“My Perfect Mule Deer Cartridge”
The Weatherby 6.5-300 Magnum
By: Trevor J Hubbs
Why Even Try?
Writing about rifle cartridges seems almost a waste of time given the relationships hunters have with their chosen caliber. Any hunter you meet will be able to wax poetic about their personal favorite cartridge operating in the most austere conditions or making impossible shots. Further complicating the task is the mere fact that every piece of hunting media out on the inter-webs can be bought and sold so who knows if you’re ever getting and honest review or recommendation or if your just reading a cleverly hidden advertisement.
Nevertheless, here at The Mule Deer Foundation, we aspire to the truth in all things. We are not here to appease corporate overlords, nor do we aspire to coerce or sell our readers on a product. We exist to safeguard a way of life, to nurture a passion that binds us to conservation, and the only thing we are here to sell you is the idea of a commitment that resonates with our shared human spirit.
Bearing these principles in mind let me explain why I love the 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum using three tales from the field! I have used this cartridge on Black bears in the September heat, Caribou on the Alaskan tundra, Mule Deer in the canyon lands of the southwest, and Antelope in the sage brush seas. I love the versatility, I love the Barnes copper loads it comes in, and I love not doing math before I shoot.
This round is a recent Weatherby creation focused on combining the accuracy of the 6.5 bullet with the legendary Weatherby ingenuity to reach out further and faster than ever before. If you want to learn more about the history and creation of this round listen to the Weatherby podcast: HERE
Caribou on the Tundra
I carried my Weatherby with me in September 2023 on the North Slope of the Brooks Range for a DIY caribou hunt where I inserted into the backcountry via airboat in a snowstorm and 40 mph winds from the Arctic Ocean then rafted out on a wild and scenic river 8 days later.
During the trip we saw snow, wind, rain, sheets of glacier ice, and the constant contact of cold sand and grit. Even with the best gear from the most renowned outdoor companies, Alaska will find a way to make sure at least part of you is always cold and wet.
My Weatherby maintained its zero through the constant vibrations, dings, and falls of flight in, the 15 hour drive up the Dalton Highway, and the 33 mile airboat upriver while other rifles did not, and had to be re-sighted in the field. On the third day while helping my hunting partner butcher and pack out his caribou, a lone bull came in to 200 yards curious of the movement. We gave the opportunity to another member of the party while I stayed behind. The hunter closed the distance to 115 yards before missing clean 3 times (We later learned his scope ring screws had come loose during transit) while the young bull jogged out to 400 yards. Defeated the Hunter started back to the group. I ranged the caribou at 450 yards and with my Weatherby propped on my pack dropped the animal clean.
This shot is thanks to the 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnums flight path of dropping only 7 inches at 400 yards. I didn’t waste precious seconds on math or stabilizing my rangefinder. I could instead focus on breathing, finding the front shoulder, and making a clean shot.
Mule Deer in Eastern Montana
In 2022 I took my Weatherby to the hills and pines of Eastern Montana south of the Missouri River to chase Mule Deer in the tall grass. The first two days we hiked 15 miles through the rolling prairie and saw 77 does but only one small fork horned buck.
Since we had prior commitments for work and couldn’t spend a lot of time searching every ridge and draw, we camped near the heard with the forky overnight with a plan to go after him in the morning.
Perched on a ridge watching the sun cook off last night’s frost we glassed 20 more does before seeing two 4×4’s sharing a harem of 10 does. Leaving my pack with my friend I took off after the bucks with just my rifle to save weight. 800 yards later crawling up the ridge where I should have a clean shot at the deer I crested the apex to reveal a blank hillside.
Sitting back against a rock I furiously scanned the valley for the small herd, sweat pooling under my eyes and fogging the lenses. Soon I caught some movement below me and came to a knee to range the deer. I saw one buck at 300 and brought my Weatherby to my shoulder. It was a far shot for me especially with nothing to balance the rifle on. I settled into my breathing pattern wrapped the sling around my forearm for stability, picked a spot and felled the buck in a small ditch near the bottom of the draw.
Weatherby’s balance and weight distribution combined with the speed of the 6.5-300 copper bullet helped me to get on target quickly despite being out of breath and surprised.
Antelope in the Sage
In 2021 on a two-day hunt in eastern Wyoming I carried my Weatherby through the broken sage brush country in search of my first Antelope. By the end of day one I watched 370 Antelope and myriad of hunters chasing them about in all manner of vehicles as well as on foot. My revelation came as the sun set while perched on a small ridge watching 100’s of mule deer, coyotes, and antelope all coming towards me for no apparent reason. A few minutes later the reason became apparent as a truck crested the hill 3 miles away far behind the animals.
My plan for the second day was simple. Pick out a spot on the map that was as far from a road as possible, get there before the sun, and wait for the road anchored hunters to push critters my way.
At 8:15 a.m. I had my choice of pursuing three separate antelope bucks as the various herds pushed toward me. Quickly choosing the route with the least opportunity to be seen, I started towards the nearest buck. Eight small hills sat between me and the herd and when I crested the 7th hill I should have a 100-yard shot.
30 minutes later my heart pounded as I eased my way up hill number 7. I started as a half pushup, glassing, then coming to my knees, glassing again, expecting to see my buck any moment on the next small ridge but he was nowhere to be found. As I brought my binoculars down I caught some movement to my right. The buck was chewing sage 35 yards to my right. I either miscounted hills or the buck moved, but with no time I brought my rifle to my shoulder and fired.
As I fired, I dropped from one knee to a sitting position filling my butt with cactus needles that persisted for months before I could get them all out. You’re probably saying how any number of rifles could make a 35 yard shot, that Weatherby isn’t special, and you’re probably right, but I include this story to illustrate our emotional connection to the rifle, the brand, and the caliber.
Send it!
As I said earlier, there are surely those that will disagree, and I encourage you to do so. Stand by your guns (pun intended) and write your own story, I would love to publish it! But if you just drew your first Mule Deer tag or are thinking about buying a new “do it all” rifle for the west, know that I love my 6.5-300 Weatherby and you will probably love yours.
Good Luck!
Good luck this fall everyone and remember to send any success pictures or stories from the field to Web@muledeer.org and you could be featured on our website or in our magazine. If this article or any of our articles have helped you become a better hunter or conservation steward, consider becoming a member of the mule deer foundation for only $35 dollars a year. Click here to join: https://muledeer.org/product-category/membership/
Trevor J Hubbs @TrevorHubbs
Trevor is the Communications Manager for the Mule deer Foundation. He grew up hunting and fishing the eastern edge of the ozark mountains for quail, ducks, and bucks. Trevor is a contributor for “Fur, Fish, and Game”, Lethal Minds Journal, Strung Magazine, Fly Fisherman, and Shooting Sportsman among others.
