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Old October 12, 2006, 05:02 AM   #26
Lost River
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Jack O

I have not hunted coast to coast. I grew up hunting big game in Idaho. I started with a .270. I have watched my little ole mom kill more big bull elk in the 70s and early 80s with a .270 win in an old savage bolt gun and a 4x leupold than most of the "experts" have probably ever seen outside of the "game farms" or guided hunts.

Myself, I have only killed a dozen or so elk with a 270. I never knew I needed a magnum or premium bullets.
Since then I have used 308s, 7mms and the 300 win with good success, but none ever died any quicker or were more dead.

Same goes for mulies. I cannot tell the difference between deer shot with a 30-06, 270, 7 rem mag or 300 win mag. They all just died and the work began. Quarter 'em, tie 'em on the pack frame and start walking.

The only thing I have done is extend my range a bit.

I enjoy long range hunting but unfortunately the majority of hunters I see with "long range" guns have no idea how to utilize their gear and take very irresponsible shots, often missing the entire animal or worse.

It is a year round dedication to make long range shots on game in a responsible manner.
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Old October 12, 2006, 03:44 PM   #27
Jack O'Conner
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I rec'd a reply letter from Craig Boddington recently. I'd written to him about his extensive use of magnum rifles. My letter was not nasty; I'd simply wanted to know why he chose a 7mm MAG for a tree stand deer hunt in Missouri where the shooting distance was less than 100 yards.

His reply was very polite. He is tasked by his Publisher to go huntin' and write articles. The rifles are rarely his choice. He shared that his father hunted moose in Alaska twice with a .308 carbine and had very good results.

Boddington closed by stating that an elk hunter focused on a big trophy herd bull may not always be presented with a good broadside shot. It might be running through the trees. He suggested that taking this shot with a magnum rifle is the best choice due to velocity, energy, etc. Personally, I would not fire that kind of wounding shot at all. I don't believe breaking an animal down by smashing its pelvis is ethical. But I guess that's where I'll end this note.
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Old October 30, 2006, 02:37 PM   #28
Paul B.
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Well, maybe we all do Mr. Boddington a disservice. It was on another site that he was being totally trashed. Now he did not have to come onto that site and respond to his detracotors, but not only did he respond, but tactfully so. While I still am no great fan, I will concede that he is a gentleman, if nothing else.
Regarding his "magnumitis", in the last year, he has done an excellent article on the .358 Winchester and another on the old 7x57 Mauser. They just happen to be two of my favorite cartridiges. One thing he brought out on the .358 Win. was that it was not just a short range brush cartridge, something I've known for years.
Sometimes I think the reason so many people dislike Mr. Boddington is plain out and out jealousy. let's be honest here, we'd all like to get to go on all those freebie hunts the gun and ammo makers give out. Mr. Boddington sems to get the lion's share, and maybe, just a little bit, if we're honest, that kinda sticks in our craw. It does me, but at least I'm honest enough to admit it.
I'll hunt with a magnum cartridge if I think the situation calls for it. One of the areas I hunt elk at, when the shooting starts, the elk head out to these wide open meadows that are over a mile wide and many miles long. A .270 or 30-06 just ain't gonna cut it. In taht area, it's either shoot long or go home empty-handed. This year, I drew an area that' totally new to me. I've got to get on up there and look it over and decide what I will carry. It might be my 30-06, .35 Whelen or the .300 and .338 Win. Mags. It just depends on the terrain.
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Old October 30, 2006, 06:43 PM   #29
SavageSniper
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I personally do not own a magnum rifle either, but my best friend does. He shoots a 300 weatherby. Until I joined this forum, I never knew that many people actually used magnums on deer(esp. in the south) I just wrote it off as my friends ego. He has taken alot of deer with it though. To speak of not knowing what a bullet will do when it hits a deer, he shot a small 7point last season that was looking at him at about 20 steps. Hit him in the neck and yes droped like a brick. When we looked at the damage, the bullet was lodged under the skin of the right shoulder. Granted, there was alot of deer burger for that 12 inches or so it traveled, but I was suprised it didn't exit.
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Old October 31, 2006, 12:32 AM   #30
Fat White Boy
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To my way of thinking, the .270 is a magnum round. 130-40 grains moving at +3Kfps? That's a magnum...
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Old October 31, 2006, 10:44 AM   #31
Art Eatman
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FWB, the commonly accepted meaning generally means cartridges that do a good bit MORE than the .270 (or '06, etc.) in the velocity department for a given wieght of bullet. If you begin imposiing your own idea on the rest of the world, you create confusion--particularly for a newbie.

So the .264 WinMag on up to the RAUM stuff, etc., are within the accepted parameters as most people understand them. The .270 is not.

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Old October 31, 2006, 04:10 PM   #32
castnblast
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Big bore not required...

