The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Shortening my range paradigm

bamaranger · July 13, 2017, 01:25 AM

Much of this depends on where, what and how you hunt. If one is a whitetailer, in most the settings E of the Mississippi, and perhaps elsewhere, I suspect most whitetails are killed under 100 yds, and certainly under 200. Sure there are beanfields and ROWs and food plots, but I think the vast majority of us hunt whitetails in cover were ranges are short. Look at all the success the "shotgun only" folks have on whitetails.

As far as "rethinking modern rifles" , for whitetails, I really do believe that most of us (me sometimes included) are overgunned. I hunt .308 and '06, and the .270 all on occassion, mostly because I like the specific rifles.....but I no longer believe you need that much power to effectively take deer in the 150 lb +/- class at the ranges discussed above. Average (?) hogs and maybe black bear too. Although I will not fully commit to the centerfire .22's as adequate, the .243/6mm with good slugs, the newer 6.5 CRM are plenty sufficient. So too, assorted light carbine calibers such as .44 mag, 7.62x39 and the 30-30 provided one realizes their shortcomings in terms of reach.

The West and Africa?? Never been and likely never will.

July 13, 2017, 01:25 AM	#26
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 7,281	not far at all Much of this depends on where, what and how you hunt. If one is a whitetailer, in most the settings E of the Mississippi, and perhaps elsewhere, I suspect most whitetails are killed under 100 yds, and certainly under 200. Sure there are beanfields and ROWs and food plots, but I think the vast majority of us hunt whitetails in cover were ranges are short. Look at all the success the "shotgun only" folks have on whitetails. As far as "rethinking modern rifles" , for whitetails, I really do believe that most of us (me sometimes included) are overgunned. I hunt .308 and '06, and the .270 all on occassion, mostly because I like the specific rifles.....but I no longer believe you need that much power to effectively take deer in the 150 lb +/- class at the ranges discussed above. Average (?) hogs and maybe black bear too. Although I will not fully commit to the centerfire .22's as adequate, the .243/6mm with good slugs, the newer 6.5 CRM are plenty sufficient. So too, assorted light carbine calibers such as .44 mag, 7.62x39 and the 30-30 provided one realizes their shortcomings in terms of reach. The West and Africa?? Never been and likely never will.