Hooked on mediums

[DoneNOut]

So what do you use when you couldn't have just used a 22LR?

Does...not...compute....circuits melting...

Last week gramps ear-holed one with a 22LR at about 50 yards, the traditional "a hog came wandering into the gate yard" shot off the back porch. Gotta watch out for old men...

NICE!

But for seriousness about the OP, the make a big hole theory works great. We had that great thread where someone said a 338 would literally blow a whitetail apart, man all those ones shot with 45-70s must still be floating vaporized in the upper atmosphere somewhere.

Big and slow, or fast and violent it seems! 300gr muzzleloader that opens the faucet on both sides of the deer, or these super fast grenade bullets these guys are posting here.

 

[HunterMann]

Amen brother on the 35Rem and 338 (mine is a Win Mag). I am still a big fan of the 30-06 (own 2 or 3). Since 1984 or so I've hunted just about everything with a 260 Remington. It puts them down without much drama.

 

[Gibbshooter43]

Interesting. It seems like one of two things happen as we age (and I'm aging as we speak). Either we tend to move up in caliber or move down in caliber. Medium for some is in the 257's and for others it's in the 30's. For me, at 78, with a lifetime of hunting and loading behind me, I've found there's little that can't be subdued with my 257's and 264"s except the real dangerous game. I know that "hunting" varies with each of us but for me getting close and placing a shot brings the greatest satisfaction and truly honors the game I love and respect.

 

[HunterMann]

Interesting. It seems like one of two things happen as we age (and I'm aging as we speak). Either we tend to move up in caliber or move down in caliber. Medium for some is in the 257's and for others it's in the 30's. For me, at 78, with a lifetime of hunting and loading behind me, I've found there's little that can't be subdued with my 257's and 264"s except the real dangerous game. I know that "hunting" varies with each of us but for me getting close and placing a shot brings the greatest satisfaction and truly honors the game I love and respect.

The right bullet in the place works every time. Gibbs shooter ? I have seen a 35 Gibbs custom rifle and 8mm Gibbs conversion, but have never shot one.

 

[Gibbshooter43]

The right bullet in the place works every time. Gibbs shooter ? I have seen a 35 Gibbs custom rifle and 8mm Gibbs conversion, but have never shot one.

I have a 240 Gibbs and a 6.5 Gibbs and they are both wonderful calibers. I'd love to have a 25 Gibbs but I don't want to sacrifice my 25:06AI to make it. Good luck with your search and happy shooting.

 

[aalyea]

I have have been reflecting this hunting season on all the calibers I have used and really liked—and what I have gravitated towards—also what has made hunting easier. I am 46 and killed my first deer at 8.been hunting by myself since I was 11. So about 35 years of hunting myself and forming my opinion. I have been fortunate and hunted a good bit— here at home in Texas, Alaska, the mountain west of the US, Africa, Asia, and Europe. This is what I have found.

I like bullet diameter and weight. I shot my first deer with a 222 rem but moved to a 35 rem in a Remington 600 and I was hooked on a medium. The more I travel—and hunt I find if I pack a little more gun—I'm always a bit better off. I have found in most places a 300 magnum or a 338 gets it done. I guess I drank the kook-aid from Elmer Keith's cup. For going to a place I do not know and not knowing what the shot will be like I gravitate to my 338 Norma (mountain game and longer shots) and 358 Norma for African hunting (mostly the rifle I have it in). I have seen the medium bore much maligned,but if you can master a medium—the 7s and 300 will stay at home. I guess the best caliber for killing stuff is the one that is in your hands and you feel confident in. With me—I'll stick with the mediums… what have you guys found "gets it done for you?" hope you guys are having a excellent hunting season.

Always glad to hear of another 358 Norma fan.

 

[257WTBY]

For me if I had to go hunt anything minus maybe part of big 5 I for sure would be sporting my 340 WTBY. I know its not 35 cal but it is the rifle I have the upmost confidence in and it just puts game down. I have never owned a Norma anything. I have several larger calibers then my 340 I guess I would call it my "do anything go to rifle". It probably helps for the last 30 so years I have had a 340 in one way shape or form. The one I have now is Hi-Tek customs built and is a absolute dream to shoot. I remember when I thought a Mark V Ultralight 340 @ 6.5lb would be a great idea (took a few boxes at the range to prove that idea was a bad one) and it was for packing but at the bench it was brutal and did not have a brake. That ones long gone...

I find it awesome though that thru peoples own experience they deem what they think is the best caliber for anything. I have other calibers I really like. 257 WTBY for one love that caliber on antelope deer size game. Its like coyote hunting I prefer my 17 Rem. For me its been my go to coyote caliber for a long time (on my 4th barrel). One new one I am growing pretty fond of is my 22 Creedmoor. Others say this or that for what ever game it may be and that's fine. I could shoot coyotes with my 340 or my 17 does it make it the best maybe but definitely not in someone else's eyes... My daughter has killed everything from bear, deer and elk with her 25-06. It doesn't make it the best in everyone's eyes but for her she wont even look at another caliber, and it does bad, bad things to coyotes haha.

