I have a chance to hunt trophy mulies on a huge private ranch next fall!

I expect shots out to 350 yards...

In your experience what's the best rifle/ammo combo?

7mm Remington Magnum chambering in the bolt action rifle of your choice.

Anything over a .257 roberts will do nicely(except the so-called brush cartridges and the .30 carbine)

7mm Remington Magnum chambering in the bolt action rifle of your choice.


Never used or reloaded for a 7mm...what's a good bullet weight and muzzle velocity?

Any thing from a 140 gr to 175 gr.

My old tang safety Ruger presently has a preference for 140 gr Nosler Part's, however, the 162 gr NP's shoot pretty well. Have taken mule deer and elk with the 162 grainers at the 350 yd distance you mentioned.

The 162's usually chrono at 3,000 fps +-, while the 140's travel at 3150 fps +-.

I have a chance to hunt trophy mulies on a huge private ranch next fall!

I expect shots out to 350 yards...

In your experience what's the best rifle/ammo combo?


Don't know about the "Best" but if money were of no matter, this is what I'd buy for a mule deer hunt where longer than 300yd shots were to be expected.

Gun:
Browning A Bolt Composite Stalker with BOSS

Caliber:
I'm thinking 270WSM for this one

Scope:
Zeiss Conquest 3x9x40 or
Burris Euro Diamond 2.5-10x 44mm with Ballistic Plex Reticle or
Lupy VX III 3.5x10x40 with their Boone and Crocket reticle or if a little more magnification was wanted I'd opt for their 4.5x14x40 with the same Boone and Crocket reticle.
I know these are a lot of choices that represent scopes maybee built for different things, but people seem to have very different oppinions when it comes to what type of scope is needed for the longer shots such as the 350yds you mentioned. I hope this selection gives you a few choices you can weed through to see what suits you best.

Bullet choice:
150gr Partition, 140gr FailSafe, Maybee a 140gr Accubond


Truth be told, I love the chance to take this hunt carring my BLR in .308 wearing a Lupy 2.5x8x36, with a good rangefinder (my range estimation isn't what it should be) I'd feel very confident. Bullet would probably be a 165gr barnes XLC.

I agree with kdub. You won't go wrong with the 7mm, it was my weapon of choice for mulies back when I lived in Idaho. I shot 175gr. Speer Grand Slams at that time in order to support the local guys but have since moved to 175 NP bullets, mostly because my Remington prefers them and I've always had very good luck with the heavier bullets in this cartridge. I used the same rifle when I first moved to Alaska and put a couple moose down with no problem. Also really impressed some of my hunting partners with some 300+ yard shots when hunting deer on the islands in Prince William Sound. The 7mm Mag will really reach out there. I now do most of my hunting with a 338 win mag in Remington 700SS and when I go back to Idaho to do some mulie hunting I'll probably use it with some lighter bullets. Probably considered by some to be an over-kill, but I just love the rifle.

Just my opinion. :D

For mulies only and out to 350 yds, 7mm Rem Mag with 160 grain bullets unquestionably.

Gents,

Can't argue much with the 7mm, never a bad choice, and I like mine real well, although my gun is a shade heavy for this application.

Reckon I would go the 270 WIN route, and if the light Partition Nosler shot okay, that would be my inclination. I like that partition, and if the rifle does, it is the bullet of whatever size/ weight that I use when its really on the line.

Best.

Steve

Thanks for all the good opinions...

I've mostly hunted the small blacktails in Western WA and a handgun works fine. But I've heard some mulies get real big.

I've been a 30 cal guy for a long while, so am surprised no one has mentioned a 300 WIn mag or a 300 WSM. Or how about the new 325 WSM?

I'm obviously uneducated on the capabilities of those 284" bullets, but willing to learn.

Thanks for all the good opinions...

I've mostly hunted the small blacktails in Western WA and a handgun works fine. But I've heard some mulies get real big.

I've been a 30 cal guy for a long while, so am surprised no one has mentioned a 300 WIn mag or a 300 WSM. Or how about the new 325 WSM?

I'm obviously uneducated on the capabilities of those 284" bullets, but willing to learn.


If you're a 30 cal guy, then it seems like a 300 win mag would be a great choice...

If it were me though, I'd stick with the good ole' .270 win, using those new Winchester Accubond loads...betcha it'll kill any deer in America!!!

