What is YOUR Small Caliber on Big Game Experience?

[mt terry d]

Shot a massive hog here with a .223 - forgot which bullet though. Had great shot placement, but he just flailed around and ran off never to be found again.

Don’t trust the small calibers myself.

I was with a guy that shot an antelope doe 5 times with a 243 before killing it
Looked like a chainsaw massacre
Bullets didn’t enter just splashed on contact
They had worked perfectly shooting prairie dogs the week before
No 243 for me

 

[HandgunHTR]

Link?!?!? I haven’t been over to LRH for at least 5 years…

Still looking for the thread I remember, but here is a very similar one that has a multitude of “typical” responses.

What is the perfect 300 Yard Deer Cartridge with low recoil?

Considering your average Cartridge performs admirably at 300 yards, which one has the least recoil? How heavy of a projectile do you need, and is Ballistic Coefficient important at such close range? I'd like it to be a non-lead bullet as well. Are we talking 7mm-08, or can something as light as...

www.longrangehunting.com

 

[HandgunHTR]

Here is another good one.

Do you hunt deer with a 22 centerfire and if so why?

Not a criticism, just puzzled.…..what is the reasoning?

www.longrangehunting.com

 

[Chris in TN]

Shot a massive hog here with a .223 - forgot which bullet though. Had great shot placement, but he just flailed around and ran off never to be found again.

Don’t trust the small calibers myself.

Did you manage to get photos of the shot placement before it ran off?

Asking because I’m not sure how else you’d know, without a carcass.

 

[Texas270]

Did you manage to get photos of the shot placement before it ran off?

Asking because I’m not sure how else you’d know, without a carcass.

No but it was a shorter shot (not a problem for me) and my FIL had binoculars (we were in the thick woods) and he saw the impact.

What bullet do you typically use? The bullet choice is legitimately the most important aspect of using a small caliber for medium or large game.

I wouldn’t say that I took seven strokes on a par 3 and then not know what golf club sizes I was playing with.

I typically run a Speer gold Dot 77gr in my AR15. But I don’t have a clue what I was running that day. All I know is that the damn hog ate it for lunch

 

[Pharmseller]

I was with a guy that shot an antelope doe 5 times with a 243 before killing it
Looked like a chainsaw massacre
Bullets didn’t enter just splashed on contact
They had worked perfectly shooting prairie dogs the week before
No 243 for me

Maybe using the wrong bullet for antelope?

 

[Deere_Man]

No but it was a shorter shot (not a problem for me) and my FIL had binoculars (we were in the thick woods) and he saw the impact.

I typically run a Speer gold Dot 77gr in my AR15. But I don’t have a clue what I was running that day. All I know is that the damn hog ate it for lunch

I hear ya. I once shot a deer with a 308 Win that we never found. It was putting good blood on the ground for a while. Then it just gave out. Sometimes bullets so funny things on impact.

 

[mt terry d]

Maybe using the wrong bullet for antelope?

I was trying to get texas 270 to see the flaw in his conclusion without stating it directly:
bullets matter.

But, yeah, my friend didn't realize he'd grabbed the wrong
bullets for this hunt. Would have made the greatest anti-hunting video of all time.

 

[Mtndawger]

I’m totally open to the idea and have read all the threads about overall effectiveness. I guess where I lack confidence is if I’m using a mono or a bonded bullet. I can see the damage done with match bullets but I really don't want to destroy so much meat. The bloodshot and the lead fragmentation is a no bueno for me.

 

[Chris in TN]

No but it was a shorter shot (not a problem for me) and my FIL had binoculars (we were in the thick woods) and he saw the impact.

I typically run a Speer gold Dot 77gr in my AR15. But I don’t have a clue what I was running that day. All I know is that the damn hog ate it for lunch

Outliers are a thing.

At the end of the day you don’t ‘know’ where you hit it or with what. That doesn’t give you much to go by.

You said it dropped and flopped then got up. That sounds like a high hit in the spinal processes. I’ve seen deer hit with much larger calibers drop then vanish, from what I believe to be similar shots. I’m not criticizing your skills, just observing that such an anecdote is awfully easy to explain away.

 

[omicron1792]

I’m totally open to the idea and have read all the threads about overall effectiveness. I guess where I lack confidence is if I’m using a mono or a bonded bullet. I can see the damage done with match bullets but I really don't want to destroy so much meat. The bloodshot and the lead fragmentation is a no bueno for me.

You can see how it’s funny the two extremes in this situation.

1. “223 is way too small for deer or elk. Not enough energy or whallop. The animal deserves a quick death”

2. “The damage is too great. We got to save every inch of that meat!”