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

Is cabin fever a thing in early September?

Can we judge someone harshly for needing 5 shots?

Do I have to unfriend my wild alaskan buddies who check a zero every other year with 3 on a piece of paper, but more animals humanely harvested for subsistence than most will in a lifetime?

What about my buddy with a job that should train him better, who shoots consistently well under your stipulations... but gets buck fever so bad he's missed animals inside of 100 yards?
I had a friend growing up that was a amazing shooter both archery and rifle and won tons of competitions BUT,
When it came to putting bullets or broad head in a deer it was like he had never shot anything before.
🤷🏼‍♂️
 
I had a friend growing up that was a amazing shooter both archery and rifle and won tons of competitions BUT,
When it came to putting bullets or broad head in a deer it was like he had never shot anything before.
🤷🏼‍♂️


That's what my tongue in cheek response was alluding to.

How do you quantify and test someone for "buck fever"? Talk about a nebulous rubric, how about an impercise potential test...

We all should aspire to better shooting metrics, that's why I joined this forum. Wanted to be as good as possible at shooting beyond what had been my norm. Has magnumitis wounded more animals than the 6.5 man bun? What about the pie plate at 50 guys, or the folks using milsurp fmj, or heaven forbid the plethora of bow gimped animals....

Everybody has room to improve, but the method for calling out is probably best left on the personal/local front....
 
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I was in the closet with my 6.5 creedmoor but not anymore. I love it!
Onto the OP's subject, honestly I don't think many hunters here in the east shoot many deer past 100 yards so actually a 2" group is plenty good enough for them. I strive for much better but I try not to judge others especially on a forum.
I sent my 6.5 out one day at the first of the season, it had killed four white tailed elk bull winkles. I just wish it could clean them too.
Happy shooting.
 
I had a friend growing up that was a amazing shooter both archery and rifle and won tons of competitions BUT,
When it came to putting bullets or broad head in a deer it was like he had never shot anything before.
🤷🏼‍♂️
This reminds me of a hunting buddy in the 1990s. There were 4 of us having fun skeet shooting. I suck at it, and Andy was by far the best out of the group. Every time we are out quail hunting. We all limit out except for "one-quail-Andy" - go figure. 🤣
 
We all should aspire to better shooting metrics, that's why I joined this forum. Wanted to be as good as possible at shooting beyond what had been my norm.

Everybody has room to improve, but the method for calling out is probably best left on the personal/local front....
This!
 
This reminds me of a hunting buddy in the 1990s. There were 4 of us having fun skeet shooting. I suck at it, and Andy was by far the best out of the group. Every time we are out quail hunting. We all limit out except for "one-quail-Andy" - go figure. 🤣
That's one of those things I am not good at, anything flying.
If it pops a squat it better start ducking 😂
 
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.

Might want to think that thru a bit more. But I do understand what your frustration is but doubt you really want what your stating.

Based on your idea I guess that means the vast majority of traditional blackpowder hunters should be banned from hunting straight away?

How about everyone that shoots with a basic iron site rifle like a lever action all with factory ammo? Why stop with rifles either, bows should have the same limits then, as this is not about gun safety, but animal wounding or something to that effect ? A gut shot deer, bullet or arrow is still a gut shot animal. So how many bow hunters can effectively hit a target say 30 yd 3x in 2in even 3in let alone 5x?

So if you do not have a issue with these other firearms & weapons not having the same accuracy limits then why does it matter at all? There are plenty of consumer factory rifles that are not 1 moa guns. Now add to that your basic non-premium factory hunting ammo. Much of which is not moa quality. Right there without counting any shooter skill you have a setup that will not hold to your requirements even if you had the skills of a prs or f class champ. We are a small segment if hunters:; most are not handloading, running custom barrels or premium factory bolt actions rifles or have $1k+ scopes. I can not tell, you how many deer I took as a kid with a 30-30. It might have been a 2 moa gun but not with those crude iron sights.

The second you would enact something like this you have opened a huge door of nothing good.. It opens the door to new areas of gov regulation and eventual banning. It will become stricter and more restrictive every yr. They will attach an ever increasing payment to do the qualification testing. All permits will go up in costs to further cover the costs. And yes without a doubt there will be testing you will have to do to qualify just to hunt.

Luckily we do not have a law in this country that restricts how we obtain our food in such a manner. Thus subsistiance trumps banning hunting or fishing. In fact it kept me fishing thru the draconian lockdowns of covid. It was for that very reason they could not stop you from fishing. I hunt first and foremost for food. I refuse to eat and feed my family the poisons most grocey stores and the food industry sell these days Outside varnmits or livestock predators I eat what I kill.
 
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