Should have seen the hog a buddy of mine shot this past weekend w/ a 22-250. This hog was shot at 127 yards...Per Bushnell Yardage Pro 500. The hog was shot in the shoulder...Smack in the middle of the shoulder w/ a 55 gr. Sierra Spitzer Boat tail. Blew a huge hole through the shoulder blade, and pulverized the heart/lung area. The scale indicated this hog field dressed at 161 lbs. I'm using mine this weekend, and hope to post some pics of damage done.

BTW...This hog was dropped dead in his tracks. No tracking necessary.
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Old November 8, 2006, 04:59 AM   #33
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One More Time: What's Wrong With The 375 H&h Magnum?

S
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Old November 8, 2006, 09:27 AM   #34
Art Eatman
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Nothing that I've ever heard of. It's more than is needed, is all. But, if that's whatcha got, use it. It'll work just fine.

But for this thread, recall that a "well-placed shot" from a lesser cartridge is plenty good.

Art
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Old November 8, 2006, 08:25 PM   #35
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I agree with everyone that under ideal conditions, with excellent shot placement, lighter rifles do the job. A headshot with a .223 is going to work on deer, isn't it?
Now, what about the not so ideal shots? That 12 point buck who got that way by showing nothing but tail everytime it hears, or sees, a hunter? All you have is a texas heart shot, and, you want something that will penetrate full length deer, and create enough of a wound channel to put the deer to rest quickly. I think the mags get a bad rap, since they use light bullets, that explode, or, due to high velocity, fail to penetrate. If used with a heavier bullet, you can get both expansion, and penetration, at a much large caliber size. Hawk bullets are a good example of a bonded, heavy hollow point, that can be tailored to what ever rifle, and velocity you want, since they make different thickness jackets. I think the mags give you the chance to get good velocity, with heavy bullets, that expand, and penetrate well. My topic would have been people using bullets that don't penetrate sufficently for their target, regardless of caliber. In other words, you get caught with a soft, when you need something that's heavier, and penetrates better for the shot you are taking.
I have noticed a trend here to think shot placement is everything, and, that negates that hunting doesn't occur in a perfect world.

S
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Old November 9, 2006, 08:43 AM   #36
mikejonestkd
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>>>All you have is a texas heart shot, and, you want something that will penetrate full length deer

Or, you can wait for a better shot, which is what I prefer to do. Around here deer are as common as rabbits, I know another one will be along soon if I can't take a shot at the first one of the day.

That being said, if I was on a ' special ' hunt for a game animal that was new to me i would bring more than what I would use back home - because I wouldn't want to have to pass on a last hour of daylight shot on the last day of an elk hunt because of being underpowered.
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Old November 18, 2006, 04:12 AM   #37
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Your last post sums it up pretty well.

Likewise, use enough gun for your target, under bad circumstances, and, take enough gun to stop any predator that might not like you hunting in his territory.

S
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Old November 19, 2006, 01:40 PM   #38
Hello123
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A powerful round through the shoulder blades on a deer is better than behind the shoulder. It kills and plants them where they stand. There is not much meat to save there anyway.
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Old November 21, 2006, 06:00 PM   #39
454c
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QUOTE :
A friend of mine shot an airborne buck with a 30-30 at 75 yards... the bullet only pushed the deer over the small ridge... another hunter shot it... they dug my firends bullet from between the tail and the pelvis... completely un-deformed!! The deer was not damaged by the bullet but was probably feeling the pain...I believe an '06 would have crippled the animal fast enough to shoot it again and the tag would have been my friend's... He retired his 30-30.



Classic,the cartridge gets the blame. At 75 yds., it's not gonna matter if it's a 30-30 or 30-06.
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Old November 26, 2006, 08:27 AM   #40
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As long as people hunt for trophies, and not food, you end up with the scenario's I described, and, you do need the edge of a big bore rifle, though I'm not convinced a less then 375 H&H magnum is worth much, in a mag caliber. Big bears, deer, elk, don't get that way by being stupid, or, allowing humans to get close to them, or, allowing a human to have a good shot at them.

If you were REALLY hungry, the same scenarios would apply, as well. Don't care if that texas heart shot on that big hog is all I've got, I'm hungry, and, I'm eating today, so I'm shooting now...

If you can't get it done with a 30-06, in the lower 48, what magnum is going to make any difference?
.375 RUM comes to mind, and, a 458 Lott works for me;-)

I guess the next question would be: If you shoot a pig, bison, buffalo, with a 450 Nitro Express 2, 500 grain bullet, at 2200 fps, a fairly consistent game reaction is the game goes down. It may get right back up, but, the whack is enough to cause enough shock for the animal to go off it's feet. During this time, you can focus, and finish the animal. Rifles that do this on a consistent basis, usually start with 416 Rigby, 458 Win mag, Lott, Ackley, and go up. Would such impact be useful for hunting deer, pigs, etc. and, would the knock down effect be enough to allow a second shot?

Since my 375 H&H is marginal for this sort of effect on game, I have a very hard time believing any of the lesser magnums would have such effect.

Am I way off here?

S
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