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Old February 13, 2013, 11:22 AM   #67
Brian Pfleuger
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Join Date: June 25, 2008
Location: Austin, CO
Posts: 19,578
Quote:
Originally Posted by handlerer2
There appears to me to be very few suitable bullets for 6mm, 90gr, 100gr, and 105 grain would seem adequate for whitetail and a perfect shot at a mule deer

The offerings in 7mm include 120gr, 130gr, 140gr, 145gr, 150gr, 160gr, and 175gr in various types, including spitzer sp, spitzer btsp, a 140gr trophy bonded bear claw, 160gr trophy bonded bear claw.

What's missing from the list of pure bullet weights is the fact that most factory 7mm-08 firearms have a twist rate that won't stabilize bullets heavier than 150gr and/or shorter chambers that require heavier bullets to be seated so deep that performance is sacrificed. Most bullets lighter than 120gr are meant for smaller animals or varmints. What you end up with, in 7mm-08, is one or two basic choices in factory ammo bullet weights. With the vast majority being 139/140gr.

For the handloader, there are more choices, such as Barnes excellent TSX line with bullets as light as 110gr for deer and a number of other choices that are appropriate that are just not loaded in factory ammo.

The 6mm/.243 bullets are the same. For the handloader, bullets down to at least 80gr (again, in the Barnes line and others) are perfectly suited for deer. While the heaviest weights (over 105gr) will not stabilize in many guns.

Also, "perfect shot" requirements are a myth. The 243 is ENTIRELY adequate for elk, with a proper bullet choice, and is used as such regularly. It's certainly fantastic for Mule Deer and anything smaller than elk.

A heavier, slower bullet that is .041" wider is not going to turn a bad shot into a good one. Good shots are good shots, bad shots are bad. The difference between a 375H&H Magnum and a .243Win will almost never turn a bad shot into a good one. Those 1%ers? Sure, but should we base are cartridge choices on that, particularly when we consider that flinching from increased recoil and bad shooting from lack of practice with higher recoil guns has caused more bad shots and lost animals than any increase in power has ever saved?

I'm not knocking the 7-08, I have one and have sung it's praises for quite some time. I'm just saying, trying to differentiate from that list of cartridges based on one being a better killer over the other is silly.
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