Questions for Form and other "small caliber for big game" folks

[bergie]

For me, with a light recoiling caliber, the follow up bullets are going into vitals again (not meat), in that pause as the animal stands there—not destroying large muscle groups. I find they stand there when hit only in vitals and rarely move until they start to feel effects. Hit in muscle group, they take off running like a cat but them out of reflex.

I am not always shooting “until they are down” when they start running/walking away to risk damaging good meat, if I know I got a couple good vital hits.

With effective precision and accuracy, in part, I personally see it as more ethical to shorten the death by follow up shots. As well as the chance for a bad hit or rare bad bullet performance. Nothing is 100%.

Hard to argue anything stated there. My original comment was against the 'shoot em till the fall so they dont run a little farther'. Pretty tough for me to get on board with that when I think my initial shot was well placed. When the lungs look like this, I am not sure that another bullet (or three if you can work that bolt fast enough) is going to shorten the time to death all that much. The pic is from the deer that I was talking about in my original comment.

If I don't think my initial shot was well placed, damn right I'm putting more down range.

 

[hereinaz]

Hard to argue anything stated there. My original comment was against the 'shoot em till the fall so they dont run a little farther'. Pretty tough for me to get on board with that when I think my initial shot was well placed. When the lungs look like this, I am not sure that another bullet (or three if you can work that bolt fast enough) is going to shorten the time to death all that much. The pic is from the deer that I was talking about in my original comment.

If I don't think my initial shot was well placed, damn right I'm putting more down range.

Yup. No need for follow up.

I don’t count on perfect performance every time, that’s why I follow up. But, I agree with you, it’s not necessary the vast majority of time and the risk of a bullet failure is small.

For the record, I have never been aware of any bullet failure during any hunt, whether my tag or not.

But, I haven’t been able to perfectly call good hits.

 

[Formidilosus]

Hard to argue anything stated there. My original comment was against the 'shoot em till the fall so they dont run a little farther'. Pretty tough for me to get on board with that when I think my initial shot was well placed. When the lungs look like this, I am not sure that another bullet (or three if you can work that bolt fast enough) is going to shorten the time to death all that much. The pic is from the deer that I was talking about in my original comment.

If I don't think my initial shot was well placed, damn right I'm putting more down range.

Until you get a bullet that does something weird (almost always failure to upset) and then you have a rodeo. Or, the shot isn’t exactly where you thought it was- because no one can call the shot correct 100% of the time.

I have watched a bunch of animals that were “hit perfectly” with the shooter refusing to shoot again- get up and run off. Most were found after chasing, some weren’t. I am uninterested in chasing wounded animals.

 

[rclouse79]

My tikka 270 has been too good to me to get rid of it. I have also started down the small caliber rabbit hole as I start planning my daughter’s first rifle. I was originally thinking a suppressed 6.5 cm, but am now considering a suppressed 243.
I have not yet hit the part about not cleaning the barrel. I usually clean my guns once at the end of hunting season. I am curious about the cliff notes version of not cleaning. I also wonder if that would hold true when shooting an all copper bullet. I seem to hear a lot about copper fouling.

 

[hereinaz]

Until you get a bullet that does something weird (almost always failure to upset) and then you have a rodeo. Or, the shot isn’t exactly where you thought it was- because no one can call the shot correct 100% of the time.

I have watched a bunch of animals that were “hit perfectly” with the shooter refusing to shoot again- get up and run off. Most were found after chasing, some weren’t. I am uninterested in chasing wounded animals.

Never personally had the rodeo, but I know it is inevitable.

Bottom line, for me, the worst feeling is seeing unnecessary suffering. That’s enough reason for me to risk spoiling meat, and why I keep shooting, always.

The reality of wasted meat is a reasonable objection to make. For me, as soon as I factor in the meat lost for the one time if I were to let one go, then it’s worth the possibility of possibly ruining meat with a shot to the shoulder.

 

[hereinaz]

My tikka 270 has been too good to me to get rid of it. I have also started down the small caliber rabbit hole as I start planning my daughter’s first rifle. I was originally thinking a suppressed 6.5 cm, but am now considering a suppressed 243.
I have not yet hit the part about not cleaning the barrel. I usually clean my guns once at the end of hunting season. I am curious about the cliff notes version of not cleaning. I also wonder if that would hold true when shooting an all copper bullet. I seem to hear a lot about copper fouling.

“Never clean” is a bit overstated, IMO. I don’t clean a lot, but sometimes a clean is necessary.

But. Many overclean their barrels, especially during break in.