Whitetail Deer Hunting
 

I am new to deer hunting and want to get a rifle, I have been researching rifles, just curious if the 375 H&H or the 458 Win mag would be a good choice for an ethical kill, would this gun also be effective on wild hogs?

Does anyone have any experience with either of these calibers?

Thanks in advance!

IMHO, you're overgun and the recoil will beat you up. Now, if you want to hunt a water buffalo or grisly bear, they're fine.

Most Deer hunters use smaller rifles. Something between a .243 and .30 cal. are commonly used. The mag cal. rifles are not needed to kill a whitetail deer.

I shoot a .243 cal bolt action rifle. Hunting is all about taking good shots and hitting your mark.

Yes, I agree......

You can drop a rhino with those rifles! .308, 270, 30-06, 30-30 would be more than enough.

if you like your pork well done yes. cant go wrong with 270 or 30-06.

I love my ruger 270 bolt action. Never let me down. I agree with less gun and precise shot. Just cause they don't drop don't mean there not dead. Now I will say to make a great shot you need a great scope but that's another story.

Those are way to big for whitetails. I shoot a 270 and have dropped some large hogs and deer no prob. Just need to put the round in the right spot.

This! But if you want a just about do all rifle, go with 30-06. Many different bullet weights for this gun and you can kill anything in North America with it.

I really appreciate the info, I do not have any knowledge of shooting a deer, but many have mentioned a very strong rifle is needed.

It seems a 7 mm or a 30-06 may be the firearm of choice.

Thanks to everyone for the information

I highly recommend you shoot the rifles in the calibers in which you're interested. Don't dismiss my comment about recoil. If you're confortable with the rifle caliber you will practice more and become a betters shot. Even a milder recoiler like the .38-55, .243, .270, etc. can readily take down a deer. There aren't too many shots you'll take in LA beyond 200-300yds. A .270 can take most game in North America except for moose, elk, brown bear. I met a man at the range shooting a .30-30 Winchester lever-action; with iron sights at 100yds he put most of us to shame! I also met a man at Sherbourne WMR with a 7mm Magnum that handed the rifle off to one of us other shooters asking us to sight it in because the recoil was beating him up.

You can take Elk wit a .270 and you can take moose and brown bear wit a 30-06.

check into a 7mm ultra mag, ballistics on this round are awesome, i shoot a 270wsm wish i would have known about the 7mm ultra mag before i bought my gun

This is a ford vs chevy debate. In most of Louisiana, your shots will be less than 100 yards. Any gun from a .243 up to a .308 is perfect here. Not much since getting an 'ultra magnum' to shoot an animal at less than 100 yards and weighs less than 200 lbs. One thing is you want to be comfortable with the gun, too many people buy these large calibers and don't like shooting them because they kick too much. The only way to get comfortable is to shoot it often, my wife and I both shoot 7mm-08 and love the caliber. Flat shooting, knocks em down, and very little recoil. I would suggest a popular caliber just in case you run out of bullets and have to run to the store. The chances are much better that the local store has 30-06 bullets than 7mm Ultra Mag or .270 super heavy magnum weatherby blahblah:)

I am beginin to gather that a 400-500 grain bullet may be to much for whitetail deer. Seems a 243 270 308 and 30-06 are popular.

4x4
 

lol i drive a chevy cause i want to make it where i need to go and get back home, yeah it has 4wd, not cause i need it but just in case it is there when i do, same thing with a gun, there is going to be a day(been there) that you will need to reach past 100yards, even when you are hunting in the swamp, if you only hunt one area sure get that particular gun, but not to many people only hunt one area, there are many places to hunt in la that you can make longer shots, and one day when you are ready to go somewhere else, it is better to have a more versitile gun, and as far as the round being to big, whats the difference between a 150grain 30-30, and a 150grain 7mag, but in the end you get one is best suited for you:)

Any rifle above .223 has plenty of knockdown power up to and beyond 300 yards. Military snipers use a .308 and shoot 1000 yards accurately. The M-16 is only a .223, and has knocked down its share of things around 200 lbs out to 500 yards;)

i've been shooting a .270 WSM for the last year... 2 for 2 and they dropped right where they were standing. i'm not even thinking about another gun!

270 wsm here too. Have shot plenty hogs and deer and they either drop or don't run but ten yards. Whatever caliber u chose shoot a few diff brand bullets till u find the one that shoots the best.

Some of us hunt other places in this country besides Louisiana. If you are going to purchase a rifle, why not get one that will work if you decide to go on an elk hunt in 10 years? A .243 will not suffice. And, if you run out of bullets on a hunt, well, you are a dumba$$.

I shoot a 300 WSM. Have killed elk, mule deer, axis, whitetail, hogs, coyotes with it from 25 yards to 400 yards and they never go far. Most drop where they stand. I don't like to trail em. :smokin:

He was axing bout whitetails in Louisiana though.

Why not buy a .458 in case he wants to go to Africa?

.30-06 should cover all your bases.

I would like see someone shoot a .458 or .375 out of a climber!!!

x2 :D

He was "axing" bout whitetails hahahaha then he doesn't need a gun if he has and ax

haha, good point!:work:

Are all rifle cartridges legal in LA? In Indiana the only rifle cartridges that are legal are the 'cowboy' rifle cartridges. Most people shoot slugs out of a shotgun with a rifled barrel or a muzzle loader, which there has a separate season of its own at the end of the year.

Here is a couple of videos of guys shooting a full auto .458...

.458 SOCOM is not the same as the .458 Win. or Weatherby Magnums. BIG difference.

I didn't realize there was another .458, but I'm guessing it is an elephant-type rifle?

7mm mag will kill anything in north america..

Rifle
 

I have shot the same bolt action 30-06, 150 grain ammo for 39 years. Killed from 15 yds to 365 yds, no problem. Shot placement counts. Ammo can be bought anywhere. I do recommend bolt action, more accurate than auto's. As said, most shots in Louisiana are less than 100 yds, but can be used elsewhere out to 400 yds if you know the drop of bullet.

30-30 or 44mag here. Open sights. No need for that high dollar scope with these.

I used to shoot a 30/30 150 grain corelokts and up to 100-150 they are deadly but over 200 it wasn't as accurate so I bought a 270 wsm and shooting a 150 grain corelokt in it and it does work son... I killed 3 deer this yr and not one took a step.. The impact is impeccable I will shoot this gun for the rest of my life... Savage arms with the accutrigger is top notch

Scopes I have a Nikon pro staff inexpensive and nice scopes especially for the money