If you were going to shoot a whitetail with a .204, where would you aim? Center of neck? Below the ear?

I would not shoot at a whitetail with a 204 unless I was starving and that was the only possible weapon. In that case, I would do the ear/head shot thing.

The only reasons I see to shoot a deer with a 204 is survival and putting down severly injured ones and It was the only gun available. In that case you get as close as you can, and take the best shot offered.

I've no doubt you could kill one with a .204...no doubt many poachers have killed them with .22RF's...but it doesn't make it a good choice.

Know it sounds harsh...and it is, but with a reason. Hunters face enough bad press, using rounds that are marginal just adds to the anti-gunner's press releases. I've seen enough pictures of animals running on three legs, or being severly wounded, to last me.

So...

I'd aim for the dirt in front of him...hopfully, it will turn him and bring him into view of a better prepared hunter.

Lots of hunters here including myself think the 204 is just to small for deer. Add to that all the bullets so far out for the 204 are designed for rapid expansion on small targets and even on coyotes the 204 can cause a splash wound.

If it's all you got an ear shot will do the trick, I've killed deer with a 22 long rifle doing that, but that's 50 years ago and still illegal.

My advice is use something bigger if you've got it. By the way I shoot the 204 and it's one of the best varmint guns I've ever used. I use a 280 Remington for deer and an old 8mm Rem mag for elk.

I've killed more deer with a .22 longRifle than I have with anything else.....(for food, and used every scrap) .... However....I would get to within 50 yds or less and if they were moving, whistle at them to stop them, and shoot them in the head....and take time to find a rest......with a .204 things would be ok at a little longer range, but the same theory applies, get em' stopped, and have a rest....don't take a bad shot, it's just stupid to do so.

now, on the sensible side, go get a REAL deer rifle !! they start with the .243 in my book, I once shot a 4 point (on each side, not countin' the eyeguards) blacktail at 125 yds with my 06' back of the shoulders, it knocked him down and he got up and was attempting to leave the vacinity when I plunked him again...this time it hit a rib going in and he was down for the duration.....point being, this was a handloaded 06.... 165 gr Hornaday spire points going out the bbl at 2850 ft seconds.....the buck was weighed at 172 lbs fully field dressed, so he was good sized allrighty, but where do you draw the line about what is too little rifle ??? after this experience, In My Opinion, anything less than a .243 or thereabouts is too small.......

always wanted a 250-3000 inna good bolt rifle to work up a deer load for .... real good cartridge for moderate ranges......

I think as a hunter it is unethical to attempt this, if you cant afford the proper weapon dont try.

I wouldn't...the 204 was designed for varmints, not deer. Not to mention that 204 bullets are all varmint bullets, not controlled expansion...it'd be unethical to use one in this circumstance. Use the right tool for the job.

If I was going to shoot a whitetail with a .204 I'd shoot it in the head. I'd be sure to hit in the upper portion of the head where the brain is, or where the neck and head meet at the brain stem. This is only IF I was going to do that. I would consider a step up to a 223 with heavy bullets immense, and to a 243 astronomical; this noting I feel a 243 is at the low end for deer.

I agree with other comments that it would be both unethical and in fact illegal in many jurisdictions. The only reason to be doing that is, as others have mentioned, 1. survival or 2. it has already been shot and you're trying to 'finish' it without another more 'appropriate' firearm being available.

p.s. a shotgun with 'buck shot' or a slug would be much more effective.

I apologize if I upset anyone with the "Kill the whitetail with a .204" question. I have heard people bragging about head shots using the .204 accuracy so I was curious how the forum would respond. I appreciate all your correct, accurate and to-the-point answers. You are polite but with a reasonable warning edge. Thanks very much.
I personally have never used less than a .243.

You might want to head to a gun store for a we-bit larger caliber like, say a 30noughtsix?

PLEASE,PLEASE, lets all be ethical hunters.

A cape buffalo can be killed with a 22LR. Should I use one for hunting the animal ??

Guns are relatively cheap. Please pick/use the right one for the aminal that you hunt. -----pruhdlr

Well, it can be done. I shot a mule doe last season with my .204. I never recovered the bullet, but it did a far better job than the 100 grain Nosler Partition from my .25/06 I shot the previous doe with. The NP passed right through, if it hadn't hit the heart, I don't think I would have recovered the deer. I've never had a deer take more than one step, or had to use more than one bullet (I've missed plenty)

Now, with the research conducted, I would do it again, it doesn't make me irresponsible or unethical. I don't poach or stretch the rules in any way.

I'm not discounting the NP in any way, its an excellent bullet, I use Nosler bullets almost exclusively for my rifle reloading.

So, if you don't have caliber restrictions (none in MT) and you are comfortable with the shot, go ahead. I most likely won't shoot another deer with my .204. I did it to find out how feasible it was and to see that it could be done.

