Is There Ever a Time to Hunt with Magnum Calibers?

[K9kodi]

A rifle can’t shoot itself so it’s not really part of the conversation lol

No one is arguing that a higher caliber rifle is not as accurate as a lower caliber. People are saying they can’t be shot as well.

The lol is cute and passive aggressive.

While a rifle cannot shoot itself; the precision of the rifle, lacking human intervention is possible and happens often and daily in testing for both firearms and or ammo. These machines as I’m sure you know offer almost zero deviation from shot to shot

 

[atmat]

The lol is cute and passive aggressive.

While a rifle cannot shoot itself; the precision of the rifle, lacking human intervention is possible and happens often and daily in testing for both firearms and or ammo. These machines as I’m sure you know offer almost zero deviation from shot to shot

Lol sure, except that’s not what anyone’s talking about.

 

[Bluefish]

The lol is cute and passive aggressive.

While a rifle cannot shoot itself; the precision of the rifle, lacking human intervention is possible and happens often and daily in testing for both firearms and or ammo. These machines as I’m sure you know offer almost zero deviation from shot to shot

Very true, but it’s not a 7-8 lb hunting rifle in field positions. Somewhere there is the extreme bench rest where they shot in a warehouse so no wind. Those shots were done with a heavy rifle on bags and the only contact was finger to trigger.

 

[HuntHarder]

Instead of focusing on recoil, maybe guys should focus on choosing a more stable "field position" I know it's really tough to pass on a low percentage shot opportunity, but maybe some should think twice. I know how much of a difference a solid shooting rest makes and apply it to my hunting. I rarely shoot over 350- 400ish unless I am prone and have a rear rest as well. Probably has cost me a couple opportunities, but no sweat in my book. Determine your effective range from different positions and hunt on!

 

[JPW13]

Instead of focusing on recoil, maybe guys should focus on choosing a more stable "field position" I know it's really tough to pass on a low percentage shot opportunity, but maybe some should think twice. I know how much of a difference a solid shooting rest makes and apply it to my hunting. I rarely shoot over 350- 400ish unless I am prone and have a rear rest as well. Probably has cost me a couple opportunities, but no sweat in my book. Determine your effective range from different positions and hunt on!

This is great advice, but recoil still has an impact, doesn’t it? Great field position with a 300RUM vs 223 - isn’t it still easier to be more accurate with the lighter recoiling option?

 

[EastHumboldt]

This forum has an interesting propensity to resort to “sealioning”. Reference for when I’m asked…
“is a type of trolling or harassment that consists of pursuing people with relentless requests for evidence, often tangential or previously addressed, while maintaining a pretense of civility and sincerity”

With all due respect…Can you prove the above statement? Can you provide statistics about how many times a day someone is sealioned on Rokslide? Inquiring minds want to know. Are other marine mammals involved, and if so what do you call that? I sincerely would like to see a peer reviewed study, as long as it is presented in a civil manner. I’ll relentlessly repost this until you provide evidence.

PSYCH!! Thank you sooooo much! I’m really excited to learn about sealioning. I was formerly internet incompetent. Since I’ve joined this forum I’ve learned how to troll, back-troll, flame, skewer, cyber-mock, meme-smack, passagresso-post, hijack,….. and now I see that I can sea lion with almost no effort.

So…. I’ll be waiting for some proof. Now I’m off to urban dictionary to look up sealioning.

 

[Billogna]

I have found in my travels (zoo)... that sealions are often sincere... yet rarely civil... YMMV...

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

With all due respect…Can you prove the above statement? Can you provide statistics about how many times a day someone is sealioned on Rokslide? Inquiring minds want to know. Are other marine mammals involved, and if so what do you call that? I sincerely would like to see a peer reviewed study, as long as it is presented in a civil manner. I’ll relentlessly repost this until you provide evidence.

PSYCH!! Thank you sooooo much! I’m really excited to learn about sealioning. I was formerly internet incompetent. Since I’ve joined this forum I’ve learned how to troll, back-troll, flame, skewer, cyber-mock, meme-smack, passagresso-post, hijack,….. and now I see that I can sea lion with almost no effort.

So…. I’ll be waiting for some proof. Now I’m off to urban dictionary to look up sealioning.

 

[HuntHarder]

This is great advice, but recoil still has an impact, doesn’t it? Great field position with a 300RUM vs 223 - isn’t it still easier to be more accurate with the lighter recoiling option?

Im sure there's accuracy in your statement. To what degree does it matter tho? Determine your effective range and send it from a " field position" you are comfortable at. I know small caliber hunting is the new rage on Rokslide. Shoot what you can at a range you feel confident. Pretty simple. If you want to get better at different " field positions" , practice or join S2H. If you've had a problem killing animals with larger cartridges, by all means, shoot something smaller and see if it helps you. I've yet to have an issue and I shoot large, medium and small cartridges. For long range sessions, I much prefer something with less recoil.

