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

[grfox92]

The forum is litterally being flooded with Fuddy FNGs.

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[RMSeezer]

Guess that means a lot of FNI's for the FOG's.

 

[earrow]

four pages and no 264 win mag?

 

[grfox92]

Guess that means a lot of FNI's for the FOG's.

I dont speak this language.

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[Escalante11]

A 24” 6.5x284 was my long range muley/elk gun for years with 156 Bergers.

These days I’m running a 21” 6 Creed with 108 Bergers mostly.

Kills seem to be just as quick but it’s a handier platform, allows me to shoot suppressed and still spot impacts, and gives me plenty of juice out to 800 + yards.

 

[BugleMeTimber]

7mm-08
.270 win
.270 wsm
.308 win

 

[surfr716]

so far ive managed to kill them with a 300 wsm, a 6.5 prc and a 22 arc. all have been very dead. also killed whitetail and blacktail, with a lot of different cartridges, everything from 357 mag to 338 lap, as well as archery. cant say one outperformed the others. A good bullet, placed where it needs to go, gets a good result.

my personal favorite right now is a 6.5 prc loaded with 156 eols, my 25x7prc comes in at a close second, then probably the 22 arc. Honestly though its a bit like asking a person what their favorite color is.

 

[Teaman1]

I like speed for my deer rifles. Admittedly haven’t shot any with an eld-m or TMK out of a 22 caliber.
So I pick:
270 wsm
25-06
7mm wsm
6.5 PRC
7mm rem mag

The 150 grain power max bonded (PHP) out of the 300 wsm was as close to a guaranteed instant lights out cartridge that I’ve seen on deer. Only one that took a step was farther than I should’ve been shooting when I was 18, but that deer still only went 40ish yards and died. 50 deer (give or take) only movement was falling with a bullet in the “crease.”
Everything gets shot with a 200 grain ELDx these days though.

 

[Tradchef]

I’ve used 35 whelen
7mm rem mag
300 win mag
300 prc
6.5 cm
7mm-08
25-06
308
243 win
280AI
340 weatherby
50lb longbow

They all work fine. Pick something you shoot well, match a good bullet to what your rifle likes and practice. Go kill stuff after.

 

[Speaks]

I would use my 6 creed, unless I get to the point I could out shoot it in which case I would step up to 6.5 prc.

 

[TheGDog]

With today's monolithic coppers, really, it's more about finding a rifle in "decent" cartridge for the distances you often encounter them, that doesn't weigh a ton, and then remembering NOT to "Hubble it up" with more glass than you need.

 

[DeerTurtle]

22 creed
6mm remington
6.5 prc
28 nosler

 

[TradLife406]

this is rokslide the best cartridges are 223 rem, 5.56, 223 AI, 223 Wylde, 22 creed (oh and 6UM)

Not wrong

 

[cal30_sniper]

The answer to this question likely depends heavily on which part of the last century you were born in.

For the old guard:
7mm Rem Mag/264 Win Mag
.270 Win
.25-06
.308 Win/.30-06
7x57
6.5x55
.257 Roberts
.243 Win/6mm Rem
.220 Swift
.22 rimfire

For the newer generation:
7 PRC
6.5 PRC
6.5 Creedmoor
7mm-08/.260 Rem
6 Creedmoor
25 Creedmoor
22 Creedmoor
.223/5.56

If you notice parallels, you aren’t crazy. Market tastes have come and gone, but the successful recipes haven’t changed.

For me personally it’s been:
.308
7x57
.270 Win
6.5x55

Hoping to add 6-284 to the list next.

 

[bigunit]

Ive only killed one muley buck with a rifle and that was a .308. All others were archery or muzzleloader. If I got a rifle tag today I would probably use the 22-250 ai with 88 tmk or 6.5 prc or 280ai.

 

[eaglemountainman]

I won't claim any to be the "best", but my personal favorites are

7-08
260 Rem

Old school

35 Rem
300 Sav
250 Sav
257 Robts
30-06