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New Insight into the Seven Most Popular Deer Hunting Cartridges in North America
Which Cartridge is Best for Your Needs?  This is an old subject that has been talked to death. So much has been written on the “best” deer hunting cartridges, what more needs to be said? After a fair amount of research and a bit of number crunching, I am hopeful that I am bringing something new to the discussion. Being a retired scientist, I’ve applied a somewhat scientific approach and developed unique side-by-side comparison tables (below) of the seven most popular deer hunting cartridges, plus a comprehensive analysis. While the most popular “deer” hunting cartridges are not the same as the most popular “elk” hunting cartridges, there is an overlap. Most of these seven cartridges are quite capable of taking down elk, moose and other very large deer. As a result, I’ve assessed these seven cartridges’ suitability for hunting both medium game/deer and large game/elk. The seven cartridges I selected are:
My selection was partially an educated guess. Arguments can be made to replace some of these cartridges with others. Also, "most popular" does not necessarily mean "best." There are many other good to excellent deer hunting cartridges that could be better for your particular hunting needs. As a side note, if I were to make this comparison among the ten most popular cartridges, I would have added the 300 Win Mag (very popular for hunting elk and the largest deer, despite its heavy recoil), the 270 WSM (improved performance over the venerable 270 Win, except with slightly more recoil, a louder discharge, shorter barrel life, and fewer ammunition choices), and the 7mm-08 Rem (could be the best all-around medium game cartridge, but just falls short of the top seven in terms of popularity). To be objective, I’ve evaluated these seven cartridges using the same criteria in order to “compare apples with apples.” But before getting into the comparison, it’s important to explain my criteria, their limitations and my assumptions. I have also explained, in some detail, how different killing power methods and a rifle’s recoil are calculated. It’s essential to keep in mind that deer range in size from small white tail deer or pronghorn, weighing under 100 pounds, to the largest Roosevelt elk and moose weighing in excess of 1,500 pounds. Deer are shot at ranges from well under 50 yards to well beyond 300 yards, and in all types of field conditions. Further, hunters vary greatly in terms of their hunting skill, shooting marksmanship and recoil tolerance. With such variability, clearly there is no single ideal cartridge or cartridge for all hunters and all hunting scenarios. Thus, this article is intended to help you identify which one is best for your particular needs. Representative Loads. To keep my comparison manageable, I selected just one representative factory load for each of the seven cartridges. In all cases, I chose a load that is highly versatile, with a bullet optimized for long-range hunting, but which should also serve well for short and medium ranges. I clearly admit that my choice was a compromise and may be less than ideal for some hunting situations. But I had to choose something to make a comparative evaluation. The bullet I chose for all of the representative loads was Hornady’s ELD-X bullet, except for the 30-30 Win. I’m not aware of an ELD-X factory load for the 30-30, so I chose the Fusion Soft Point because it has a relatively high ballistic coefficient (BC), and therefore a longer-range potential compared to other 30-30 bullets. For all cartridges, Federal Premium ammo was chosen for convenience. That’s because I used their excellent and easy to use online ballistic calculator to compare the ballistics of the various cartridges and loads. Here’s my representative load selection for each cartridge:
Ballistics. I decided to compare cartridge/load ballistics (velocity, energy, bullet drop and wind drift) at four different ranges: 100, 200, 300 and 400 yards. These values (shown in Tables 1 through 4, below) were taken from Federal’s online ballistic calculator. The 100 yards choice was a no-brainer because most deer are shot between 50 and 150 yards. I selected 200 yards as the “normal maximum” range for deer hunting and representative of 150 to 250 yards. 300 yards was chosen because it is typically the range limit for most hunters. Approaching 300 yards and beyond, it becomes increasingly more difficult to ensure accurate shot placement in a vital zone for a quick kill. A wounded animal that can’t be tracked and suffers a long lingering death is something to be avoided. However, longer distance hunting can make sense if the shooter is an exceptional marksman, field conditions are favorable, and the shooter’s equipment is up to the task. I consider 400 yards the absolute maximum range for deer hunting and included ballistics at that range too. Killing Power. Like ballistics, I presented killing power values at 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards. But assessing killing power can be difficult. One reason is because there are important factors that cannot be quantitatively measured, but affect a hunter’s ability to make a quick humane kill. These include:
