.204 ruger on a deer?

[giterdone]

I agree on trying to cut down the range by using a ground blind. Perhaps placing one near a funnel that the deer are using to get to the fields? Ethical shots are an individual decision, but for me I would try to get within the range I would be comfortable with using the .30-06. Always try to get closer, its why we call ourselves hunters.

[RedTwo]

Is there available cover to build a brush blind to cut the range down? 300yds is a long way. I've had groundhogs crawl 10yds with chest shots at that range with the 39gr BK's. Also be careful of riccochets.

not so much. it is open field on one side and then a drop off into the canyon on the other. they like to be right on that line...

[Mike]

There seem to really be two good options here:
1. Get a better deer hunting rifle that is capable of 300 yard shots
2. Hold out for closer shots with the current '06

There is no way that a 300 yard shot on a deer with a .204 is ethical. End of story.

[Jim White]

Folks,

Maybe I'm missing something here, but a 30.06 (with the appropiate round for the job should be more than enough rifle to bag a deer at 300 yards. Putting the bullet in the right spot, well, thats different...

[Mike]

Folks,

Maybe I'm missing something here, but a 30.06 (with the appropiate round for the job should be more than enough rifle to bag a deer at 300 yards. Putting the bullet in the right spot, well, thats different...

Jim, you're definitely missing something on this one. The original poster is talking about using his .204 to take deer at 300 yards, not the '06.

[Jim White]

Mike,

I was actually referring to:

Normally, i use a .30-06 for deer. It seems tho, that the deer always hang up 200-300 yards out. I mainly hunt in fields that border a canyon, so in the afternoon all the deer come up to munch on the grain. Seeing as how my .30-06 is a POS hand-me-down i have doubts about taking an animal that far.

and this;

And about my .30-06, i'm not saying it is worthless. I've killed all my other deer with this gun.

A 204 certainly would not be my 1st (nor 2nd or 3rd) choice for deer hunting.

Jim

[Mike]

Sorry about that, Jim. Now I understand what you were referring to.

[TONK]

I will give you my take on shooting big game animals! It was instilled in my hunting soul many decades ago, the ithics of a man who could be called a phophet of the this sport we all know as hunting. The animal first off is to be respected! Secondly, we should always give thanks for the harvest to the Almighty of all creation. Third, always use enough gun if not more than needed. These are things I have always tried to live by when hunting big game animals.

One can kill just about any big game animal with a .22LR if the head shot is placed properly and the hunter is close enough but that does not make a 22LR the proper caliber in the first place. Varmint and Predator caliber's are named such for a purpose. This is what they should be used on in my eyes and not for the "whim" of lets see if I can accomplish the task etc.

I personally believe the deer caliber starts with the .243 Winchester caliber, in skilled hands mind you using a good bullet. I say this because many young shooters start out that way with it's proper use under supervision no doubt. I have used the 25-06 for over 15 years, always picking the proper shot and using Nosler Partition bullets. In Texas and many other places, the .270 Winchester rules as KING killing deer, it's a magic wond for taking big mulie bucks out West. It has plenty of velocity, energy and bullet weight to get that job done in spades. Now days I use a 6.5/06 and it's a Jim Dandy for any type of deer with it's 140 grn bullet going 2830fps. I hope yall get my drift on big game animals!

[kenbrofox]

No comments either way.There are some hunters from Saubier that shoot whitetails with .17 cal. 30gr. bullets.Successfully,they say! regards,ken.

[Wrangler John]

Well, I'll comment, say I, as I tip back my Elmer Kieth style cowboy hat and shift my grip on the top fence rail preparing to expound wisdom from my storehouse of opinions about everything.

Don't do it!

The .204 Ruger ammo and bullets aren't designed for deer. Sure, it'd probably kill a little blacktail, and maybe your uncle Fred killed a six point muley with a .17 Remington. Heck, I killed 'em with the bumper of a '62 Ford Country Sedan, but that don't make it a deer rifle. You may remember that Parker Ackley fellow tried to convince us that .17 caliber had some mystical killing power based on hydrostatic shock or some such nonsense. But the bullet's gotta be heavy and tough enough to get inside and wreak some havoc before it can generate any shock. Ackley made his own bullets and the testing they did on condemned Army mules was with solid bronze lathe turned bullets (although that experiment was done with the .220 Swift IIRC). Same thing for the diminutive .204 caliber.

