Favorite Mule Deer Cartridge?
02-06-2008, 06:45 PM
#22
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Englewood, Colo.
Posts: 14
RE: Favorite Mule Deer Cartridge?
How dang big are those mule deer in Texas!?
Here in colo I use a 270 fer deer and elk. 130 and 150 gn nosler partitions. My pard Jack has taken elk with his 243 consistently. God Bless him, I wish, Jack O,Conner was still here!
Here in colo I use a 270 fer deer and elk. 130 and 150 gn nosler partitions. My pard Jack has taken elk with his 243 consistently. God Bless him, I wish, Jack O,Conner was still here!
02-06-2008, 07:51 PM
#23
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 1,401
RE: Favorite Mule Deer Cartridge?
My favorite is my 7mm Rem Mag.
I get a laugh out of these threads especially the "every deer I've shot with X caliber has dropped dead in it's tracks" folks.
I shot my mule deer exactly where I was aiming from 175 yards and it ran 50 yards before falling dead. Was it poor shot placement? No. Was it poor bullet performance? No. Was I under or over gunned? No.
The shot took out both lungs and didn't even hit a rib. I'm not even sure the deer knew that it was hit, it simply spun around and started running off before it collapsed. I didn't ruin any meat whatsoever. I think the results would have been the same whether I was shooting a .243 or a .338 Win Mag. I like my 7mm Rem Mag and am comfortable shooting it, that's why it is my favorite!
I get a laugh out of these threads especially the "every deer I've shot with X caliber has dropped dead in it's tracks" folks.
I shot my mule deer exactly where I was aiming from 175 yards and it ran 50 yards before falling dead. Was it poor shot placement? No. Was it poor bullet performance? No. Was I under or over gunned? No.
The shot took out both lungs and didn't even hit a rib. I'm not even sure the deer knew that it was hit, it simply spun around and started running off before it collapsed. I didn't ruin any meat whatsoever. I think the results would have been the same whether I was shooting a .243 or a .338 Win Mag. I like my 7mm Rem Mag and am comfortable shooting it, that's why it is my favorite!
03-03-2008, 10:57 PM
#27
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location:
Posts: 9
RE: Favorite Mule Deer Cartridge?
I like the 25-06 with nosler 110 grain accu-bond. Flat shooting and hard hitting. Shoot the rifle that you can place your shots with. I know a guy who hunts with a .243 and kills everything he points at. Why? Because he knows his rifle and can shoot it accurately. He understands bullet performance and downrange trajectory. In other words, he can hit what he aims at. Most of the guys I hunt with take heart/lung shots. Good percentage shot; wastes little meat; animals bleed out from the shot. Quick and clean.
03-04-2008, 07:51 AM
#28
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 599
RE: Favorite Mule Deer Cartridge?
Honestly and truly it don't much matter on deer.
Since the question said favorite, there are no wrong answers.
I started with a 270Win.
I switched over to a 338WinMag after buying it for an elk hunt.
After that it was just lots more fun to use the 338 than the 270.
Did it kill them deader, nope.
Was it signifcantly more convincing? Yep.
Was it more fun? Yep.
Just like that K-THUD when the bullet hits.
================================================== =
Generally, Ifound high velocity screws up meat much, much more so than medium velocity with a large bullet.
That high velocity tag applies to a large number of "non-magnum" deer rifle favorites.
Since the question said favorite, there are no wrong answers.
I started with a 270Win.
I switched over to a 338WinMag after buying it for an elk hunt.
After that it was just lots more fun to use the 338 than the 270.
Did it kill them deader, nope.
Was it signifcantly more convincing? Yep.
Was it more fun? Yep.
Just like that K-THUD when the bullet hits.
================================================== =
Generally, Ifound high velocity screws up meat much, much more so than medium velocity with a large bullet.
That high velocity tag applies to a large number of "non-magnum" deer rifle favorites.
03-04-2008, 09:04 AM
#29
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,395
RE: Favorite Mule Deer Cartridge?
If I am just deer hunting I will grab my 25-06.
If I am deer hunting & still have a elk tag left? I will grab my 340-Weatherby.
IMHO I do not think mule deer are any tougher than whitetail. Mule deer will die pretty easy with any bullet to the vitals.
If I am deer hunting & still have a elk tag left? I will grab my 340-Weatherby.
IMHO I do not think mule deer are any tougher than whitetail. Mule deer will die pretty easy with any bullet to the vitals.