But what we can quantitatively measure with reasonable accuracy is a bullet’s velocity and energy at any range. We also know the bullet’s weight and diameter (which are fixed), and so we can use that to calculate a bullet’s cross-sectional area and sectional density. That information can be used (all or parts) to estimate killing power at any range. But estimating killing power is somewhat controversial because there are multiple methods (formulas/equations), and sometimes these methods don’t agree. Thus, I decided to present killing power for three popular methods, and compare their differences at 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards. But first a note about “killing power.” Years ago, I read books by African professional hunter, Peter Hathaway Capstick. In one of his books, he described how he responded to a challenge and killed a full-grown African elephant with a single shot from a 22 LR rimfire. If I recall correctly, he shot it behind the ear, in an artery. The animal bled to death several hours later. The point of this story is that almost any cartridge is capable of killing almost any animal. But in the context of deer hunting, “killing power” refers to a cartridge/load’s ability to kill humanely and relatively quickly, assuming a well-placed shot. Selecting Killing Power Methods. One method, which had a decent following in the past, is the Optimum Game Weight (OGW) equation [OGW = (V³ * W²) * 1.5 * 10⁻¹²]. It was created by Edward Matunas (1921-2015) in the 1990s and estimates the weight (in pounds) of a game animal that can be humanely killed based on a bullet’s velocity and weight. But the OGW values for very large game (moose and larger elk) seemed unrealistically low to me, so I decided not to use the OGW method. Another historically popular formula was the Taylor Knock-Out Factor, or KO [KO = W * V * D/7000]. It uses bullet weight, velocity and bullet diameter to estimate the effectiveness of a bullet to quickly stop (knock out) game. It was developed by John “Pondoro” Taylor (1904-1969) in the mid-20th century for stopping dangerous African game using solid, non-expanding bullets. But since deer hunting relies on expanding bullets (albeit at different rates of expansion), I decided not to use the KO formula either. Instead, I chose three other methods. Method 1 - Energy. Energy is the most commonly used method. It is simply the energy of a bullet in foot pounds. You can find energy for various cartridges on published ballistic tables, ballistics apps, and online calculators. Compared to other methods, the energy method puts greater importance on a bullet’s velocity to estimate killing power. A bullet’s energy, at any range, is calculated by: E= W * V2/450,240, where: E = Bullet energy in foot pounds W = Weight of the bullet in grains V = Velocity of the bullet in feet/sec 450,240 = Conversion factor derived from the gravitational constant and the conversion of pounds to grains. But how do you relate a bullet’s energy to killing power? Many hunters rely on the guidelines developed by General Townsend Whelen (1877-1961), a notable hunter and soldier. His guidelines rely on a bullet’s energy alone to estimate killing power, and may have been augmented somewhat over the years to these criteria used today:
Method 2 - HITS. The second formula I used is the Hornady Index of Terminal Standards or HITS. Compared to other methods, HITS puts greater importance on a bullet’s weight and diameter to estimate killing power. The formula is: HITS = (W2 / 7000) * (V/D2) * 1/100, where: HITS = Hornady Index of Terminal Standards W = Weight of the bullet in grains V = Impact velocity of the bullet in feet per second D = Diameter of the bullet in inches This formula seems to have disappeared from Hornady’s website, but in the past, Hornady had associated a HITS score with Hornaday’s game classification system, with these recommendations:
