Best All Around Caliber for Whitetail and Mule Deer?

[Longtine88]

Well since factory is what your going with and Western states my top three would be:

1. 6.5 PRC
2. 7mm Rem Mag (Not 7PRC!!!)
3. 300 PRC

 

[Rick Richard]

6.5 PRC, 6.5SAUM, 7SAUM

 

[john k]

Enjoy the process of choosing between more than a few different cartridges. .280AI should be considered in my biased opinion.

 

[Recon$$]

Waste of time, deleted.

 

[lamiglas]

If you dont mind sharing, What bullet are you using, and what distances? Sounds like some really good data!

I've taken over 500 whitetails, a 176 & 184" mule deer, Coues, Carmen Mtn. whitetail, and 120" blacktail with my 6.5/.284 XP-100 handgun, plus a whole lot of African game.
This round kills way beyond what you would expect with much less recoil than the bigger rounds.

 

[Turpentine21]

I've killed 100s of whitetail with the 270Win and 100s of deer and hogs with 6.5 offerings from 6.5 Grendel to 6.5-06. The 270 win is the easy button. A lot depends on your max distance that you intend to shoot. I like a 308 and 30-06 too.

 

[ObiWanKannoli]

I shoot any and all big game that I intend to with a 300 prc.

 

[ObiJohn]

Best all-around? That means the best combination of flat trajectory, moderate recoil, and effective terminal ballistics, from point-blank range to at least 500 yards? Eastern whitetails in deep woods or western mulies in the mountains?

The jack-of-all-trades is the master of none. Lots of good choices, at either extreme or as compromise cartridges. Within 400 yards anything from a .243 to an '06 will do fine. I have hunted the single shot straight wall deer season with a Miroku Low Wall .44 Magnum, whietails with a M70 .243 and '06, mulies with a .338.

Any reasonable cartridge and rifle will do, if you will do.

 

[lancetkenyon]

6.5mm.

 

[Bullbuck]

270 win

 

[bearhtr2]

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.

 

[john k]

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.

7mag pushing an accurate 160 NP is plenty of killing power at ranges in this thread. More than a few eastern hunters travel out west hunting mulies and are familiar with the terrain and obstacles that the hunter is presented with. All cartridges mentioned in this thread are up for the task.

 

[tribb]

Looking for thoughts on what caliber you guys would pick as the most versatile caliber for western whitetail and mule deer in factory offerings?

Thanks,
Mike

You said factory offering whether you reload or not isn't stated.So on that note I recommend a 270 weatherby and your set . Remember if you reload you can customize your ammo to your specific needs. If you don't you still have quality factory ammunition to choose from . Tribb

 

[memtb]

Looking for thoughts on what caliber you guys would pick as the most versatile caliber for western whitetail and mule deer in factory offerings?

Thanks,
Mike

While most anything will work…..I'll go with somewhere from a 25-06 up through the flatter shooting 30 calibers. In reality you can be over calibered…..perhaps too much velocity with a frangible bullet! memtb