Looking for a 200yd Mule deer load.

[Buckfever]

Looking for a long range mule deer load.  Thought about changing a .308 Whitetail Hunter to a 6.5 -.284.  Maybe a very accurate load in the 200yd range might get it done as the gun sits.   Buckfever

[beemanbeme]

Never pass up the chance to buy another rifle but I would think the .308 would be very capable at  200 yards.  Often its not the rifle that the limiting factor.  If you practice often, from field positions, the .308 should work well. 
In the fwiw department, I've seen GI rifle teams competing in 1000 yard matches using .308's.

[Coyote Hunter]

Buckfever -

The .308 Win is very capable at 200 yards.  Slip it a 165g Partition or better (TSX, A-Frame, Trophy Bonded, North Fork, etc.), check it at the range, and go hunting.  I was planning on tking my .30-30 as my second rifle this year but it was acting up at the range this last weekend.  Last night I loaded up some 165g North Forks for the .308 Win.  I use the .308 to bust clay pigeons at 300 yards (although with AMAX bullets, not the expensive North Forks).  Have antlerless tags for deer and elk this year and none are safe from the .308.

[Carroll B]

I dropped an antelope this year at better then 300 yards with a 150 gr. BTSP Hornady over 51 grains of H380 powder.  For mulies I would step up to a 165 or 180 grain bullet.

[Questor]

I think that you could use just about any deer bullet and get a good 200 yard load. Speer bullets work fine and they are economically priced. A good 300 yard load is going to be a bit more challenging because you'll probably want to stay with the lighter bullets and higher velocities.

[james]

The .308 is one of my favorites.  I took a mulie last year using 150 gr Win. supremes at about 250 yards.  They shoot flatter but are less accurate than my 165 Sierra GKs with IMR 4895 or Varget.  The buck did a nose dive as he was angling away from me - it broke his off shoulder lodging under the skin.  I have a 3 x 9 Burris ballistic-plex on an old Rem. 788 and I am confident up to 400 yards with a rest and a range finder. The rifle will one-hole my reloads but I give up a little accuracy for extra range and a flatter trajectory of the 150 gr bullets. I used the same gun and bullet the previous year to take an antelope and the bullet was a complete pass thru.   I think bullet placement is more important than bullet quality. james

[Selmer]

If you can't do it with a .308 at 200 yds. then you need to rethink your game plan.  The .308 will handle any mule deer with a quality bullet if you put it in the boiler room.
Selmer

[Cheesehead]

I seen my huntin buddy take two white tails last year, one at 170 yards and one a 180 yards, with plain Remington 180 grain core lokt factory ammo. Both deer were doa and the bullets were complete pass through.


Cheese