 

[bengineer]

Im trending toward the bigger mids again at age 47. Shot a lot of deer with 308/165 Hornady BTSP, been a mainstay for me. Always been experimenting, sometimes with placement, others with caliber/bullet.
Learned I'm not a 22 cal for game guy. 243 is baseline of enough for me. The 25-06 and 270 are good rounds. Smaller 6.5s are good. Most any 30 is enough. Just took my first buck with a 280ai; plenty for deer.
338 Win is good, maybe overkill, but deer were no deader than with a 308. 35 Whelen seems like a magic killing stick. 358 JDJ is fantastic; I used a flat nose 230gr cast at about 2200 fps on a buck pronghorn last year for a front-on plexus hit; DRT. The 375 H&H is amazing: all kills i have been part of are instant. 45/70 Marlin and 500 s&w lever are more of the same, with cast fn or jacketed expanders. Planning to try a 44mag bolt gun to re-confirm big bore medium speed is what I prefer. A 357 Herrett is also on that list with a 180 FN.
Fast, smallish bullets can kill well, clean and quickly. But I prefer more displacement, more impact sound and bigger holes. The momentum seems like it gives me the kills I prefer, and I dont have to walk around looking for blood or carcass.

 

[rewiltshire]

Read a story about a old guy in Penn that they said had kill more deer that anyone else. Upon hearing of his passing, everyone was contacting his wife to buy his 'deer killing' rifle. When they found out it was an old Remington Rolling Block in 32 Long rimfire they could not believe it. But he was a hunter, not a sniper!

 

[Quintus]

I started out as a speed freak. Loved me some 220 Swift and everything Weatherby. In 1994 I decided I would find the perfect rifle and chambering. I have had at least a couple of examples of just about every production rifle and chamberings from .17rem to 416Wby and many wildcats since. I still have a soft spot for the Wbys., but find now most of hunting is done with the .260/6.5CM/6.5PRC, .270Win, or 300Bee. I would still take a good bullet going REALLY fast over mass. There is just something magical about a 130gr TTSX running 3900FPS from Roys 300.

 

[JohnnieB]

I am 100% with you Brother. I have a slew of 6.5's, 7's, and .30's and I love reloading for and shooting them all. But when its time to go hunting, i find myself grabbing my well worn LPR in 340 Wby. Not that there's anything wrong with those other calibers, I just like the 340 to get the job done no matter what. When I was a kid, my mentor who really introduced me to big game hunting told me two things. First, when everything goes perfect, you will only need one shot and the cartridge really won't matter. Second, when things don't go perfectly (and at some point they won't), use enough gun to reach the vitals from whatever angle the second shot may be presented. The 340 fills that slot for me perfectly.

That said, my wife took a 1900 lb free range buffalo a few weeks ago with her 300 WSM, 168 TTSX at 3075 fps, 168 yards. Perfect shot, and the attached picture will tell it all. The bullet travelled through the left upper arm, through the heart and chest, through the right arm and we recovered the bullet under the far side skin. I think that's pretty good penetration.

 

[judgebill]

My first big game rifle was a 30/06, back in 1953. Had it re-barreled to a 7mm Rem Mag. Began loading for the Rem Mag. Then I swallowed whole Weatherby's magnificent 300 Wby Mag, bought one in 1965 and hunted deer in California, elk in Montana and Colorado, moose and caribou in Alaska. Along the way I acquired more calibers and loaded for all of them. Tried and enjoyed 264 Win Mag, 22/250 (lots of rabbits and coyotes), 243 Win in a Ruger #1 (great gun) and had a 375 H&H mag built (Rifles, Inc) for an African trip. This was a great shooter (3/4" or less, regularly with 300 gr handholds). Began using the 375 for elk and even a buffalo, all above guns used no further out than 250 yards. Now I'm in love with the 338 Lapua Mag (Fierce Firearms, shoots 1/2" with factory and handholds). I'm 85 and probably won't go for any new calibers. Had a lot of fun, hope to have a lot more.

 

[LVJ76]

Been hunting for 39 years and have taken game with 223 Rem, 308 Win, 30-06 Sprg, 280 Rem, 270 Win, 7mm-08 and 7mm Rem Mag.

I kept coming back to the 7mm-08 and has been my go to cartridge for a while now.

I had doubts about a 7mm taking elk with fast kills but after seeing them die quickly with of course well placed shots, my doubts faded away.

Other cartridges get to go hunting as well but the 7mm-08 is used the most.

 

[xsn10s]

9.3X62 to 300yds - 250gr AB

I got to make loads and shoot a Winchester M70 rebarreled to 9.3x64mm Brenneke. Awesome rifle and cartridge.