Are you planning your first deer hunting trip in Texas or are you a seasoned veteran? The Texas white tailed deer is not overly large as deer go. Deer up in the northern parts of the country and Canada tend to get larger. The hunters in Texas are blessed with a prolific deer herd that covers a good part of the state. Though the deer are not overly large they do require certain caliber requirements. Anything 22 caliber or below is considered verbotten and illegal in the state. The bigger caliber rifles tend to have harder bullets that will not expand as readily as the smaller calibers. I would not suggest the 416 Remington Magnum that I used on a buffalo hunt several years ago as a good choice for deer sized game.

Calibers from the 243 Remington up to the 30 caliber magnums are widely used here in the state. The magnums tend to be used more in open country where long shots are considered the norm. The 30-06 is a very versatile choice for any type of hunting The 243 Remington is adequate but should only be used with 100 grain bullets. Any caliber that will bring about a quick and humane kill is just about right for white tail hunting. Shorter barrels are better suited to confined spaces,tree stands,hunting blinds and the deep woods where vegetation might become a problem with longer barrels. In the deep woods where shots are not overly long,the lever action with its' associated calibers will fill the bill quite nicely. The 30-30 Winchester with a 170 grain bullet works like lightening on deer. My personal favorite is a 45-70 that I handload up to about 2,000 f.p.s. I use a hollow point which has given me nothing but complete satisfaction. I usually find the spent bullet up against the hide of the deer. It uses all of it's stored energy inside of the deer where it will do the most good. The innards of a deer are usually reduced to confetti size material with this round.

I have used the 243 to blow fist sized holes in deer. This limits their activities and stops a tracking job that might have to be done at night. The 35 Remington is more dramatic on deer than the 30-30. The 30-06 or it's cousin the 308 with 150 and 180 grain bullets tend to bring a hunting situation to a quick closeure. I like the lever action calibers that use blunt nose bullets.The blunt nose bullets have a more dramatic effect on game than their sharper nosed counterparts. You don't need specialty bullets for deer except for use in the big magnums. You need tough bullets at the speed some of these calibers are attaining.

I own a 30-378 Weatherby magnum in which I only use Barnes x and Nosler bullets in hunting situations I have shot deer with this caliber at extreme ranges. The rifle and caliber combination works well along with it's component 6x20 scope. You have to match the conditions to your choice of caliber. A rifle that works wonderfully at long range would not necessarily be the right choice for the deep woods.

Hand guns for hunting have become very popular in recent years. Most of the single shots like the Contender and Encore in correct calibers will do the job nicely. The 44 magnum,45 colt,454 casull and the new Smith and Wesson handguns are right on target. The 460 Smith and Wesson with it's great engineering and radical bullets will shoot as true as a rifle up to about 200 yards.

Pair the right caliber to your style of hunting. Resist the temptation to get too large of a boomer. You will not be able to shoot it as acurately as a smaller caliber and it might lead you into a habit of flinching with every shot. This habit does nothing at all to enhance your accuracy. African hunters long ago realized that a heavy bullet travelling about 2400 f.p.s. was about the best medicine for their tasks at hand. A light and fast bullet at close ranges tended to blow up and disentergrate on the hide with little internal harm to the animal. Enjoy your sport and be safe with your firearms. Following these guidelines will enable a growing number of hunters to participate in this ritual year after year.