Can we agree?

[davlandrum]

After all the discussions about this caliber vs that caliber, can we agree:

1) Shot placement is the key for any hunting
2) Dead is dead - my -06 doesn't make a deer any deader than a 243, if #1 is followed
3) For average hunting, there are dozens of calibers that will do #2, if #1 is followed
4) Practice is the key to #1
5) Everyone is entitled to spend thier money how they want, if they chose a round that costs $2 a shot - but are still willing to do #4, so be it.
6) An average hunter will probably never shoot an animal at more than 300 yards.
7) North American animals are not wearing kevlar
8) Every hunter must know his/her limitations and work within them (credit to bswiv)

"Specialized" hunting that would not work with these include: routine shots of more than 300 yds, and dangerous game.

Everyone has preferences, often based on their personal experience and confidence in a particular caliber. If I had started with a .270, or came from a .270 shooting family, that is probably what I would use. In my case, I started with an -06, and it has done its job so I trust it completely.

[johnwilliamson062]

The problem is your average hunter sights in his rifle off a bench and calls it a day. Have to consider members of this site are not a good sample of the population.

[bswiv]

You are dead on the money.

Only problem I have with all that is how poorly I shoot at age 52. Offhand I have never been comfortable with shots over 50 to 75 yards, no matter how many rounds I ran through the rifle.

Accepting my limitation I do not take shots longer than that without a rest.

Understand that I would add this to your list.................

Every hunter mush know his limitation and work within them.That's part of ethical hunting, doing your best not to leave a wounded animal in the woods.

[deanadell]

Can we agree?

If we all agree, what the heck will we argue about

[davlandrum]

bswiv - excellent addition

Dean - As if this thread will stop the endless debate!!!! It is funny how human nature leads us to "discuss" Ford vs Chevy, or -06 vs 7mm. I think it is our desire to have "the best" that leads to this. If I were to admit that Chevy is just as good as Ford, and I drive a Ford - what does that say about me?

[Sportdog]

That was my very first thought! Gee Dave, what are you trying to do here? If everyone agreed with everything it would be such a boring world! And besides that, what would I use for an excuse to have a .243Win, a 7mmWSM, three 30-06's, a 300
WinMag, a 7.65 Argentine Mauser, an 8x57JS Mauser, not to mention the various shotguns and pistols? All the disagreement keeps the blood flowing and doesn't allow our arteries to clog up with plaque. So you see.....it's just not healthy if we all agree!

[Brian Pfleuger]

Can we agree?

More or Less.

[Buzzcook]

Sure I agree. All the "will this put holes in things" threads get to be a bit repetitive.

[davlandrum]

Sportdog - notice that nowhere did I say we were limited in the number or variety of stuff we have.

And the flaw in my logic is there are so many variables in the equation (recoil tolerance, reloading, rifle weight, etc).

In fact, I think this thead could be a reason to go buy another rifle in a caliber I don't own, just to validate my rules...

[SlowIsSmoothIsFast]

9) Every hunter must use a minimum of .17HM2 for moose and similar sized game.



I agree with the OP. When I started hunting at 11 I used a .223 and killed deer at over 400 yards and some running deer from closer. 1 shot each. This isn't moose or anything though, but I'd gladly use a .223 on a moose going for a neckshot at a reasonable range. Does that make me irresponsible? No. I don't shoot if I'm not going to hit and kill the thing.

[Scorch]

OK, Dave, I'll agree. As long as you understand that #8 is not likely to happen very often. Seems like everybody you meet with a gun in their hand is an expert, and any attempt to convince them otherwise usually hurts their feelings.

[SlowIsSmoothIsFast]

It's not just people with guns, it's the immature state the population is in. This world is terrible, and decaying still until the end. Gun owners and non. But yea, some people think they're tough guys when they have a gun and can do anything with it.

"Bahhhh ballistics, physics, anatomy, adrenaline, blah blah, means nothing to me, I have a gun!"

