Wyoming Mule Deer, Which Caliber??

[jeremy]

ya but they will bring 500 308 to your door for the same money as 300 270

I can't recall what I paid for .270 last time, but it was not that much of a spread from the .308 I bought...
I'll have to do some digging and see how much it has adjusted itself in the last year...

 

[Hookeye]

.25-06 and you can use it for chucks and yotes around here

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

.25-06 and you can use it for chucks and yotes around here

And squirrels!

 

[Fixer]

I shoot 7mm Rem Mag in a Remington 700 with synthetic stock and a bipod. It is a very universal cartridge with bullet weights from 110 to 200 grain. Ballistically similar to the 300 Win Mag without the punishment even with my synthetic stock that is relatively light. I reload for maximum accuracy, but in a pinch ammo can be found everywhere, even Wal-Mart.

 

[marshallartist]

When I live in NM and hunted them the .270, 7mm mag and .30-06 were all very popular. I myself liked the .30-06 because it makes a great brush gun as well as a long distance shooter.

But even in the wide open spaces of the west the .30-30 was still the top dog for taking deer. The one guy I knew who hunted with one did it from horseback which allowed him to get close to the deer who had no real fear of a horse and they paid very little attention to anything riding the horse.

Surprisingly .308 wasn't real popular.

 

[hnts4fun]

Hunting deer, antelope, and elk as a resident in Wyoming was why I chose to make this place my home more than two decades ago. We all know that bullet placement is the most important factor for a successful, clean kill. My go to gun for everything in this state, and others, is a Parker Hale 270. Savage rifles are awfully hard to beat for the money; and I too appreciate the value of any used gun that has been cared for properly.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Just been favorable to .308 because I have one of those, and a couple of military rifles in 7.62x51.

 

[dean2182]

Heres what I did. I needed a rifle for big game & could only afford one gun. I chose a Weatherby Vanguard in 7mm rem mag from wally world. Spent more money on the optics than the gun. Started reloading & off the bench 1/2" groups at 100 yd. I have hunted elk, carabou, black bear, mule deer with this gun. i got a 180" mulie a while back and it was as big as a steer. Getting redy for elk hunting we shot at ballons at 300-400 yds. However the gun is brutal on the bench
dean2182

 

[Dybber]

I used to use a Winchester 308 in the Badlands in Buelah, North Dakota. It always served me well. Not Wyoming but pretty close as far as terrain and shot distance. I could take down a muellie at 250-300 yards any day of the week and twice on Sundays. It's a great gun with plenty of power.

 

[adsVA83]

It sounds to me that there are a multitude of guns that would work just fine for me. I just need to go this weekend and see which ones fit me me the best ergonomically and go from there. If there are 10 different calibers that will work just fine, then I'll base my decision with which one feels best and fits me best.

 

[42769vette]

It sounds to me that there are a multitude of guns that would work just fine for me. I just need to go this weekend and see which ones fit me me the best ergonomically and go from there. If there are 10 different calibers that will work just fine, then I'll base my decision with which one feels best and fits me best.

the best advise i can give you is to save room in the budget for quality optics. optics play a much bigger role than alot of folks think they do

 

[Hohn]

I supposed I'll throw in another vote for .270.

When I lived in Cheyenne, lots of guys were building up longer range 7mm or 6.5mm guns. The super-high ballistic coefficient of these calibers really helps duck the wind (and you WILL have wind in Wyoming!).

An excellent factory loading is the Federal 175gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw for 7mm Rem Mag. I little overkill for a Mulie, but the stability at range and real-world accuracy is excellent.

Because of the wind, I strongly recommend staying 7mm or smaller, with .243-7mm being a sweet spot. The .30 cal families can be a handful in the wind, and if you get anywhere near the same ballistic coefficient (BC) of the 7mm range, the recoil is MUCH stronger.

6.5X284 is really taking off in popularity (but barrels don't last too well).

By comparison, a 7mm-08 has a lot to like. You give up some of the heaviest bullet weights, but still get pretty good overall BC. A 7mm-08 in the heaviest bullet you can get (i think 150gr) is about the best all-around Mulie-in-the-wind-at-range caliber I can think of.

If you don't mind the extra recoil, 7mm rem mag with a 160-175gr load is REALLY tough to beat. I've heard of great results with the Nosler partitions and the TBBC.

JMO

 

[24Carat]

My Grandfather hunted all over the west for every type of big game for over 30 years with one rifle, an 8mm Mauser.

 

[adsVA83]

I've gone to some local shops and also to Gander Mtn. (I won't buy there but they have a lot in stock to compare) and I've come to the conclusion that you get what you pay for. The guns in the $300 range just don't live up to the guns in the $500 range. Maybe this is common sense and I was expecting more of the cheaper guns. I handled a Winchester 770 and the bolt felt like it was going to fall out, there was so much clearance in it. I may look more for a higher priced gun in the used market.

 

[johnwayne]

If I were to buy a rifle strictly for western deer hunting it would be a Savage in 25'06. A JLK 108 gr VLD has a B.C. of .500 and can be pushed over 3300 fps in that cartridge. The 108 JLK bullet is an accurate target bullet with a light J4 jacket so shot placement is critical- it needs to enter the chest cavity through the rib cage. It is extremely flat shooting and turns the boiler room into slush. I killed many deer with a humble Savage that I bought for $287 on a close out sale.



Another option for a gun is a Thompson Center Encore. They shoot great and with its inter changeable barrels would be a fine gun here in IN too.

You are in for a wonderful experience. One year a friend and I killed 6x6 elk on opening day. That night we were saddened by the realization that our elk season was over. Every day out hunting out west is a grand success regardless of dropping an animal or not. Optimal gun and cartridge is not necessary. In the end your rifle will only play a small role. My guess is that even with a 30-30 using Leverevolution ammo you will have success. Relax and have fun.

One more thing- here is a great place to buy a used gun:

Kittery Trading Post Used Guns Home

They are honest and ship quickly.

 

[adsVA83]

After much debate (wanting a cheap but reliable bolt action) I ordered a Mossberg 100 ATR in 30-06, the camo version. It should be at my FFL sometime this week. My next thing will be finding optics for it.