From your handle, leverite ... how about the new curved pistol grip BLR in whatever caliber you end up choosing. It's chambered in all the rounds suggested in the posts above, and it is both light and accurate by all accounts I've read ... no personal experience with it.

From your handle, leverite ... how about the new curved pistol grip BLR in whatever caliber you end up choosing. It's chambered in all the rounds suggested in the posts above, and it is both light and accurate by all accounts I've read ... no personal experience with it.


gringo...you've got my interest! I see the BLR's available in a 24" 7mm mag or 300 win mag.

That would do me (or one of my sons) well for the annual elk hunt, too.

Another comment: Although I have not used one of these, consider that it is a bolt gun, with lever action. The longer action calibers may not be as quick/convenient to operate as with a normal bolt action. Again, I don't know that for certain, and if you can try the actions on some at a store that would be best. However, one of the WSMs may be your ticket here. On Browning's website I see: 300 WSM, 270 WSM, 7mm WSM and 325 WSM. I imagine that the 270 and 7mm WSM's are virtually identical ballistically speaking. The WSM BLRs have 22" barrels and weigh 1lb less.

Everytime I look at this BLR, I am thrilled to see the plethora of chamberings available for it. I am so tempted to get a .358W for myself, before they decide it doesn't sell enough and discontinue some of the offerings.

Why the 7MM Mag concensus. He says he is a .30 cal guy.

Assuming 24" barrels:

.30-06, 2900 fps, Nosler 168 Gr Ballistic Silver Tip, 225yd zero

= 2.74" high at 100 and -11.65 at 350 with 1914 lbs energy


7Mag, 3000 fps, Hornady 162 BTSP, 225yd zero

=2.52" high at 100 and -10.68 at 350 with 2034 lbs energy



So what's the difference? 1/4" at 100 and 1" at 350. Either way it comes down to range estimation/finding on the 350 yarder.

You can tweek bullets and get a few more fps out of either. The bottom line is with the same length barrel, the two rounds are very close to equal unless you want heavier bullets(180 and up). Then the 06 is better.

An accurate .308 Winchester is a 600 yard rifle if you can do your part.

An accurate .308 Winchester is a 600 yard rifle if you can do your part.

I couldn't agree more!

.308 does me fine, but... if I could in anyway justify it, .458 Lott in a Ruger 'cause Winchester dosen't offer it.

"...The .458 Lott cartridge gives the serious hunter the stopping power needed for big game hunting. The .458 Lott delivers a 500 grain bullet at approximately 2,300 fps from Ruger’s 24” barreled rifles and produces an astonishing 6,020 ft/lbs of muzzle energy, over 1400 ft/lbs more than the .458 Winchester Magnum. .458 Lott chambered rifles will also accept the .458 Win Mag cartridge." --http://www.ruger-firearms.com/Firearms/News-01-09-2003.html

... And what is acceptable regarding the one that never got harvested? In what caliber are you comfortable that you will be successful in harvesting the meat? Call me Chef, but I will give anyone and everyone a P.O. box and pay for shipping of any game meat if you hunt "only" for sport.

wow, we went from a 7mag, to the -06, to .308, to a .458!

wow, we went from a 7mag, to the -06, to .308, to a .458!


Since I live in WA state, I can buy a 50 BMG. That ought to settle things!

30-06, 2900 fps, Nosler 168 Gr Ballistic Silver Tip, 225yd zero

= 2.74" high at 100 and -11.65 at 350 with 1914 lbs energy


7Mag, 3000 fps, Hornady 162 BTSP, 225yd zero

=2.52" high at 100 and -10.68 at 350 with 2034 lbs energy


With a little research help from my two volume Hornady 6th Edition (and some elbow grease interpolation):

WITH 300 YD. ZERO
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

7mm RemMag

154 grain Hornady Interbond at 2,900 MV

Approx. 4" low at 350 yd (4.6" high at 200 yd) with 2,300+ energy at target


30-06

165 grain Hornady Interbond at 2,800 MV

Approx. 5" low at 350 yd. (5.2" high at 200 yd) with 2,100+ energy at target
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So, I guess with numbers like this, I view the two as tossups in my mind. I'd also consider zeroing at 300, given your expectation that ranges could be further. You are still easily within Point Blank Range (for a mule deer) at ALL sub-300 yd shots.

fremont...you've pulled me back to reality.

I could do this hunt with my 24", 30-06. I think I'd try the 150 or 168 gr Barnes TSX. I don't know if I have 300 yard eyes anymore, so more stalking may be in order.

