At Jarrett, the right cartridge is just as important as the rifle itself—especially when it comes to whitetail hunting. Over the years, we’ve developed and refined a few pet cartridges that we trust to deliver consistent performance in the field. The .300 Jarrett, our own magnum cartridge, was designed to shoot flatter and hit harder than a standard .300 Win Mag. It’s certainly more than enough for whitetail, but for hunters who may take longer shots or want a dual-purpose round for larger game, it offers unbeatable performance. It’s not the lightest recoiling option, but in the right hands, it’s a serious tool for long-range precision. For those who want to stay with the .300 Jarrett and manage recoil, pairing the rifle with a well-tuned brake or suppressor and a stock geometry that fits the shooter goes a long way toward fast, confident follow-up shots.

For more typical whitetail conditions, we lean toward cartridges like the .270 Winchester and the .280 Ackley Improved—two rounds we’ve spent a lot of time tuning and building rifles around. The .270 is a classic for a reason: it’s flat-shooting, mild on recoil, and deadly accurate with the right bullet. The .280 AI gives you a little more velocity and a better ballistic profile, especially at extended ranges, without stepping into magnum territory. We’ve found it to be one of the best all-around cartridges for North American deer hunting. Whether you’re shooting across bean fields or through timber, these cartridges give you the control and confidence we think every hunter should have in the field. In practice, that means clean triggers, predictable dope out to your ethical limit, and bullet choices that expand reliably at both moderate and longer distances.

Bullet selection ties the whole system together. In .270 Winchester, 130–150 grain hunting bullets cover almost every whitetail scenario; in .280 AI, 140–160 grains balance sectional density and wind performance nicely; and for the .300 Jarrett, controlled-expansion bullets in the 180–200 grain range provide consistent penetration with a broad impact window. We encourage hunters to confirm zero at a realistic distance, build a simple drop card for their load, and practice from field positions—prone off a pack, kneeling, or using a tree rest—so that when a buck steps out, the shot is second nature. The cartridge is the engine, but fit, fundamentals, and familiarity are what turn that engine into clean, ethical results.