Is a 30 cal big game rifle needed anymore?

[roadrunner]

Recap?

An average hunter let alone a new hunter won't be using a suppressor.

Not sure what your point is on the topic.

Simply sharing what I learned from that thread after being raked across the coals for thinking the same thing about brakes.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

So, would 50 Cal. be acceptable???? Asking for a friend.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

View attachment 724045

Classic Tommy.

 

[Axlrod]

So recently had a friend make the move into becoming a hunter and asked the age old question...if I bought one rifle and wanted to hunt nearly anything in the lower 48, what should I get.

The classic answer has been a 30 cal...300 WM, 300 Weatherby, 300 RUM, and now 300 PRC and a multitude of short and medium action 30's. We had a long discussion on that and wonder, is this still "the thing?" Do we always wanna tell someone to get a 30?

A question for your question:
Are facebook questions, that lead to hundreds of responses, with no real answer needed?

No, but there is no stopping them!

 

[Bluefish]

Are there still some states that arbitrarily require a minimum of .30 caliber for centerfire to take certain big game species?

I know my state some years ago lowered the caliber restriction to just be any centerfire 22 or greater, but out of the 50 states I suspect there are some that may still have a minimum requirement of .30 or somewhere around there.

Iowa has a 35 cal minimum for white tail and Colorado is 6 mm/243.

 

[TaperPin]

You dang whipper snappers give my smiling muscles a workout, because you feel so enlightened and are the very first humans to have crackled the code of what it takes to kill an animal. Lol

I look forward to all the hunters with 300 mags, short-not-really-mags, 06’s and 308’s to have to give up hunting if they don’t switch to a 6.5 or less.

You are indeed the “special” ones.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Caring about what someone else uses won’t make anyone a better shot, in better shape, or a better student of their game.

Carry on.

 

[Teaman1]

It’s a struggle switching to the new trends with the match bullets for hunting. I grew up with mostly fuddlore so I’m a big 30 fan.
Can’t argue with all the pics/stories of dead game and devastating wound channels with 223’s - 6.5’s with the right bullets.
I still prefer heavy accubonds around 3000 fps for my “normal” hunting. I’m coming around a little though, working up a 208 eldm load (30 Nosler) and thinking about a fast 6.5.
Still anti creedmoor though, only because I like speed haha

Go 6.5 prc, checks a lot of boxes

 

[03mossy]

So let’s say I have my 30-06 built out the way I want it, 1,000’s of 30-06 cases, well stocked on .308 bullets and powder. Would you all still recommend going with a smaller cartridge for the benefits?

 

[Teaman1]

So let’s say I have my 30-06 built out the way I want it, 1,000’s of 30-06 cases, well stocked on .308 bullets and powder. Would you all still recommend going with a smaller cartridge for the benefits?

My opinion would be to load up the 30-06 and kill anything you want in North America.
With the correct tag of course

 

[03mossy]

My opinion would be to load up the 30-06 and kill anything you want in North America.
With the correct tag of course

That’s were my heads at too but reading all these threads and ones like the 223/6.5 kill threads sure make a guy think.

 

[Teaman1]

That’s were my heads at too but reading all these threads and ones like the 223/6.5 kill threads sure make a guy think.

I think the only thing you would gain is less recoil. 30-06 will kill at a pretty good distance too, with good bullet selection.
Go kill chit with the 30-06 and build something else in 3-4 years if your not happy

 

[GSPHUNTER]

You dang whipper snappers give my smiling muscles a workout, because you feel so enlightened and are the very first humans to have crackled the code of what it takes to kill an animal. Lol

I look forward to all the hunters with 300 mags, short-not-really-mags, 06’s and 308’s to have to give up hunting if they don’t switch to a 6.5 or less.

You are indeed the “special” ones.

Goddamn whipper snatchers.

 

[Maverick1]

Send it.

 

[JBradley500]

I'll be the one to say it... I love these threads.

 

[5811]

 

[TaperPin]

I took a survey of the level of excitement Christmas morning, and unwrapping a 300 win mag was very close to the top of the list.

 

[alpine_troop]

Caring about what someone else uses won’t make anyone a better shot, in better shape, or a better student of their game.

Carry on.

This is the correct caliber for hunting big game.

 

[ElPollo]

Cliff’s Notes summary of these threads:

1) A says do I really need a big magnum caliber?
2) B says you know the smaller ones work well for me and here is some evidence and how I would recommend you use it.
3) C says your evidence is meaningless and you must be either stupid, or a giant wuss, or have significant moral failings to even use that.
4) B says that MFer cray-cray. Meme on!
5) Masses say F-yeah. Meme-pile!
6) Repeat.

 

[Ozarkansas]

30 cals haven’t been needed for hunting big game since at least 1892, when the first fast-twist 7mm came out.