Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Best Short Action caliber rife for Mule Deer/White tail out to 400 yrds????

OK guys, if you were gonna build or buy a short action rifle (Not WSM) to primarily hunt Mule Deer/White Tail deer with shots topping out at 400 yards, what caliber would you choose and why???
I've run the WSM course and just don't feel I need the added recoil. I'm thinking an accurate, relatively light, short action rifle is the optimal package. Given these parameters, what caliber would you choose??

.308 Winchester running 165's

.308's are usually goofy accurate. I really like 165's or 150's but you can run 130's up to the 208's and break shoulders on any deer or elk if needed. Recoil won't send you to the physical therapist. Ammo is found anywhere. Brass is easy to come by. They feed like a fat boy at a buffet.

Whats not to love

This whole rig came from the "Campfire" classifieds except the bare action and recoil lug

6.5-284, 284, 7mm-08, 260 and 308 would be my choices in about that order.

x2 on the 308 because it just works!

hey gunnut that is a sweet package. Whose barrel and what contour is that?

I have no mule deer experience but wt.

I would choose 284Win and not to be smart but I feel the reasons are obvious.

The 6.5-284 is purely a wildcat and case working is involved. The 284 is simple and effective. IMO.

7

Redneck (Lee) put that one together. Its a 21" Pac-Nor thats Remington taper to .670 at the business end.

Actually lapua makes 6.5-284 brass that is so good people have been necking it up to use in their 284

well done

Thanks! Its one of my favorites

gunnut308 nailed it - .308 Win, 165 grain - boattails for the long shots if your rifle likes them.

I moved up to 165 gr after having some 150 gr fail to exit on large whitetails - the 165s go right on through: two holes = better blood trail.

I'm using a Kimber 84M Montana, .308, Leupold 2x7, Kimber bases - very light, accurate, versatile - but have been hunting in Adirondacks so no 400 yd shots! you might want something with a little heavier barrel if you want to go out that far.

Without question .308 Win and it's not even close..........Hb

260 due to its great ballistic coefficient

I'd go 7mm-08..

Not a thing mo need be said...

Dober

.243, .25-06, or .260

Then again, I only have experience with our puny AB deer...

Guppy venado...

Dober

Me too, then 260, then 308.....but I really like them all and there isn't a ton of difference with comparable bullets at these ranges.

My thoughts to a T.