Some deer hunting calibers have been shot by everyone and their mother, too. Today, there are dozens of calibers available on the market. Hunters have no shortage of options. Furthermore, for decades, the media has romanticized certain ones, and all but forgotten others. Of course, certain calibers are just newer and haven’t been around as long. Either way, it’s led to a world where hunters haven’t shot, and in some cases, even heard of certain calibers. Here are some that maybe you haven’t tried yet.

1) .250 Savage

The .250 Savage is an overlooked gun. It’s old, and originated in the early 1900s. Incredibly, in 1915, it was the first caliber to achieve 3,000 fps. It has heavy-enough bullets yet delivers minimal recoil. Other than availability, you’d be hard-pressed to find many negative things to say about it.

Without question, while this vintage short action is a great pick, availability can be an issue. Those who can secure a rifle and ammo, will certainly enjoy accuracy, versatility, low recoil, and other benefits, though. It’s quite the niche caliber, but those who use it, like it.

2) .257 Roberts

The .257 Roberts is another caliber that doesn’t get enough love. It’s another small caliber bullet but is incredibly accurate. If you put the round where it goes, the deer will die, no problem. Plus, those who shoot it, note its light recoil. That’s a benefit for those who might be recoil-sensitive and/or report-sensitive, such as new shooters and smaller individuals.

This one has been around since the 1920s, but it doesn’t have the long-running legacy of other 100-plus-year-old calibers. Part of that is due to the popular nature of the .243 Winchester, which overshadowed this comparable caliber. Even so, this round is a great mix and balance of everything you love in a good deer gun, but without the things you hate with magnum calibers.

3) .25-06 Remington

The .25-06 Remington has been around for a long time. It’s not a new caliber, and its age has more than proven its capabilities. The .25-06 was derived from the .30-06, so it’s no surprise both have enjoyed such great success. With many deer seasons in the books, hunters trust this offering.

Of course, at the time it was launched, it suffered from slower-burning powders. However, thanks to faster-burning modern powder, it achieves the fast velocities it’s now famous for. Today, it’s known for great velocities, flat trajectories, great accuracy (even at longer ranges for such a small caliber), moderate recoil, and more. It does well even with sleek, heavy-for-cartridge bullets.

4) 6.5 Grendel

The 6.5 Grendel is a newer caliber to the deer hunting landscape. Like other rounds in its class, this one has minimal recoil. Despite being a smaller caliber, it still delivers a significant punch. Many also love the fact that it comes in numerous rifle platforms, such as AR and bolt-action options.

Those who enjoy the history of calibers should know that this one is derived from the .220 Russian case. It’s a shorter, necked-down version for improved aerodynamics. Even so, it’s still within the realms of AR-15 platform requirements. Furthermore, it’s accurate well beyond 800 yards, and for some setups, even further. It boats exceptional terminal energy at longer distances.

5) .260 Remington

Another smaller caliber, the .260 Remington is a great choice for those who want an accurate, hard-hitting caliber without the recoil and report of some bigger options. Not to mention its great power upon impact.

Those requiring a longer range capacity in a platform with manageable recoil can find that in this build. In a short-action platform, it’s a viable go-to for those who want to go against the grain and use a less popular option. Really, it should be more common than it is, but lost out due to poor marketing, and was overshadowed by other offerings of its time.

6) .280 Remington

The .270 Winchester has been around since 1925, and it’s arguably the most popular whitetail caliber in most states. But the .280 Remington is arguably a better option, albeit far less popular and common on the landscape. It’s a bigger round and even delivers better ballistic performance. It’s more accurate at longer distances than even the aforementioned .270.

The .280 is certainly capable of higher ballistic coefficients. It retains energy very well. Wind drift is minimized thanks to greater speeds and optimized bullet weights and designs. Use it on whitetails, and even bigger game.

7) .280 Ackley Improved

The .280 Ackley Improved is another little-known caliber. This is a spinoff of the .280 Remington but comes with slight differences. It delivers great velocities, incredible trajectories (minimal bullet drop), and a great deal of energy transfer upon impact. It’s accuracy is also of note, and groups quite well on the range.

