SansSouci
Well-Known Member
Some years ago, I watched a studly, well put-up dude in his mid-30's (guesstimated) trying to sight in his brand new .300 Win Mag for a then upcoming Montana hunt. He couldn't finish a box of cartridges. His shoulder was too sore. He had a solid 6" group, high left. Before he left the range that day, he reflected upon his choice of rifle. He told me that he was probably going to use his uncle's .25-'06 Rem. In contrast, I had 3 .308 Win rounds touching each other about an inch-and-a-half high and dead on, which didn't sit too well with the Utah buck I killed.
Buying big guns is easy, no so much shooting them. I've fired a few big guns. My recoil threshold is the 7MM Rem Mag. From my experience. there are not a lot of hunters that can comfortably shoot big guns.
A couple years ago while rut hunting HUGE bulls in what many refer to as the best trophy bull elk unit in the nation, a hunter in camp was using a .300 Mag. He missed two very easy shots at a HUGE bull. He missed the same bull twice. He finally killed one that scored a couple points shy of 380. Out of his hunter presence, his guide said that he'd much rather have a hunter show up in camp with a .270 Win he can shoot than a .300 Mag he can't.
I fired one 7MM Rem Mag round, a hand loaded 160 grain Partition. It felled a bull of a lifetime.
Killing is all about confidence with one's rifle. Confidence is gained by a lot of shooting. Big guns make it unpleasant to do a lot of shooting.
Nothing living remains in that condition sans its heart and/or lungs. All that lives requires topside oxygenated blood to remain living. Destroy a big game animal's heart and/or lungs and it will die. That is elementary biological fact. What destroy these vital organs is immaterial. That they are destroyed is.
Hunters ought to hunt with what puts smiles on their faces. However, they will get a quizzical look on my face when they tell me that a .300 RUM will kill elk deader than a .308 Win. It won't. A .30-30 Win will kill that largest bull that has ever lived just as dead as a .378 Wby Mag. It's all about what bullets destroy, and that takes skill and confidence. The new B&C record Yukon moose was recently reduced to table fare with a .303 British.
One final point. Big guns are by necessity heavy. Carrying heavy guns up & down the Rockies is no fun. As for me, from here on out, I'm hunting everything with a .270 Win.
That old hunter's saying has always been true: a .243 Win in the boiler room is a whole lot better than an '06 in the guts.
I encourage every hunter to use what makes him happy. But big guns guarantee nothing but a whole lot of recoil.
Happy Thanksgiving to all brethren of the hunt!
Buying big guns is easy, no so much shooting them. I've fired a few big guns. My recoil threshold is the 7MM Rem Mag. From my experience. there are not a lot of hunters that can comfortably shoot big guns.
A couple years ago while rut hunting HUGE bulls in what many refer to as the best trophy bull elk unit in the nation, a hunter in camp was using a .300 Mag. He missed two very easy shots at a HUGE bull. He missed the same bull twice. He finally killed one that scored a couple points shy of 380. Out of his hunter presence, his guide said that he'd much rather have a hunter show up in camp with a .270 Win he can shoot than a .300 Mag he can't.
I fired one 7MM Rem Mag round, a hand loaded 160 grain Partition. It felled a bull of a lifetime.
Killing is all about confidence with one's rifle. Confidence is gained by a lot of shooting. Big guns make it unpleasant to do a lot of shooting.
Nothing living remains in that condition sans its heart and/or lungs. All that lives requires topside oxygenated blood to remain living. Destroy a big game animal's heart and/or lungs and it will die. That is elementary biological fact. What destroy these vital organs is immaterial. That they are destroyed is.
Hunters ought to hunt with what puts smiles on their faces. However, they will get a quizzical look on my face when they tell me that a .300 RUM will kill elk deader than a .308 Win. It won't. A .30-30 Win will kill that largest bull that has ever lived just as dead as a .378 Wby Mag. It's all about what bullets destroy, and that takes skill and confidence. The new B&C record Yukon moose was recently reduced to table fare with a .303 British.
One final point. Big guns are by necessity heavy. Carrying heavy guns up & down the Rockies is no fun. As for me, from here on out, I'm hunting everything with a .270 Win.
That old hunter's saying has always been true: a .243 Win in the boiler room is a whole lot better than an '06 in the guts.
I encourage every hunter to use what makes him happy. But big guns guarantee nothing but a whole lot of recoil.
Happy Thanksgiving to all brethren of the hunt!
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