Is There Ever a Time to Hunt with Magnum Calibers?

[rbutcher1234]

Ok you’re right a belt fed would be better, but that’s beyond the scope of what most people are buying and carrying into the mountains for recreation haha.

 

[Balderdash]

Yes correct. A 556 with a tmk or a 6mm with good bullets (or in my case the biggest I use for not elr is a 168 308) anchors things far better than a bigger magnum. Mainly because the bullets all perform far past the threshold needed to anchor things, are easier to shoot well, and lend well to being effective as a shooter.

The best bear defense gun is a ar15 with a mag full of tmk or gold dots. There is no individual on the planet that will stop a charging bear with higher percentages using any gun in existence other than an ar15 with good bullets. Anyone arguing otherwise either hasn’t killed enough animals or is woefully ignorant how to run a gun with accuracy and speed. 0.20-0.25 splits to the face vs a magnum or shotgun? No contest

Yes, small calibers have the potential to kill game cleanly, and certainly a cogent argument can be made that they eventually do so as effectively as larger calibers; however, based on my experience in killing various sized game with a lot of different cartridges from 223 to 375 h&h, which is still pretty limited compared to others, I can report that I have experienced differences in immediate "anchoring game" capabilities.

Though I've hunted and otherwise spent a fair amount of time in grizzly country, I haven’t had to face down a charging grizzly, so can't comment on how it went with any cartridge. I have practiced with quick shots on close targets, and I feel pretty confident in landing a couple shots on CNS areas with several more traditional "bear stopper" bolt rifles.

An issue I have with the premise that a small caliber autoloader is going to be better suited to stopping an immediate large bodied threat is that it relies heavily on the action cycling as it should so that multiple hits can be made; we all know that flawless cycling is an issue with autos of any design - some of course more than others- especially with the adverse weather conditions often encountered in places that bears often live. As such, I'm still likely to carry one of my 338's or 375 bolts when charging bear possibility exists. Call me old fashioned that way.

 

[Justin Crossley]

If I'm ambush hunting from a glassing point and likely to be shooting longer distances I will bring a magnum sometimes. If I am likely to be shooting prone, the disadvantages to a magnum are much less because it's not hard to control the recoil and see your shots.

If the hunt is likely to be more dynamic and I may need to shoot from various positions, I will take a rifle with less recoil. Since that's most situations, I would choose something like a 22 CM to a 6.5 CM for almost all my hunting needs.

 

[CMF]

When I'm gun hunting whitetails on public 50yds from private land I carry my 45-70. I don't have to track them and they ain't making it to the private.