Season Is Upon Us: What We'd Carry This Year
Archery is open and rifle season is weeks out. Here's what we'd hunt with this fall, by how and where you hunt.
Native Industries ·
Season is upon us. Archery is already open across most of Texas, and general rifle season opens the first Saturday in November. If you've been putting off the rifle, the bow, or the ammo run, this is the month to do it.
We're not going to tell you there's one right answer. The right setup is the one that fits your ground, your shots and your shoulder. So here's what we'd carry, sorted by how you hunt.
If you hunt thick country inside 150 yards, the lever gun is back for a reason. A .30-30 with modern bullets is quick, light and kills deer cleanly at the distances most Texas deer are actually taken. Read "The .30-30 Is Back" for the loads and the honest range.
If you want something short, quiet and easy to shoot, look at a bolt-action 6.5 Grendel or a supersonic .300 Blackout with a suppressor. Read "Bolt-Action .300 Blackout and 6.5 Grendel" for where each one stops being ethical.
If you love small calibers, a .22 Creedmoor, .22 ARC, .22-250 or .223 can all take Texas whitetail — with the right bullet, the right twist and the right shot. Read our small-bore breakdown for when each one works and when it's time to step up.
If you want the hardest and most rewarding hunt there is, pick up a longbow. Traditional archery is growing again, and the arrow science has gotten much better. Read "Longbows Are Back" for the arrow numbers that matter.
If you hunt open country past 300 yards, the 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08 and .308 still cover nearly everything. Our cartridge-fit guide walks you through it.
Whatever you carry, do three things before opener. Zero with the exact load you'll hunt with. Find your honest max range by shooting cold, first shot, from a real hunting position. And know your state's rules for the game and the method you're using.
Not sure what fits? Use Help Me Choose. Tell it your distance, your recoil comfort and whether you'll run a suppressor, and it'll show you what fits, where the best deals are right now, and how to get it shipped to an FFL near you.