My favorite hunting "area" is the state of Montana, where I live. I've been lucky enough to hunt some really great deer places from Old Mexico to Canada, but my biggest mule deer and whitetail were killed here, though about 400 miles apart. Either would qualify as the buck of a lifetime.
The mule deer was taken with a .280 Remington and a 160-grain Nosler Partition at 2950 fps, and the whitetail with a .257 Roberts Ackley Improved with a 115-grain Nosler Partition at 3050 fps.
Averaging both, my ideal load would be a 140-grain .270 bullet at 3000 fps. Both rifles were bolt-actions weighing around 7 pounds with scope, full magazine and sling. Obviously that would work--though the mule deer was taken at around 200 yards, and the whitetail around 85. Both dropped right there, due to being shot through the shoulders and spine.
It sure would be nice to see a pic of those deer, MD.
