Small caliber regret

[roadrunner]

I hope every single poster in this thread has a chance to get out in the woods this weekend. Breathe some fresh air, maybe pull your boots off around camp and touch some grass with your bare feet, and let all this caliber stuff go.

Won't be in the woods for another week and a half, but I did go out this morning to verify the riffel I'll be using and it shoots the same as it did the last time I used it (I think) 5 years ago now. Two shot distances at 300 and 390 yds.

 

[Stinky Coyote]

So, you think a 100 gr 6mm Ballistic tip is more deadly than a 25 cal 115 gr Ballistic tip going faster? That’s pretty simple, but you get in a bunch arguing something completely different.

.242 vs .249 sd same construction, didn’t look up bc, assume the higher sd and velocity makes it pretty obvious there’s some advantages but recoil isn’t one, and the advantages may not be noticeable on game terminally at all until maybe further distances as the one will get to for same impact velocity...

Now throw the 108 eldm against it with .261 sd and likely far better bc and you wash all that recoil away and watch more happen in scope and have higher penetration potential and hit probability will catch the 115 at some point then walk away from it from there onward, again with a better penetrating bullet

And nothing of the headstamp or diameter matters. Only the bullet numbers, construction, and velocity.

Gotta stop looking at this from a headstamp perspective, total waste of time. It’s just the decider of what case needs to behind what bullet to get as far as you want it to go for min impact velocity. Choose bullet first then figure the rest out after. Always.

Easy to find ‘marginal’ on larger class game if you choose the wrong formula, it’s just easier to choose the wrong formula with smaller hp older cartridges which generally load with marginal bullets for game intended. Put right bullet in them and no longer marginal. It’s a numbers and construction thing, enough sd with rapid expansion construction for game intended.

 

[IrkedCitizen]

A lot of fluff is online about how every elk or deer is as easy to kill, and that’s just not correct unless you believe every animal will turn for a good angle. If you mind waiting for good shooting angles within the limitation of the cartridge/bullet then sure, use the smallest thing that will kill it if you want to. For most of my adult life I’ve enjoyed focusing on antler or horn size and early on had a tremendous mulie just walk into the trees because the shot angle was outside of the limitations of the rifle. Since then I will never feel under gunned trophy hunting with a 7 mag or larger since I’ve already paid the price once for carrying a less capable combination. Real life comes with a lot of less than ideal situations.

Are you really willing to pass up a big deer or elk at an angle like this? Nothing wrong with your answer either way, but more than once I’ve seen first hand how big talk about shooting ethics go out the window quickly. (Cue the dude saying he shoots everything at 500 yards in the neck and has never lost an animal, or a 223 would easily kill it.)

View attachment 961987

Passing anyway. Needs another year. Lol

I passed a 300 class 6x7 at 330yd because of this angle with my 7RM. Two days later killed a 304" 6x6 broadside at 505yd with the same 7RM. Instantly stumbled at impact and was dead on ground in under 10yd. 162gr ELD-M bullet

 

[OneMore]

Not directing this at you, and certainly not directing it at John. At all. I respect both of you and I mean that and I hate these squabbles.

But some years ago on another forum I noticed a very predictable pattern that posters who were friendly and helpful during the day or week, would get really opinionated at night or on weekends, and eventually I was able to put together that 'drunk posting' really is a thing, and it usually isn't the extreme can't-type-anymore pathetic drunk (I've seen that too), it's the guy who's had 4-5 drinks and is flying high and feeling no pain, who is the worst offender.

Wait people have a couple and post?

 

[MT-nuffgun]

Wait people have a couple and post?

Wait a minute here….. what was your name again

 

[MT-nuffgun]

So this whole thread could have been drunken gaslighting?

 

[fwafwow]

Are you drunk?

If he is, he's a functioning alcoholic. I can easily understand and follow his train of thought. I tend get lost when trying to follow your postsyarns. If you don't drink, maybe you should start!

 

[TimberHunter]

I consistently bring my 22ARC and 7PRC and 6.5CM to the range to shoot side by side. All are fun to shoot suppressed coming from an unsuppressed 300WM and 30-06, but the ARC and CM are definitely more fun recoil wise.

The 7PRC, however, is noticeably easier to get consistent impacts at 400+ yards in variable and high wind conditions simply due to the much higher BC. At my conditions, it’s a 10mph wind gun with 180 ELD-Ms vs about half that with the ARC. I have a ton more confidence in longer shots hitting true with the magnum from my extended range time in variable conditions. Maybe that will change as I continue to shoot them side by side, but if I had big money on the line for a long shot, right now I’m choosing the 7.

