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Interesting, I also shot a nice buck not far from Chemult with a 375 Win. in a lever action (a 38-55 on steroids). I wasn't going to mention it until I saw your post, because everyone knows that you can't shoot mule deer with a whitetail rifle.
Norm
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.
- Albert Einstein
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There was a time.... I believe in the not to distant past when all deer were shot with a whitetail rifle.
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... because everyone knows that you can't shoot mule deer with a whitetail rifle.
Norm What heck do you mean? I know you can kill a with a .25-06 up because I've done it! They aren't that hard to kill!
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The biggest mule deer i ever saw killed was shot by my uncle Harold McCallum with a handloaded 38-55 just out of Chemult Oregon in 1964. Three on one side and four on the other with about a 30 inch span. He had the head mounted but after his death i don't know where it went.
A side note is the rifle he shot it with was a Winchester 94 serial number 8. Harold collected Winchesters and hunted with a lot of them.
Doc Harold McCallum. Hmm. That name sounds weirdly familiar. I don't know why. Winchester 94s ... I owned #239 once upon a time. It was a .38-55 but the barrel had been rebored from a .25-35, you could see the original stamping faintly. It was in bad shape. Front sight kept falling out of the dovetail, the action was so loose I'd have feared for my life if I'd tried to shoot it. But what I really am replying about is Chemult. That country has some big deer. Any of you fellers ever stopped up at the Texaco station at Diamond Lake Resort? If you do, go inside. Last I was up there they had a collection of the most twisted up, massive, atypical mulies / blacktails I ever saw together. I was told most of them came from between the gas station east out on the pine slopes down to 97. Most quite a while back. I want one, just one, like that, and I'd die happy. Tom
Last edited by T_O_M; 03/17/09.
Anyone who thinks there's two sides to everything hasn't met a M�bius strip.
Here be dragons ...
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I probably should have put a smiley face after my post. It was not meant to be serious. I thought that would be obvious, since I just mentioned shooting a deer with a lever action.
Norm
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.
- Albert Einstein
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Tom,
The area is loaded with deer. If you go out during archery season, when they are easier to spot, you will see lots, everyday.
Norm
He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice.
- Albert Einstein
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The biggest mule deer i ever saw killed was shot by my uncle Harold McCallum with a hand loaded 38-55 just out of Chemult Oregon in 1964. Three on one side and four on the other with about a 30 inch span. He had the head mounted but after his death i don't know where it went.
A side note is the rifle he shot it with was a Winchester 94 serial number 8. Harold collected Winchesters and hunted with a lot of them.
Doc Harold McCallum. Hmm. That name sounds weirdly familiar. I don't know why. Winchester 94s ... I owned #239 once upon a time. It was a .38-55 but the barrel had been rebored from a .25-35, you could see the original stamping faintly. It was in bad shape. Front sight kept falling out of the dovetail, the action was so loose I'd have feared for my life if I'd tried to shoot it. But what I really am replying about is Chemult. That country has some big deer. Any of you fellers ever stopped up at the Texaco station at Diamond Lake Resort? If you do, go inside. Last I was up there they had a collection of the most twisted up, massive, atypical mulies / blacktails I ever saw together. I was told most of them came from between the gas station east out on the pine slopes down to 97. Most quite a while back. I want one, just one, like that, and I'd die happy. Tom From the middle fifties to late eighty's Harold had the largest and most complete Winchester collection in existence including serial number 8 in model 1894 (38-55), Model 1886 (45-70), and model 54 (7X57). Showed his collection around the country a lot. he hunted with them all. His favorite hunting rifle was a deluxe model 1886 in 50 Express. He was also my hand loading mentor. Passed away about 4 years ago. I miss him a lot. Doc
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson, 1776
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I don't know if the wind blows in NC and you could get into a long shot situation but if you can 7RM all the way, without the winfd at longer ranges the others are fine.
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If you had to choose between these three for mule deer, which would it be? 7mm.Rem.Mag, 257 Wby Mag. and 25-06. I know that there are plenty others out there that will work, just curious about these three. I would make my choice based on the rifle, not the cartridge, since all three are fine for the application.
"The number one problem with America is, a whole lot of people need shot, and nobody is shooting them."
-Master Chief Hershel Davis
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Doubletap, I was just agreeing. Point being just how in the world did anyone fill the pot with cartridges that wouldn't break 3000 FPS.Grin
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For that matter cartridges tha wouldn't do 2000FPS.
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Figure the biggest mule deer of a life time facing you at 500 yards. 7 Mag or 257 Wby. With a 25:06 you may have a tear come down your cheek. I've done with a 264 old standby 140 hornadys.These new hole punchers may not open up enough. Ok now I've said it. Here comes the backlash and its after Midnight.
Jimbob
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They'd all work fine on a Mule Deer. The 7mm mag is the most general purpose of the three.
Of the two quarter bores the Weatherby has a cache too it, if that's of any consideration to you. The ammo will cost the most of the three.
The 25/06 might be the lightest rifle to carry, the least expensive to purchase, have the lightest recoil, and probably comes with a 22" barrel versus 26" on the other two. 7mm RM and 25/06 ammo costs about the same. The 25/06 being easier on the shoulder helps with practice and accuracy.
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If you had to choose between these three for mule deer, which would it be? 7mm.Rem.Mag, 257 Wby Mag. and 25-06. I know that there are plenty others out there that will work, just curious about these three. 7mm Rem Mag. When it comes to mulies it will do everything the others can do and then some. Recoil runs about like a .30-06 with heavy 160g loads but you can always load 120/140g bullets for mulies. Been using a 7mm RM since 1982 and have never lost an animal or even had to track one. Had a couple elk that went maybe 40 yards, everything else dropped closer to where they were hit. Most much closer, with a good shared of DRT's.
Coyote Hunter - NRA Patriot Life, NRA Whittington Center Life, GOA, DAD - and I VOTE!
No, I'm not a Ruger bigot - just an unabashed fan of their revolvers, M77's and #1's.
A good .30-06 is a 99% solution.
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Taken a number of whitetail and mulies with a 25.06, mostly all one shot kills. Used both Federal 117 Sierra Gamekings and Fusion 120s. For deer, as good as it gets, IMHO.
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First of all, nice bucks Cali Hunter.
I'm highly biased towards the 7mag for my mule deer hunting as I've been using it for that purpose since 1979, but one of my hunting buds uses his .257 Weatherby with great success too. I've been sighting in my rifles @ 3" high @ 100 yards since that time also, and have found out to 375 yards the distance is basically irrelevant with a good, stout 140 gr class bullet (and given a moderate wind of course). I've been lucky enough to take 22 of my 35 mulie bucks with this setup. I'm not naive enough to believe it's the end all, be all of mule deer rifles, but I can highly recommend it.
It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
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If you don't mind the extra expense and barrel length needed go with the Weatherby. If that's a consideration go with the 7 Rem. mag.. The .25-06' would be my last choice as it gives up too much on a long shot if you're so inclined to take.
For me a 270 Win. with a good 130 gr. bullets has worked well.
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Any of the calibers mentioned will work, but if I was going to take 500 yard shots, which I do not as you will sooner or later break a leg at that range, then the 7 mag with 160 gr. Noslers would be my choice. My favorite Mule Deer rifles are the 270 WCF and most years I use my Win. 94 SRC in 25-35 just out of nostalgia. I limit my shots to 150 yards broadside with the 25-35 and it kills very well..I have had to let a lot of really big bucks walk when hunting with the 25-35 because they were out of range. If I want to see a monster I just carry that gun and they show up. If I take the 270 I never see'em it seems!! 
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