Do you still hunt with larger cartridges?

[Anschutz]

I'm not trying to start an argument here. I'm genuinely curious and my searching on the forum and google didn't turn up much. The question only pertains to general rifle hunting.

Prompt: I'm going to leave this pretty open. If you've moved to a lower recoiling cartridge, whether that is from a 300RUM to a .280AI or a .270 Win to a .223 Rem, as a primary hunting cartridge, do you still reach back in the safe to pull out something larger now and then? Comment below why.

I only ask because I'm curious. I'm going to pick up an 8tw .243 Tikka. It's not a huge step down from the .270 that has been my primary for the last 5 years and I'm primarily switching to have an easy button for a can. Once I get my .270 rebarelled and/or threaded, I'll still use it occasionally. Primarily when hunting something special with my wife, who gifted the rifle to me.

 

[JMundy84]

I started hunting with a .270 and used that for years bought a .270 WSM as the first rifle I bought for myself as an adult and then moved up to a 300 RUM Cause obviously bigger is better. 2 years ago I picked up a 6.5CM and have done 95% of my hunting with that since but I still drag the RUM out on occasion. I shot an elk with it this year.

 

[Nine Banger]

223, 22-250, 22 Creed, and lately 6 Creed were most of my shots this year.

I pulled my 6.5 PRC out for some whitetail nights this season.

It sits in the back of the safe.

I still have a partial box of ammo I loaded in October 2024. It's 147ELD loaded to Quick Drop.

It's one of the only rifles I have that doesn't change.

I can count on it to hit stuff.

Lately, I tend to be effing around with my other rifles switching bullets, loads, barrels, trying stuff, etc.

 

[RockAndSage]

I'm not trying to start an argument here. I'm genuinely curious and my searching on the forum and google didn't turn up much. The question only pertains to general rifle hunting.

Prompt: I'm going to leave this pretty open. If you've moved to a lower recoiling cartridge, whether that is from a 300RUM to a .280AI or a .270 Win to a .223 Rem, as a primary hunting cartridge, do you still reach back in the safe to pull out something larger now and then? Comment below why.

I only ask because I'm curious. I'm going to pick up an 8tw .243 Tikka. It's not a huge step down from the .270 that has been my primary for the last 5 years and I'm primarily switching to have an easy button for a can. Once I get my .270 rebarelled and/or threaded, I'll still use it occasionally. Primarily when hunting something special with my wife, who gifted the rifle to me.

98% of the centerfire rifle ammo I shoot is .223/5.56, but I haven't gotten a 22CM or a 6CM yet, which would change that balance out quite a bit. But I haven't gotten rid of my 30-06. For a few reasons. The biggest is having it as a kind of back up - I have piles of factory ammo and brass and components for it, and could go the rest of my life's worth of hunting seasons and not have to buy more ammo for it, if it was all I had to hunt with. It's a cartridge that would never be banned, in an action that won't be banned, and will always be effective on game even if certain bullet types are banned (lead, etc). But it's a backup. And, one I have zero interest in getting rid of.

 

[willfrye027]

I set up my old 30-06 to be a lightweight backpack gun for an area that’s mostly offhand shots in the timber. Otherwise it doesn’t get used and my 22 or 25 creedmoor are doing it all for me.

 

[Slickhill]

I like rifles, the chambering is less important than the rifle itself. I like some because they’re handy, some because they’re lighter or heavier, some because they’re nostalgic or a finely made piece of art. All of them get hunted because that’s what they were made for and why I bought them.

 

[bruno747]

I have several rifles for various purposes, often primarily range toys, and I kind of just grab what sounds like fun that trip. I say that year because I usually travel for hunting anymore so its not a grab one one day and another the next in most instances.

I hunt primarily with a custom 280ai anymore just cause its light, reasonably short, supressed, and somehow kicks significantly less than my other 280. Occasionally, I just feel like pulling out something different. Last year, my 6.5 grendel for pronghorn. Couple years ago, my 300 win mag for Elk. One year just for the heck of it I took a deer with my beowulf. Last year my deer season was hunted entirely with a suppressed kimber in 300blk with subsonic ammo. End of this week, I can take my muzzle loader or any of my handguns for season back on the family farm. I'm gonna bring both my pedersoli double barrel muzzleloader and my Springfield 10mm for tight brush. Next year for deer I am planning to have worked up some subsonic 600gr loads for my beowulf for supression.

When I lived where I didn't have to travel more than a few miles to go hunting, I would sometimes grab something different day to day or even morning to afternoon. Plan to hunt the tall grass or brush and want a shorter rifle that swings easily and less likely to catch the brush with the barrel, I would grab my old Winchester 100 in 308 that reminds me of my grandfather every time I see it. Next day plan to sit in the stand that can see 500+ yards, I'd grab my 270 or my 7mag.

In most instances any one of these individual firearms will do the job. Some kick far worse than others, some are less accurate, some have challenges outside this. But in the end I just enjoy the carefully curated firearm collection I have built up. Going hunting with each of them just continues to give each one their own memories. This makes them more valuable in my eyes, doesn't do anything for anyone else, but it means something to me. It has also occasionally identified a rifle I thought I liked and ended up maybe not hating but disliking enough that it was moved on to the next person.

