Florida Deer and Pigs

DOCSpanky · June 12, 2000, 03:00 PM

I am eagerly awaiting thi upcoming season here in North Florida. I have what will hopefully not make some veteran hunters laugh.

Will the 150 grain Core-Lokt offering from Remington in .308 be enough to quickly fell the smaller Florida deer?, or should I try to find a load that will expand quicker due to the smaller overall size of the animal? If so what would you reccomend? I know the round will do the trick, but I want a quick humane kill, not an overpenetration that will leave the deer to run and slowly bleed to death somewhere because the bullet did not expand and take out a signifigant amount of lung or cardiac tissue?

------------------
I thought I'd seen it all, until a 22WMR spun a bunny 2 1/4 times in the air!

Robert the41MagFan · June 12, 2000, 03:59 PM

Never used .308 when living in Florida. A 44 Magnum Ruger carbine was my weapon of choice, followed by a bolt action slugged shotgun. Those Florida deer are really small, anything in .308 will work fine. If I was looking to get crafty, would use a 125 gr or 130 gr bullet at high velocity. Minimize meat damage and a lung/heart shot will almost always cause instant incapacitition.

Good luck, you are going to need it. I understand that your application deadline is near. Make sure that you do some quick recon now. Those fires that are raging are most certainly going to close many management areas. May leave you skunked. A little work now is going to save you from lots of heart ache later.

Robert

Paul B. · June 12, 2000, 05:06 PM

DOC. You might want to look at Winchester Power point. I believe they might open a bit faster. If you want a reload, or if you prefer, a "custom" load, E-mail me and I'll pass one along using the 150 gr. Sierra. I don't know what hunting conditions are like where you are, but when I hunted the brush counrty (rain forest really) of Northern California, I had a real good load using the 180 gr. Sierra round nose bullet. It dropped those California dog sized deer literally on the spot. I also have some other loads that will drop small deer quickly, if you are interested.
Paul B.

Element · June 12, 2000, 09:25 PM

I have lived and hunted in south Fla. all my life and I've used a Marline 30-30 with Rem.cor lock 150gr. bullets(last few yrs.). I've shoot Deer and even Hog with this gun and round, it has great stoping power and will expaned really well. But theres one excption. Range! Anything within 100yds. you own but after that this bullet will drop like a boat ancher.

June 12, 2000, 10:13 PM

The drop after 100 yards is because it's a 30-30 not because of the bullet. Not to knock the 30-30, I love it for up to 150 yards. Just pointing out the reason for the drop.

taco · June 13, 2000, 12:27 AM

My family has hunted deers and hogs in Central Florida for over 25 years. We started with 30-30, 30-06 and 12G shotguns but our battery kept getting smaller over the years and for past 10 or so years most of us use 44 mag handguns. My father uses the new Ruger 44 mag bolt rifle with a red dot sight which he really likes since his eye sight is too poor to use iron sighted revolver. When hunting only deers I have used my 357 mag Python with success. Where we hunt hogs and deers are pretty small and most shots are taken at 40 yards or less (much less in some cases). 308 would be an "overkill" around where we hunt.

Art Eatman · June 13, 2000, 04:38 PM

DOCSpanky: Where, roughly, in north Florida are you gonna hunt? I've hunted some of the bottoms near Blountstown, and a little bit in some forest land just east of Tallahassee.

For sure, unless you're hunting recent clearcut, it'll be short range stuff.

As far as "over-penetration": Most rifle loads will go all the way through a deer; a bullet which does its job properly will expand and create an exit wound which will make for easy trailing. (Which is why you don't want to hit a ham or backstrap!) A heart/lung shot means a short trail, if they don't fall in their tracks. At close ranges, breaking the neck is very, very effective.

And this is why I harp on plinking, even with a .22, just to get eye-hand coordination "in shape". And plinker-loads for practice in your primary hunting gun. Get to where you can regularly hit a soda pop can, off hand, at 75 to 100 yards, and you'll not have any trouble. To me, it's part of the hunter's ethic.

FWIW, Art

Art

[This message has been edited by Art Eatman (edited June 13, 2000).]

