Caliber choice for Nevada deer hunting

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Birdeye

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Sep 10, 2025
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I'll be hunting Nevada's open country next season and shots may stretch past 300 yards, so I'm after a flat-shooting caliber with manageable recoil. Which one do you trust most out here, and why?
 
For Nevada's wide-open terrain, I trust the .270 Winchester or 6.5 Creedmoor both offer flat trajectories, manageable recoil, and plenty of energy for deer and elk at long ranges
 
Birdeye said:
I'll be hunting Nevada's open country next season and shots may stretch past 300 yards, so I'm after a flat-shooting caliber with manageable recoil. Which one do you trust most out here, and why?
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Are you leaning more toward a lighter recoiling caliber for comfort, or are you prioritizing maximum long-range energy and penetration for bigger game?
 
Out in Nevada’s wide-open, I’d lean on a 6.5 Creedmoor. It shoots flat, bucks the wind decent and the best part is the recoil’s easy to manage for those longer shots
 
Lucas mighty said:
Are you leaning more toward a lighter recoiling caliber for comfort, or are you prioritizing maximum long-range energy and penetration for bigger game?
Click to expand...
I'm trying to balance both but I am probably leaning toward something that won't beat me up but still has enough punch for mule deer or elk at distance. You got suggestions?
 
Deer and elk, 300 yards?
7mm Rem Mag or 300 WM. Both are a bit lacking for elk so choose your bullets wisely.
There is no such thing as a proper elk gun that doesn’t kick some.

Shooting an elk with a small bore isn’t a great idea, heavy 7mm slugs should be an absolute minimum unless especially recoil sensitive/disabled.
 
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The old standard for mulies was 30-06 and 270 Win, for elk at least a 7 mag. With modern calibers I have a friend using 22 creed with 77 gr projectile for deer.
 
I have used a number of 7mm cartridges for years, both magnum and non-magnum. Recently I have switched to the 6.5 PRC cartridge shooting the Hornady 147 ELD-M with great results. My buddies and I have found that the ELD-M's perform better that the ELD-X's on game. Proper bullet selection and shot placement are more important than what caliber you use. John B.
 

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