliber for a whitetail deer? Not everything in Texas is big, up here in central Texas a 100lb deer is about average (down south and out west they get a lot bigger). I have a .54 custom Hawken which I have no doubts about, but I'm having a .40 Southern Mtn flinter made. I was wondering if that might be enough considering fairly close range, say 75yds or so and what powder charge? Of course I'd work up a good acurate load, round ball only.
Chris

Deer have been killed with .22 rimfires...that said, I personally think the 92grn .40cal ball is too light to go out deer hunting as a general rule.

I have a .40, but the smallest caliber I deer hunt with is the 128grn ball / .45cal...and then am not always as comfortable as I would be with a .50cal or bigger.

A .40cal is a beautiful target and small game rifle as far as I'm concened...but it is not a deer rifle...just my .02cents.

 

[bucktales]

Check your state regulations also. Here in Ct., .45 cal. is the minimum for deer.

 

[Rebel]

I wouldn't go smaller than .45 and would prefer a .50.

 

[lightsky]

UP HERE THE SMALLEST CAL PERMITTED IS .45,AND AT CLOSE AND MEDIUM RANGE IT'LL WORK FINE.
I SUPPOSE A .40 CAL WOULD WORK JUST AS WELL
,AS LONG AS YOU PICK YOUR SHOT.

 

[davy]

Check your state regulations also. Here in Ct., .45 cal. is the minimum for deer.

Too true .. I was under the impression here in Texas that law stated 45cal min .. but I could be wrong! Be sure & check BEFORE you do it ... them Texas Game Wardens are a prickly bunch! :hatsoff:

Davy

 

[Snakebite]

In Texas, deer and antelope may NOT be hunted with any rimfire ammunition of any caliber, other than that, any caliber is legal (no distintion between cartidge and BP calibers). (I just checked the TPWD website) My own personal opinion as far as cartridge rounds is that a .243 Win. is about the smallest I'd hunt deer with. And I normally hunt with an .8mm Mauser which I handload 150gr softpoints for, pushing about 2800 fps.
Back to the .40, thanks for the comments and they are pretty much what I figured, just didn't have any personal experience with one. When hunting with BP, I'll stay with my .54.

Thanks to all.
Chris

 

[mommicked]

I'll bet a .40 with a conical would be the berries. Read somewhere that BPCR Buff hunters swore by 'em. But this is a ML with roundball......I've never fired a .40, and I know you wanna do RB, but consider the conical?

 

[shmrck1]

Snakebite,
If the ,54 is what you are comfortable
with, then by all means stay with it.
snake-eyes:hatsoff:

 

[PreglerD]

I think it would be not very "deerfriendly" to make a sport out of lowering the caliber more and more especially when using a PRB. The effectivity of the PRB grows with its cal. and so weight.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I don't know that I'd be comfortable with a .40 for whitetail. In NY the minimum is .44 but that's for the big, sassy, survive-in-the-cold-when-food-is-under-12"-of-snow deer, so maybe on them little Texas deer what has sweat off all their body mass a .40 would be OK. :winking: