Whats with the magnum calibers??

Ok so it seems that every hunting show I watch they are using 300 magnums or the 7mm, Why is that? Is it mainly due to the distances that they are shooting or something else? I just watched a guy shoot a Mule Deer twice with a 300 and it still ran, I thought that thing is supposed to drop deer in there tracks? The farthest shot I've every taken here was about 150yds its just to thick for anything farther than that, So the 30-06 is just fine for me.

Do all of you hunters on here shoot a 300 or 7mm?

 

I use the 7mm Magnum. Has enough power for the long distance shots across canyons. But we have more open space in the Rockies.

I'd say the deer you seen shot twice were not well placed shots. Any well placed shot in the vitals will kill a deer no matter what the caliber.

 

I see so it is for distance?

 

7mm 08 FTW!!!

 

Ive owned one of those since I was about 15. Remington 7mm-08. Great gun, great caliber. I can shoot 120gr bullets for coyotes and step up to a 140 for deer and pig hunting.

 

I am not a hunter but I am a competitive long range rifle shooter. I shoot out to 1000 yards with 308 iron sighted rifles. Not the best tool for the job, but thems the rules for Palma.
My buddy is a big hunter and I am often working on his guns. He came around a couple of years ago with a new weatherby 300 ultra light mag and was ranting about how awesome it is going to be to take to montana. I asked him how far are the shots he is going to take (guessing it was at like 600 plus yards) and he says 200 to 300 at most. I start laughing and ask why he did not bring one of the many 3006 rifles he has and he says that you have got to have one of these for the big montana hunt. I go on a cruise with the wife and low and behold meet two dudes from montana who are big hunters and have been for all of their lives (60 year old guys) and they say if you cant kill it in north america with a 3006 then you need to go back to shooting school. So, I come home and tell the great white hunter what the real deal montana dudes use and he says naw. I ask him if he sighted in the new bad ass mag rifle and he says "yeah I shot about 6 rounds." Laughing I ask, "why only six...was your arm falling off?" He says yeah. Dudes, in my opinion you have to shoot that rifle alot more than six rounds to know where it's going to hit at 100, 200, 250, ect to 500 yards to be out hunting on something that you intend to kill. And for you guys that sight in the hunting rifle from the bench....why? Are you shooting elk from a bench? BTW, he come home from montana with no meat. He says they just did not see anything. But, he had a guide and I bet he missed a shot and is just afraid to say so. The 300 mag super duper deal is marketing. I am all for guys buying guns, but, shit if it hurts to shoot the dam thing, or it's 5 bucks a shot how good can you become with it?

 

I own way more guns than I care to admit. None on them are larger than my 270 WSM. I always use my 243 or 25 WSSM for deer hunting, but lately, my 260 just for fun. I have never lost a deer. I always wait for the broadside "Texas heart" shot. They generally drop "drt" but sometime they run. If they do it is never more than about 50 yards or so. Just because they run does not mean it was a bad shot. Deer will sometimes be "drt" and not know it as their muscles and nerves are still working, so they will run for a little ways. So, to sum this up, bigger is not always better, especially if you have to take a beating just to shoot your favorite rifle.

 

I still shoot my .270.
A 140 gr Barnes XBT is 3,000 fps/ 2,700 lbf at the muzzle and 2,100 fps 1,370 lbf at 500 yards.

for comparison a 150 gr BTSP .300 Win Mag is 3,200 fps/3410 at the muzzle and 1,920fps/1,250 at 500 yards.

Basically, a good .270 will hit as hard as a 300 win mag shooting generic bullets. Oh, and the .270 shoots flatter than a 300 wm or .308. Just my .02

 

Overkill



and 7mm-08 shoots flatter than .308

 

And a .408 cheytac shoots flatter than a 7.... and will hit with.... ? 3 times the energy.

Why stop there though? Anzio Iron Works can hook you up with a 20mm for hunting

 

I'll stick with the ol' model 700 30-06.... thats the gun that killed the most whitetail ever.... well next to the 30-30...

 

I do shoot a magnum but only at elk.
These are heavy bodied, heavy bone critters and they have amazing stamina, especially when spooked.
You shoot an elk and you want it down asap...otherwise you could be climbing and tracking for a long time.
Magnums don't necessarily shoot farther, they can push a heavier bullet and for smashing bones, that's the ticket.
You don't see many bang-flop elk shots in real life.
That said...magnums for deer is just like a lift kit....all for show and one-up the other guy.
btw if I had to sell all my big game rifles but one, I'd keep the 7mm-08.

 

lol. Ive never even heard of the .408 Sounds silly... no need for such a round where im at.

but i would still own a .50 if i had the cash

Ive never had any problems shooting whitetail and pigs with my .243 or 7 -08
low recoil, very accurate and affordable ammo

 

http://www.cheytac.com/
It uses a necked .505 Gibbs case as the parent!
Supersonic out to 2,100 yards. It is faster than a .50 and about the most accurate and devestating 'sniper' round in the world at the moment. It unfortunately got some media coverage in the form of stupid movies, games, and tv shows. Truth be told, it may be the nastiest wildcat to date.

 

^very cool!

 

I shoot 75% of my deer with buckshot but when I do use a rifle it is either my .270 or .30-30, never lost one with either and have taken a doe at 230 yards with the .270. I shoot hand loads because you get a much closer load margin...

 

wait...you shoot deer with buckshot?! how far are you, like 10 yards away?

 

Ive killed deer any where from 10 to 70 yards with buckshot, we all have special choke tubes made for 00 and 000 buck that throws a pie plate pattern at 50 yards....