Which caliber for mule deer

Dirtdevil said:

Here's my question. I have had a last minute change to go on a once in a lifetime mule deer hunt in Alberta. And I don't feel like any of my rifles are completely dialed in. Calibers to choose from 300 rsaum. 308 7mm Rem mag. 308 is closest to being done. Just need to confirm data. 300 is good for 400 yds. 7mm is in the load development stage. Current load is 3/4to 1 moa I have 2 days to get one ready. What would you do

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I shot many mule deer with 308 and Nosler ammo as far as 450 m out in BC

I think you should take a wheeled golf cart and take all of em and you can decide on the spot!
My dad shot many mulies and his big decision was between an 8mm mouser or the 12 gage.
Talk about effluent when ya have to write to a forum to decide on which $2000 plus rifle out of a dozen to take on a hunt.

Dirtdevil said:

Dang never thought about the creed. I do have one of those in a 6 dialed in !!! The 308 is losded with 168 Bergers 2700 FPS under a .5 moa all day long verified at distance. Been shooting that rifle a lot for a couple of year. Recently changed from the 155s to the 168s haven't shot it much past 500 to check the dope. Only concern with this gun is the energy at 600. Looks like about 1100. Would not hesitate to use it on a whitetail That's what I put it together for. Wasn't sure if that's enough thump on a muley

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Are you going hunting or shooting competition? Sounds like the Seco d one.

That 7mm is my choice, but the 308 is just fine if it's shooting better for you. Bring warm clothes, it's brisk this morning!

Great info given! and I know you didn't ask - but I feel very obligated to say - MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL PAPERWORK TO CROSS THE BOARDER WITH YOUR GUNS!! AND if you are flying DO NOT travel thru Toronto if you have a choice. That's the most liberal bunch of folks about guns I have ever seen! We had all our stuff exactly as the RCMP website suggested and the 21 year old girl officer almost had my friend locked up - and we both had everything exactly the same. She didn't know their own rules!
Print off all the rules and take with you! That's the only reason we were let go! Finally got let go and the guy checking our bags onto the plane had me open my gun case - and when he saw it - he said - "huh - never seen a real gun before!" I bet he was 60 yrs old!
Sorry for the hijack!
I'd take the one most dialed in!

I'm a 7mm guy, but since the 308 is already dialed in, take the 308, its more than enough gun. Leave the CM at home

codyadams said:

Not exactly sure what you even mean here bud, your words make no sense.
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Goes onto a "long range hunting" forum.

Tells a person asking a legitimate question to ditch all his "long range" guns and get a 30-30

Tells said person (again, on a "long range hunting" forum that he signed up for) to be a "real hunter" and get close.
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A person taking these or similar actions is useless on this forum and brings nothing to the table, and is only making poking and prodding comments for either attention, recognition, or out of boredome, and is not neccessary. With 16 messages, your new on this forum. If your here to be helpfull or learn, this forum is very friendly and welcoming. If your here to do things like what you have shown thus far, you will be ignored and disreguarded by everyone and if you take it too far, will be booted from the forum. Free country and it's just a forum, so your choice.


Sorry for the rant everyone. Getting overly tired of ignorant people coming onto this long range hunting forum and telling people to get closer, or saying they aren't real hunters if they shoot long range. It's getting really old, and people like that need to get a life.

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Well, I do prefer close shots when I can get them, but while a 30-30 is a great rifle and cartridge, it isn't very versatile should my shots be past about 150 yards, which many of them have been. As to getting close, sometimes that's just not possible. I just refuse to crawl through cactus to get a close shot. And that's what I would have to do in some of the places I hunt here in Colorado. I tend to use rifles that give me at least 600 yards of accurate killing distance, so that if that's the only shot I have, I can try to make it, which is pretty hard to do under field conditions, and nearly impossible with a 30-30 rifle. The gentleman who asked this question has rifles which have both the accuracy and reach for the ranges he expects to have to shoot. He said shots would range from around 250 to 500 yards in possible windy conditions. For those types of shots, a 30-30 is decidedly unsuitable. The .300 RSAUM or the 7mm Remington Magnum would be most suited to the shots he may have to take. The .308 will do the job, too, but with a little more drop and wind drift. I agree with codyadams that comments outside the question asked don't help the person who asked for advice and are thus irrelevant to the discussion.

