Rifles for Hunting Big Mule Deer

[robby denning]

Got my ever-so-shy Rokslide buddy @VANDAL (haha Corey, tag you're it!) back on the Rokcast. We're talking about our rifles and how we arrived at pretty much the same system independent of each other. And that's his buck ^ we mention in the episode taken at the extreme LR of 70 yards (not missing a zero there).

Rifles for Hunting Big Mule Deer

It's all about rifles for hunting big mule deer on today's episode. Robby hosts fellow buck hunter Corey Dixon to talk about how they both arrived at similar rifle systems independent from one another.

www.rokslide.com

 

[LONE HUNTER]

I don't kill near as many big bucks as you guys but I tend to kill "better" bucks for where I hunt with a few actual big bucks sprinkled in there.

My rifle is similar. Christensen Mesa 6.5 Creedmoor, Nightforce SHV ( I do have turrets but have hardly ever dialed them to shoot a buck). My average kill shot is about 250 yards. I have killed one as far as 711 and as close as 85.

Seems like when I get a shot at a good buck not even a huge buck but just a good one, I have not much time to make it happen. I've shot almost all of them off my butt using a long leg bipod. Its range the deer, fall to my rear and shoot!

 

[ianpadron]

Have the UM boys convinced you to get a Sixer yet Robby?

Felt like during that old S2H podcast Jake had you close haha

 

[robby denning]

Have the UM boys convinced you to get a Sixer yet Robby?

Felt like during that old S2H podcast Jake had you close haha

hey man, they did! and I'm on the list, but when they got behind with the member deliveries, Ryan and I moved me down the list so the member orders get filled first. I'd expect something this spring. Really excited to shoot a 6UM.

 

[street]

@VANDAL and @robby denning

I had same experience with my buck this year. Shot at 170yds, bullet didn't exit, didn't see any blood. He tipped over after about 20-50yds. 300win mag.

Spotted deer at 1k, hiked to 170yds for shot based on terrain. Similar experience to my buck last year; terrain.

Good podcast

 

[robby denning]

@VANDAL and @robby denning

I had same experience with my buck this year. Shot at 170yds, bullet didn't exit, didn't see any blood. He tipped over after about 20-50yds. 300win mag.

Spotted deer at 1k, hiked to 170yds for shot based on terrain. Similar experience to my buck last year; terrain.

Good podcast

Thanks for chiming in Mike

 

[robby denning]

I don't kill near as many big bucks as you guys but I tend to kill "better" bucks for where I hunt with a few actual big bucks sprinkled in there.

My rifle is similar. Christensen Mesa 6.5 Creedmoor, Nightforce SHV ( I do have turrets but have hardly ever dialed them to shoot a buck). My average kill shot is about 250 yards. I have killed one as far as 711 and as close as 85.

Seems like when I get a shot at a good buck not even a huge buck but just a good one, I have not much time to make it happen. I've shot almost all of them off my butt using a long leg bipod. Its range the deer, fall to my rear and shoot!

 

[robby denning]

@Dioni A where you at?

 

[VANDAL]

@VANDAL and @robby denning

I had same experience with my buck this year. Shot at 170yds, bullet didn't exit, didn't see any blood. He tipped over after about 20-50yds. 300win mag.

Spotted deer at 1k, hiked to 170yds for shot based on terrain. Similar experience to my buck last year; terrain.

Good podcast

@street. Thanks for the feedback. The bullet performance is still on my mind….but I processed the meat the other day and I did find 2 very small bullet fragments on the inside of the shoulder. I’m guessing that bullet just disintegrated inside the body cavity.

Gonna go back and try some new bullets for next year


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[Dioni A]

I ended up going a little different direction. I’ve had quite a few rifles over the years but they’re all somewhat similar. They’re between 9.5 and 10 lbs. scopes top end magnification from 15 to 18x and most of my shots taken prone. My average distance over the last 18 big bucks was 423 (7 of them were between 400 and 430) my current rifle is a tikka 22 creedmoor in a rokstock with a maven rs1.2 built by @Unknown Munitions . It’s by far my favorite rifle and the easiest shooting gun I’ve ever had.

 

[LONE HUNTER]

@street. Thanks for the feedback. The bullet performance is still on my mind….but I processed the meat the other day and I did find 2 very small bullet fragments on the inside of the shoulder. I’m guessing that bullet just disintegrated inside the body cavity.

Gonna go back and try some new bullets for next year


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Remind me, was it a 143 eld-x? or what bullet was it again

 

[robby denning]

I ended up going a little different direction. I’ve had quite a few rifles over the years but they’re all somewhat similar. They’re between 9.5 and 10 lbs. scopes top end magnification from 15 to 18x and most of my shots taken prone. My average distance over the last 18 big bucks was 423 (7 of them were between 400 and 430) my current rifle is a tikka 22 creedmoor in a rokstock with a maven rs1.2 built by @Unknown Munitions . It’s by far my favorite rifle and the easiest shooting gun I’ve ever had.

All good thanks for chiming in, but you gotta tell us what your shortest & longest rifle shot was too

 

[TaperPin]

Cheese and rice! Occasional close range shots are a real thing we should prepare for and not just crazy talk?! 70 yard parallax?! Oh Lord! What bipod setting is best?! *chuckle*

 

[Dioni A]

All good thanks for chiming in, but you gotta tell us what your shortest & longest rifle shot was too

60 yards creeping into a timbered bedding area for the closest and 900 yards on a buck that lived on a domed knob that felt impossible to stalk on. It was the closest vantage that wasn’t right on top of him.

 

[street]

@street. Thanks for the feedback. The bullet performance is still on my mind….but I processed the meat the other day and I did find 2 very small bullet fragments on the inside of the shoulder. I’m guessing that bullet just disintegrated inside the body cavity.

Gonna go back and try some new bullets for next year


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

10 seconds later I shot him again because I was a little nervous about the branches I had to sneak the first shot through. The second shot was about 2in apart from the first one. Second one was a pass through. I know it was the first one that didn't pass because each shot was from a different side of him. I was in a bit of rush cutting him up so I didn't investigate too much.

 

[street]

Congrats on a great buck btw Corey

 

[VANDAL]

Remind me, was it a 143 eld-x? or what bullet was it again

Yeah, Hornady 143 ELD-X. Great accuracy.

My 300 win mag Tikka shot well with the Barnes 165 TTSX and that bullet crushed mule deer.

I’m going to try the Barnes TTSX on the 6.5 PRC again. That was the first box I shot through the gun but felt the Hornadys had better groups so I went with that.


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[LONE HUNTER]

Yeah, Hornady 143 ELD-X. Great accuracy.

My 300 win mag Tikka shot well with the Barnes 165 TTSX and that bullet crushed mule deer.

I’m going to try the Barnes TTSX on the 6.5 PRC again. That was the first box I shot through the gun but felt the Hornadys had better groups so I went with that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That 143 eldx has been really good at creedmoor speeds between 200 and 700 yards. At PRC speeds and 70 yards I bet it vaporized once it broke into the body cavity. If you're going mono and barnes the 127 LRX is a good bullet.