Want to start a good argument? Go up to a deer hunter and tell him what the best all-round deer rifle is. Then go on to say that anyone who can't see your wisdom in this matter is simply unwise. Well, I'm going to do that right now. Contrary to contemporary wisdom, the best deer rifle ever made was and is the flintlock Pennsylvania longrifle, with a barrel of not less than 46 inches, and a caliber of .50 or .54, preferably .50. There are many reasons for this. First, the flintlock. The flintlock is actually a flawless ignition system for a rifle. It just takes study, practice and time to master. All three of those requisites are beneficial to a hunter for they help him master himself. Also a flintlock uses a flint to fire the rifle and they can be found for free laying on the ground or in creek beds. The old style, muzzleloading rifle has more raw knock-down power than most modern cartridge firing numbers due to the fact that it shoots a blunt, soft lead projectile at moderate velocities. A moderate velocity and a blunt bullet are quicker killers than metal jacketed, high velocity missiles. It's true, I've seen the effects on game many times over. The flintlock rifle limits the hunters' shots to 100 yards or less, which is the range in which game should be taken anyway. Long range hunting isn't hunting, it's target shooting. The kind that leaves game wounded and crippled more often than not, making them easy prey for something that will pull them down and eat them alive. Jack-asses and fools shoot deer at more than one hundred yards. Finally, the longrifle limits the hunter to one shot on game, which forces him to choose his shot carefully. In other words, it forces him to be a hunter. If you insist upon using a cartridge firing rifle, at least stay away from the modern ultra-magnums and the over powered rounds like the .30-06. They are unecessary for deer and endanger everything around you. After all, a rifle is like a hammer in that it's fundamentally simple and need not be improved. A practical man has a hammer or three, but they're all just hammers, varying only in size. A .30-40 Krag is most suitable for deer, and can be had in a lever action rifle. Namely the 1895 Winchester. They call it the 1895 Winchester because it was first sold in 1895. An old fashioned rifle you say? So what? When do you suppose the hammer in your toolbox was invented? You can't improve upon wisdom, all things considered. The .30-40 Krag shoots a 180 grain, blunt nosed bullet at 2400 feet per second, and has excellent knock down power on deer. It also shoots a 220 grain bullet at 2000 feet per second, which is a bit more effective. But the deer won't know the difference in the long run. So file your .300 Win Magnum, your short magnum, your hyper-velocity, scoped atrocity under bullshit and get yourself a man's rifle. A real deer rifle and go do some real hunting. | 
