Best caliber for hunting - WHAT?..........

"If a hunter can not keep 5 shots in a 2 inch circle (or smaller) at 100 yards, he should NOT be hunting live game."


Taking a Hunter Safety and conservation course if required by the state and following the state regulations is ALL that should be required.

A 30-06 with the right bullet works on everything from snakes to grizzly!

I surely don't want any government agency mandating what is acceptable accuracy for hunting. Period.

RustyRick said:

I get so tired of the WISDOM of my own opinion regarding which caliber is THE BEST ELK rifle, or WHITE TAIL, or Black Bear. It is all BS. The discussion SHOULD BE, how precise or accurate should I be on paper before I try to kill my game. I see way to many shooters in August at the range happy being able to hit a 1 foot square target, or bigger. Makes me shudder.

Now here comes my opinion. If a hunter can not keep 5 shots in a 2 inch circle (or smaller) at 100 yards, he should NOT be hunting live game.

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I'm going to tell you folks a little story. It proves why we do NOT discuss ethics on this site. My Father-In Law had two centerfire rifles. Both were 700BDL's with VX3's in 4-12 with see through mounts. One was a .270 he used for deer and a 7RM he used for bigger stuff. He shot 150gr power points in the .270 and 175gr round nosed core locks in the 7. When he got ready to go hunting he would lay whichever one over the hood of a truck and pop off 3 or 4 @ 100yds. The result was always a baseball size group. I was appalled. Problem was, he ended up being the most successful hunter I ever met. He shot moose, elk, bear, deer, and anything else that got in front of him. Always with one shot. He was about half Cherokee Indian, and just got close. Over the years, I introduced him to handloading. I bought a fancy blank from Fajen, and stocked the 7 to fit him with the scope mounted properly. It loved 150gr Ballistic Tips. We sighted the rifle in 3" high @ 100, and all of a sudden he was shooting the same baseball sized groups @300yds, the same way: Just holding the gun with a truck hood for a rest. Having the ability to shoot three times as far didn't gain him a single animal. He just didn't have to work as hard for them anymore. Good thing, since his health was failing. It's a shame he is gone. We could all learn from him. Group size tells you nothing about a Hunter's ability.

Orange Dust said:

Group size tells you nothing about a Hunter's ability.

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So true

birddog 68 said:

So true

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X2!

RustyRick said:

I get so tired of the WISDOM of my own opinion regarding which caliber is THE BEST ELK rifle, or WHITE TAIL, or Black Bear. It is all BS. The discussion SHOULD BE, how precise or accurate should I be on paper before I try to kill my game. I see way to many shooters in August at the range happy being able to hit a 1 foot square target, or bigger. Makes me shudder.

Now here comes my opinion. If a hunter can not keep 5 shots in a 2 inch circle (or smaller) at 100 yards, he should NOT be hunting live game.

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The anti-gunners/Bambists would support that in a millisecond! memtb

valkyr21 said:

2MOA in 100 yards (even with mild-mid wind) should be a basic requirement and easy to achieve. So I agree with:

If a hunter can not keep 5 shots in a 2 inch circle (or smaller) at 100 yards, he should NOT be hunting live game.

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Everyone is entitled to their opinion but I'd like to see one of you do that with a shotgun and slugs, or a bow. Most deer in Minnesota are killed at very close range with any weapon and a lot are missed. So don't put all hunters in the same basket.

People forget that deer ,elk and bears plus wolves were nearly made extinct in the Eastern US by people using black powder firing rifles and shotguns. Doubt very few of them could put there rounds inside a two inch circle at one hundred yards. Myself and several friends can remember when seeing a deer anywhere in Alabama, except for a couple of wildlife management areas was something to call your neighbors about. Now they are killed on the highway of downtown cities, and rifles have never been better.

7STW from Prairie dogs to moose

CBS said:

Thanks for the soap box lecture. How big is an elk's vital area at 100. We all have our limits. Skill, equipment environment etc etc. However, you're taking criticism to another level which feeds myopic, unproductive condescension.

Before this comes off as holier than thou I confess I make fun of and criticize more people at the range than anyone. (All things creedmore are laughed at) But I'm not willing to revoke their hunting rights.

We have an old benchrest shooter at the local range that walks around and talks with everyone. Somehow he complements people into shooting better by helping with form or equipment.

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Good for him

Victor3Ranger1 said:

7STW from Prairie dogs to moose

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A great little "small bore" cartridge! memtb

Rich people problems.

If I was legitimately only feeding my family on my game and all I had was a not so acccurate firearm, quite frankly, I wouldn't care what your requirements for my accuracy were.

memtb said:

A great little "small bore" cartridge! memtb

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Sure is