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Old January 12, 2012, 06:40 PM   #1
bqglock
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Hunting minimums and maximums

I am just curious. if you were hunting coyote, deer, elk, or grizzly bear what wound be the smallest round you would use for each individually? as well as the biggest you would use. I want real responses, obviously you can use a .50 BMG for coyote but it wouldn't be practical.
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Old January 12, 2012, 07:01 PM   #2
warbirdlover
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Smallest -- Biggest

coyote - .223 - .300 Win Mag if I could afford it
deer - .243 - .300 Win Mag
elk - .270 - .375 H&H
grizzly bear - .300 Win Mag - .416 Rigby
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Old January 12, 2012, 07:30 PM   #3
30-30remchester
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Having never shot a grizzly bear, I cant speak of them, however I was a big game guide and have seen hundreds of deer and elk killed. Have also shot 51 coyotes with various calibers from 22lr to 375 H&H. This is actually a difficult question to answer, I just saw a huge bull elk killed with a single shot from a little 257 Roberts. I knew a man that hunted elk sucsessfully with a Savage 99 in 250-3000. But for the AVERAGE hunter without the skills of these oldtimers, the key isnt as much about caliber as it is about skill in shot placement and quality bullets.
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Old January 12, 2012, 07:37 PM   #4
RaySendero
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The smallest I would use would be a 270.

And H3ll Yeah - Put me down for the 50 BMG on the yotes!!!
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Old January 12, 2012, 07:41 PM   #5
MikeRussell
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Coyote - .223, 6.8, .308
Deer - 6.8, .308
Elk - 6.8 (close range), .308 (all around), 7mag (long range)
Bear - .308, 12ga slugs

Based on that, you can figure out what my all purpose cartridge is.
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Old January 12, 2012, 08:00 PM   #6
Edward429451
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The smallest I would use on:

Deer .308 Win.
Elk .308 Win.
Griz. 45/70 Govt.
Coyote .223 Rem.

Based on what I own.
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Old January 12, 2012, 08:02 PM   #7
warbirdlover
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MikeRussell,

You'd shoot a grizzly with a .308?

Last edited by warbirdlover; January 12, 2012 at 09:23 PM.
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Old January 12, 2012, 08:33 PM   #8
Shotgun693
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coyote .22 Hornet .243 I'd want to preserve the pelt
deer .357 .30-06 to preserve the meat
elk .30-06 .45-70 to preserve the meat and pelt
grizzly bear .45-90 .375 H&H to preserve my pelt and meat
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Old January 12, 2012, 08:44 PM   #9
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Old January 12, 2012, 09:06 PM   #10
MikeRussell
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Old January 12, 2012, 09:23 PM   #11
rtpzwms
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If the average weight of a elk is about 2x that of an average grizzly bear why do you need a larger caliber for the bear?
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Old January 12, 2012, 09:27 PM   #12
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I only shoot 4 different bullets so my choices will reflect those.

For Coyotes: Smallest I use is a 17HMR, biggest 45/70
For Deer: Smallest 357 magnum biggest 45/70
For elk: smallest 45/70 Biggest 45/70
For Bear: 45/70
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Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull.

all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well...
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Old January 12, 2012, 10:09 PM   #13
farmerboy
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Shoot anything and everything with a 308 all the way to a 30-06.
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Old January 12, 2012, 10:10 PM   #14
Shotgun693
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Quote:
If the average weight of a elk is about 2x that of an average grizzly bear why do you need a larger caliber for the bear?
Because an Elk won't attack and eat you.
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Old January 12, 2012, 10:25 PM   #15
Brian Pfleuger
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Coyote: Min, 204Ruger, max, none