Common sense would suggest that a HITS score in the 500s is marginal for medium game/deer, while a HITS score in the 900s is marginal for large game/elk. Method 3 - KPS. The third formula I used was the Killing Power Score or KPS. Compared to other methods, KPS puts greater importance on a bullet’s concentrated mass (sectional density) and diameter to estimate killing power. It was developed in 2005 by Chuck Hawks (1945-2021), who was the founder and managing editor of Guns and Shooting Online. The formula is: KPS = E x SD x A, where: KPS = Killing Power Score E = Impact energy of the bullet in foot pounds SD = Bullet’s sectional density A = Cross-sectional area of the bullet in square inches Sectional Density (SD) is the ratio of a bullet's weight, in pounds, to the square of its diameter. It is calculated by SD = (W/7000)/D2, where: SD = Sectional density W = Bullet weight in grains D = Bullet diameter in inches The cross-sectional area of a bullet (A) is calculated by: π × (D/2)2, where: A = Bullet cross-sectional area π = A circle’s mathematical constant, rounded off to 3.14 D = Bullet diameter in inches Chuck related his KPS scores with a game classification system similar to that used by Hornady, where:
For this article, we are interested in KPS as it relates to Class 2 and 3 game. Chuck Hawks provided some general guidelines for this, which were later augmented by Gary Zinn, another editor for Guns and Shooting Online. The following is my attempt to logically combine the guidelines by Chuck and Gary to arrive at the following based on KPS score:
Recoil. A rifle’s recoil is an important consideration in cartridge selection and should not be overlooked. Shooters perceive recoil differently. Some people are relatively insensitive to its effects and can shoot lightweight, heavy-recoiling magnum cartridges without it effecting their accuracy. But those folks are in the minority. Felt recoil is influenced by a number of factors besides the cartridge and load. These include: the total weight of the rifle (most important); shooting position; stock design; and any recoil-reducing aids such as recoil pads and muzzle breaks. For most shooters, at some increasing level of recoil, flinching occurs, which adversely affects accurate shooting. For many adults, flinching can start at around 15 ft-lb of recoil. When recoil approaches 25 ft-lb and beyond, it can be difficult for even highly experienced shooters to not suffer accuracy degradation. Having a more powerful, heavier recoiling cartridge/load cannot compensate for poor accuracy. It’s far better to hit a deer in a vital zone with a 6.5 Creedmoor than to wound it in the stomach with a 7mm Rem Mag, after which the animal eludes tracking and dies a prolonged painful death in the bush. Even if shooting a heavy recoiling rifle does not noticeably affect accuracy, for most shooters, it is not a pleasant experience. Why endure the pounding if you don’t need to? Even though we cannot measure how recoil is perceived by an individual shooter, we can still quantify it. Recoil is energy. That recoil energy, often called “free recoil”, is measured in foot pounds, just like the energy of a bullet. Free recoil increases, or decreases, in proportion to the total weight of the firearm. Total weight includes the combined weight of the rifle, scope, ammo and any accessories. Having a heavier rifle can result in noticeable less felt recoil. For that reason, in Table 1 (below) I have provided the free recoil values for two rifle weights (7.5 pounds and 9.5 pounds) for each cartridge. They represent typical total rifle weights for lightweight and heavier weight deer hunting rifles. For hunters who are sensitive to recoil, it might be best to think twice before investing in a super lightweight mountain hunting rig. Calculating Recoil. The calculation of free recoil involves three separate equations. Equation 1 calculates recoil impulse, which is a measurement of the momentum produced by a cartridge, independent of the firearm. That equation is: I = (Wb*Vb + Wc*Vc)/225,400, where: I = Recoil impulse (Ib-sec) Wb = Bullet weight (grains) Vb = Muzzle velocity of bullet (fps) Wc = Weight of powder charge (grains – I made educated assumptions for these factory loads) Vc = Velocity of powder gasses (fps); usually 4,000 is used 225,400 = unit conversion factor
Equation 2 calculates the recoil velocity of the firearm. It’s a measurement of how fast the recoil occurs, reflecting the sharpness/harshness of the recoil, but not the total energy of the recoil. That equation is: Vg = 32.2*I/Wg, where: Vg = Recoil velocity of firearm 32.2 = Acceleration of gravity, used to convert weight to mass I = Recoil impulse (from Equation 1) Wg = Total weight of the firearm Equation 3 calculates the rifle’s free recoil. It’s the final result and is used to compare the recoil of a firearm shooting a particular cartridge and load. Those values are shown in Table 1. The free recoil equation is: E= Wg*(Vg)2/64.4, where: E = Free recoil energy (ft Ibs) Wg = Weight of the firearm (lbs) Vg = Recoil velocity (from Equation 2) 64.4 = Factor to convert energy units to foot-pounds. Comparison Tables. A detailed comparison of the seven cartridges, applying the above criteria, are presented for 100, 200, 200, and 400 yards, below (Tables 1 through 4). Table 1 also includes rifle recoil.
