Rifle for mule deer hunt.

jdan9

New Member
Aug 25, 2012
22
16
Looking for opinions on what rifle to use on a mule deer hunt I have scheduled for this October. I typically carry a Rem Model 70 Mountain rifle in 30-06, nice light weight rifle but not the best shooter. This years hunt will be a little different, it's a very sought after limited draw tag and I want to make sure my rifle is up to the task. I have a 257 Weatherby, a 7MM Rem Mag and a 300 Weatherby Mag plus the 30-06 to choose from. I'm not a hand loader so I'll be experimenting with different loads for the rifle I choose. Any and all opinions and thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks,

Joe
 

jdan9

New Member
Aug 25, 2012
22
16
I shoot them all equally. The possibility of a 300 yard plus shot will be there and I will spend the needed time at the range. I will be hunting big country with the chance at a big buck. All that being said with a prime tag in your pocket, which gun do you carry?

JD
 

Timberstalker

Veteran member
Feb 1, 2012
2,242
6
Bend, Or
I shoot them all equally. The possibility of a 300 yard plus shot will be there and I will spend the needed time at the range. I will be hunting big country with the chance at a big buck. All that being said with a prime tag in your pocket, which gun do you carry?

JD
I would use the one I'm most comfortable with, if you shoot them enough you will figure it out. I'm not big on shooting past 300, but when I think I will be, I typically use my 300 win mag. Mainly because it has a 4X12 scope on it. My other rifle is a 25-06 it will get the job done too but I only have a 3x9 on it. (I did kill my antelope last year with the 25-06 @ 330 yards though) It's not the caliber as much as it is how you shoot and how the rifle shoots for you. Have fun on your hunt!
 

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
8,345
4,736
83
Dolores, Colorado
I would use the one I'm most comfortable with, if you shoot them enough you will figure it out. It's not the caliber as much as it is how you shoot and how the rifle shoots for you.
Totally agree! I shoot a 25-06 for everything deer sized and smaller and my .300 Wby for elk and larger. I also had a .257 Wby that shot well too.

Not reloading and only shooting factory ammo does not allow you to optimize the performance of any rifle or caliber. It is also pretty expensive to do a lot of practice, which I believe is mandatory form anyone to become a great shot. There is not substitute for actual shooting.
 

Musket Man

Veteran member
Jul 20, 2011
6,457
0
colfax, wa
What scopes do you have on each of them? That and weight might help you decide. What do you mean by the 30-06 is not the best shooter?
 

Hilltop

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2014
3,846
2,229
Eastern Nebraska
I shoot them all equally. The possibility of a 300 yard plus shot will be there and I will spend the needed time at the range. I will be hunting big country with the chance at a big buck. All that being said with a prime tag in your pocket, which gun do you carry?

JD
jdan9,

All other things aside, I would take the 7mm with great optics. I would also spend considerable time working on your maximum point blank range with good ammo. I like the Hornady superformance in 139 grain SST or Interbond. A 300 yard shot is a chip shot with this gun and ammo combo. I like a 6 inch kill zone sight in so I find the zero that allows my maximum height to be 3" high. Your maximum point blank range will be where your bullet drops to 3" low. I'm guessing yours would be about 320 yards with a zero around 250 yards. For a 400 yard shot (on level ground) you can hold just a freckle high and still be good. Learn your gun and spend time at the range and this combination will surprise you. 500 yard shots are very doable for the average shooter that puts the time in to practice. All of this said, every round you mention would work fine. The 7mm is just a touch flatter so it extends you MPBR a little further.
 

Humblesmith

New Member
Sep 26, 2013
17
0
If I could hit a target equally with all of them, the gun I'd choose would be based on 1) flatter bullet trajectory, which would decrease my chances of making a mistake if the distances and wind change from optimal, and 2) weight of the gun, which would matter if I had to carry it for a long time.
 

vince

Banned
Jul 10, 2012
107
0
If I could hit a target equally with all of them, the gun I'd choose would be based on 1) flatter bullet trajectory, which would decrease my chances of making a mistake if the distances and wind change from optimal, and 2) weight of the gun, which would matter if I had to carry it for a long time.
If you shoot all those rifles equally well then I'd look at which rifle best suits what you're hunting.
When I looked at your caliber selection I was initially attracted to the .257 Weatherby, big .257 fan, and the 7 Mag. None of the choices are bad however. I'd select the one rifle I'd want to have, that shot the best, that I wouldn't mind carrying for ten days of backpack hunting with a shot at sunset on the last day.

Me, I pack a .338 Win Mag for a coues deer hunt because that's my one rifle for all game. Not the best as far as distance shooting goes, it mirrors the 30-06 in trajectory, but it's the rifle I shoot most so that's my choice. I know it, have shot it a lot, and have no doubt it will work. While I have other calibers, even a 6.5 x 284, which would be a grand mule deer caliber, I opt to carry my old friend. Someone I know has the same attitude about his 30-06 and another feels the same way about his 7 Mag. It's more about being familiar with your chosen rifle and knowing it as you know your own hand.

Pick one and get to shooting. Mule deer season will be here soon enough and good luck!

Vince
 

jdan9

New Member
Aug 25, 2012
22
16
Thanks to all for the input and advice.

I'm going to focus on the 300 Weatherby. I've killed more game with it than the others, mostly elk using 180 grain loads. I'll put a newer Leupold Vari X3 3.5-10 on it that I'll take off one of the other rifles which is my best scope. Im going to try the different 150 and 165 grain loads which I'd think would make it just about as flat shooting as the others. I may even lean on my brother do some hand loading for me. This rifle is also a bit lighter than my 257 and 7MM so carrying it up the mountain will be a bit easier.

It's funny you wait all winter for summer to arrive, then the hunter in you takes over and you can't wait for the fall!!

jd
 

nvarcher

Very Active Member
Sep 28, 2011
610
0
Reno, Nevada
Thanks to all for the input and advice.

I'm going to focus on the 300 Weatherby. I've killed more game with it than the others, mostly elk using 180 grain loads. I'll put a newer Leupold Vari X3 3.5-10 on it that I'll take off one of the other rifles which is my best scope. Im going to try the different 150 and 165 grain loads which I'd think would make it just about as flat shooting as the others. I may even lean on my brother do some hand loading for me. This rifle is also a bit lighter than my 257 and 7MM so carrying it up the mountain will be a bit easier.

It's funny you wait all winter for summer to arrive, then the hunter in you takes over and you can't wait for the fall!!

jd
Yeah especially when you draw a Henry's rifle tag!! lol
 

Timberstalker

Veteran member
Feb 1, 2012
2,242
6
Bend, Or
Thanks to all for the input and advice.

I'm going to focus on the 300 Weatherby. I've killed more game with it than the others, mostly elk using 180 grain loads. I'll put a newer Leupold Vari X3 3.5-10 on it that I'll take off one of the other rifles which is my best scope. Im going to try the different 150 and 165 grain loads which I'd think would make it just about as flat shooting as the others. I may even lean on my brother do some hand loading for me. This rifle is also a bit lighter than my 257 and 7MM so carrying it up the mountain will be a bit easier.

It's funny you wait all winter for summer to arrive, then the hunter in you takes over and you can't wait for the fall!!

jd
Theres a big buck growing his horns right now that going to be killed by a 300 weatherby, nice choice:D