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.

Which ever one I shot the best as they are all excellent choices for Mule Deer.

IMHO, 7Mag is more than is needed for any deer, and the .25-06 or .257WM would be better suited. In fact, I think the .25-06 would be ideal for mule deer. BTW, that's what I use as my mulie gun

ALL OF THE ABOVE WOULD DO!
I'd say the 25-06 Fast, hard hitting and easy to shoot, but if one of either the other two is a better shooter well then there is your answer

Just my 2 cents.

I think the 7mm Rem Mag is the best choice because where you find muleys you often find a lot of wind and a good 160 gr. 7mm bullet bucks the wind better than anything you can shoot with the other two you mentioned.

I'd probably go with the 7mm mag.

I used to be a .25 fan. I lost a good buck well hit with a .25-'06. I found the carcass a few days later still intact enough to determine entry/exit points. It should have been DRT, or within 40-50 yards anyway, it should not have gone full-steam over a ridge 400 yards away. I lost a lot of confidence in the smaller calibers right there.

Tom

...A beautifully flat shooting 7mm that can be rolled up into a lighter easy carry rifle than required by the 7mm Rem Mag is the Winchester 284. The compact and efficient 284 hits with authority and shoots as flat as the 270 Winchester.

It would depend on the rifles involved and, more important, how I was hunting them.
I've got a 6 lb., 14 oz. .25-284 which is ideal for back pack and rough, open country hunting done on foot. A 7mm Mag in such a light rifle wouldn't be a good choice for me. Kicks too hard, etc.
For a guy that packs a heavy rilfe, say 9-10.5 lbs., doesn't walk very far, and has lots of long range shooting under his belt, a 7mm magnum has it's adavantages. Bucks wind better, hits harder at the longest ranges, etc.
The .257 Weatherby is kind of a special case. Nothing shoots flatter. Recoils considerably less than the 7mm mags. E

All 3 of the rounds you mention will do you just fine. For me, it would be about which rifle they were coming in and which one felt better to me than it would be about which round.

Good luck to ya

Dober

Sounds like you had insufficient bullet performance, not an insufficient cartridge!

JB would love any of them, but if yer trying to keep it a surprise; this isn't the way.

Give or take, I guess. I can't argue it one way or the other. I don't know how to tell those apart, two possible variables, just one equation which says "this didn't work."

What I know for sure was the carcass, when the buzzards lead me to it a couple days later, had a nick on a rib on the on-side and what looked to be a 2" diameter gap on the exit side so I presume the bullet expanded. A line between the two should have intersected the aorta. 120 grain partition, just over 3000 fps at the muzzle, 150 yards or a hair less.

I've shot quite a few deer with .25-'06 and especially .257, had a couple other close calls, but that was the only definitely hit deer I ever lost and it left me sorta sick at my stomach. That was one of two times in the last 30 years I've had to sit down and seriously think about whether I really wanted to keep hunting or give it up.

Tom

I know exactly what you mean. That's done it for me twice....Maim deer/question my role as a hunter. Once was a mercy shot gone wrong and the second was just a poor shot choice. In either case, a deer got seriously wounded.
It's only good if the deer dies right there and quick.

I would go with the 7 mag and I practice what I preach. My other go to deer gun is a 30-06. Not saying you can't kill deer with less, but why chance it.

David

I would go 25-06! I have a custom Remington that shoots 60gr or RL-25 and 100gr TSX's very, very well and it hits hard. Mine has a muzzlebrake and recoil is about like a .223 and I am pushing 3500fps + with this setup.

Any one of those three cartridges would work fine, as others have already pointed out. So think about the other applications for the rifle. If you want it to double for antelope, go with the 257 Roy; if it doubles as an elk gun, go with the 7mmRM.

Sorry to hear about that. Nobody likes to lose animals, but every now and then you get either a really tough deer that runs further than it should be able to with no internal clockwork, or just bum luck with regards to bullet placement. You make what should be a good shot, only to have the bullet narrowly miss (or just graze) the lungs, heart, AND spine, and leave you with a long tracking job. I'm not sure which of the two options happened in this case, but I do know that a 120gr PT moving along at nearly 2700fps at impact is more than enough to completely destroy the contents of the boiler room.

In any case, you have to use whatever gun YOU have the most confidence with. Almost any high-powered rifle will kill deer. What matters most is where you put the bullet (and which bullet you choose!), and you have the best chance of putting the bullet in the right place when you shoot it out of the rifle you have the most confidence in.

The way I look at is just maybe the biggest buck mule deer of anyones life time steps out at 400 yards, what would I want?

I would want to be shooting at least a 140 grain bullet at 3100 fps or better.

So of those three choices the 7 Mag wins hands down.

As stated any of them would work.

I remember a story about a caribou hunt that Famous Gun Writer (not anyone who posts here) wrote wherein he put three bullets from his .25-'06 through the ribcage of a caribou at considerable range. He was startled that #1 and #2 did not put the beast down.

I killed my first big mulie buck in Idaho with a 7mm RM and the old screw-turned 160 gr Nosler Partition back in 19(mumble). It killed the buck right there: he was facing me and went airborne and landed on his back where he had been standing.

jim

In that case, make mine a .340 Weatherby shooting 200gr BT

Even if the biggest mulie buck in the world stepped out at 400 yards, I'd have NO hesitation about nailing him with a 100gr TSX out of the .25-06. Like I said, it's all about confidence because any of those guns will work just fine.