Now I would use a Barnes 62 or 70 grain TSX .224 bullet in a .22-250, on deer. In fact I see so many deer while sitting at my portable squirrel hunting bench, I was thinking about buying deer tags next year. Just a quick switch of cartridges and I'd take the shot. But I'm sitting at a solid benchrest with a custom varmint rifle capable of placing the bullet within a inch or less of any point on the critter. If I had the .257 Ackley out that day - well no question about it.

Barnes doesn't make a TSX bullet for the .204 caliber, and that's about the only bullet I'd try. Still, it would be a stunt. My suggestion is get a dual purpose varmint rifle, a .243 Winchester, maybe something like my new .243 WSSM, you get the idea. Personally, if I am going mainly deer hunting, I'd pick the .257 Ackley, 7mm Mauser, the 6.5x284 or my nice 7mm Magnum somewhere in the back row of the safe. I feel obligated to kill 'em quickly, DRT, DOA, mainly so they don't suffer and I don't have to track 'em down. On the other end, my completely wild Lithuanian hunting buddy shot a little blacktail deer with a .460 Weatherby, popped it like a ground squirrel. Don't do that either - unless you like eating venison through a straw.

[TONK]

I have been asked many times over the last 45 years of hunting, what I thought was the smallest caliber that should be used to hunt whitetail deer during the season with by hunters. I have stated that in my humble opinion, it is the .243 Winchester with a 100 grain bullet! I'll stick to my guns on this statement but I know many deer are poached with .22LR out of season. My favorite rifle for the woods hunting deer was a Ruger semi-auto in .44 mag!

[Snoplop]

Lets have a look at that 30-06! You have everyones attention, might be able to give ya some quick fix or pointers on turning that baby into a sniper rifle. Got my curiosity up. Don't give up on it yet. Post us an UGLY picture...I had one that was a hand-me-down a friend was ready to throw away. I don't know what yours looks like but I would put money on it that mine would win an ugly contest anywhere. Gave him 100 bucks for it & another friend that used to be a gunsmith asked if he could give it a once over. When I got it back people drooled over it. Shot sweet as anything I have ever laid my hands on afterwards. One of my buddies harrased me for years to sell it to him...man I miss that gun. Had a pile of em and couldnt justify why I wouldnt sell it and he just plain got lucky and caught me when I was feeling sorry for him. So come on. Post a picture! .204 on a deer? Come on dude. If I was starving and had no choice. Maybe..but show us your ought 6!

[WaltherP99]

I used a .22-250 with 60gr. partitions this year and it worked PERFECTLY.

I would still say no to the .204 though!

[savage12fv]

Bergcrane2 I wouldn't even if it was legal here in Michigan. I had a friend take a deer with a 22-250 and it ran off and hemorrhaged to death. Energy had no effect on the animal. I'll stick to my deer rifle.

so is a deer hemorrhageing to death un ethical. just wondering because that is how an animals dies with archery tackel. redtwo any centerfire can be used to hunt deer in missouri i can tell u it will kill deer there will not be a blood trail because of small entry hole and no exit. the three i shot this last season fell to 40 grain berger granted they were all shot under 100 yds. And had some trouble finding one with no bloodtrail. When i field dressed them the lungs where just jello. Im sure this will start some flames but its legal here and i wanted to play. They were all recoverd less than 75yds. U put it in the lungs it will kill it but at the risk of no blood trail and recovery might be tricky. I am not posting this to start flames with any one just telling redtwo of my hunt with the 204.

[Sam in Perth]

Ethics (like Values, Morals etc.) are a personal thing that everyone develops over time. The question that us hunters must answer is this. Is it acceptable to cause pain to the animals that we hunt?

For me it is not. Because of this I do not pull the trigger unless I am confident that a hit that will instantly kill.

The next question is this. Can you make hits on deer with a 204 that kill them instantly 100% of the time? Assuming you are prepared to stalk close enough and ensure perfect shot placement, does the 204 have sufficient penetration and energy to drop the animal on the spot? This is a technical question that I can't answer.

If your sense of ethics does not have a problem causing pain, and possibly agonising deaths, to your quarry you will face the same reactions (as you have already found on this forum) as others that have Ethics, Values or Morals that are different from the majority of their community.