Overall, the .280 Ackley Improved is a very capable round. It has near-magnum capabilities but without the heavy powder loads and associated recoil. It offers a more modernized and faster version of the .280 Remington, and ammo and rifle availability are often better, too. This caliber is wildly efficient and hits big game like a hammer.

8) 6.5 PRC

The 6.5 PRC is newer to the landscape than a lot of modern options. It’s equivalent to a .264 caliber but delivers a significant amount of power upon impact. It’s great for larger-sized deer. Despite high energy and downrange performance, it still doesn’t deliver much recoil (although it does have more recoil than a 6.5 Creedmoor). Plus, it’s accuracy is hard to beat.

While the 6.5 Creedmoor is more popular, the 6.5 PRC is arguably the superior caliber. The latter is faster, has more energy, and hits harder upon impact. Without question, this short-action magnum is a great pick. Hornady even designed this to minimize overbore issues, which can lead to poorer barrel life with high-powder-capacity rounds.

9) 7mm-08 Remington

The 7mm Remington Magnum is a highly popular choice. The 7mm-08 Remington is less so. But it’s a great option for those who want to try a new caliber. It’s modeled similarly to the .308 Winchester.

Despite a heavy foot-pounds’ payload, it doesn’t have too much recoil, especially respective to the caliber sizing. It’s a comfortable option to shoot and doesn’t take the joy out of range time or the hunt. It’s even viable in a short-action platform.

10) .300 Blackout

The .300 Blackout gets a decent amount of media attention, but there are still fewer hunters using it than many other more popular calibers. That said, it’s very versatile, and is available in popular AR-15 offerings. Interestingly, while the 5.56 NATO was designed for longer barrels, the .300 Blackout was crafted for short-barreled performance. Of course, the .300 Blackout is larger, and has more powder, than the ever-popular 5.56 NATO round.

The .300 Blackout also pairs well with both supersonic and subsonic loads. Of course, these produce varying ballistic profiles but have their places in the world. It’s ideal for deer hunting, and even suppressed shooting, which is finding a place in the hunting world more and more. This option even doubles well as a whitetail and home defense gun.

11) .350 Legend

The .350 Legend was designed several years ago to provide another option for straight-wall shooters. A 2019 Winchester introduction, it has since displaced some of the older straight-wall go-to guns, such as .444 Marlin, .450 Bushmaster, .45-70 Government, and others. Despite being smaller than the 45-caliber .450 Bushmaster, the .350 delivers comparable energy and performance. It has a .357-caliber bullet sizing.

The biggest advantage? Extremely low recoil from a 35-caliber bullet. Plus, ammo is cheap relative to other straight wall rounds. Although this caliber has taken off in key states — including Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and others — there’s still plenty of room for growth and adoption.

12) .360 BuckHammer

Only a few years old, the .360 BuckHammer is a new straight-wall option. It launched in 2023, and since then, has been on a steady incline of adoption. Like other modern-made straight calibers, it delivers great accuracy and energy, but much less recoil than older options, such as .444 Marlin, .45-70 Government, etc.

The .360 BuckHammer uses a .358-inch diameter bullet, which is similar to the popular .35 Whelen. Remington developed this round to work with lever-action rifles and has a partnership with Henry Repeating Arms. This round works really well out to 200 yards, or slightly beyond.

13) .400 Legend

Like the .350 Legend, the .400 Legend is another excellent creation by Winchester. A larger, 40-caliber bullet, it offers a significant level of energy. While it has heavier recoil than the .350 Legend, it’s recoil is low relative to the caliber sizing. It’s very similar to the .450 Bushmaster, but the newer caliber is arguably superior, and it has 20% less recoil.

Despite the larger sizing, and heavier bullet, it’s still a 300-yard gun. The trajectory at that distance certainly isn’t flat, but it’s still more than capable of dropping it right into the breadbasket.

Parting Shots

Deer hunters who love their deer rifle have no reason to try anything else. But those who want to break from the mold, and try something new, might consider an underrated caliber on this list. As always, check to be sure the selected caliber is legal in your state. If so, hit the range, learn the gun, find the right ammunition combo, and enjoy deer season.

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