400 yard mule deer

[Guy M]

Was hunting in Wyoming and we just weren't seeing many deer on public land. LOTS of them already huddled up on private property, with no hunting access. We hiked up a canyon, and my pard got a nice 22" wide 3x3 buck at 205 yards. One shot with his .270, through the lungs, a short run, and it was all over! Very happy for him.

Three days later we had only seen one more buck on public land... Not good. When he spotted several does early in the morning, I decided to take the shot. The laser showed 390 yards to the rock just in front of her. I held behind her shoulder, and near her back, and torched off my trusty .25-06, sending a 115 Berger VLD downrange at 3200 fps. The bullet hit about 8" below my aimpoint and destroyed her heart and lungs then smashed the off-side foreleg. She collapsed and slid down the hill immediately.

My buddy snapped this photo of me ready to send another bullet if necessary. It wasn't. I used the tree limb as a natural rifle-rest. The factory built .25-06 Remington 700 CDL topped by a simple 6x Leupold was up to the task.


This is the fifth mule deer I've killed with this rifle, the third with the Berger VLD, and the first doe to fall to this rifle:


Buddy, packing out his 3x3, we were a ways into the backcountry:


I load the Bergers with Wilson dies, and they've proven to be sufficiently accurate and deadly. This season I took a buck in Washington and the doe in Wyoming.

Regards, Guy

[Glen]

I checked the 25-06 out for groundhogs one time & really liked what I saw ballistics wise. But then the 204 came out & bI got one of those. I still like the 25-06 & may still pick one up. Nice looking doe you got there.

[Ray P]

Guy way to go!! Thanks for sharing the photos and the story.
Quick ? What powder are using with 25/06 /115 Berger combination?
Later
Ray P

[Guy M]

Retumbo powder Ray!

Check the load data on Hodgdon's web site for the 117 gr bullet, and work up to it as you see fit. It's working great! Good accuracy and I'm getting higher velocity than Hodgdon shows.

Thanks for the compliments guys. I really enjoyed the hunt, and am very fond of this easy-carrying, soft shooting rifle.

Regards, Guy

[Rick in Oregon]

Sweet, Guy! Looks like some purty steep country. Glad to see the trusty .25-06 came through once again. She's like an old friend by now I'm betting. Looks like you guys had an overall very good time afield. Congrats.

[steve]

Great pics love wyoming too its the best.

[Gube]

Nice story and pics. I grew up with the 2506 and shot my first yote with one when I was about 10 years old. I miss that little ole "tack driver".

[Sagebrush Burns]

Nice shooting - congrats on making the best of a tough situation.

[broncsandwhiskey]

Nice shot and great story and pics, thanks for sharing it with us. Nice shot and congrats to your hunting partner. Ride Up!!!

[stevecrea]

Guy,
That is some pretty landscape in Wyoming! It looks like a lot of places here in Idaho that hold some nice mulies.

That load of yours is pretty hot at 3200 fps. What kind of accuracy are you getting?

I just ordered some Hornady 117 BTSP Interlocks in .257 caliber for my 25-06s.

[Guy M]

Velocity of the handloads surprised me a bit - but the rifle has been handling them well for three years and nearly three hundred rounds, summer and winter, so I'm not worried. They're actually book max loads for the 117 gr bullet and Hodgdon's Retumbo, but I'm seeing roughly 100 - 120 fps more than Hodgdon predicts. I am using the 115 Berger instead though. Since brass life is good and I've seen no problems, I'll just take it and run with it.

Accuracy is decent, but not breathtaking. It's a factory built Rem 700 CDL. All I've done to it is tune the trigger and mount a 6x Leupold as well as a decent rifle sling. I can count on sub MOA accuracy with it, from prone with the sling. A 2.5" - 3" group in those conditions is good enough for me. As it usually puts two of the shots closer together, and one a bit away from them, I suspect it could do better if I'd bench it, but I'm unlikely to do that. It shoots Sierra 100 gr SPBT and Barnes 100 gr TSX bullets with about the same level of accuracy.

From what I've seen of Hornady bullets in the field, those 117's should work out real well for you.

Regards, Guy

[iKonic Status]

Guy M

Great story, pics and write-up...awesome mate!!

That certainly looked like a tough shot...not something I would want to try at my 'newbie' stage of my hunting career

Congratulations again!

All the best

K

[TONK]

Thanks for the pictures! Hope you nail that mulie next season with your 1/4 bore. I just purchased a Ruger with heavy barrel in the 25-06 caliber. It is more of a stationary rifle for use on coyotes and P-dogs far down range this spring. I have been using the 25-06 for over a dozen years now, as my go to rifle around the place. Once again congrats on your mulie's guys!