“deer rifle”

Want to fire up your deer camp? Start a discussion about religion, politics—or deer cartridges. Bob Robb gives you the criterion for making your case this fall.

Undoubtedly, North America’s most popular game animal is the whitetail deer, but globally (and running a close second here at home) is the feral hog. Not unlike the whitetail, they are hunted with a wide array of calibers and bullets, and what works for one hunter might not be the choice of the other.

Hornady gives the 7-30 Waters a new lease on life by adding it in their popular LeveRevolution line.

Admittedly, in the final analysis, cost and availability are not big factors in my deer hunting cartridge selection. But they are factored into the equation.

Myth: You must handload to get the maximum performance out of your hunting gun.

Here’s a look at a dozen deer cartridges you more than likely haven’t hunted with, but your grandfather (or great grandfather) loved.

Selecting a cartridge that will not kick you like a mule is an important, if sometimes overlooked, part of selecting the ideal deer cartridge.

In all big-game hunting, the person that can put his or her first shot on the money time after time is the one that will consistently fill a tag.

Most of us who think we are serious shooters have a dirty little secret: We do not shoot enough. We talk about it and make a lot of grandiose plans but maybe spend a few hours on the bench all summer. We need a better reason to get out there and shoot, something that will get us off that bench and away from the air conditioning. Deer hunters, I present to you the lowly groundhog.