What caused the Rokslide shift to smallest caliber and cartridges?

[nm.otter]

You read it here first: 6.5 CM is actually a modern-day boomer.

 

[huntnful]

I've gunned down a decent bit, and I've been enjoying the testing of the smaller cartridges and bullets. The right bullet for a given caliber just kills. You may not get the most dramatic effect on impact, or you might be surprised by a DRT. But at the end of the day, a 3" hole through the lungs is devastating.

 

[wapitispokes]

I think it's largely due to rangefinders (and to a lesser extent scopes that dial correctly-ish).

Before precise range measurement, the limiting factor on most guys' range was guessing too close or too far and missing high or low. So the magnums and super magnums (weatherby philosophy) running light-ish for caliber bullets like 165 .30 cal, 140 7mm, etc were the way to minimize that error by creating the flattest possible trajectory.

As muzzle velocity approaches speed of light, very tough bullet construction is needed to help stuff hold together, especially on very close shots. Especially especially since we are talking about light for caliber bullets. Very tough, small diameter, light for caliber bullets will produce wound channels that are not spectacular, especially at longer ranges as velocity decays.

Now the laser range finder enters the scene. If we can say, that target is at 460 yd and compensate fairly precisely for that distance, we don't need the flattest shooting trajectory possible anymore.

We can now do two things that we couldn't before. We can run high bc heavy for caliber bullets since muzzle velocity is no longer the primary way to extend effective range. Because we are no longer chasing speed of light muzzle velocity, we can start using softer bullets again. These heavy for caliber, high BC, soft "match" bullets deliver devastating terminal performance at moderate velocity, even in smaller diameter projectiles since they upset so violently. They retain that velocity very well at distance even if they are not launched at blistering speeds due to their aerodynamic efficiency.

Fact is, there was to some extent valid reasoning for big cartridges pushing tough bullets very fast. The problem is the extent to which people don't think about the "why" for conventional wisdom and whether it still applies.

I have been largely away from my rifles for close to 15 years (bowhunting). I have rifle hunts coming up and have put my to back in the water. I feel like Rip VanWinkle .... It's amazing how things have changed, not just with rifles and related equipment but also the status of the game.

Okay, short side rant and "hat's off to Robby Denning". I'm thinking of Robby Denning's recent podcast with Brandon Diamond where he finally got Brandon to admit that there is in FACT a decline in the quantity of large mule deer bucks and it is materially due to "1,000 yard rifles and hunting in the late season at lower elevations". Very proud of Robby not backing off on his questions during that podcast. That is an unfortunate side effect of these changes. Since Brandon Diamond and CO DOW know what a major contributing problem is they CAN fix it; they just dont WANT TO. Forgive

I came to the exact same conclusion as written above. Essentially, economical and accurate laser range finders changed everything...which in turn led to wide availability of reasonably good scopes with dialable turrets. Then people learned (mostly) that they need to practice so they don't "suck as much at shooting"....But then there is wind drift as the wild card.

Wind drift wasn't the wild card for most shooters 15-20 years ago.

So, the change in environment that has enabled longer range shooting and lower recoiling cartridges also encourages high BC bullets (read, heavier and longer).

A "high BC" .284 or .308 bullet is gong to way "a lot" and "recoil yet more" whereas a "high BC" 6.5 or smaller caliber bullet is still fairly light and can be enjoyed in a package with "moderate" recoil.

Further, many (most?) of the rifles pre- LRF (Laser Range finder) are sub-optimal for long high BC bullets....so the enthusiasts / reloaders and early adopters bought new rifles designed around those higher BC bullets; probably going down in caliber as they did so.

 

[JGRaider]

I find it hard to believe that the decline in quality mule deer bucks is due to LR hunting. IMO it's due to elk population expansion/habitat loss, lack of predator control, and extended drought conditions.

 

[littlebigtine]

I find it hard to believe that the decline in quality mule deer bucks is due to LR hunting. IMO it's due to elk population expansion/habitat loss, lack of predator control, and extended drought conditions.

LR hunting is lack of predator control? Haha

Id say that social media has changed the ethos around hunting. Shaming people from shooting smaller deer and pushing more people who would otherwise be satisfied with a small buck to try harder. Stay longer. Shoot farther. And ultimately harvest an older age class.
Technology and information has completely changed hunting. No secrets anymore.

These things probably have had a bigger effect on mature deer then LRH but I think its naive to believe that LRH has had no effect.

But no doubt, these are the real drivers in order:

Habitat(competition, degradation, limitation)
Weather(drought, hard winter)
Harvest(multiple factors play in, not just LRH)

 

[JGRaider]

LR hunting is lack of predator control? Haha

Show me where I said anything remotely close to that? LRH has had little to nothing to do with lack of quality mule deer bucks is what I said, and I'll stick to that. It's due to the 3 things I listed, IMO.

 

[littlebigtine]

Show me where I said anything remotely close to that? LRH has had little to nothing to do with lack of quality mule deer bucks is what I said, and I'll stick to that. It's due to the 3 things I listed, IMO.

Your misunderstanding my joke. I was pointing out that not regulating the efficacy of human harvest is, sort of, lack of predator control.
I am mostly agreeing with you but asserting that LRH does play a role in the big picture just a small piece of the pie.