Caliber for Mule deer

[6mm Remington]

Either the 25-06 or 270 would work perfectly for mule deer. I would use something like the 120 gr. Nosler Partition or 110 gr. Nosler Accubond in the 25-06 and the 130 gr. Partition or Nosler Accubond in the 270. The one you shoot the best is the one I would take as both are great long range deer calibers. Good luck and you cannot go wrong with either one!

 

[MTWillie]

The previous poster's name brings up a good caliber also. The first deer I took was with a 6mm Rem. with 100-grain hollow points. Same as a .243, but less economical to shoot.

 

[6mm Remington]

MTWillie you hit the nail on the head. I do love the 6mm Remington and have taken many deer and antelope with it! I shoot a Ruger 1B single-shot in 6mm Remington and I love it! I've also killed one spike bull with it. I shoot 100 gr. Nosler Partitions in it. My son also shoots a 6mm Remington and we load 90 gr. Nosler E-Tips for it. He has taken a couple of antelope, a nice mule deer buck, and this year a big old cow elk with it with one shot each! He hit his cow right behind her right shoulder in the lungs and the bullet exited the left side shoulder. She went maybe 25 yards and tipped over. I took a friend of my son's who has Cystic Fibrosis this year on his first ever hunt of any kind. No-one in his family hunts and he has always wanted to. I was pretty tickled to see him get a nice cow elk too. He used my wife's 25-06 and 120 gr. Nosler Partition to make a one shot kill on his cow also. She ran about 40 yards and dropped. I hope to get him out again this year. He's a great kid and even though I never shot a single thing last year, I would say it was my best year EVER! My son shot his cow on a Thursday evening and the next night Andy shot his cow.

 

[MTWillie]

I have a Remington Model 660. I wish the barrel was longer, but it's still a nice gun. Loudest thing I have ever shot too. Great beginner gun. I moved up to a 7 RUM for my current rifle with 150gr Accubonds.

Here's the 660:

 

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

.270 is an excellent deer-elk gun caliber.

 

[Big Sky]

One shot with a 25-06. Not bad for her first deer!

 

[6mm Remington]

MTWillie my first rifle was a Remington Model 600 the Montana Territorial model made in 1964. It has an even shorter barrel at 18.5 inches! It is loud too but oh my what a shooter! It's taken a LOT of antelope and deer over the years and is now my son's rifle. My dad gave it to me brand new in 1972.

Big Sky that is a great buck too!

 

[NVdroptine]

I truly think that it lies in the hands of the shooter. Whichever gun you are most confident with, should always be your first pick. Spend time with it, find what reloads are best, and just keep shooting. Learn your limits as a team, and when the gun is in your hand, know your limits. A well placed shot will kill anything, and in the hands of a confident shooter that well placed shot is easier to achieve! As far as caliber, I like the 2506.

 

[sjsmallfield]

I truly think that it lies in the hands of the shooter. Whichever gun you are most confident with, should always be your first pick. Spend time with it, find what reloads are best, and just keep shooting. Learn your limits as a team, and when the gun is in your hand, know your limits. A well placed shot will kill anything, and in the hands of a confident shooter that well placed shot is easier to achieve! As far as caliber, I like the 2506.

I'll second that one on all counts. Well said!

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I have shot over 50 mule deer and about 25 antelope with my Ruger M77 (tang safety) in 25-06. As with any rifle you shoot, shot placement and confidence in your equipment are #1. I use Sierra 117 BT for Deer and Sierra 100 for goats. I have also shot a few hogs with it too. Great rifle and very good results, at least for me. My last deer/antelope rifle...period!

 

[Drhorsepower]

I used to shoot a .243 win. In a 700 rem. Now I built a 7mm rem mag in the same action, I have killed 4 antelope with it and a deer. A little overkill for antelope but it's loaded down. I chose this caliber because it can handle pretty much all big game I am interested in. Elk, deer, antelope. Sheep, and goat. And excellent qualities for long range hunting.

25-06 is probably the best round in my opinion if you took elk out of the picture not that it wouldn't do the job just maybe not as well.

 

[Scott S]

I killed my first mule deer in 2009 with a .338 Win Mag, at 255 yds, while hunting in the WY wilderness. Saw a grizz with her two cubs while hunting and that was one reason I had the .338 WM on the hunt.

I have since sold the .338 WM and have decided that my .280 Rem is just perfect for deer, hogs, and antelope! I am shooting .5" or better groups with 140gr Accubonds and have just started working up loads with the 140 partition. If it shoots those as well as the Accubonds then the .280 will be my go to rifle for the foreseeable future on deer and antelope.