Overall Comparison and Suggestions. The above tables reveal where these seven cartridges differ significantly, and where they don’t, in terms of recoil, bullet drop, wind drift, and killing power. Recoil. The vast majority of adult shooters should have no problem with the recoil of the 30-30 Win and 243 Win, some might with the 6.5 CM, and a few more with the 270 Win and 308 Win, especially in lighter rifles. The recoil of the 30-06 is a step up and is likely intolerable for most adult shooters with lighter rifles, and the 7mm Rem Mag recoil may be intolerable for most adult shooters, even with heavier rifles. To determine the best deer rifle for you, I think the first step should be to assess your recoil tolerance, especially if you ever plan to use that rifle to hunt large game/elk. For example, if you have dreams of hunting trophy elk, but are flinching while shooting a 270 Win in a heavy rifle (even with practice and training), you should try a slightly less powerful rifle, like the 6.5 CM. If you find that you can shoot the Creedmoor without flinching and accuracy degradation, that cartridge should be fine for hunting large elk out to 200 yards, but probably not at 300 yards (see Tables 2 and 3, Game Suitability). I was surprised to learn that at 200 and 300 yards, the killing power scores (Energy, HITS and KPS) of the 270 Win and 6.5 CM are fairly close (likely due to the remarkable 0.625 ballistic coefficient of the 6.5 mm, 143 grain ELD-X bullet). Ballistics. Another interesting observation is that bullet drop and wind drift are remarkably similar among six of the seven cartridges (30-30 Win excluded) out to 300 yards, which is a reasonable range limit for most hunting. From Table 3, and assuming a 200 yard zero, the bullet drop at 300 yards varies from -6.1 for the 243 Win to -8.8 for the 308 Win. That’s only a 2.7-inch difference. At that same distance, 10 mph wind drift varies from 4.5 inches for the 7mm Rem Mag to 6.5 inches for the 243 Win, which is only a 2-inch difference. By comparison, the 30-30 Win bullet drop and wind drift at 300 yards is quite poor: -15.6 (200 yd 0) and 15.1 inches, respectively. But the practical range limit for the 30-30 Win is around 150 yards (or a little more), so the data tables for 300 and 400 yards really don’t apply to that cartridge. Killing Power. While bullet drop and wind drift are similar out to 300 yards for six of the seven cartridges, killing power is not. For example, at 300-yards, the HITS and KPS scores for the 6.5 CM, 270 Win and 308 Win are roughly comparable. But they are all about double that of the 243 Win: a clear jump up in power level. The killing power of the 30-06 is a little more than the 6.5 CM, 270 Win and 308 Win, while the 7mm Rem is a little more than the 30-06. The three killing power methods always don’t agree, especially when comparing cartridges with relatively heavier slow-moving bullets to those with light fast moving bullets. This is best illustrated by comparing the scores (and resulting game suitability) between the 30-30 Win and the 243 Win. For example, at 100 yards (Table 1), the killing power measured in energy for the 243 Win is superior: 18% greater than the 30-30 Win. But the 243 Win HITS and KPS scores are inferior: 33% and 38% lower than the 30-30 Win, respectively. So while the HITS and KPS scores are in rough agreement, they dramatically conflict with the Townsend Whelen-based killing power method, which is based on energy alone. So, is the 30-30 Win or the 243 Win more effective at killing medium game/deer killer at 100 yards? It’s hard to know. The energy method puts more importance on bullet velocity, while the HITS method puts more importance on bullet weight and diameter, while the KPS method puts more importance on a bullet’s concentrated mass (sectional density) and diameter. It’s possible that recent advancements in bullet design are doing a better job to improve the performance of smaller and faster moving bullets, like from a 243 Win, to optimize bullet expansion (which increases bullet diameter), bullet penetration, and ensure a more complete transfer of a bullet’s energy into the game animal. But bullet performance, once it hits an animal’s hide is still fraught with unknowns. Thus, having a slower and heavier bullet, like from a 30-30 Win, may result in more predictable killing power performance. But for the remaining five cartridges (6.5 CM, 270 Win, 308 Wi, 30-06, 7m Rem Mag), the three killing power methods are, more or less, in agreement. That’s because these five cartridges (with their representative cartridges) all fire relatively medium weight, medium diameter, and medium velocity bullets. Therefore, there is less killing power method bias favoring bullet velocity versus bullet weight/diameter. Cartridge by Cartridge Observations and Recommendations. 