Which rifle for trophy mule deer hunt?

[timberbuck]

Guys, I am torn. I have built and proven two rifles in the last couple years and I find myself with a trophy Nevada deer tag this year.
Question is which to take and hunt as my primary. Both have 3/4 MOA accuracy with chosen factory loads and both have equally capable scopes (Nightforce NX8 and Trijicon Tenmile HX). Both rifles are left handed Christensen Arms Ridgeline models. .300 PRC 26" shooting the 212 precision hunter and an even lighter short action Ridgeline left hand in 6.5 PRC 24" shooting the 147 grain ELD match. Recoil out of either is not a factor. Is the .300 overkill on a big muley? Is the 6.5 PRC enough? I want to take no chances. This is not a meat hunt. My intuition is the .300. Error on excess LOL.

 

[SDHNTR]

The 6.5 is more than enough. A lot more.

 

[timberbuck]

The 6.5 is more than enough. A lot more.

Do you approve of the bullet choice in the 6.5? I have read how good these kill if put in the boiler room. I bought the 6.5 with the intention of using it for pronghorn and deer. The .300 for deer and elk. Both rifles are a major improvement over what I have used in the past as far as weight. The 6.5 is just sweet. Super light and handy with the short action and 24" barrel. The 6.5 also shoots the Hornady outfitter 130 grain CSX mono just as good. I know this bullet would probably be better overall but I'm out of time to re zero the rifle for it.

 

[timberbuck]

As a reference in the past I have hunted deer and elk with 7mm magnums shooting 150-160 grain bonded bullets.

 

[Koda_]

I would be just as excited about your tag as well but your putting way too much thought into this, both your options are technically overkill. If your shooting Hornady factory ammo look up the advertised ballistics they arent far off from each other. Just pick one and go.
I would chose the 6.5 but Ive never hunted with target bullets but Ive heard they have worked for people.

 

[The Guide]

Stop over thinking it. Both rifles are chambered in cartridges that are more than substantial enough to kill any animal in North America with those bullets. Take the one you enjoy carrying the most and take shots within your maximum range that you have practiced to.

Jay

If it was me I'd take a 223 or a 6 ARC. If I was feeling spicy I'd bring my 6CM with a suppressor...

 

[Nicaburns]

I’d pick the 6.5prc any day for that hunt!

 

[Wapiti1]

Mule deer tend to end up being a truck hunt in most units. Drive, maybe hike, glass, rinse and repeat. So, weight isn't really much of an issue.

Take the one you shoot better and want to carry. Both will kill just fine. I'd suspect the 6.5 is just nicer to shoot.

Shoot the ELD-M for best killing results. It will smoke a deer faster and with less follow up than a mono.

Jeremy

 

[mtnbound]

6.5 PRC and the ELDM.

 

[SDHNTR]

The bullet is fine if the rifle shoots it well. But you said something very concerning. No time to zero it? If you don’t have time to zero, you don’t have time to hunt. You cannot go hunting without a zeroed rifle. Zeroing is the process of making sure the bullet goes where you put the crosshair. What were you going to do? Just stuff bullets in it and hope for the best? All rifles need to be zeroed. Always!

 

[Seeknelk]

I've used the 300 prc/215 berger on deer, antelope and elk. It's an Alamo precision 24" proof rifle .
It certainly works but didn't kill any deader than my daughter's buck she shot at 475 with a 16" 6.5 CM and 140 eldms or my boys first buck at 350. Both with same set up, suppressed.
It's by far my favorite rifle for being so short and handy and easy to shoot very well.
I need to rebarrel the 300 with a 20" so I actually use it or just make it my dedicated elr set up for shooting steel at a mile etc.
I would use the 6.5 prc/eld combo and shoot it a lot from all positions, less recoil is always better.
I prefer rib/lung shots with either rifle and there is little to no meat loss. Even on the antelope.

 

[TaperPin]

Hard to wrong with either. Sounds like you have a favorite - nothing wrong with a 300 mag. The downside to using the 300 is you’ll develop a stronger attachment the more history that gets built with it - eventually the 6.5 will never get used.

When I used a 300 for everything, even antelope didn’t complain about it. There are a lot of experienced hunters that always have a 300 in their hands.

 

[TCUHunter34]

The bullet is fine if the rifle shoots it well. But you said something very concerning. No time to zero it? If you don’t have time to zero, you don’t have time to hunt. You cannot go hunting without a zeroed rifle. Zeroing is the process of making sure the bullet goes where you put the crosshair. What were you going to do? Just stuff bullets in it and hope for the best? All rifles need to be zeroed. Always!

I think he’s saying he doesn’t have time to rezero with a different bullet for the 6.5. Not that he isn’t zeroed currently.

 

[SDHNTR]

I think he’s saying he doesn’t have time to rezero with a different bullet for the 6.5. Not that he isn’t zeroed currently.

OK, I misread that. If it’s zero for the ELDM, just shoot that!

 

[Schmo]

Hands down the 6.5 PRC with the 147ELD-M. It’ll go through a shoulder just fine.

 

[Schmo]

The day that we “need” a 300 PRC for deer is a bad day

 

[The Guide]

The bullet is fine if the rifle shoots it well. But you said something very concerning. No time to zero it? If you don’t have time to zero, you don’t have time to hunt. You cannot go hunting without a zeroed rifle. Zeroing is the process of making sure the bullet goes where you put the crosshair. What were you going to do? Just stuff bullets in it and hope for the best? All rifles need to be zeroed. Always!

I took it as that he doesn't have time to mess with a new load (aka the 130 CX mono) before the hunt and would like to use the bullet the gun is already set up to use.

Jay

 

[RockAndSage]

Which one do you shoot best?

Which one can you genuinely, realistically practice the most with, in the most field-realistic positions and conditions?

 

[LightFoot]

2x Christensen Arms rifles that shoot 3/4 MOA!? With that kind of luck you could take a slingshot and come home with a B&C buck.

I would take the 6.5 for the reduced recoil. I agree with the fellas above that the ELDM is fine.


>>>——JAKE——>

 

[Jason Snyder]

If you can’t kill a deer with either one of those chamberings, the issue is not in the head stamp on the case.