I wouldn't use a 204 for hunting whitetail for the reasons stated above.I have use my 22lr sidearm on moose and deer to finish them off between the eyes or in or behind ear depends which way they are facing

The opinion is that .204's are not deer guns. Could a moderator nicely lock this thread.

I don't want to sound self-congratulatory, but before (and if) this thread is locked, I want to say that I think one thing that sets this forum apart from others is the quality of the hunters that come here. I know this is primarily because of the standards that Marshall sets and it is evident and refreshing. On many other forums this thread would have pulled a lot of whackos out of the bushes and caused nothing but a bunch of flaming nonsense. Can a .204 kill deer? Certainly. But as others have suggested, it is nothing to brag about. The .243 should be the minimum but unless state game departments make that a regulation people will continue to do stupid things just for the attention. As someone who writes about hunting ethics and hunting rights, I am encouraged that there are sportsmen out there who understand the importance -- the extreme importance -- of public relations and public perception. Those who do not are selfish egotists who don't care about heritage, culture and their responsibility to preserve hunting for future generations. Unfortunately, they are often what the non-hunting public, and especially the media, think of when you mention the word "hunter." I'll step off my soapbox now.

I am no great hunter. I am ethical. I enjoy the out doors and the hunt and the folks and the bounty. In some areas of the U.S. deer have become pests. In some areas they are the majestic quary that dreams are made of.

I don't think many of us here will make the paper with how we hunt. I know I never will. I hunt for me. If I make a poor decision on my hunt the only person that is likely going to know is me and a few of my fellow hunter, if they find out.

I don't think many of us are going to continue to hunt in a way that does not quickly dispatch our game no matter what kind of ethics we have. with trial and error comes maturity and success. Most of us have to try things for ourselves, I know I do. and a lot of us like to streatch the limits some. Especially for the challenge that it provides.

Be legal, be ethical. HUNT!!

The opinion is that .204's are not deer guns. Could a moderator nicely lock this thread.

We would have already locked it if needed. As long as it's a civil discussion and not advocating illegal acts, it can stay open.

Please leave the moderating to the moderators, thanks.

What seems to happen is this.

Shooter buys a new gun...likes it...really likes it...and it starts to be on his mind. We let the fun/enjoyment of the new rifle that exceeds his expectations cast it in roles it was never designed for.

Have seen guys with new target .22's carry them for defence....new .223 shooters so enthralled by their guns they want to shoot deer with them...new 3 1/2" 12ga. shooters tanke them out for doves....lots of examples (and I'm not immune either).

But just becasue we really like one gun or another, doesn't make it the best suited for the job at hand.

And one mo' thing.....

has this ever happened to you ? I was standing on a big rock looking out across a canyon, bout 450 yds to the other side, and was carrying my .223.... the biggest blackie I have ever seen got up across the way.... I promptly lay down, and on 12 power, he looked to have 5 on each side.....he stood and looked at me for probably a minute at least, then meandered off slowly....It was deer season, and I had an unfilled tag......and because I was "just going squirrell huntin' ", I was carryin' the .223........ I will NEVER be caught like that again.......sure I could have taken a crack at him, but not responsibly....

the whole thing is, do you want to be "undergunned" when that chance of a lifetime shows up ? take enough gun for the "worst case scenario" folks, you'll be glad (and proud of yourself too) that you did ....

In Missouri any centerfire is legal for deer hunting. I know other hunters are using the .204 and smaller to hunt deer.If you shoot a deer in the head with a .204 he or she is dead. The question is not weather the .204 is a large enought to kill deer, but rather how good a shot you are or how close you are to the deer in question. Should the general puplic use a .204 to hunt deer ...probably not. What is next(gun control) no 22-250s for deer , no 243s for deer ,no 25-06s. Tons of deer have been killed with a .22 rimfire who are we to judge. We hunters need to stand together.Q

No, the question is people talking (bragging) about it. Last year, with an hour left in the season, my wife convinced me we needed some venison so I went down the creek and shot a small buck at the base of the head with my Marlin in .218 Bee. I've also taken deer with a .25-20 and many with my .223. I think the concern here is not whether it can be done but whether it should be advocated. What people can do legally and efficiently is one thing, but when it becomes coffee table discussion at the local sporting goods store is another.

No, the question is people talking (bragging) about it. Last year, with an hour left in the season, my wife convinced me we needed some venison so I went down the creek and shot a small buck at the base of the head with my Marlin in .218 Bee. I've also taken deer with a .25-20 and many with my .223. I think the concern here is not whether it can be done but whether it should be advocated. What people can do legally and efficiently is one thing, but when it becomes coffee table discussion at the local sporting goods store is another.
So a ,218 bee is fine and a .25-20 ok for deer , how about a .19-223.Q

I think thats a little out of line... nobody here needs to be judging anybody else's action, thats left to a far higher power.

