What is YOUR Small Caliber on Big Game Experience?

[wind gypsy]

Let me get your thread started off with a post that shouldn’t slam it into a pissing match.

I’ll tell you a story from growing up in the NW corner of MT. The Kootenai is known (used to be known anyway) for big bull moose. Small calibers, and I mean tiny calibers, have been used on bull moose in Libby for decades. When some would draw a moose, they’d ask, “is 7mag big enough, is 300WM big enough, 338?…”. Well, we had an old timer in town that had killed (and helped lucky folks when they’d draw kill) many, many large bull moose… with a BB gun. You heard it. F-ck .223!… a BB gun.

I know. You don’t believe it. Well here’s how old Billy Bob Boothman did it. It was a combination of hunting skill and stalking, observing the animal’s behavior, and then taking the shot at the perfect time.

At that time, moose around Libby spent a lot of time feeding in ponds. You could routinely find them. Billy Bob would wait until the bull had his entire head under water feeding, then he’d shoot him. He’d shoot him right square in the nuts with the BB gun. The bull would obviously, “Snfff!!” and snort up so much water into his airway… that he’d drown. Dead bull. Zero meat loss. All with a f-cking BB gun.
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I know enough people from Libby that its hard to tell if you're joking or if that is an actual Libby story.

 

[Crawl79]

I do some hunting in Mexico, normally keep a large caliber rifle in the truck as well as something small caliber for varmints. Wouldn't recommend it but have dropped a few whitetails with the 204 ruger and a 40grain bullet. Normally smallest that I have used and would recommend would be 22-250. That 204 ruger has head/neck shot a pile of big hogs and dropped them.

 

[deerhunter628]

Is 6.5 cm considered a small caliber for this survey?

 

[5811]

Is 6.5 cm considered a small caliber for this survey?

My intent was 6mm and below.

Thanks!

 

[rclouse79]

I have reviewed the small caliber information and am drinking the Kool-Aid! My 270 is in the process of being re-barreled to a suppressed 25-06, and I will be building a suppressed 223 for my kid.

 

[Oldffemt]

My boys and I have shot a pile of white tails and a few antelope with a 223. Never had a bad experience but I started using match bullets long ago. I’ve since moved up to a 6.5 Grendel, for my elk rifle because CO frowns upon 223. Haven’t had an opportunity with the 6.5 yet. I also shoot a 300wsm if I expect shots over 400 yards. I don’t really discriminate and don’t care what others use, I just like to go hunting. Probably going back to archery gear for the next few years so my youngest can get some experience.

 

[5811]

Well, 24 ish hours in and 144 votes. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe 60-40 or 70-30, but 95% in favor of or open to using small caliber rifles on big game is a surprising result to me.

I thought there would be a bigger number of people who were at least somewhat opposed to it but kept out of the many, many different threads debating the issue and weren't heard from. And maybe there is and they just didn't see or care about this poll.

Thanks to everyone who voted.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Well, 24 ish hours in and 144 votes. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe 60-40 or 70-30, but 95% in favor of or open to using small caliber rifles on big game is a surprising result to me.

I thought there would be a bigger number of people who were at least somewhat opposed to it but kept out of the many, many different threads debating the issue and weren't heard from. And maybe there is and they just didn't see or care about this poll.

Thanks to everyone who voted.

Rokslide is like ground zero for the small caliber crowd though… I kind of figured it would be heavily skewed towards little calibers

 

[MHWASH]

I didn't vote because there wasn't an option for how I feel. I've killed several deer with a 243, 5-7 but don't know for sure. I've never been impressed, and didn't use one for quite a while. After reading Rokslide all last year, I decided to use the 243 95BT combo. This was the first deer I've ever lost. IT was a mature buck. The shot felt good, the buck took off holding his onside front leg in the air. I followed blood specks for a 100 yards up hill before I lost the trail. Again I swore off the 243. After thinking about for a year, I've decided maybe it wasn't the cartridge's fault. I'm willing to try it again.

