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For all you 25 caliber shooters, 250 savage/257 roberts/.25-06/ .257 WM-which bullet weight do you prefer for mule deer hunting? 117-120g class are used most often but the 100g TSX or 90g LRT J36, etc-the trajectory is hard to beat. Any input would be appreciated.

I prefer 120 NP's....my Sako 25-06 prefers 110 AB's. What my particular rifle desires to shoot always trumps my personal desires. Any of those weights with a well constructed bullet will do the job, when we do ours......

I have never went on a Mule Deer hunt, but am planning one for this fall in WY. I will be using a 300 RUM as primary and my 25-06 as backup. The 25 will be stoked with either AB or TSX, whichever shoots the best. I have always used 100 NBT for Whitetail with good results, but for what I am paying to go out West, the cost of a premium bullet is a non issue.

CK

No go.. don't have any post-1960 250 Savages, and the twist in the early ones aren't good with longer bullets. Picked up some 87gr Speer Hot-Cor's to try and wouldn't be afraid to use them, but NP's are my choice in any other rifles.

I haven't hunted Mule deer, but I have taken 2 whitetail with 110 gr accubonds from my 25-06. Neither deer took a step as both dropped in thier tracks. 1 weighed 180#, the other weighed 132#. Good luck on the hunt.

Can't go wrong with a 100 gr TSX,provided your rifle likes 'um.

+1, or the 100 grain Nosler Partition, in my 257 Roberts.

Don

Used a 117 grain Hornady roundnose on a couple of moose when I was younger.They work pretty good.....

Never had a lick of trouble puttin' the smack down on big whitetails with a 115 NP delivered via 25-06...

Planning on trying the 100 TSX though, just for fun.

Pretty much anything you'd use on a descent sized whitetail will work on a mulie. I've seen them taken with plain jane bullets as well as premiums. The last trip I went on where we got one with a 25-06 was shot with a 120 Rem Core-Loct, One shot and lights out.

This year I shot mine with a 7rm 160 ABs (DRT) and saw another that was taken with a .284 140 NPT (DRT as well). Mulies are just like shooting a whitetail from my limited experiences with them.

I wouldn't hesitate a bit shooting one w/ a 115NBT or 120SP.

Good Luck

Reloader7RM

100gr. TSX's all the way.

Mulies from 90 to 424 yds TSX have been perfect. Also have had great luck with 115NBTs but on our small coues deer. I like the deep penetration of Barnes for the big bodies in case something ever goes wrong and a less than desireable shot is needed.

In .250, .257, and 25-06 I've used 120 NP's mostly, but also 100 nosler BT's, 100 win Silvertips, 120 speer, 120 hornady hp, 100 rem psp,120 rem psp, 117 win RN, 117 hornady RN. all worked, no problems if you shoot straight. Deer aren't armour plated!

Nice buck! Suprised you recovered that TSX,give us the details of where you hit it and how far of a shot.

Try the 100gr. TSX, the 100gr. and 115gr. Partition, and the 100gr. Interlock. Use whichever shoots best in your rifle.
RS

When I was young I thought I needed a Nosler partition bullet for everything I shot, and I only hunted mule deer. Then I tried Nosler 120gr Solid Bases in my 25-06 at chronographed muzzle velocities in excess of 3000 fps. Their performance is outstanding and they were much cheaper than the partitions. I've shot at least 5 mule deer with this bullet. All but one were one shot kills (that deer was hit too far back and needed a second shot) and I don't recall ever recovering any bullets. Now I hear the Solid Base bullets are discontinued. Luckily, I have several boxes left. When they are all gone I'll have to find another good bullet. For mule deer I'll probably always stick with 120gr bullets in the 25-06.

rumbum: I agree! The 257 120gr Solid Base was (is, if you still have some) a great bullet. It was a sad day when Nosler discontinued them. Same can be said for the 120gr 264 Solid Base. I still have about a half box of the 257's and they are deadly in a 25/06 or 257AI.

I have used 100NPT's in .25-06 and 100X's with great results. My current fav is the 100 Hornady Interlock from my .257 Bob at 3100 fps. This rifle also likes the 100 TSX and 110AB. ANy of those will kill a mulie with aplomb.

I have had awful good luck with the 100 grain Hornady out of a 'Bob, but if I were travelling long distances and paying piles of money to hunt, I would take my time and find out which one of the following three bullets shot best out of my rifles.

110 grain Accubond
100 grain TSX
100 grain partition

any one of the three will make a deer of any stripe, bad sick.

Never had a lick of trouble with the 100gr TSX or 100gr Partition. You can move them out quick enough to get flat trajectory and good impact speed at pretty impressive distances.