30-30 Winchester. This western classic has a trajectory like a rainbow, catches wind like a sailboat, and its slow-moving bullet has the lowest energy of all seven cartridges. Yet the 30-30 has probably killed more deer than any other cartridge. This is partially because it has been around the longest (since 1895), but also because it is ideally suited for hunting medium game out to around 150 yards. It has relatively low recoil and comes in handy, cool looking, fast-handling, fast-repeating lever action carbines, like the Winchester Model 1894 and Marlin 336. One of these rifles with a 2-7x scope is hard to beat in whitetail country. The 30-30 Win is an excellent choice assuming your hunting is limited to medium game/deer at ranges out to 150 yards, and maybe a little beyond. This cartridge is not recommended for large game/elk, based on game suitability scores, even though historically it was used for that purpose. 243 Winchester. Introduced in 1955, this necked-down 308 Win is kind of an enigma. Depending on whether you place more faith in energy versus HITS or KPS scores, the 243 Win is either the best lower recoiling medium game cartridge (superior to the 30-30 Win), or it’s just marginally adequate. Regardless, the 243 Win has a lot going for it. It has the lowest recoil among the seven cartridges and is thus ideal for youths or adult hunters who are especially sensitive to recoil. It also has the flattest trajectory of the seven cartridges out to 400 yards (just edging out the 7mm Rem Mag). But what is the practical range limit for shooting medium game/deer with it? If you trust General Townsend Whelen’s energy-based guidelines, that range is 300 yards (and marginally out to 400 yards). But if you have more confidence in the KPS and HITS methods, the 243 Win range is limited to 200 yards and 100 yards, respectively. Quite a difference. Despite these killing power deviations, the flat-shooting 243 Win remains a very popular medium game/deer hunting cartridge out to about 300 yards. It is ideal for smaller deer (under 150 pounds), such as pronghorn and lightweight whitetails, out to that range. It is also a dual-purpose cartridge because it excels at long-range varmint hunting. But the little cartridge should not be used to hunt large game/elk at any range. 6.5 Creedmoor. This newcomer is arguably the best mild recoiling cartridge for long-range hunting of medium game/deer. It is also an outstanding long-range competitive target shooting cartridge. Since it was released on the market in 2008, it has become wildly popular, somewhat ironically because ballistically it is almost identical to the 260 Rem, which never had much of a following. But the 6.5 CM has a slightly longer neck, allowing it to handle longer and heavier bullets that have superior ballistic coefficients, thus conserving its velocity and energy at longer ranges. It has plenty of killing power, a flat trajectory and good wind-resistance to harvest deer weighing up to 300 pounds out to 400 yards. It is also a decent cartridge for hunting large game/elk out to 200 yards (and out to 300 yards if you rely solely on Whelen’s energy guidelines to estimate killing power). 270 Winchester. This cartridge is a necked-down 30-06, unveiled in 1925, but never took off in popularity until after World War 2, largely because of 40 years of praise by gun writer Jack O’Conner. It can be considered the much older and slightly bigger brother of the 6.5 CM, in that it is just a little bigger in terms of bullet diameter and bullet weight and with a slightly greater velocity and flatter trajectory. For hunting (but not target shooting), it can do everything the 6.5 CM does, and a little bit better. But it does so at the expense of slightly more recoil. It is suitable for medium game/deer out to 400 yards and large game/elk out to 200 yards (and out to 300 yards if you rely solely on Whelen’s energy guidelines to estimate killing power). 