In the 6.5, have you tried the high BC bullets like 147? It’s nearly .700 BC but it would be moving fairly slow (I’m at 2480fps trued at 900 yards). so maybe the 7PRC’s speed also help with consistent hits along with high BC


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[huntnful]

Me regretting shooting a smaller caliber this season.

 

[43.6N]

Does 6.5 even count as a “small” caliber anymore?

 

[huntnful]

Does 6.5 even count as a “small” caliber anymore?

Haha that’s actually a good question. It feels like it to me

 

[Lawnboi]

Me regretting shooting a smaller caliber this season.

View attachment 963027

Does it even count on Rokslide if it’s not a tikka?

 

[Pickettpuncher]

In the 6.5, have you tried the high BC bullets like 147? It’s nearly .700 BC but it would be moving fairly slow (I’m at 2480fps trued at 900 yards). so maybe the 7PRC’s speed also help with consistent hits along with high BC


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I’m gonna say no. On paper, it should. But in real world you have to factor in recoil. A 7prc is gonna have significantly more recoil if you match the bc of a cm. Even if you bumped up the 6.5prc, the 7 will still have quite a bit more. Shot anticipation is real and does affect shots/hits.

 

[TimberHunter]

I’m gonna say no. On paper, it should. But in real world you have to factor in recoil. A 7prc is gonna have significantly more recoil if you match the bc of a cm. Even if you bumped up the 6.5prc, the 7 will still have quite a bit more. Shot anticipation is real and does affect shots/hits.

Oh I’m on the small caliber band wagon, I was just trying to ask for more info instead of instantly attacking and saying you’re wrong lol


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[HilltopHitman]

Switched from small calibers to a Seekins 300 PRC shooting 215 grain bergers. With modern brakes and suppressors, recoil is not even a thing… My seekins has less recoil than my Tikkas in light calibers. Plus it just ensures a much more proficient kill. The last 3 years all animals haven’t taken one step. Bad shots can and will happen, with larger bullets it allows for more damage when that does happen. I do agree with precision and bullet choice trump all, but anybody that says they haven’t made a bad shot are liars. The old guys that say “Deer can’t be too dead” are right.

 

[TimberHunter]

Switched from small calibers to a Seekins 300 PRC shooting 215 grain bergers. With modern brakes and suppressors, recoil is not even a thing… My seekins has less recoil than my Tikkas in light calibers. Plus it just ensures a much more proficient kill. The last 3 years all animals haven’t taken one step. Bad shots can and will happen, with larger bullets it allows for more damage when that does happen. I do agree with precision and bullet choice trump all, but anybody that says they haven’t made a bad shot are liars. The old guys that say “Deer can’t be too dead” are right.

I hope you have thick skin, you’re about to be called out


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[TaperPin]

If he is, he's a functioning alcoholic. I can easily understand and follow his train of thought. I tend get lost when trying to follow your postsyarns. If you don't drink, maybe you should start!

Unfortunately it had to be given up. Rather than a simple happy buzz, I was dancing naked on a roof top one too many times. On the positive side it is easier to stay married. Lol

 

[Pickettpuncher]

Oh I’m on the small caliber band wagon, I was just trying to ask for more info instead of instantly attacking and saying you’re wrong lol


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When people make the argument for the bigger calibers they always leave out the recoil factor. I love my small stuff and don’t miss getting beat up at the range lol.

 

[slatebuilder]

We grew up shooting smaller calibers and mild recoiling rounds. My dad always preached that bullet selection was everything. He was right about that. Even if his idea of what bullets to select aligns more closely to selecting lead tipped bullets that make a mushroom, the idea that bullet selection matters most sank in. There has never been any regret or concern about using the rounds we choose to use. No one in our house has ever lost an animal because of the round we choose or bullet performance.

 

[woods89]

In the 6.5, have you tried the high BC bullets like 147? It’s nearly .700 BC but it would be moving fairly slow (I’m at 2480fps trued at 900 yards). so maybe the 7PRC’s speed also help with consistent hits along with high BC


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I shot 156 Bergers out of a 6.5 CM for a few years. That bullet made me look good a few times shooting at distance. I got it to 2650 with a stiff load of RL16. Terminal performance was excellent.

I quit because I don't like loading at those pressure levels, but it certainly makes for an interesting level of performance.