Mule Deer: You made my day.
Let me just touch on another aspect. I don't come off as an expert deer hunter, but I do think of myself as an expert beginning deer hunter. I've been at it for over 35 years.
Is a 150 grain 30-06 bullet better than a 180 or 150? The answer is completely overshadowed by shot placement.
Is BC as important as MV or F? Put down the magazines.
Should I use bullet X or Y bullet? The deer will not know the difference.
So shaman, what is important? Recoil.
If you're new enough at this game to be reading this thread for anything but chuckles, then the answer is probably recoil. What you feel at the shoulder directly influences your accuracy. It influences how much you practice. It influences your cheek weld.
But shaman, I don't feel recoil when I'm hunting. I'm concentrating on the deer.
Take it from a reformed recoil junky. Anyone who feels the need to use a Lead Sled for sighting in a deer rifle ain't doing it right. Anyone that's losing sleep waiting for the Managed Recoil loads to get restocked is missing the point. One of the best things that happened to my DRT average was getting shoulder trouble back in 2007. I developed chronic bursitis, and had to give up bow hunting. It made me concentrate more on my rifle hunting. I'm a big guy, and I can shoot anything I want. I'm not prone to flinching. However, I've found 35 Whelen is about my highwater mark as far as recoil is concerned. The older I get the more I appreciate good stock fit and moderate loads. It keeps me shooting more, and most importantly it keeps me out shooting away from the bench more. How this changes my DRT rate is that I mount my rifle more consistently, even in clutch situations. My brain is functioning better, because it isn't waiting for my bell to be rung.
The hidden point here, is that DRT success is more about the indian than the arrow.
