Thread: Selection of caliber for new shooter(s)

Originally Posted by jpreou

Interesting. I went through all posts and in order of 'popularity' it went 243 then 7mm08 then 308.
Even so, based on other research, I'm kinda leaning toward 308 and the only thing that gives me pause is the potential limited range for ethical shots; depending who is answering the question, seems to be somewhere from 200m -300m.
So my next question is; here in the Canterbury hills, what is a typical real-world distance for getting onto a deer?
(to be fair, it may be answered elsewhere, and I'm about to search, but asking anywhere in case I can't find the answer in the time I have available!)
Cheers

95% of the time you can get yourself within 300 yards, as long as you learn how to read wind and animal behaviour it will be very doable. I can count on 1 hand the deer i have had to take over 300 yards and thats mostly in Otago open tussock country. I think Tahr are a different story due to the terrain they live in, getting close can be much more difficult. As a new shooter practice a lot and limit yourself to 300m and you will be fine. 308 be ideal, although 708 will have slightly less recoil which may suit you better. Good luck, and have fun!