Best All Around Caliber for Whitetail and Mule Deer?

[Turpentine21]

All of the above… and 6.5-284 among the top of the list.

I thought hard on the 6.5-284. It's a heck of a cartridge. 5 gallon buckets full of 270 and 30-06 brass in my loading room hedged my decision toward the 6.5-06. Plus I've wanted to build one ever since I started reading reloading manuals and ballistic charts as a kid. It was a bucket list build for me.

 

[wvbearhunter]

308 Win is always the right answer

 

[clark33]

The majority of this thread is stuck in the 1970s lol.

 

[Varmintnv]

Gotta be a .270!

 

[HRM Johnny]

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

I'll second that. Good luck on the hunt. Please let us know what you decide.

 

[Jon Bischof]

He said factory loaded cartridges, many of these suggestions are of no help to the OP.
But you can buy 270 Winchester and 30-06 almost anywhere and they are both great for Whitetail and mule deer. Given the best load for your rifle. Ammo testing required.

 

[birddog 68]

Only my 280 AI has been on my western hunts the last 10 or so years. Antelope, deer and elk have all been one shot affairs. 139 interbond for antelope and deer or 160 accubond for deer and elk.
As mentioned numerous times earlier just put the bullet in the right spot regardless of cartridge and you are golden.

 

[Web1350]

This is for deer only in western states . Never seen any mule deer running around on the east coast side of the USA. I have been torn between a 7mm mag, 270 win or a 300 RUM. Wanting opinions from those more familiar with the area out there. I know not one caliber or bullet covers it all. But I have long favored the 7mm mag with a 160 Nosler partition for most all conditions.

I agree on the 7mm Rem mag with the 160 Partitions. Death personified.

 

[Roughrice]

I thought hard on the 6.5-284. It's a heck of a cartridge. 5 gallon buckets full of 270 and 30-06 brass in my loading room hedged my decision toward the 6.5-06. Plus I've wanted to build one ever since I started reading reloading manuals and ballistic charts as a kid. It was a bucket list build for me.

I agree with your decision!
I worked with a 6.5-06 for a while and was very similar, ballistically, to the 6.5-284 !

 

[Roughrice]

He said factory loaded cartridges, many of these suggestions are of no help to the OP.
But you can buy 270 Winchester and 30-06 almost anywhere and they are both great for Whitetail and mule deer. Given the best load for your rifle. Ammo testing required.

I thought I read that he had several projectiles and powders on hand for reloading and was asking for recommendations for his next pure deer rifle.

 

[Turpentine21]

The majority of this thread is stuck in the 1970s lol.

I wish I could go back to the 70s. The world was a simpler place. I had it made and didn't know it. Nothing wrong with the rifles from that time either. But the bullets have gotten better.