All deer hunters, with the exception of a few camera fans, hunt with the intention of killing a deer. In order to accomplish this they usually carry a gun of some sort, although the use of the bow and arrow is beginning to gain in popularity. These guns are many and varied. When anyone attempts to point to an ideal deer gun, he encounters as many differences of opinion as there are different makes and calibers of guns. Each hunter has his favorite which he considers to be the best, although he might admit that some other gun might be satisfactory for the purpose. In a sense, he is right. If he has a gun which has served him well, killing his deer cleanly and regularly without too many missed shots, he has a good deer gun. Place the same gun in another hunter's hands and there might be a different story. The man behind the gun has a lot to do with the gun's effectiveness.

Almost any gun will throw a bullet which will kill a deer if conditions are right, but consider the problems that must be overcome in designing one which will be ideal for killing deer under all conditions.

First, we have an animal that varies in size from that of an oversized jack rabbit to that of an undersized moose. The bullet that would kill the fawn if placed right could easily be deflected by a rib of the larger animal, while a bullet that would be sure to kill the largest buck would probably make mincemeat of a large portion of the smaller fawn.

Second, we see deer at different ranges and the bullet that will hit and kill a deer at fifty yards might not even reach a deer at three hundred yards.

Third, we find deer in all sorts of cover. If the deer is in thick brush where visibility is limited to less than fifty yards, we need a heavy, slow-moving bullet that will cut through the intervening brush without being turned aside. If the deer is in the open at a range of three or four hundred yards, we need a fast-moving bullet with sufficient force, or energy, to kill the deer at that distance. Such a bullet would probably be deflected by a twig the size of a lead pencil and would be almost useless in heavy brush.

Fourth, we have hunters who are expert marksmen, others who couldn't hit the side of a barn if they were locked in it, and all types who could be classed between these extremes. The marksman can make consistent kills with almost any gun, while some of the others need a bullet that will kill with a near miss.

Fifth, we have hunters who cannot shoot well with a gun which has a heavy recoil or excessive muzzle blast. All of us would like to have a gun that we could carry all day without leaving us worn out when night comes.

Sixth, some hunters insist on a gun that will be sure to kill with no regard to the amount of meat that is destroyed by the bullet, while others want a gun that will kill with minimum meat damage.

While hunting, first we have to see the size of the animals, second see the ranges, third the sight of the deer, fourth see your expert in hitting the bullet, fifth find a gun which is easier for you to use, and the last one is see in which part of the body that you want the bullet to hit the deer.