The part that makes us hunters is being able to make sound judgements in our own actions to harvest the gifts of nature.

So you are saying a .204 is fine in the right hands. Q

And one mo' thing.....

has this ever happened to you ? I was standing on a big rock looking out across a canyon, bout 450 yds to the other side, and was carrying my .223.... the biggest blackie I have ever seen got up across the way.... I promptly lay down, and on 12 power, he looked to have 5 on each side.....he stood and looked at me for probably a minute at least, then meandered off slowly....It was deer season, and I had an unfilled tag......and because I was "just going squirrell huntin' ", I was carryin' the .223........ I will NEVER be caught like that again.......sure I could have taken a crack at him, but not responsibly....

the whole thing is, do you want to be "undergunned" when that chance of a lifetime shows up ? take enough gun for the "worst case scenario" folks, you'll be glad (and proud of yourself too) that you did ....

I want to say "right on!!" to that. Thanks, Oloutlaw

Next time take a .444 marlin squirrel hunting . The trick is not the big gun But ,practice. How much do you shoot? Q

Very interesting question and subject. is there a difference between hunt and shoot? I haven't hunted in Texas but have watched plenty of hunting outdoor channel programs, most of the shows I have watched ,Deer are being harvested from a station of some sort built about the surrounding brush and the Deer are feeding on something in the of a middle trail cut throught along with turkeys ,rabbits and pigs. In that picture I'm sure a .204 would do,my answer would be head shot only, no neck shot, I favor a high neck shot ,and I' shot a pasel of Deer with it using .243,7X57, now if I were to hunt the bug brush on ground level Rattlin, stalk or still hunting I'd opt for larger Cal.

Okay, let me clarify what I am saying: competent hunters for many years have taken game with small calibers and some still do it today. But, they are first of all, hunters. Meaning, they get close and put a very accurate bullet into a vital area. A lot of elk have been shot with a .25-35, a caliber that is exactly very marginal for deer. That does not make the .25-35 an elk gun. If someone wants to shoot a whitetail with a .204 and it is legal in their state then he certainly has the right to do so. The basic question that started this thread was not an improper question. Where would one shoot a whitetail with a .204? Just behind the ear, would be my answer.
On another forum a couple years ago a fellow started a thread about shooting elk with a .30-30 and how many of his logger buddies did it every year. His basic message to the inquiring out-of-state hunter was that the .30-30 was more than enough rifle for elk.
No, it's not (and I say that having killed my first elk with one.)
There's a big difference between loggers shooting a small cow elk from fifty yards and a newcomer to elk hunting hiking the mountains after a trophy bull. Meat hunters usually don't get too excited especially when the see the same animals days after day from the side of a logging road.
The problem with the question in this thread is the intrinsic suggestions. Someone mentions the .204 and deer hunting and pretty soon someone answers: "Well, I've heard that its a real good deer gun. I read it on the Internet." Then someone else decides to shoot one in the boilerroom. If he gets lucky and nails it dead center in the heart and it dies pretty soon he's telling people: "Oh, its a great deer gun. Leaves them DRT." So someone of us are erring on the side of the caution and saying the .204 should not even be mentioned as a deer gun. Those who know anything about deer know you can kill one with a .22 LR if you get close enough and place the bullet exactly right. Thankfully, in many states that's not legal. Whenever it is mentioned that you SHOULD not shoot a deer with a certain minimal caliber there are always those who say, "Oh yes, you can." The point is not that you can, but should you. Now, if Im sounding hypocritical concerning me killing a forkhorn last year with a .218 Bee the difference is I was on my own property with no other hunters around so I knew I could approach this deer within 30 yards. I also knew the gun very well and knew exactly where the bullet would hit. So I put one little Bee right behind his ear. So, my last word on this subject is, "yes, I am sure a .204 can kill a deer in the right hands in the right situation, but the very topic is one that makes many of us uncomfortable because of the vagaries of the Internet."

Very well put I agree with you. I work with so many guys that are bad shots and they think the only way to kill a deer is with the biggest caliber available.Q

"Aim small, miss small" That is my watchword when I am in a preasure packed hunting situation. I am the worlds worst if I don't concentrate. "I think you have a life long case of the buck fever". Albert Sody.

Deer can be killed with a 22LR and elephants have been killed with the 243, 7 x 57 and 30-06 to name a few....does this make those rounds adequate? Just because something CAN be killed with a round in question doesn't always necessarily mean it should. Esp in the case of the 204 when, to my knowledge, there are no controlled expansion bullets made for it, only varmint bullets. That in itself shouts to me that there's a great potential for wounded animals, esp if the average hunter were to believe it were an adequate deer cartridge.

To answer the OP's question, I would probably go for a head shot.