Are you planning your first deer hunting trip in Texas or are you a seasoned veteran? The Texas white-tailed deer is not overly large as a deer. Deer in the northern parts of the country and Canada tend to grow. Hunters in Texas are hurt with a prolific herd of deer that covers much of the state. Although deer are not very large, they do require certain size requirements. Anything 22 gauge or smaller is considered prohibited and illegal in the state. Larger caliber rifles tend to have harder bullets that won’t expand as easily as smaller calibers. I would not suggest the 416 Remington Magnum I used on a buffalo hunt several years ago as a good choice for deer-sized game.

Calibers from .243 Remington to .30 magnum are widely used here in the state. Magnums tend to be used more in the open field where long shots are considered the norm. The 30-06 is a very versatile option for any type of game. The 243 Remington is suitable but should only be used with 100-grain bullets. Any caliber that will cause a quick and humane kill is suitable for whitetail hunting. Shorter barrels are better suited to confined spaces, groves, game hideouts, and deep woods where vegetation can become a problem with longer barrels. In deep woods where shots aren’t too long, the lever action with its associated calibers will fill the bill quite nicely. The Winchester 30-30 with a 170-grain bullet works like lightning on deer. My personal favorite is a 45-70 that I hand charge up to around 2000fps. I use a hollow point which has given me nothing but complete satisfaction. I usually find the spent bullet against the deer skin. He uses all of his stored energy inside the deer where it will do the most good. The entrails of a deer are usually reduced to confetti-sized material with this round.

I have used the 243 to punch fist sized holes in deer. This limits your activities and stops follow-up work that might have to be done at night. The 35 Remington is more dramatic on deer than the 30-30. The 30-06 or its cousin the 308 with 150 and 180 grain bullets tends to quickly close out a hunting situation. I like the lever action calibers that use blunt point bullets. You don’t need special deer bullets, except to use in the big magnums. You need hard bullets at the speed some of these calibers can achieve.

I have a 30-378 Weatherby magnum in which I only use Barnes x and Nosler bullets in hunting situations. I have shot deer with this caliber at extreme ranges. The rifle and caliber combo works well in conjunction with its 6×20 component scope. You have to match the conditions with your choice of caliber. A rifle that works wonderfully at long range would not necessarily be the right choice for deep woods.

Handguns for hunting have become very popular in recent years. Most single shots like Contender and Encore in correct calibers will do the job just fine. The 44 magnum, 45 colt, 454 casull and the new Smith and Wesson pistols hit the mark. The 460 Smith and Wesson with its great engineering and radical bullets will shoot as good as a rifle out to about 200 yards.

Match the right caliber to your hunting style. Resist the urge to make yourself too big of a boomer. You won’t be able to shoot as accurately as with a smaller caliber and you may have a habit of flinching with each shot. This habit does nothing at all to improve your accuracy. Long ago, African hunters realized that a heavy bullet traveling at around 2,400 fps was the best medicine for the tasks at hand. A light, fast bullet at close range tended to burst and tear the skin with little internal damage to the animal. Enjoy your sport and stay safe with your firearms. Following these guidelines will allow an increasing number of hunters to participate in this ritual year after year.