Mule Deer Rifles... Lets see them!

[Peakbagger46]

From sage brush flats to aspen stands and high mountain meadows and some Kansas crop fields, a lot of us will be soon chasing these high antlered critters around.

Let’s see pictures of your mulie rifle!

 

[Peakbagger46]

I’ll start it off. Sako A7 in 30-06 loaded with 180g Accubonds at 2,875fps. Current scope (but not pictured) is a Leupold VX-2 3-9X40 CDS zeroed at 200 yards.

 

[Peakbagger46]

Here’s the antlers of the meat buck I shot the same day the picture of the Sako was taken. Grass fed at around 9,000’ made for some excellent eating. Worthwhile long pack out to the truck!

 

[ECVMatt]

We are remodeling, so mine is not easy to get right now, but I have a SS Winchester M-70 in 30-06 in a HS Precision stock. It's a great rifle and I have had it for over 20 years. Lots of miles and a few good deer have been put on that rifle. We normally hunt at about 9000 feet or above. I see no reason to change at this point in my life and although I am somewhat of a rifle nut, this one will always be my mule deer rifle.

 

[Peakbagger46]

Nothing like stainless and a good quality synthetic stock for mountain miles!

 

[Offfhand]

This "Bubba job" on an old Mauser action rebarreled to .280 Rem has been about right for mule dear and other game as well.

 

[sage5907]

Offhand, that looks like a Paul Jaeger rifle? I have a 25-06 that Paul Jaeger assembled on a Mauser Supreme action. It's the bottom rifle in this picture. Took a mule deer here in Oklahoma in the 1980's with that rifle. The top rifle is a Model 70 270 that I used to take several mule deer in Colorado.

 

[22250Rem]

Mule deer rifle?........ That's it in my avatar. A Savage Mod. 10 in 300 WSM with a Riflebasix trigger and a 3.5-10x Leupold in Leupold PRW rings. Admittedly a 300 WSM is more than needed on any deer but it's what I had at the time and it's lighter than the Ruger Mod 77 Mk II target rifle in 25-06 that I was considering using on a combo mule deer / antelope hunt. My 300 WSM "go-to" load launches a 150 gr. Accubond at an average 3207 fps and is so accurate I didn't want to consider anything different. Got the first ( and so far only) mule deer ( a nice 4x4 ) of my life with it on a snowy Wyoming morning at what was later lasered at 194 yards from my boot prints in the snow to the deers tracks that he went down straight into. If I ever have another mule deer opportunity this will be my first choice. Those 150 gr. Accubonds also work well on antelope at 242 lasered yards also.

 

[mshootnit]

Montana ExtremeX2 270 WSM McMillan stock
Weatherby Vanguard Stainless 257 Weatherby

 

[Peakbagger46]

That left antler looks like it belongs on a 2 1/2 year old bull elk!

 

[mshootnit]

Yes, he has a couple little kickers on that side.
Deer steak fries are delicious.

 

[mshootnit]

View attachment 763806 Offhand, that looks like a Paul Jaeger rifle? I have a 25-06 that Paul Jaeger assembled on a Mauser Supreme action. It's the bottom rifle in this picture. Took a mule deer here in Oklahoma in the 1980's with that rifle. The top rifle is a Model 70 270 that I used to take several mule deer in Colorado.

Do they still have Mulies in Oklahoma?

 

[sage5907]

Yes, we still have mule deer in Oklahoma. They are in the northwest counties. During the drought in the Texas panhandle a few years ago many mule deer migrated down the rivers and that increased our population. Still not many but a few are taken each year. They mainly stay in areas that have sage brush. I do some taxidermy work and I did the taxidermy work on a big buck that was taken by a friend in November 2016..

 

[mshootnit]

special conservation area for hunting those OK muleys, or just a normal permit?

 

[MachIVshooter]

700 BDL C/D .25-06 with Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x

 

[JD Pinardi]

cesk VZ 24 sporterized in 30-06....sporterized the first time by my father in 1969, so back off on the hate mail. And a JC Higgens Model 50 in 30-06.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

It's been a while since I've been able to afford to go hunting, but when I do it is a Remington M700 BDL in 7mm Rem Mag with an older Vari-X III 4.5-14x40. Last time I hunted with it I was running 160 gr Accubonds over a case full of Ramshot Magnum. I've forgot the exact powder charge and have long since shot those ones up. I'd like to work up a load with a 162 gr ELD-X. Great all around rifle and cartridge for western big game.

 

[WYO]

Remington 700 Ti .308 using Barnes 168 grain TSX at 2650 fps.

While it was only 2 years old:


Yesterday, after a day chasing antelope:


I should just get rid of my other hunting rifles. They just gather dust.