This is whats wrong with hunting today

Well designed, well constructed small caliber bullets at high velocity will do fine within their operational window. Bullet Expansion versus penetration is where the small calibers start to hiccup. Every bullet, every rifle is different. Shoot within its operational window whatever that may be for the animal you are hunting. Therein lies the problem.
Is that the problem...or the answer? Is the cup only 1/2 full.....or 1/2 empty?
 
I'am turning the corner on 70 years old....have a bad right eye a wrecked right shoulder and have had to learn to shoot left handed....don't shoot as much as I did when younger but still use a approbate caliber for hunting usually larger than most people would use....I have alway liked a hole in and out on a animal leaving a lot of blood to follow to a animal....

I worked doing animal control shooting and have shot 1000's of deer with every thing from a 222 Remington to a 50 B&M SS they all will kill a deer....just some will do a better job and some only with a precise shots....
One caliber that really shined in my work has been the 243 Winchester using Sierra 85 gr. HPBT bullet....I tend to shoot under 200 yards and shooting relaxed deer in a field feeding but its very rare for a deer to run 50 yards most are DRT....
To fill my deer tags during hunting season mostly use my pre-64 Model 70 Winchester in 7 mm Rem. Mag.....much rather have more than I might need than to little during hunting season.....
From time to time a specific bullet, not even a specific to product line of bullets but one specific bullet of a given caliber and weight gains a cult following status.

That 85 grain hp Sierra gameking is one of those bullets! I've never used it, but I can't tell ya how many times I've heard people swear by that exact pill in a .243 Winchester as killing way above its pay grade.
 
Over on Rokslide they are hardcore on the .223 with a 77gr Tipped Match King being an appropriate cartridge for everything up to and including Moose and Grizzly bear as well as elk out to 800 yards. This is probably an extension of that.
The point is that it's the bullet that matters and not necessary the cartridge. Or at least the point they're trying to make. The wound created from the shot is all that matters. I agree with that statement. If a .22/6mm can created an optimal wound cavity that's going to reliably kill said game then why wouldn't you use it. Form over on rockslide has probably shot or seen shot more animals than all of us on this thread combined.

Now, this Muley freak guy is definitely no expert.

The hunt backcountry podcast (exo) recently released a podcast interview with form and it's really worth a listen. That being said everything needs to be balanced and taken with a grain of salt.
 
Well your experience sure doesn't mirror mine. I'm just glad my friends that used to use them in a hunting role quit with them. The late night phone calls and trailing gets old. I've killed over 1000 deer and hogs and generally add about 100 each year now.. 95% of those now each year are killed with the Grendel. Throw in another 100 or so that I see killed by family and friends each year. We have a very serious deer problem. Bullets have changed but the thinking around here has not when it comes to 6mm. The 243 has been relegated to depredation shooting and being a truck gun. Where it does stellar work. Very few people even buy them for their kids to use anymore. I had an FFL for 10 years and can't remember selling more the 2 or 3. They use 6.5 Grendel, 6.5 Creed, 6.5 Sweed, 7mm-08 or download 270, 308, and 30-06. Deer are hunted with 25-06 and up. But we see few 25-06s around. The most numerous caliber by far being the 270 Winchester. 2nd would be the 30/06 3rd 7mm-REM mag and throw in a 270 WSM occasionally. My experience with 243 was that even with a perfect hit deer ran farther and bled less. Yes it killed the animal. But the extra distance and less blood were a bit contrary to my wants and needs. I'm simply not a fan.
 
Please tell me I did not hear him say that the .22 CM did more carnage than a 175gr ELD-X 7mm PRC and a 212gr ELD-X .300 PRC. BTW Southpa, you are not the only one!
Well let's see here I believe in facts first hand and don't need to indulge in some professionals opinion on you turd or this site. I've shot plenty of deer with 7mag, 300 winnie, 300 wby, 257 wby and 300wsm and yes indeed my first hand observations of the carnage that fast 22 cals 22-250 and 22 creed 6creed do to vitals does indeed out do them all except for 168 Berger vld out of a 300 wby. Every single deer reacts differently to every different cartridge but the explosiveness inside the vitals is incredible. No not at 1000 yards. But out to 3-400 yards I'll grab the 22 lol. As a side note not in every bodies hands either. There are guys out there that can't kill deer with a 50 bmg for goodness sakes.
 
One of my 600yd and under deer sized loads uses a bullet with a G1 of .55, SD of .251, has a muzzle velocity of 3,300fps, when zeroed at 300yds (2.5" at 100yd) is about 7" of drop at 400yds and only 36" low at 600yds, and it is still producing about 1,250 ft/lbs of energy at 600yds.

Is that enough for the average deer and antelope?
 


I'm partially posting this in response to the wonderful discussion @Huntnful started about smaller calibers. This is not a bash on small caliber hunters or anyone else for that matter (including the man in the video). Flash to the 5:50 mark and indulge. Please tell me that I'm not the only one who is shaking my head in disbelief that guys like this are presenting info to people as if the round is actually the "Ultimate hunting round" IMO this is preposterous, with highly inaccurate and incomplete comparisons. This is what's wrong with hunting and especially long range hunting these days. Wondering if I'm not the only one here?

If one of you professionals could entertain me with the reason my 22-250 and 22 creed shouldn't fill my freezer every year since I can remember please do! Why do I need to burn 50-90 grains of powder and throw 130-215 grain bullets for deer or black bear? Heck I oven use 6 dasher and 6creeds too.
 
If one of you professionals could entertain me with the reason my 22-250 and 22 creed shouldn't fill my freezer every year since I can remember please do! Why do I need to burn 50-90 grains of powder and throw 130-215 grain bullets for deer or black bear? Heck I oven use 6 dasher and 6creeds too.
Again, the purpose of my starting this wasn't to bash the 22. Personally I think it's great if you have success with it. It was to shed more light on the premise behind his message. It's essentially that things are amazing because I say they are not because they really are but because someone told me they were and I'm telling you that same thing.
 
Over on Rokslide they are hardcore on the .223 with a 77gr Tipped Match King being an appropriate cartridge for everything up to and including Moose and Grizzly bear as well as elk out to 800 yards. This is probably an extension of that.
Oh yeah, don`t go over there and say anything about a .223 not being a be all, end all big game caliber. They`ve got all kinds of damage photos and data and everything. The other day I was thinking about how I would feel if I was deep in big bear country with only my Savage 110 Storm in .223 and a couple of mags of 77 TMKs. " Naked " was the first thing that came to mind. " Hot lunch " was a close second.
 

Recent Posts

Top