June 12, 2000, 03:00 PM	#1
DOCSpanky Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 1999 Location: Ashland City, TN Posts: 779	I am eagerly awaiting thi upcoming season here in North Florida. I have what will hopefully not make some veteran hunters laugh. Will the 150 grain Core-Lokt offering from Remington in .308 be enough to quickly fell the smaller Florida deer?, or should I try to find a load that will expand quicker due to the smaller overall size of the animal? If so what would you reccomend? I know the round will do the trick, but I want a quick humane kill, not an overpenetration that will leave the deer to run and slowly bleed to death somewhere because the bullet did not expand and take out a signifigant amount of lung or cardiac tissue? ------------------ I thought I'd seen it all, until a 22WMR spun a bunny 2 1/4 times in the air!

June 12, 2000, 03:59 PM	#2
Robert the41MagFan Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 1999 Posts: 1,233	Never used .308 when living in Florida. A 44 Magnum Ruger carbine was my weapon of choice, followed by a bolt action slugged shotgun. Those Florida deer are really small, anything in .308 will work fine. If I was looking to get crafty, would use a 125 gr or 130 gr bullet at high velocity. Minimize meat damage and a lung/heart shot will almost always cause instant incapacitition. Good luck, you are going to need it. I understand that your application deadline is near. Make sure that you do some quick recon now. Those fires that are raging are most certainly going to close many management areas. May leave you skunked. A little work now is going to save you from lots of heart ache later. Robert

June 12, 2000, 05:06 PM	#3
Paul B. Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 1999 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,802	DOC. You might want to look at Winchester Power point. I believe they might open a bit faster. If you want a reload, or if you prefer, a "custom" load, E-mail me and I'll pass one along using the 150 gr. Sierra. I don't know what hunting conditions are like where you are, but when I hunted the brush counrty (rain forest really) of Northern California, I had a real good load using the 180 gr. Sierra round nose bullet. It dropped those California dog sized deer literally on the spot. I also have some other loads that will drop small deer quickly, if you are interested. Paul B.

June 12, 2000, 09:25 PM	#4
Element Member Join Date: January 21, 2000 Posts: 25	I have lived and hunted in south Fla. all my life and I've used a Marline 30-30 with Rem.cor lock 150gr. bullets(last few yrs.). I've shoot Deer and even Hog with this gun and round, it has great stoping power and will expaned really well. But theres one excption. Range! Anything within 100yds. you own but after that this bullet will drop like a boat ancher.

June 12, 2000, 10:13 PM	#5
KilgorII Guest Posts: n/a	The drop after 100 yards is because it's a 30-30 not because of the bullet. Not to knock the 30-30, I love it for up to 150 yards. Just pointing out the reason for the drop.

June 13, 2000, 12:27 AM	#6
taco Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2000 Location: USA Posts: 936	My family has hunted deers and hogs in Central Florida for over 25 years. We started with 30-30, 30-06 and 12G shotguns but our battery kept getting smaller over the years and for past 10 or so years most of us use 44 mag handguns. My father uses the new Ruger 44 mag bolt rifle with a red dot sight which he really likes since his eye sight is too poor to use iron sighted revolver. When hunting only deers I have used my 357 mag Python with success. Where we hunt hogs and deers are pretty small and most shots are taken at 40 yards or less (much less in some cases). 308 would be an "overkill" around where we hunt.

June 13, 2000, 04:38 PM	#7
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	DOCSpanky: Where, roughly, in north Florida are you gonna hunt? I've hunted some of the bottoms near Blountstown, and a little bit in some forest land just east of Tallahassee. For sure, unless you're hunting recent clearcut, it'll be short range stuff. As far as "over-penetration": Most rifle loads will go all the way through a deer; a bullet which does its job properly will expand and create an exit wound which will make for easy trailing. (Which is why you don't want to hit a ham or backstrap!) A heart/lung shot means a short trail, if they don't fall in their tracks. At close ranges, breaking the neck is very, very effective. And this is why I harp on plinking, even with a .22, just to get eye-hand coordination "in shape". And plinker-loads for practice in your primary hunting gun. Get to where you can regularly hit a soda pop can, off hand, at 75 to 100 yards, and you'll not have any trouble. To me, it's part of the hunter's ethic. FWIW, Art Art [This message has been edited by Art Eatman (edited June 13, 2000).]