I do the same thing for shotguns, come turkey season, I might take my 12g semi-auto supressed, or I might get a wild hair and take my over under black powder muzzle loading shotgun.

 

[JDMBEND]

My last large caliber rifle 300 Win Mag just got “repurposed “ into a 6UM.
I have no need or desire to shoot a rifle that I cannot with certainty, see what my bullets hit or miss.
Shooting has become fun again.

 

[Bluumoon]

Over the last year I’m >50% on the .223, the rest mixed 22CM and 6CM, a few .308,.243, 6.5PRC, .and 270 (mainly setting up rifles for others). There is a very lonely 7PRC barreled action that would benefit from a heavier stock, just not sure what that is yet, that would be for ELR and looking for more splash more than anything hunting related.

I have a couple inherited rifles in .30-06 that I’d have no issue putting to work for sentimental reasons. Beyond that the .22CM and 6CM carry my desired terminal ballistics past 800 yards with better wind #s….

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I havn't pulled out my 375HH for a few years, I decided to do everything with 30-06 for a bit. I’ve also used my 308 a bit here and there, it’s an awesome lightweight rifle for hiking around with.

The smallest chambering I have in a hunting rifle is 6.5 creedmoor which I’ve used on caribou and black bear.

 

[Castle Rock]

I know that whatever gun I pick up I can shoot very well, some days I want to eat cake, some days I want steak, I never go hungry.
People here lately seem to make it out to be like a life or death choice.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

I shoot my tricked out 30-06 throughout the year developing different loads and practicing, but last thing I killed with it was a couple of years ago. I will always keep it, but now it only goes out into the field as a back up rifle for out of state hunts.

Between my lightweight AR’s and 16” 6.5CM, those are my go-to systems. Before I even heard of Rokslide I was killing stuff with small calibers and short barrels.

 

[Choupique]

I still hunt with my .338 a lot because I like it.

 

[Bluefish]

I voted yes, but it purely due to where I hunt. Have to use a 35 cal or larger. I have moved to lower recoiling loads with lighter bullet weights. On my other rifles, I have moved to smaller and sold off my magnums. I simply don’t shoot them well and they do nothing that I need.

 

[Northpark]

I dropped from a .300 win mag to a 7-08ai about 5 years ago. 141 grain hammers at 3040fps. Second favorite cartridge for big game these days would be 6mm ARC followed by the .223rem. I still pull the .300 win mag out now and then. I bought it when I was 16 and have killed a bunch of elk and deer with it so for sentimental reasons it gets used from time to time.

 

[Anschutz]

I like rifles, the chambering is less important than the rifle itself. I like some because they’re handy, some because they’re lighter or heavier, some because they’re nostalgic or a finely made piece of art. All of them get hunted because that’s what they were made for and why I bought them.

I can understand that. I forget what show it was but I used to see Craig Boddington carrying and reviewing the Number 1. That was my bucket list rifle for a long time. Found a decent deal for the time (a steal these days) on a .375 H&H. The .270 is a Model 70 EWSS that was about half of MSRP in Cabela's Gun Library. It could've been any chambering and it would've followed me home.

I havn't pulled out my 375HH for a few years, I decided to do everything with 30-06 for a bit. I’ve also used my 308 a bit here and there, it’s an awesome lightweight rifle for hiking around with.

The smallest chambering I have in a hunting rifle is 6.5 creedmoor which I’ve used on caribou and black bear.

I was up in Fox (North of Fairbanks) shooting my .375 and a fella pulled up with a Chapuis Double .375. He was shooting cast bullets at 38-55 velocities. It was an absolute pleasure to shoot.

 

[shax2lex]

My bolt rifle is a short action Terminus Zeus. I have a 6.5CM barrel and a 300wsm barrel. I ahoot the 6.5CM for practice and the 300wsm for hunting whitetails. I’m definitely over gunned. I don’t seem to mind the recoil. My rifle is 11.4lbs with a can and a backfire recoil pad. I do like the fact they don’t run.

I can understand the recoil and managing it. It is harder to shoot than my 6.5CM.

 

[Tryin]

I hunted with my .308 when it was too small, I reckon I will keep on hunting even though now it is too big.

 

[Speaks]

Short answer is no. I may hunt with 223, 22CM, 6CM depending on what I am doing and what I feel like. I have a 6.5 PRC but its really as a just in case, I frankly cant shoot as far as my 6CM will take me so there is no need to use the 6.5 PRC, I hope to improve my skill so that it one day has a real place in the line up for very long range elk.

I own 3 M70s in 270, 300WM and 338WM. They have no practical use in my hunting lineup and I am not going to hunt with them just because.

The 270 and the 300 are both lower end variants and not worth it to rebarrel and not worth much of anything to sell. I will likely move them on though.

The 338 is a super nice one and was a gift from my dad, and while it has no practical purpose its cool and I will keep it though cant imagine hunting with it or shooting it with any regularity.

 

[jdmaxwell]

Yes.. Bought 7mm Rem mag for less recoil than my 300 RUM. I shoot my 7mm way better at long distances than my 300 RUM but I still take my 300 RUM out for deer and bear where my normal range is less than 200 yds