Any .50 BMG or Cheytac Hunters out their?

[Fiftydriver]

Dave,

Are these reliable sources reguarding the 375-408?

Where were the animals hit with the 375s?

Reason I ask, I have shot game with my 338 AM with the 300 gr SMK that flat out performed perfectly. I have a very hard time believing that any big game animal taking a 375 cal bullet through the vitals(AGAIN, shot through the VITALS) would last more then a few seconds before expiring.

I have heard storys about certain calibers not working worth a ****. Talked to a local elk outfitter last week that said he would not allow one of his dudes to carry a 7mm of any kind because they only cripple game.

When i asked him to offer his experiences with wounded and lost game with the 7mm he had alot fewer solid examples then one would expect.

Two instances he referred to were on rag horn elk that were wounded and got away. I Asked him where were they hit, he said right through the vitals and then I asked how did he know they were hit there.

he got kind of ****y with me and said because I said they were hit in the vitals. I told him I had taken over 20 head of big game with 7mm rifles ranging from the 7mm Rem Mag up to my 7mm AM and when I put a bullet through the vitals, the animals died just as quickly as any other caliber for the appropriate size of game for that chambering.

Again, I have a very hard time believing that these animals you refer to took this long to expire with shots through the vitals. Through the guts, certainly they will live this long.

Just curious how good your sources are for these stories.

Personally, I would never worry one bit about taking a 375 AM out on a big game hunt, any game up to moose at long range as I know there would never be a problem dropping those animals with a well placed shot.

Just curious about your sources, not trying to flame you in any way, just the results you just reported make no sense at all.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[davewilson]

Kirby, all i can tell you is the man i got this from has more experience in long range hunting/gun building/shooting than anyone on this board. i know exactly what you're saying, i can't imagine anything in NA taking hits with any 375 much less a CT and not giving it up soon afterwards. believe me when i say it's a reliable source.

 

[Stormrider]

...one deer was hit twice. holes were described as golf ball sized wound channels. all 3 were still alive for more than 4 hours after being shot...

I don't want to cast aspersions on your source. I just don't understand how a "golf ball" sized hole through a vital area, from whatever kind of projectile, wouldn't be immediately lethal to what ever animal got hit.

 

[jeff 300]

If you do your part and put the bullet in the right spot. there's no way any thing can live for that long. if the bullet hits the hart, lungs there dead. if it doesn't hit the right spot sure there going to live for some time. i have seen a lot of guys say they have made a good hit (it was in the vitals). but what they did not say was how hard the animal was quartering and they had made a gut shot even when it looked good. i have never seen any animal hit in the vitals that made it far.

 

[Boss Hoss]

Kirby, all i can tell you is the man i got this from has more experience in long range hunting/gun building/shooting than anyone on this board. i know exactly what you're saying, i can't imagine anything in NA taking hits with any 375 much less a CT and not giving it up soon afterwards. believe me when i say it's a reliable source.

That in itself is an incredibly ignorant statement... Rather puts your credibility in question so to speak... Sorry but it is the truth...

 

[long ranger]

Dave,

Are these reliable sources reguarding the 375-408?

Where were the animals hit with the 375s?

Reason I ask, I have shot game with my 338 AM with the 300 gr SMK that flat out performed perfectly. I have a very hard time believing that any big game animal taking a 375 cal bullet through the vitals(AGAIN, shot through the VITALS) would last more then a few seconds before expiring.

I have heard storys about certain calibers not working worth a ****. Talked to a local elk outfitter last week that said he would not allow one of his dudes to carry a 7mm of any kind because they only cripple game.

When i asked him to offer his experiences with wounded and lost game with the 7mm he had alot fewer solid examples then one would expect.

Two instances he referred to were on rag horn elk that were wounded and got away. I Asked him where were they hit, he said right through the vitals and then I asked how did he know they were hit there.

he got kind of ****y with me and said because I said they were hit in the vitals. I told him I had taken over 20 head of big game with 7mm rifles ranging from the 7mm Rem Mag up to my 7mm AM and when I put a bullet through the vitals, the animals died just as quickly as any other caliber for the appropriate size of game for that chambering.

Again, I have a very hard time believing that these animals you refer to took this long to expire with shots through the vitals. Through the guts, certainly they will live this long.

Just curious how good your sources are for these stories.

