In your opinion what 3-5 rifle cartridges are best for Mule Deer?

[Tobwright]

For me it’s 6.5 PRC, 7 PRC, 300 win mag, 6.5 creed, 25-06

 

[Taudisio]

6arc, 22creed, 6creed, 6.5creed, 6.5prc

 

[TxxAgg]

Attention seeking post.

Anything will do

 

[mtnbound]

For me it’s 6.5 PRC, 7 PRC, 300 win mag, 6.5 creed, 25-06

22CM, 6CM, 243, 6ARC, 6UM

 

[Bonecrusher 0338]

7mm Remington Magnum, load it down to 7mm-08, or past 300 Win Mag, if you like.

 

[Marble]

For me, I've become a pretty big fan of my 6.5 PRC. But I've been killing stuff with 7mm mag and 300WM for decades.

I do not think the cartridge choice in any of my rifles have ever been the reason for my success.

Sent from my SM-S938U using Tapatalk

 

[Arrieta578]

Lots of good cartridges: My recommendations are the 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, .270 Win, 280 AI, 7mm RM.

And, don't rule out a good 7-08 or the old 30-06.

 

[Ryan Avery]

6CM, 6CM, 6UM, 6UM and 6UM

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

6CM, 6CM, 6UM, 6UM and 6UM

I only opened this thread to see if you put 6UM 5X.

Disappointed

 

[gravypup]

6.5prc 7prc 270 rem mag
6mm would be solid choice

 

[southLA]

Why is it always 3 or 5? Why not 2 or 4?

 

[Stache Attack]

6creed, 6.5 creed, 6.5 prc, 270 win, 7mm08

 

[WyoWild]

Deer seem to die pretty quick with any vital hit from 223 on up. I can't really see an advantage to going with anything over 6.5 PRC. For me I have moved down to 6 Creed as my primary deer rifle as it offers great ballistics and ability to spot shots with less recoil.

 

[RReuter]

6.5 PRC & 156 Bergers in a squared away rifle have given me an extreme level of confidence the last four years. 24 animals, no drama. I have to check myself once in awhile. I think just because I can see them that they're in range.

 

[Cherokeeguide]

From 1985 to 2015, I filled 21 mule deer tags with a Ruger M77RL Ultralight in the pipsqueak .250 Savage and I never had to shoot one more than once.

Here's what the terminal ballistics of my .250 Savage handload topped with 100 grain Nosler Partition bullets did from my rifle (Distance / Velocity / Energy)

M / 2620 / 1524
100 / 2352 / 1229
200 / 2100 / 980
300 / 1865 / 772

As weak as that metaphorical sauce is, if you hit a mule deer in the heart with that, it doesn't do anything but die.

In the here and now, I can get similar terminal ballistics from 5.56 NATO handloads topped with 77 grain Sierra Tipped MatchKing bullets. For the sake of comparison, here's what that load does out of my home-assembled 20" barreled AR-15 A4 style rifle:

M / 2852 / 1391
100 / 2634 / 1186
200 / 2426 / 1006
300 / 2227 / 848

If I can fill tags from one-shot kills with pipsqueak little shits like these, you'll have no trouble doing likewise with anything from .243 Winchester to .308 Winchester or 6mm Remington to 7 x 57 Mauser or .25-'06 to .30-'06 or any kind of 7mm or 300 Magnum.

 

[sickles107]

6cm...