[taylorce1]

I can only agree with #1 every thing else is open for debate!

[deanadell]

I disagree taylorce1 !

if you hit them with a big enough bullet, it doesn;t matter where you hit them!

See dave, isn't this fun

[davlandrum]

Taylorce1 only said that because he is an unrepentant .270 worshipper. If he was a true believer in the -06, he would agree...

[Wildebees]

Very dangerous thread this is and it should be locked immediately after this post.

What if all your kind members' wives read an understand this argument? How shall you ever motivate another calibre rifle if you own either a 6.5/.270/7mm/30-30/308/30-06/.303/8mm/.375 etc, and not to mention all the inbetweens...

Like NASA believes (who are they anyway?) that there are certain facts of the universe that are best kept as proprietary knowledge, maybe us gunowners should expand this argumentative debate on the potential weaknesses of some calibres!

[Wildebees]

You see, here we go again...

If "them" means a well meaning, unarmed, hungry beggar who simply broke into your house to scratch for something to fill his poor empty tummy with, I may agree.

Anything else which (or who) has a more tenacious (primitive) hold onto his life-thread may respond differently.

[davlandrum]

Very dangerous thread

Dang, I didn't consider that when I started this...


I guess the fall back position would be to expand the definition of "specialized" to include things like different wind directions, weather conditions or moon phase.....

"Honestly honey, I can't hunt with my -06. Everyone knows that it is only good for raining days when the wind is blowing east. I need a .257 Roberts for when the moon is full and the wind shifts to the north..."

Or emphasize either the 1) danger faced (if you want something bigger) or 2) "meat saved" if you want something smaller

[taylorce1]

Taylorce1 only said that because he is an unrepentant .270 worshipper. If he was a true believer in the -06, he would agree...

Now, Now DL! My .270 only kills them deader than the rest because that is what I choose to hunt with most of the time. I love all sorts of different calibers and the .30-06 is in there as well. I believe in the Father but my faith is in his Son. 1925 Was a very good year!

[Brian Pfleuger]

"Honestly honey, I can't hunt with my -06. Everyone knows that it is only good for raining days when the wind is blowing east. I need a .257 Roberts for when the moon is full and the wind shifts to the north..."

LOL. That might work on the wife as an excuse for more weaponry.

[deanadell]

LOL. That might work on the wife as an excuse for more weaponry.

Just tell her guns are like golf clubs......you can play 18 holes with just a 7 iron, but you'll be much more effective and have a better time if you have a bag full of them.

[Pahoo]

Absotively !!
Reminds me of my Navy days in that no matter what conversation you started out with, eventually it degenerated to "Beer" and 'Women". Then we would sit around and argue about what kind of beer, how it should be drank and the merits of salt or no salt. We never agued about Women.

I never tell a man what to do with his money or his wife !!!


Be Safe !!!

[Wildebees]

Elsewhere here there was a thread about ..what was it now..., in any case, in one post there was an URL to a related magazine article, but that particular page also contained an unrelated link to a video session of a cheer leader being groomed - in a gymnasium.

It so happens that every reader got distracted by the next link, and some "related" comments were in line with the best (literary) cunning stunts I have seen.

One thing about you Americans - you never let up on this, do you? The tactile and understated humour is most entertaining, My wife kept on asking me what I was smiling about...

"These cute and clever Americans" I said.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Just tell her guns are like golf clubs......you can play 18 holes with just a 7 iron, but you'll be much more effective and have a better time if you have a bag full of them.

Her response: "You'd be more fun and effective if you DIDN'T play..."

[davlandrum]

Pahoo - must be part of the difference between Navy and Army culture, because we never argued about beer, since all beer was, due to the fact it was beer, GOOD.

Oh the glory days of my enlisted time in Germany. I had a pretty sweet gig going, since I spoke German and Russian. The other guys would take me with them out on the town to translate, and would pay all the tab! Saw a lot of Germany (both West, and a little East), Austria, Switzerland and even Lichtenstein as an unofficial tour guide.