Good Deer Rifle for 100-150 Yards?

[GOANRA]

I've taken many deer wtht shotguns and a .444 Marlin.

But, too many times I've just sat and watched while deer grazed in a field 300-400 yards away, for hours... then wandered off in another direction.



Too FRUSTRATING!! So I went and got a Rem 742 BDL 30-06 [semi] with a 4x12x50 scope.

Much better! Then I could watch deer grazing 800 yards away before wandering off.



Nothing like a good scope. LOL

[GOANRA]

In Nov 2010, I went & got a .Rem .300WinMag. At the end of the month deer season began.
I was already sitting by a treline in the dark. When sunrise came, it was about 8 minutes before a 250 lb buck jumped out of the woods about 75 yards from me.

Dropped him in 'one' shot with a 180 gr SP bullet. He fell on his face with his butt in the air immediately.
Went home, took a nap, and went back out & sat on my 5 gal pail at 2:57 p.m.
At 3:09 p.m., I saw a spikehorn looking at me from some cat-tails at about 90 yards, hit him in the chest. Found him where I hit him, also weighed at 250 lbs.

Two magnificent bucks within 20 minutes of hunting (got skunked the following year, though).
The .300Win Mag was NOT over-kill... neither deer was "overly-dead".

Both were clean, instant kills with zero meat loss.
How not to love a round that needs no compensation for range to 300 yards? Plus, NO Tracking a wounded, sufferng animal.

Just sighted it in last Sat, first round hit POA, so I called it a day.

[JustBen]

Got a button buck with my crossbow this year. Now looking forward to gun season starting tomorrow in the state I reside in. Only muzzle loaders and slug guns allowed here. I guess my Savage .243 sniper will have to wait for an out of state hunting trip.

[GOANRA]

JustBen, I used to have to use shotgun & slugs when I lived in the north, unless I drove far north for rifle zone, but fewer deer.
I used slug bbl with 3 inch sabot slugs & got my deer quota every year, if freezer had room.

I always wanted a 'rifled barrel' for my Moss 500, but never got one. I was good to about 125 yards with 24" smooth bore with rifle sights for a 4 inch group.
A Rifled barrel on shotgun + a muzzleloader barrel on Moss 500 would make for some fine deer hunting in wooded areas.

Crossbows weren't legal when I lived up that way... sounds difficult.