308 Winchester. In 1952 this cartridge (and its nearly identical twin, the 7.62x51 NATO) made its debut. It is based on the 300 Savage case and was designed to duplicate the ballistics of the 30-06 in a compact package, although it falls about 200 fps short. It is very popular with hunters, as well as the military and police. Compared to the 6.5 CM and 270 Win, it shoots a bit bigger and slower bullet. While the 308 Win does not shoot quite as flat, or have quite as good of wind drift performance as these two other cartridges, at 300 yards (assuming a 200 yard zero), that difference is only about one or two inches. But beyond 300 yards, the 6.5 CM and 270 Win begin to have a more significant advantage over the 308 Win in terms of trajectory and wind drift. Thus the 308 may not be the best cartridge for medium game/deer if you expect to shoot out to 400 yards, yet it is still quite capable at that range. The 308 Win is slightly superior to the other two cartridges for hunting large game/elk. Based on energy, HITS, and KPS scores, the 308 Win is fully suitable for large game at 300 yards, while the other two cartridges are marginal. See Table 3. In terms of recoil, it is very similar to the 270 Win and a bit stronger than the 6.5 CM. 30-06 Springfield. This 30-caliber cartridge was developed by the Springfield Armory in 1906, hence its name. Besides becoming a standard military cartridge, it was adopted by the American public as a great all-around hunting cartridge. It is still considered superb and is a little more powerful and flatter shooting than the 30-08 Win. Thus, it is well suited for hunting all medium/deer and large game/elk out to 300 yards. Based on HITS and KPS scores, it is also well suited for large game/elk out to 400 yards, but is marginal at that distance based on energy. Some hunters prefer it over the previous cartridges because they appreciate the additional killing power of the 30-06, especially when shots do not hit cleanly into an animal’s vital zone. The only real drawback of this cartridge is recoil. It kicks a little more than the 270 Win and 308 Win, and that small difference crosses the 15 foot-pounds threshold that many shooters may find intolerable, resulting in flinching and accuracy degradation. 7mm Remington Magnum. The last cartridge of the top seven has been commercially available since 1962. This belted magnum, derived from the 375 H&H Magnum case, is the most powerful cartridge on our list. It is exceptionally flat shooting, with very little wind drift, and is well suited for all medium and large game out to 400 yards. Even though nowadays it is among the least powerful magnum cartridges on the market, it still packs a wallop. The 7mm Rem Mag can do everything the 30-06 does, but a little bit better. However, the 7mm Rem Mag kicks a little more, and has a louder discharge, than the 30-06. Most adult shooters, even with heavier rifles, may find its recoil intolerable. But if you can shoot it accurately, the 7mm Rem Mag could be an excellent long-range hunting cartridge for you. Final Thoughts. While these seven may be the most popular deer hunting cartridges in North America, there are other cartridges that may be just as suitable, or more suitable, for your particular hunting needs. For example, in the same class of lower recoiling, short range, medium game only cartridges like the 30-30 Win and 243 Win, consider the 6mm Rem, 6mm ARC, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8mm SPC, 300 Backout and 350 Legend. For cartridges similar to the moderate recoiling 6.5 Creedmoor, consider the 6mm Creedmoor, 260 Rem, and 7mm-08. For cartridges in the same class as the 270 Win and 308 Win, consider the 25-06 Rem, 6.5 PRC, 280 Rem and 270 WSM. For alternatives to the 30-06 and 7mm Rem Mag, there are the 7mm WSM, 7mm PRC, 300 WSM, and 300 Win Mag, with the last two cartridges having greater recoil than the 7mm Rem Mag. It's worth noting that some deer hunters use cartridges that are noticeably less powerful or more powerful than those described above. A popular example of less power is the 223 Rem. In states that allow hunting with this cartridge, with the right load (such as the Hornady 50 gr CX round), it makes a decent, albeit marginal, short range hunting round for deer under 150 pounds. At the other end of the spectrum, some people hunt deer with powerful magnums like the 28 Nosler, 300 Weatherby Mag, 300 PRC, 300 Rem Ultra Mag, and 338 Win Mag. These cartridges are best suited for the biggest of the large game by hunters who appreciate their additional killing power, especially when shots do not hit cleanly into an animal’s vital zone. But hunters who can handle their extra recoil, without experiencing degraded accuracy, are in the minority. |
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