I've killed several deer, bear and antelope with the 260/6.5 CM and think that is the ideal cartridge for these animals.

 

[mt100gr.]

Been watching this....

There also wasn't a vote for my specific case. But i would have voted "full confidence in the smaller cartridges ". The .223/TMK RSS has been an incredible teaching/killing tool for my daughters. With a suppressor, it is nothing but confidence and fun. They have killed 7 deer in the last 5 years with as many bullets from 110 to 300+ yards with zero drama. Mostly bang-flops, honestly. I've posted all of it in the .223 thread.

I grew up hunting with a 30-06, fudded up to a 7mmRM and 300WM and now mostly carry a 6.5CM. I do use, and have, killed a number of critters with the .223 but I have my rifles set up how I like them for now and usually grab the 6.5.

 

[JGRaider]

Where's the "who cares, there's been 100+ pages devoted to this nonsense already" button?

 

[5811]

Where's the "who cares, there's been 100+ pages devoted to this nonsense already" button?

This wasn't intended to spark another debate. I agree, we have had enough of those. And they aren't stopping anytime soon.

I started this one purely out of curiosity to get a sense of the actual ratio of opinions and stances.

Thanks for bringing it back up, though. I'd appreciate as many responses as I can get.

 

[coyotekilla]

My intent with this poll is to conduct a survey of Rokslide users to estimate the prevalence and commonality of actual usage rates of small caliber on big game by members of the 'Slide. There is a number of Rokslide members who are vocal about being strongly in favor of the use of 6mm and smaller on big game. There is also a number of members that are strongly opposed to the idea. I am curious as to the actual percentages of members that feel one way or the other. I think there are a lot of members that feel more moderately one way or the other that don't participate in the routine debates.

I know this comes up constantly, and it may turn into another small vs large debate in the comments with many of the aforementioned vocal members, but selfishly, I would love to know how the votes stack up. So please choose honestly, and feel free to defend your vote in the comments, or don't, but I would appreciate your participation in the poll. How you vote is not public and you can change your vote later if you change your mind.

Thank you.

What's small caliber? I don't consider the 6mm to be small for deer, moose yes. I've tried 223 on deer with mixed, generally unfavorable results, absolutely love my 243 on them. Friends have used 22-250 & 22arc with good result.

 

[5811]

What's small caliber? I don't consider the 6mm to be small for deer, moose yes. I've tried 223 on deer with mixed, generally unfavorable results, absolutely love my 243 on them. Friends have used 22-250 & 22arc with good result.

My intent was for small to be considered 6mm and below.

I understand that everyone defines small caliber and large game somewhat differently. I left it open to interpretation by keeping it simple instead of introducing a debate on definitions.

I knew I couldn't have a response available to capture everyone's nuanced experiences or opinions, so I was hoping people would select the option that "most accurately" summarizes their stance, not necessarily captures it exactly.

This isn't a vote to decide anything or settle anything with hard data. Just a general reading of the room, so to speak.

 

[eric1115]

What's small caliber? I don't consider the 6mm to be small for deer, moose yes. I've tried 223 on deer with mixed, generally unfavorable results, absolutely love my 243 on them. Friends have used 22-250 & 22arc with good result.

What bullets did you get generally unfavorable results with?

 

[idelkslayer]

I've killed a couple dozen deer with the .243, anywhere from 10 yards out to 300. Most were one shot kills, a few required follow ups but that is more of a statement about the initial shot placement than the caliber or bullet. Pretty much all killed using a 100 gr. sierra gameking bullet, a few were killed with 100 gr. Rem Corelokt.

It is a wild guess but I would say that I got a full pass through and exit wound on 60% of them. The bullets that I have recovered have all been properly expanded. Always have gotten adequate penetration even on quartering shots. Most went down within 40 yards of the shot.