BTW, my first love is the 7mm Rem Mag, and my second is the .25-06, so don't think that I'm a .25-06 slut. After using the 7Mag on quite a few deer, from close to far, I've just decided that it is a lot more gun than is needed for WT and mule deer. IMO it's about perfect on elk, moose, mountain goat and bear.

I have done most of my muley hunting with a 7 RM and still love it. Some guns are lighter than others, and I wouldn't want a heavy rifle. I have also used a .270 Win. they work!

All the calibers you mentioned could be fine mule deer rifles if they are not too heavy, a 25-06 will be slightly heavier than a larger caliber with the same outside barrel contour.

7mm mag without a doubt for me. 163bc

I had a .340 Weatherby and that was one bad dude! Factory load with 200gr B.T at 3221fps is no joke!

I would take the 280Rem. Crap thats not a choice...lol... then make mine the 7mm mag shooting 140gr TTSX or 150gr E-Tips.

+1
I had a 25-06 and it liked Hornady 120 Hollow Points and they blew all the way through whitetails with ease, I am confident they would do the same on mulies.

I could kill a mule deer out to 500 yards with all three rounds.

I'd rather carry the 25-06, probably lighter.

257

To me, the 7mm RM with a 140/160 Partition says Mule Deer all day long. Near, far, windy, cloudy, global warming - its the perfect marriage!

I'm craving any Seven or a 25-06 in a Montana just for mulie hunting!!

All would work......I would take the 7 mag of the three offered.This is because I use it for that purpose a great deal.

My thoughts exactly.

7mm

25-06 like my winchester 70 classic sporter

I used my 25-06 on tons of deer in high school, before I thought I needed somthing bigger.

25-06 works, 257wby is more of a good thing. either or!

Its been said all 3 are great choices, so I won't kick that dog again. I have all three calibers in comfortable rifles. I will be toting my 257 Wby this fall in Colorado. Mainly because I feel like its the lucky one to bring me a 180" of mule deer. Sounds cool anyway.

BTW I'll be shooting the little blue bullets, in the 100 gr variety.

Joseph

How far are you shooting on average? What kind of country? Flat, steep, wooded, etc? That would affect my decision. Of the three, the 7mm Rem Mag would be the most versatile. You could load light for a flat shooting round in open country or you can load heavy for timber. You can even load in the middle if you hunt windy country.

With that said, get a 300 Win Mag! 150gr Swift Scirrocco is a great open country, medium game load. Shoots super flat, hits hard, takes animals down hard.

I would go with the 7mm Remington Magnum, if I had to choose from those 3 cartridges. The load would probably be a 150gr Swift Scirroco, a 140gr Accubond or a 139gr or 154gr Interbond.

With many options sitting just a grab away - the two I reach for more often than not, in Mule Deer country are the 25-06 and the 7mm-08.

The 25-06 is a Browning Bolt Action (pre-A Bolt) with a fat Weatherby Mark V style bolt and a squared off fore end. It wears an old Redfield Wide-view 2X8. It is a heavy rifle, but so accurate, and it always did what was asked of it - regardless of distance - with animals as big as big bull elk. I always used either Nolser Partitions or Barnes X type bullets out of it.

The 7mm-08 is a first generation Remington Titanium. It was terrible out of the box, but after many gunsmithing hours, shoots well now. It is topped with an Ultra-light 3X9 Leupold scope. It is so light that it's the rifle I want to pack when the country gets vertical in aspect. The older I get - the more I appreciate the ultra-light weight of that set-up. It also performs great with TSX's as far out as I ever want to shoot a deer.

I really like the 2506. Why,because it is a real step up from smaller calibers for big deer. Now of course everything bigger works.The kicker for me is the fact that this is a shootable cartridge in the lightest of rifles and work for low volume shooting for everything from deer on down. Bottom line for me is I enjoy shooting this cartridge year round. They say familiarity breeds contempt.When it comes to familiarity thats what I want in a huntin rifle.

I will use either my .257 Wthby or my Tikka T-3 Lite in .300 Win Mag. I used a 150 gr Interbond from the Tikka to take this buck last November... almost 180 inches.



The other buck is a 150-class.

All three will work well, I'd just go with the one that fits the hunt. If it's a lot of walking, I'd go with the lightest. Glassing and stalk, maybe a little heavier gun.
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

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

There was a time.... I believe in the not to distant past when all deer were shot with a whitetail rifle.

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!

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

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

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

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

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.

I would make my choice based on the rifle, not the cartridge, since all three are fine for the application.

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

For that matter cartridges tha wouldn't do 2000FPS.

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.

Nice bucks, I'm jealous

No arguments hear.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!

25-06.

BMT

25-06 would be pretty hard to beat. Ive got one but have yet to take it hunting.

Since 270 Win isn't one of the choices, I would opt for the 7 RM. Lou

Personally, I'd go with the 7mm Rem Mag. Hey, I like a good 25-06, but I like the versatility of the 7 more. IMHO, very hard to beat anything in .284 caliber.

CLB

the 7mm rem mag. i have killed a lot of deer with the 140gr ballistic tip. several near chemult oregon. i'll probably be packing a 7mm this year in the whitehorse unit. Wide open windy desert shooting 175gr sierras btsp.

Congrats on the Whitehorse tag and good luck Baltz!