Antelope/Mule Deer Caliber Recs

[Jaeger62]

Wife and I are wanting to start taking some trips chasing speed goats in the next couple years and I think it's an excuse for me to get a new rifle

She is going to be getting a 7mm-08 and I currently have a 30-.06. Of course, I could probably develop some 30-.06 loads to reach out and touch them to 300yds and beyond but I'd really like to get a new flat shooting rifle for open country western mulie and speed goats.

Am looking at 6.5mm Rem Mag, 6.5x55 Swedish, .270WSM, 25-.06, .260, and .280

Any thoughts on the above? I'll eventually be handloading my own rounds.

 

[noharleyyet]

May as well consider the 7mag. Of those listed, I like the 25naught and the 270short.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I have a 260 Rem currently being built, for much the same purpose. I was looking for a short action to save weight. I narrowed things down to 7mm-08, 6.5 Creedmore, and 260 Rem; before I went with the .260.

 

[Jaeger62]

What are your ballistics on the .260 out to the 300-400yd ranges? From what I understand, the .260 is ballistically similar to the 6.5x55 Swede, or am I thinking of another of the 6mm calibers?

 

[ScottP]

I bought a .243 for such endeavors. Probably will use it most for antelope and coyote, but my friends have killed a pile of deer with .243s and GMX or TSX bullets.

Its a fun gun to shoot as well, when compared to a .30-06 (which is my only other big game rifle).

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

May as well consider the 7mag. Of those listed, I like the 25naught and the 270short.

What NHY said. I like the .270, but, I have a 7mm Mag and with 120gr handloads, its tough to beat. Your 30 -06 would be fine also, if you are planning on handloading. Any excuse to buy a new rifle and I'm in!

 

[Monteman11]

264 Win Mag is my personal favorite out west gun, although, I am building a 6.5 Rem Mag as well. Why, I have no idea, but the BC of the 6.5 bullets are pretty sweet and I have a 300 WSM laying around that I didn't need.The nicest part about the 6.5 Rem Mag is that it can be built on a short action that will take WSM rounds.

 

[1_pointer]

I vote 260. After using one this year on pronghorns and Buzz's spate of kills (inluding elk) with his 7-08, I'm firmly convinced nothing more than something on the 308 case size is needed for pronghorn/deer. It's not as much about the cartridge as it is the bullets. Figuring drop is a simple physics question, figuring wind is voodoo. Out past 300yds one will have to compensate for them no matter what you're shooting. Turrets are more accurate and dots a bit more intuitive for the correction.

 

[Jaeger62]

What NHY said. I like the .270, but, I have a 7mm Mag and with 120gr handloads, its tough to beat. Your 30 -06 would be fine also, if you are planning on handloading. Any excuse to buy a new rifle and I'm in!

I HAVE shot a goat when I lived in northern Colorado with my 30-.06 at roughly 250-300yds.... But I have my wife convinced I need a more flat shooting western plains rifle for our future trips. One benefit to having a wife who also hunts.

 

[MThuntr]

Far be it from me to talk a person out of getting a new rifle but the good ole 30-06 with good optics is really all you need. That being said I've always been a fan of the 6.5's (6.5 swede, 260, 6.5x284, 6.5 Rem). You can handload most of those rounds to meet your needs. Factory 6.5 Swede rounds are sluggish at best.

 

[Jaeger62]

I'm sure most all of you have already been to this site, but I just found it and it has some great information on all of the calibers discussed here. I didn't know much about the .264 Win Mag but looks like that rifle, coupled with a 120gr Barnes TSX would be pretty devastating.

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.264+Winchester+Magnum.html

There are links along the left for all the other calibers. Good info

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

I think if you are looking for something specifically tailored to kill at long range, and are less concerned about weight, you might want to look towards the 264 Win or 6.5x284. My projected outer limit was 400yds with most shots being in the 200-300 range. I plan on shooting 120 TSX or 130 VLD.

