Which load for mulies in my .454?

[Selmer]

This is kind of a rhetorical question.  I have successfully drawn a mule deer tag for West River in South Dakota.  My .30-06 will go along, but I'd like to take one with my .454 Casull, TC Encore-12" barrel.  I shot a pair of whitetails with it last year, but shooting them from a tree stand was almost cheating!  I have a 320 gr. load with 27 gr. H110 and a 355 gr. load with 27 gr. H110, both hard cast gas-checked.  With the same sight setting I can hit milk jugs everytime from a Creedmore position, and oil bottles most of the time at 100 yds. with either load, I use a Leupold 4x scope.  Any pros or cons to either load?  I know they'll both kill a mule deer, my favorite mule deer gun is my mother's .243 with 100 gr. Nosler Partitions, it's never let me down, but she's also drew a tag this fall.  I know either load has enough juice, let me know what you guys think.
Selmer

[Redhawk1]

Sounds like you have a goos combination there. I would not change a thing, I think you are set.  

[RCL]

I would try shooting those loads at longer ranges, say 150-200 yards, and go with which one shot the best. Good luck on the hunt!

[Selmer]

As any good handgun hunter should know his limits, I have a pretty good idea of mine, and for those shots at 150 yds or better, there's a little friend I have that will go muley hunting with me, it's name is a .308 Winchester.  I'll try my hardest to get close, but I only have two days to hunt, so if I can't get any closer, my M788 in .308 Win.  will take care of the yardage problem.

Selmer

[Lloyd Smale]

either load is plenty good enough for anything in north america. What we do when we finalize what load were going to use in a gun is shoot it at 500-600 yards and see which shoots best. Some bullets fly much better at long range then others. I know its not important to be able to shoot that far in the hunting game. But its fun to do and a load that doesnt do it well doesnt interest me in a big gun. First thing you need to do is find a spot that has dry dirt that will show your hits and go and have some fun.

[Redhawk1]

either load is plenty good enough for anything in north america. What we do when we finalize what load were going to use in a gun is shoot it at 500-600 yards and see which shoots best. Some bullets fly much better at long range then others. I know its not important to be able to shoot that far in the hunting game. But its fun to do and a load that doesnt do it well doesnt interest me in a big gun. First thing you need to do is find a spot that has dry dirt that will show your hits and go and have some fun.

500-600 yards. 95% of use would never take a shot that far. Me personally I limit myself to 350 yards, and that is pushing it. JMHO.  

[Selmer]

I think that Lloyd was saying that they just shoot at 500-600 yds. for fun and to see how close together their shots would hit.  Notice that he said someplace with dry dirt so you could see the hits, so this is not exactly target shooting!  Just launching big chunks of lead a long distance to see if the could get close to a certain point in the distance would be fun, as long as you can find someplace to do it safely.  I'll probably use the 355 gr, it shoots a little bit tighter on a 100 yd target and carries it's energy a little better.
Selmer

[Redhawk1]

I think that Lloyd was saying that they just shoot at 500-600 yds. for fun and to see how close together their shots would hit.  Notice that he said someplace with dry dirt so you could see the hits, so this is not exactly target shooting!  Just launching big chunks of lead a long distance to see if the could get close to a certain point in the distance would be fun, as long as you can find someplace to do it safely.  I'll probably use the 355 gr, it shoots a little bit tighter on a 100 yd target and carries it's energy a little better.
Selmer

Most of us can't even see 500 or 600 yards. LOL

[MS Hitman]

I am going to say up front that this post is not meant to be condescending, nor am I trying to provoke anything other than some thought.  I congratulate you on being drawn for your hunt.

Both of the loads you metioned in your first post would do fine on mulies.  But then, for the scenario you have described; so would most any load that got the bullet out the end of the barrel.  

Taking a handgun along for the "close/easy/you fill in the blank" shots and hunting with a rifle means you will almost certainly make the shot with the rifle while your handgun rests in its holster or some place within reach but seldom retreiveable as quickly as necessary for a shot at game.  I say this from personal experience and the experience of many of my friends who hunt with handguns. When I am hunting with handguns, I have only handguns whether I am just down the road from my house or in Africa.  

If you intend to hunt and want to take a mulie with your Encore, I recommend leaving the rifle at home.  By taking game with a rifle, when your goal is to use your handgun; you deny yourself the extra challenge and a greater feeling of accomplishment from acheiving your goal.  If you are going just to fill your tag, leave the Encore at home.

I hope you have a great time and look forward to hearing about your hunt.

[Selmer]

Let me clarify a bit about the mule deer hunting we do.  It is either spot and stalk or walk the river breaks.  IF I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to glass some deer that are stalkable, I'll take my pistol on the stalk and get as close as possible, if 200 yds. is a close as I can get, I'll forego the shot and back out without spooking the deer if I can.  If I'm walking the river breaks, I'll take the .308, because some of it can be like jumping whitetails in timeber, you pop over a ridge or look in a washout and the deer can be 15 yds. away and not know you're there, I've had dirt kicked on me by surprised mulies!  I might have to take quick shot as they stop to look back at what spooked them, then my .308 is the gun to have.
Selmer