Big deer hunt - help me pick the cartridge

[NeedForSpeed]

The 6.5 Creedmore sounds good I would stay away from the target bullets. For the 300, that 165 Ballistic Tip is the best solution I have for deer sized game. It's all I use for mule deer and whitetails.

I loaded some 165 gn Ballistic tips and they shoot well.

 

[NeedForSpeed]

what county are you hunting? I'm still trying to find a new lease this year.

Putnam county near Iowa

 

[NeedForSpeed]

There is no way in you know where that a 6.5 creed would ever kill a a 250 pound animal. It just isn't possible, the Creed is so weak that only a man bun, skinny jean hipster could use it. Oh and 2700 FPS is top speed for a 140 grain bullet, no way it could go faster. A man bun does add 50 FPS to your speed.
To the OP, I would take the Creed and use a Hammer bullet or the ELD of your choice. Make a good shot and it will all go well. Good luck.

Thank you

 

[JMW67]

For what you are talking about the 6.5 with a 124 hammer hunter bullet would be a nice choice they are very accurate and devastating on game close up and farther out

 

[DJ Fergus]

Going to Missouri in Nov for for my second annual deer hunt. I hear the white tail there are really big with bucks over 250-300 lbs. Im told that most shots would be within 10-150 yds on the property we are hunting with nothing more than 200 yds. Last year I shot my first deer with my 6.5 Creedmoor and a Hornady ELDX 143 gn projectile. Im contemplating whether I should shoot the Creedmoor with that round or a Barnes 127 gn projectile to ensure an exit hole.
The other option would be a 300 win mag with a 180 gn Barnes or 165 gn Ballistic tip but my friends tell me that those are overkill for a soft animal like a white tail. Im also working on a load for a 215 gn Berger Hybrid target but that seems like a lot more than the energy required. Looking for some experienced input in making the decision. Thank you in advance.

Do you have a 35 Remington? Just kidding but I've killed deer out to 200 yds with a 35 rem. I would take whichever rifle that you can make the best shots with in a pinch. I don't believe in overkill but I do believe in too much gun to be as accurate as you possibly can if it's too light for the cartridge. Either one of the two cartridges will do just fine on big deer within 200 yds.

 

[MZmoose]

would you shoot the Hornady ELD X or Barnes projectiles?

Barnes

 

[Stammster]

I loaded some 165 gn Ballistic tips and they shoot well.

I hope you have a mild load. I wouldn't want to shoot a deer at 50 yards with BT at full strength 300WM loads. Those bullets work great when the impact velocity doesn't exceed 2900 fps.

 

[montana west]

any gun that goes bang and you like to shoot. Remember the best rifle is one that is simple tough and you can get ammo for it anywhere.. 243-270-30/06 and you want a quick expanding bullet..
you know the 30/30 kill more whitetails than any other rifle. also if long range work is in the plans the 7mm Remington mag.

 

[kynjm82]

You'll never kill that deer with any caliber you currently own ! So you better order up the nicest rifle you can afford in a caliber that will . Good luck out there and use anything you can as an excuse for a new rifle !!

 

[BKM]

There's no such thing as overkill. Shoot the Win Mag

 

[348 fan]

I guess if you are hunting from a stand...it really doesn't matter. If you plan on hunting from the ground with the deer, I'd go with the lighter rifle of the two.

I'm curious about the size of deer you have been quoted. Just seems exaggerated. I'm sure the Bergmann Rule is not a factor for that size like Maine and Minnesota. Acorn bucks just dont have the potential unless the hunting pressure is really light and there are plenty of 6-8 year old bucks running them hollers......I can't imagine light pressure in MO......and I can't see why MO agri-bucks would be so much more plentiful and larger than OH or IN agri-bucks. Either way I hope you see one and put it down. Good luck.

 

[Jcook02]

Shoot what you're comfortable and confident with. Funny, I've been told I'm under gunned and over gunned. Your confidence and ability to put the bullet where it needs to go says more than you have too much or too little gun. To be honest, I wish I had both guns. If I had a 300 WM I'd go with the 215 with no concerns of "overkill". If I had a Creed, I'd stick with a bullet that would dump all it's energy into the animal. A guide told me one time on an elk hunt, "These things are not Cape Buffalo, you want a bullet that dumps all its energy inside the animal". I have my preference on bullets for different guns. I'm confident in my rifles enough that I don't worry about an exit as I expect myself to put it where it needs to go and let the bullet do the work after that.

 

[CMDR Kibo]

I've hunted Mercer County just to the west of Putnam. You can get some larger deer around the 200 pound mark with the crop fields in the area. Lots of strip farming with interspersed patches of woods and fields.

Of the bullets you mentioned, I would opt for the Barnes mono in either of the rifles you mentioned taking. I personally would opt for the 6.5 since you don't mention taking a mighty 7mm. ha Good Luck on your hunt!

 

[Pro2A]

Going to Missouri in Nov for for my second annual deer hunt. I hear the white tail there are really big with bucks over 250-300 lbs. Im told that most shots would be within 10-150 yds on the property we are hunting with nothing more than 200 yds. Last year I shot my first deer with my 6.5 Creedmoor and a Hornady ELDX 143 gn projectile. Im contemplating whether I should shoot the Creedmoor with that round or a Barnes 127 gn projectile to ensure an exit hole.
The other option would be a 300 win mag with a 180 gn Barnes or 165 gn Ballistic tip but my friends tell me that those are overkill for a soft animal like a white tail. Im also working on a load for a 215 gn Berger Hybrid target but that seems like a lot more than the energy required. Looking for some experienced input in making the decision. Thank you in advance.

Hunting 3800 acres in extreme Northern Missouri for 40+ years with lodge walls full of great hangers, we've never seen a whitetail over 250lbs true scale. Yeah, and, the older we get the faster we were, and the bigger and tougher the deer were. Average deer kill in Missouri is well under 50yds, many say 18yds.. Everyone wants to stretch that out today for bragging. There usually are around 200,000 killed annually. Tens of thousands over the years have been killed with the old .30-30, 30-06, .270, .308, and .243.....even many with 5.56......legal in Missouri. Whitetails aren't very tough to put down with any reasonable shot placement.....we shoot 'em in the neck/head......lights out....no tracking.....virtually no meat loss....skin and quarter (hide saved for Veterans rehab program), take the back straps......finally, open body cavity to pull the loins....place in large plastic trash bag, appropriately labeled, under ice in coolers for trip home to self process. A lot of younger fellows tend toward the big boomer magnums....7mmRM, 300WM, 300RUM, 338RUM, fast Weatherbys, 338Win, etc.....just because they can. Everyone has to have a 6.5CM today. Some 7mm-08s come through camp. 110-150gr soft point bullets (no FMJs) are plenty, if you are just planning to kill it DRT......dead right there. Boomers don't kill them any deader., definitely ruin more meat. There are no wrong selections.....except because your friends just want to rag on you in deer camp. You've got to be thicker skinned than whitetails to survive deer camp.......friends, can't live without 'em; can't live with 'em.