 

[JPW13]

 

[JPW13]

Im sure there's accuracy in your statement. To what degree does it matter tho? Determine your effective range and send it from a " field position" you are comfortable at. I know small caliber hunting is the new rage on Rokslide. Shoot what you can at a range you feel confident. Pretty simple. If you want to get better at different " field positions" , practice or join S2H. If you've had a problem killing animals with larger cartridges, by all means, shoot something smaller and see if it helps you. I've yet to have an issue and I shoot large, medium and small cartridges. For long range sessions, I much prefer something with less recoil.

That's the big question, I think—does it matter? Is it worth considering the impact on both the shooter and the animal?

With a larger cartridge, you get more recoil and catastrophic damage when using a fragmenting bullet. So instead, we use tougher bullets to prevent the critter from being butchered on impact. The lethality of the "magnum" is uncontested.

On the other hand, with a smaller cartridge, you get less recoil, making it easier to shoot accurately and maintain your sight picture. And from the numerous .224/.243/.264 discussions, they all seem to have at least equivalent lethality.

So, along the same lines of "does it matter, though?"—why not shoot something that's simply easier to shoot?

FYI: I shoot and hunt with plenty of heavy-recoiling guns, but more and more, I'm asking—why?

 

[Shortschaf]

With a larger cartridge, you get more... catastrophic damage when using a fragmenting bullet.

And from the numerous .224/.243/.264 discussions, they all seem to have at least equivalent lethality.

These two statements are contradicting.
Also, the first one is not possible to quantify
The second one is possible--dead is dead

 

[JPW13]

These two statements are contradicting.
Also, the first one is not possible to quantify
The second one is possible--dead is dead

They are? Again it seems to be quite well documented that all things being equal a bigger bullet will do more damage. My own experience of a 168 ELDM vs at 75ELDM is that the 168 made more of a hole than I would want for something I intend to eat.

My second statement is simply that whether you choose .224/.245/.264 bullet choice will kill not calibre as evidenced by threads dedicated to each.

If it seemed contradictory, hopefully this clears it up for you.

 

[omicron1792]

I'm in the same boat. Can't shoot them AS good. But shoot them good enough to easily kill animals in the field from non prone positions at close/mid ranges when the target is 4+ MOA. I've stacked coyotes with lapua magnums seated from a bipod. They're much smaller than deer/elk.

It’s kind of like the 3 shot cherry pick vs the 10 shot groups.

You told us you’ve killed coyotes with Lapua. How many did you miss?

 

[atmat]

It’s kind of like the 3 shot cherry pick vs the 10 shot groups.

You told us you’ve killed coyotes with Lapua. How many did you miss?

I do think @huntnful shoots way more than most of the guys on here. I wouldn’t be surprised if that number was pretty low

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

A magnum is never the wrong answer if you can shoot it accurately. It is just more of a good thing.

HOWEVER - most people can’t shoot magnums accurately, thus the small caliber craze on this forum. The point of the 223 thread is that with the right bullet, these smaller calibers are adequate. That doesn’t mean that larger cartridges shouldnt be used.

What evidence do you have that "most people can't shoot magnums accurately"? I hunt with 10 different hunters from time to time and over half of them shoot magnum calibers ( from ,257 Wby to .338 Win)and they are all excellent shots. I shoot a .300 Wby and have been for over 50 years and I can shoot less than moa accuracy out to 500 yards with it. Just sayin................

 

[wapitibob]

That's the big question, I think—does it matter? Is it worth considering the impact on both the shooter and the animal?

With a larger cartridge, you get more recoil and catastrophic damage when using a fragmenting bullet. So instead, we use tougher bullets to prevent the critter from being butchered on impact. The lethality of the "magnum" is uncontested.

If someone is getting catastrophic damage, I suggest they hit said animal in a different spot.

 

[omicron1792]

I do think @huntnful shoots way more than most of the guys on here. I wouldn’t be surprised if that number was pretty low

Maybe. I’ve killed my share and I shoot with all kinds of calibers. I shoot off a tripod sitting. And I miss sometimes, more the heavier the caliber.

My strong guess is he is the same way

 

[omicron1792]

What evidence do you have that "most people can't shoot magnums accurately"? I hunt with 10 different hunters from time to time and over half of them shoot magnum calibers ( from ,257 Wby to .338 Win)and they are all excellent shots. I shoot a .300 Wby and have been for over 50 years and I can shoot less than moa accuracy out to 500 yards with it. Just sayin................

What is being said (and has been a thousand times if you read the forum) is people shoot smaller calibers better than larger. It’s been shown over and over and over.

That’s not the same as saying people can’t be good shots with magnums. They can. I am.

That same person would have more hits on targets in field and hunting positions and scenarios with smaller calibers.

 

[EastHumboldt]

I played football in high school. I’ve grown up around construction and ranch work, and lots of time in the back country. Here’s a partial list of things I’m not afraid of:
Horses
Cattle
Bears
Lions
Gettin bucked off
Gettin stepped on
Rattlesnakes
Electricity
Heights
Motorcycles
Mean women (for some reason always been attracted to em)

I’ll walk the plates on a framing job, climb an 80’ pole to work on a lighting trestle, rappell backwards off a cliff, tap dance on top of a 12’ ladder, work a hot panel. What I’m sayin is I’m not afraid of much.

But I cannot shoot a magnum rifle without flinching.