What's the Best Rifle Caliber for Deer? There’s no shortage of deer rifle choices, and even narrowing in on the best caliber to use is a hard enough decision. How do you decide on the best caliber for deer hunting? No matter if it’s a trusty bolt-action rifle, a more traditional lever action rifle, or a modern sporting rifle, the muzzle velocity, bullet weight, and expansion effects your ammo of choice has can make a pretty big difference. What rifle calibers are most appropriate for the coveted North American whitetail deer? Based on popularity, the best deer hunting calibers come down to the .243 Winchester, the .270 Winchester, the .30-30 Winchester and the .308 Winchester. Yes, there are many other rounds that make the grade, but these four repeated over and over again for a variety of reasons. If you are in the market like me, start your search right here. The .270 takes the lead when it comes to a long shot with more knockdown power for hunting deer. The .30-30 is a great all around deer round, but lacks when it comes to longer-range, open-field settings. Then the .308 does the most damage to the meat (pending shot placement), but you also get the most bang for your buck. However, one round kept getting more comments deer hunters than the other three, and that was the .270. It seems to be the clear-cut favorite as the top deer round available. It’s good at short range and long range, and it’s versatile. The price point and abundance for high-quality bullets are great. This round can also be used on a variety of big game hunting opportunities around North America. This caliber is available in many different rifles from just about every major manufacturer from Remington to Ruger. Effective from 500 yards or more, this just might be the best rifle cartridge out there for deer. There are other popular deer cartridges for hunting whitetail, like the .30-06 Springfield or the .25-06 Remington, both of which can handle big game animal