Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game What are you hunting with this year?

I pulled a coveted high-desert mule deer tag I love to hunt this year so I’m pumped. I built a rifle several years ago for “next time I pull a XXX tag” and it’s what I’ll very likely be using… it’s a midweight 6.5 SAUM directly cloned from the GA Precision (GAP) Extreme Hunter. Manners SL stock, Bartlien fluted barrel, Timney Calvin trigger, M700 action with a PTG bolt and Gre-Tan bolt guts. And AICS bottom metal and mags.

Dark horse candidate is a 7 SAUM factory donor i rechambered to 7 WSM and damned if it doesn’t shoot lights-out. However it’s been really hot this summer and I haven’t had a chance to shoot it much.

There’s always the Kimber Montana 7 WSM which I can hunt anything anywhere with. I used it 2/3 of the other years I pulled this tag. It works great there; it’s a backpack hunt. It has lots of longer-range hunting opportunities so I’m leaning towards the 6.5 GAP; not so much for the extra reach or ballistic advantage-there isn’t one- but just because as a heavier rifle it’s easier to shoot very well.

Kimber on the left, 6.5 GAP in the middle.