Dirtdevil said:

Here's my question. I have had a last minute change to go on a once in a lifetime mule deer hunt in Alberta. And I don't feel like any of my rifles are completely dialed in. Calibers to choose from 300 rsaum. 308 7mm Rem mag. 308 is closest to being done. Just need to confirm data. 300 is good for 400 yds. 7mm is in the load development stage. Current load is 3/4to 1 moa I have 2 days to get one ready. What would you do

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Where in Alberta? I live here...and have hunted All of it.... Prairie or bush country?

Moose Whacker said:

I think you should take a wheeled golf cart and take all of em and you can decide on the spot!
My dad shot many mulies and his big decision was between an 8mm mouser or the 12 gage.
Talk about effluent when ya have to write to a forum to decide on which $2000 plus rifle out of a dozen to take on a hunt.

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Well, I don't have any 2,000 dollar rifles, but I did take two 30-06s, one 300 winmag and a 35 Whelen on last week's elk hunt. You never know when you might drop and damage a rifle, or when one of your buddy's scopes might go out of whack, so I always bring spares. Otherwise, its a couple hundred miles back to the house to get another rifle should something happen. That's why I suggested Dirtdevil take two rifles with him.

Dirtdevil said:

Here's my question. I have had a last minute change to go on a once in a lifetime mule deer hunt in Alberta. And I don't feel like any of my rifles are completely dialed in. Calibers to choose from 300 rsaum. 308 7mm Rem mag. 308 is closest to being done. Just need to confirm data. 300 is good for 400 yds. 7mm is in the load development stage. Current load is 3/4to 1 moa I have 2 days to get one ready. What would you do

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take 300.....stay within 400...

Old gs I know hunted for moose with 155s from a 308. Always successful at 300-500ish. Dont be afraid of 155s

I just took my first mule deer buck here in Central Washington with a 308. 220 yds isn't exactly long range but that's where I took the shot. I hand load 150gr Speer Btsp over 42gr IMR4895 at col 2.800. it's coming out of the 26" barrel at 2602fps. He ran maybe 30yds and dropped. I'm not a huge fan of the 308 as growing up I used a 223 Ruger mini 14 on whitetail in NY, but I'm starting to like it more and more.

I live in Alberta too and I say take your 300 SAUM. You said it was good to 400yds just figure out the drop from there.

Wanna wound a deer and be disappointed? Shoot it with a 6.5 creedmoor.


If you're taking 600 to 800 yard shots, I'd try to get closer. Why is everyone so misled by the 6.5 creedmoor? Unbelievable.

codyadams said:

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Goes onto a "long range hunting" forum.

Tells a person asking a legitimate question to ditch all his "long range" guns and get a 30-30

Tells said person (again, on a "long range hunting" forum that he signed up for) to be a "real hunter" and get close.
----------------------
A person taking these or similar actions is useless on this forum and brings nothing to the table, and is only making poking and prodding comments for either attention, recognition, or out of boredome, and is not neccessary. With 16 messages, your new on this forum. If your here to be helpfull or learn, this forum is very friendly and welcoming. If your here to do things like what you have shown thus far, you will be ignored and disreguarded by everyone and if you take it too far, will be booted from the forum. Free country and it's just a forum, so your choice.


Sorry for the rant everyone. Getting overly tired of ignorant people coming onto this long range hunting forum and telling people to get closer, or saying they aren't real hunters if they shoot long range. It's getting really old, and people like that need to get a life.

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Bang Bang Chicken said:

Wanna wound a deer and be disappointed? Shoot it with a 6.5 creedmoor.


If you're taking 600 to 800 yard shots, I'd try to get closer. Why is everyone so misled by the 6.5 creedmoor? Unbelievable.

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Like this guy. They just keep coming.