Personally, I would never worry one bit about taking a 375 AM out on a big game hunt, any game up to moose at long range as I know there would never be a problem dropping those animals with a well placed shot.

Just curious about your sources, not trying to flame you in any way, just the results you just reported make no sense at all.

Kirby Allen(50)

I have to agree with you Kirby. I get ragged on for taking the long shots I do.
Many of those who are critical of long shots have had poor examples of "killing shots" with some caliber, and it usually all boils down to shot placement.
As for a 7 not having the capability of killing animals, I know from personal experience, having killed 1 of every North American big game animal with a lowly 7Rem Mag, it can be done, and very successfully. I do not do any close range hunting, but with the 7 was not ever concerned at 700 yard shots.

Back to the original question.
I hunt with my 50s , my 1st kill was a mule buck at 740 yards, using a 750 gr Amax, entrance was just over 1/2", strange part was NO exit wound at all.
He was quartering away from me, the bullet entered about 2" behind the rib cage. Inside it looked like a frag went off, it was UGLY!! but he was instantly dead. I won't use any more Amaxs for hunting, too much damage.
Besides up here Amaxs are virtually impossible to get.
Kills 2 and 3 were Mule does, we have LOTS of them here and last year I got in on a cull hunt. The bullets I used were Wildcat 750 RBBTs. Doe #1 died on the spot at 975 yards, 1/2" entrance 2" exit through the ribs, she was perfectly broadside. Doe#2 was 1170 yards out also broadside same wound entance and exits.
This year another mule doe, but at only 690 yards, same performance.

In Africa this spring using my 338LAI with 300 gr SMKs managed to instanly kill a good sized Gemsbok buck at 650 yards broadside just under 1/2" in and 3" out. An impala took same 300 gr SMK front on in the sternum but when the SMK exited 8" ahead of his tail, just above the pelvic bones a 7" dia wound was left, with alot of entrails hanging out, it would seem that 338LAI is too much gun for 175lb game at 300 yards.
My 2280 lb Eland took 1 of Wildcats 325 gr Bonded bullets from the 338LAI to put him down. The Eland had places to be and was not wasting any time. My shot was further back than I had aimed and planned for, but not knowing at that time how fast they travel... Anyway the shot entered just behind the pelvic bones, travelled along the spine, through the shoulders and we recovered the bullet just inside the dewlap. The bullet travelled 5 and 1/2 feet through the old bull, is now 312 grains in weight and measures 1.350" dia at the widest point. The Eland was 570 yards from me when I shot.
I have photos, I just need to figure out how to post them.

 

[long ranger]

I talked to someone who shot 3 whitetails at medium range 500-800 yds with a 375/408 using SMK bullets. one deer was hit twice. holes were described as golf ball sized wound channels. all 3 were still alive for more than 4 hours after being shot. another group shot 3 elk with similar results, only they used a conventional hunting bullet. 2 of the 3 were alive for quite a while after being shot. the first said he'll never take a 375/408 hunting again.

I guess my question is WHY would someone allow these animals to suffer for that many hours. At that distance and with that big a caliber, you KNOW when something is hit well or not, and normally have time to ensure the animal is down permanently.
Shooting over a deep ravine could account for the time needed to finally end the suffering, not having the entire scenario makes it hard to say, but this is certainly great ammo for those who condemn long range hunting.

 

[davewilson]

well i must say i don't even know where to begin. let's see, as far as the 4 hours, yes, you can usually tell when it's hit good.these deer were seen going down and not moving. there was a river and ground they couldn't cross until after dark, but again, i wasn't there. the original post asked about results with a 50 or a Chey-Tac case. knowing there aren't many with the 375, i thought i'd post some results, even though they aren't what everyone wants to hear. i thought this is what the forum is for. we share information when we get good results and bad. Kirby expressed his doubts in his usual polite and descriptive way. i understood what he was saying but was just passing along what i had heard from a source that was as good or better than anyones.i wouldn't post something on here if it was from someone i didn't know.i sent Boss Hoss a PM asking to explain his comment.i'm waiting to hear from him about the question of my integrity. i understand he's won a 1K shoot or two, that must give him the right to be rude.

in the future i'll try not to post anything other than the accepted norm.

 

[Boss Hoss]

Dave---you have mail...