Deer: Min, 22-250, max, none

Elk: Min, 243, max, none

Grizzly: Min 7mm-08, max, none

I don't believe in overkill, per say. "Overkill" applies only to my shoulder.
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Old January 12, 2012, 10:37 PM   #16
AllenJ
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Coyote - .22LR - 30/06
Deer - .243 - .300 Win Mag
Elk - 30/06 - .375 H&H
Grizzly bear - .338 Win Mag - .458 Win Mag
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Old January 12, 2012, 11:44 PM   #17
bqglock
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The grzze's vitals are more protected it has more fur and fat where it needs to be.
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Old January 12, 2012, 11:49 PM   #18
farmerboy
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Shoot the Griz I'n the head.
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Old January 13, 2012, 01:13 AM   #19
warbirdlover
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Man, I would NEVER go after a grizzly with a .308 or 7mm-08 or anything in that size. I've read story's where guides have emptied a .300 Win Mag into them and they didn't stop. I've had whitetail doe take three .308 150 gr. in the lungs and not drop. Kind of like the movie "Blazing Saddles" where the sheriff is putting on his gun to go help the townspeople with "Mongo" and his buddy says "don't shoot him, you'll only make him mad"!
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Old January 13, 2012, 02:16 AM   #20
rtpzwms
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Quote:
Quote:
If the average weight of a elk is about 2x that of an average grizzly bear why do you need a larger caliber for the bear?
Because an Elk won't attack and eat you.
would not bet the house on elk not attacking, deer can and do attack from time to time. true they won't eat you the way a grizzly will but they too can kill.
Quote:
Man, I would NEVER go after a grizzly with a .308 or 7mm-08 or anything in that size. I've read story's where guides have emptied a .300 Win Mag into them and they didn't stop
I've read stories where they have been killed by bow and arrow.

Quote:
The grzze's vitals are more protected it has more fur and fat where it needs to be.
True but what about the projectile choice is or would that be more important?
Quote:
Shoot the Griz I'n the head.
pretty hard head so again wouldn't the projectile choice be critical?

would anyone here do it with a handgun/handcannon?

my point is that this is more about what each considers acceptable risk more than caliber.
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Old January 13, 2012, 02:43 AM   #21
farmerboy
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I've seen a Griz get shot I'n head with an arrow and drop. So i wouldn't be afraid of hitting one I'n head with a 30-06 or even with a 30-30 for that matter.
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Old January 13, 2012, 05:45 AM   #22
FrankenMauser
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Out of what I have available:

Min - .22 WMR
Max - .444 Marlin

The animal in question doesn't really matter.
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Old January 13, 2012, 07:00 AM   #23
Bigfatts
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Coyote:.22 wmr and up
Deer: 6.5x55- whatever
Elk: .30-06 and up
Grizzly: 458 WM and up

Lots of people in this thread I think would be dead if it came to real life and Grizzly bears. Sure lots of small calibers, heck a bunch have probably fallen to the .30-30, doesn't mean you could do it if needed. I too have seen them taken with bows on the tv, I also saw the guy with the big bore rifle standing behind the bow shooter. Say you're walking through thick brush looking for Grizzly, lo and behold a 12 ft bear stands up out of the brush 40 feet from you. You'd be glad if you weren't holding a .308, if you were- you'd be lunch. Bears move ridiculously fast when they want to. And yes you could shoot it in the head, if you can hit something tennis ball sized that's bobbing and weaving and approaching at an alarming rate of speed. My.02
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Old January 13, 2012, 07:57 AM   #24
MikeRussell
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Quote:
Originally Posted by warbirdlover View Post
MikeRussell,

You'd shoot a grizzly with a .308?
Yep, if the conditions were right, I'd use my compound bow. But, I'd have a .454Cassul (sp?) as backup in case it turned into a self defense type situation.

What most are missing here is that the question involved HUNTING, not self defense from a charging animal.
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Old January 13, 2012, 08:47 AM   #25
Bigfatts
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Quote:
What most are missing here is that the question involved HUNTING, not self defense from a charging animal.
But that's the thing, when hunting dangerous game it can quickly turn into self defense. That's something that should always be considered in bear country. I have seen a real live huffing and puffing 12 ft Grizzly too close for comfort and let me tell you, there is not too much gun for that critte this side of a Howitzer.
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