 

[Jaeger62]

I think if you are looking for something specifically tailored to kill at long range, and are less concerned about weight, you might want to look towards the 264 Win or 6.5x284. My projected outer limit was 400yds with most shots being in the 200-300 range. I plan on shooting 120 TSX or 130 VLD.

That is specifically what I'm after, a rifle capable of 400yd accuracy and clean killing. But I would expect most shots to be 200-300yd range.

 

[1_pointer]

I think if you are looking for something specifically tailored to kill at long range, and are less concerned about weight, you might want to look towards the 264 Win or 6.5x284. My projected outer limit was 400yds with most shots being in the 200-300 range. I plan on shooting 120 TSX or 130 VLD.

Interesting bullet choices. What I mean by that, is that the two operate at near the opposite ends of the spectrum. One opens much less, retains most all it's weight, and penetrates very deep. The other opens to the point of coming apart, penetrating less, and potentially not retaining any weight. Either will work if you put 'em in the right spot. For deer and smaller I'd pick the latter... I'd also burn way less powder if only shooting to 400yds.

 

[wyoming556]

I think if you are looking for something specifically tailored to kill at long range, and are less concerned about weight, you might want to look towards the 264 Win or 6.5x284. My projected outer limit was 400yds with most shots being in the 200-300 range. I plan on shooting 120 TSX or 130 VLD.

+1 on the 6.5x.284. I have had a couple and really enjoyed them.

 

[HighDesertSage]

270.....super cheap, flat, and fast. Did I mention it's cheap to shoot? More shooting = better accuarcy at long ranges.

 

[HighDesertSage]

I mean the 270 winchester...not the short mag.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Interesting bullet choices. What I mean by that, is that the two operate at near the opposite ends of the spectrum. One opens much less, retains most all it's weight, and penetrates very deep. The other opens to the point of coming apart, penetrating less, and potentially not retaining any weight. Either will work if you put 'em in the right spot. For deer and smaller I'd pick the latter... I'd also burn way less powder if only shooting to 400yds.

I am going to give both of them a try. The last few years I have been a pretty dedicated Barnes shooter, I love the deep penetration and weight retention, but the VLDs intrigue me.

 

[MKotur325]

Jaeger,

When it comes to Western Open Country shooting. IMO shoot heavy for caliber bullets. Heavier, High BC slugs will drift less in wind; even if they are slower. They will also retain more velocity and hit harder once they get to the target. My recommendation would be to choose the caliber for the largest critter you may harvest. I have shot 6 Antelope with my .325WSM, As long as you are using well constructed slugs, it's pretty hard to be over gunned for Antelope. As far as Mule Deer go, IMO anything 6.5MM or larger will work fine. I would probably avoid a 6.5 Rem Mag, ammo and components are just too scarce for my taste. Look at wind as your main consideration. I have hunted for the last two years with a .308. I agree with 1_Pointer. The .308 parent case cartridges are great options .260rem, 7-08. If you want something that will buck wind a bit better, the various 6.5, .277 and 7mm magnums will do that very well. BC and bullet weight are more important than velocity for wind deflection. Drop is fairly easy to figure. Wind is tougher. I know I'm not alone in this, but a few years back I had to pass a shot at an antelope at 265 yds because of the wind. It was a gusting full value crosswind sustained at 10, gusting 25-30. At the time I was unsure how much I would have to hold into that sort of wind. It was my own misconceptions about wind that held me back.

That being said. My personal favorite for all around hunting round is a .300WSM. I will probably be rebuilding my .325 in the next year or so, an drop it down to a .300WSM. Ballistics are SOOOO much better.

 

[1_pointer]

I am going to give both of them a try. The last few years I have been a pretty dedicated Barnes shooter, I love the deep penetration and weight retention, but the VLDs intrigue me.

Good luck! It will be fun work 'experimenting' with them. I used the 139gr Scenar this year out of a 260 Rem. Acts like a bit tougher Berger. More than happy with performance I got on 4 pronghorn.