But, the more I hear about the 7mm, the more I like..and the BLR is tempting, but that will likely have to wait for another hunt.

Thanks for all the great ideas.

7mm Rem mag in a Rem 700. I'd use Federal premiums in 165 grn Nosler partitions, or good hand loads. Get a good scope to go on it Leopold, Nikon, Burris or Simmons Aetec. My 700 BDL is hands down the most accurate out of the box hunting rifle I've ever owned, and its layed low many a whitetails several mulies and one elk over the 12 years I've owned it. I'ts one of the few rifles that I won't sell. Good luck, post pictures.

Guess I'd pick my Rem. M700 270 Win. out of the ones in my cabnet.

I've now taken my 4th elk out in the Colorado Flattops. Through the years I've gone from a 300 H&H to a 270 Wby and now to a Browning A-Bolt in Jack O'Connor's classic 270 Win. My experience has been that I've had a tendency to select a rifle that is too powerful, too heavy, and with a scope having too much magnification. The chances are that a lighter, shorter rifle will be in your hands at the moment of truth, rather than leaning against a tree, and will enable you to get on target quickly. In my walking around at 9000 feet I find that I like a 7 lb rifle much better than one weighing 9 lbs. The number one rule is to become familiar with your rifle and become confident in your ability to use it. Would you believe that many hunters buy a new rifle, take it to the range once, and then go hunting.

The scope on my Browning 270 is a Bushenll 3200 Elite in 3x9 power. I seldom use it on anything over 3x. A 2x7 might even be better. With a good pair of binoculars to spot game, this is all the rifle scope that you will need. Avoid scopes with adjustable objectives. They can be out of focus at just the wrong time (Murphey's Law). I once lost a shot at a nice bull because of this.

The ability to make a 300 yard shot is much more about the time that you are willing to spend in practice at the range, rather than the type and caliber of the rifle. We all have a tendency to spend too much time shooting from the bench, getting our group 1 1/2 high at 100 yards, and then declaring ourselves ready. The truth of the matter is that your shot on game will likely be a quick off hand shot at less than 150 yards. A little bit of off hand practice before the hunt will likely improve your odds to put venison in the freezer.

My last bull, taken on the 16th of last month, fell to a 140 grain Barnes X bullet powered with a maximum load of H4831. There isn't any super magnum that would have done a better job. Proper bullet placement is far more important than the caliber stamped on the rear of the cartridge case..

7 mag in 700 CDL or BDL topped with a 4.5 to 14X 44 Cabella's Alaskan guide scope. 150 grain Sierra boattails and enough H4350 to get ti to go around 3000 fps. It used to be my elk load but now it's my deer load after I got the 300 RUM. I got my 7 mag 700 classic 2nd hand from a guy that was short on cash and haven't regretted it.

My little brother took care of an awesome mulie this morning with a .270... he's strung up in the garage and his nose is still on the ground....

I'm predicting your longest shot will be no more than 225 yards. Mulies are not difficult to stalk. They're actually much easier to hunt than antelope.

Most hunters I've met were sucessfull with 25-06, 270, .308, and 30-06. Less common 7mm-08 and 6.5mm Swede are also quite lethal.

If it were me, and I didn't know the terrain very well, I'd opt for a short .308 carbine and zero it for 200 yards with 150 grain or 165 grain ammo.
TR

I'm predicting your longest shot will be no more than 225 yards. Mulies are not difficult to stalk. They're actually much easier to hunt than antelope.

Most hunters I've met were sucessfull with 25-06, 270, .308, and 30-06. Less common 7mm-08 and 6.5mm Swede are also quite lethal.

If it were me, and I didn't know the terrain very well, I'd opt for a short .308 carbine and zero it for 200 yards with 150 grain or 165 grain ammo.
TR

GReat info...sounds like I'm set with a 30-06 and a 308 for my kid. I can use 168 gr Barnes TSX.

If money wasn't a concern:

-Somewhere in Africa with a 4x4

-Accuracy International AWM .338 Lapua

-S&B MK II 4-16x50mm with parallax adj.

*I know it's military/police issued but the l-lell with it*

but for now it'll just be

-Somewhere in MN or SD or ND or WI or IA

-Tikka T3 Hunter .300 WSM

-Leupold 4-12x40mm A/O

It's not here yet but the money rotting in my jeans won't be where it is for long :)