Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting 243 or 25-06 for mule deer

25-06

Texas Mule deer and the .25-06 n a good bullet sound just about perfect ta me...ScottyO.

Last time i worked the 25/06 was over east of Clayton NM. We spotted a buck, buddy's turn to shoot so I left my rifle at the truck and went with him. He shot the buck at about 275 yards.Out popped another we had not seen.

He flipped me his rifle..bang-bang, flop flop...two dead bucks.

Bob, that would be some perfect country for the 25/06. The only thing I'm trying to figure out is what was the other buck hiding behind. There is nothing out there forever.

How did Santa do today?

25-06

check your energy charts at 450-500..

I'm a 243 fan and don't own a 25-06 anymore, but if going on a mule deer hunt and had both cartridges, the 25-06 hands down.

6.5x54: Hard over near the Colorado border,and what would be approximately northeast of Clayton is some rough,scabby canyon country on a big ranch...not pretty but gamey. Some good mule deer bucks lived here. Th land around the lace was open lie you say, but the ranch was laced with breaks, oak canyons and lots of scattered cedar.

We had the run of the place. No one much bothered with it back then and the rancher let us do what we wanted. We slept on the floor of an abandoned,decrepit old house and spread bedrolls where the rodent dung was thinnest.

We towed an open top Wiley's Jeep up in there and used it travel the ranch. It was November...there was no hot coffee and I froze. We saw no one...it struck me as a pretty lonesome place.

The buck my pal killed was dogging a few does on a side hill; the second one I shot was below him in the brush...flushed at the shot and took off. The rancher was with us,and yelled ..."Shoot that SOB!"....pointing wildly at the second buck like he'd never seen one.

So I did!

I have been using a .25-06 this year. Though I am sure a .243 would work fine, I am getting attached to the .25-06. This one was new in September, but is new no longer. I have been hunting factory Hornady American Whitetail factory loads with 117 Interlocks this year, though it likes 100 TTSXs and NBTs with H4350 also.

It's been to NE NM a few miles from where BobinNH is talking about, where it picked up much of the dust. Also, it has taken a West Texas Mule Deer and several coyotes. Friday it is off to the Texas Hill Country for a White Tail and then back to Northern NM for elk. It's working so well, I hate to wipe the dust off of it.

Bob, Sounds like a pretty good hunt. I enjoy country like that as it's kind of deceiving as to what looks barren is not really. All around I enjoy trips like that.

Did one similar but not same terrain in Mt. Ida Ark. where we stayed in a long vacated house. Kind of wondered what the bed partners might be.

Gvien the distance, take both and use the most accurate. The other will serve as backup.

Desert, that rifle looks like it spent a little time in Bob's willeys jeep.

Cool story Bob.

It always seems like the small details on a hunt, like what you just described, are what makes a hunt memorable.

Close. A lot of the dust came from taking a Polaris down roads that were otherwise impassible in that they had 't been dozed in a few years near where Bob is talking about.

That'll do it! I'd leave that mojo right where it is..

the classic 25-06 with a wood stock. it will look better in the picture.

I have both but my favorite is the 25-06, I shoot it with 100 gr TSX and it is great on deer!

Not that the .243 wouldn't do the job, I have seen black bear in PA up to 500 lbs. dropped by a .243..

I hunted that exact country for 5-6 years. Our spot was about 30-40 miles West of Kenton, OK. Very rough country for sure, but lots of fun. The Cimmarron River ran right through it.

JG that is a very cool section of northern NM. I love it over there. I asked my pard about hunting there now. Leased by outfitters I understand. Not sure if old Benny (the rancher) is still alive or not.

Things were "looser" in those days and access easier I guess.


Lonny the hunting isn't always about the deer or elk. The places and people make hunts stand out in your mind.


DMD: I never wipe that dust off rifles.......never.




6.5: That jeep had no roll bar, no top and no windshield. You needed two hands to shift it, but it would climb trees. We hunted it from Raton and Johnson Mesa over to the east. I never spent a day in it that I didn't freeze my ass off.

The only thing that rivals it is a 50's era Land Rover another pal owns up in Vermont.Either one will shake your kidneys loose and I'd rather ride a horse.

Cool country for sure. I think I posted this already, but my buddy's kid shot his first TX muley buck a few weeks ago with a .243 and 95g BST's.

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I may try and dig up an old pic of that NE NM country just for you Bob.....'cause it's Christmas!

wow!