 

[Boss Hoss]

I have to agree with you Kirby. I get ragged on for taking the long shots I do.
Many of those who are critical of long shots have had poor examples of "killing shots" with some caliber, and it usually all boils down to shot placement.
As for a 7 not having the capability of killing animals, I know from personal experience, having killed 1 of every North American big game animal with a lowly 7Rem Mag, it can be done, and very successfully. I do not do any close range hunting, but with the 7 was not ever concerned at 700 yard shots.

Back to the original question.
I hunt with my 50s , my 1st kill was a mule buck at 740 yards, using a 750 gr Amax, entrance was just over 1/2", strange part was NO exit wound at all.
He was quartering away from me, the bullet entered about 2" behind the rib cage. Inside it looked like a frag went off, it was UGLY!! but he was instantly dead. I won't use any more Amaxs for hunting, too much damage.
Besides up here Amaxs are virtually impossible to get.
Kills 2 and 3 were Mule does, we have LOTS of them here and last year I got in on a cull hunt. The bullets I used were Wildcat 750 RBBTs. Doe #1 died on the spot at 975 yards, 1/2" entrance 2" exit through the ribs, she was perfectly broadside. Doe#2 was 1170 yards out also broadside same wound entance and exits.
This year another mule doe, but at only 690 yards, same performance.

In Africa this spring using my 338LAI with 300 gr SMKs managed to instanly kill a good sized Gemsbok buck at 650 yards broadside just under 1/2" in and 3" out. An impala took same 300 gr SMK front on in the sternum but when the SMK exited 8" ahead of his tail, just above the pelvic bones a 7" dia wound was left, with alot of entrails hanging out, it would seem that 338LAI is too much gun for 175lb game at 300 yards.
My 2280 lb Eland took 1 of Wildcats 325 gr Bonded bullets from the 338LAI to put him down. The Eland had places to be and was not wasting any time. My shot was further back than I had aimed and planned for, but not knowing at that time how fast they travel... Anyway the shot entered just behind the pelvic bones, travelled along the spine, through the shoulders and we recovered the bullet just inside the dewlap. The bullet travelled 5 and 1/2 feet through the old bull, is now 312 grains in weight and measures 1.350" dia at the widest point. The Eland was 570 yards from me when I shot.
I have photos, I just need to figure out how to post them.

You know it is funny that most of the old guys who shoot with me in the IBS 1K game always like to brag about the group size----if it were up to me it would be score first then group size to determine the winner. Most just kind of stare at me when the subject comes up but the objective is to hit what you aim at and if you can't then you no have buisness shooting at an anmial lol "hoping for luck to be on your side" because we all know luck has nothing to do with it period...... In the end it has more to do with where you hit them than what you hit them with to a large extent.

Please post the 338LAI pics as I have a sporter and tubes for my competition rifles in that little jewel...

 

[long ranger]

well i must say i don't even know where to begin. let's see, as far as the 4 hours, yes, you can usually tell when it's hit good.these deer were seen going down and not moving. there was a river and ground they couldn't cross until after dark, but again, i wasn't there. in the future i'll try not to post anything other than the accepted norm.

That is a reasonable explanation that I would buy. The biggest reason I raised this was to bring to light ALL the circumstances. I too have been an hour or more getting to an animal myself, after glassing for enough time to make certain nothing is going to get up and wander off. My intent was not to agravate you and am sorry if I came off that way. I get a bit defensive on long range hunting ethics.
I agree with you these forums are for sharing experiences that we can learn from, be them positive or negative.
Keep sharing!!



Boss Hoss I don't know how to post photos on this forum, but on my website on the home page is a photo of 2 old guys and an Eland, the rifle is my 338LAI the guy in camo is me.
Alberta Tactical Rifle Supply

 

[jwp475]

Here you go Long Ranger

 

[long ranger]

Here you go Long Ranger

JWP Am I missing something here? All that comes up on my computer is a box with a red x in it.
I appreciate all the help I can get, as computers still mystify me, and I just can't bear the thought of asking my 15 year old daughter for help. She already knows everything, and I am just a stupid old relic, just ask her.

If someone would try to walk me through the how to post stuff here I would be beholden
Thanks
Rick

 

[Stormrider]

If someone would try to walk me through the how to post stuff here I would be beholden
Thanks
Rick

Rick,
To post an image type

That sure is a big beasty... *grin*