Nomercy

As most of you know, I've been around these boards for quite a while, and because of it, you know I've seen more than my share of "is a .??? good enough for ???" or "what caliber for ???" posts, and bitten on them more than I should have I'm sure....

Anyway, I want to know what everyone is actually shooting for big game, since whenever a guy posts about a small cartridge for deer, all they get is "buy a .30-06 or a 7mm mag" and whenever anyone posts about what I consider to be a true big game rifle for bears or moose, all they get is "buy a .300 mag or .338 mag".

Does no one really shoot .45-70's anymore, not to mention the .375 H&H, .416 RIgby or Rem. mag, or the .458 win mag, and countless other big bores borne only to bring down big game????? Or is it just that all of us hunt a lot of species but can't afford to have a rifle for only one purpose? I once asked about using a .416 rigby for bruins, basically because I love the round and would like to hunt it on something, bruins being the closest bear hunt available to me, I got shunned like I was asking if a .223 was big enough for mulies, but the other way around....what's up with that?

Screw the 10 ring, keep them in the zero!!!

stubblejumper

I use a pair of 7mmstw's for deer,sheep and pronghorn and I use a pair of 300ultramags for moose and elk.For big bears I use a 338x8mm rem mag.

kodiakhuntmaster

I shoot a 12ga smoothbore with slugs.
I have heard a 458 would give you a bloody nose if you weren't ready for it. I would like to get a 338.

"Hey ya'll, watch this"

CAPT BRAD

I have only hunted whitetails so can't compare to out west. For rifles, I own:
2-.22 lrs
.243
2-6mm's
3-30-06's
45-70 Which I have never shot
3-50 cal muzzies
58 cal flintlock which I have never shot

9- 12ga
3- 20ga
1- 16 ga

For deer I have always liked the light rifles. 243
mostly here in Va we are require to use shotgun in the heavily populated north and east. for this I choose my 20ga A-5

I shot a 460 wby mag when I was in college years ago and know about bloody noses. Good thing I had my Wonderbra on!!!

I don't have anything against any of the ones mentioned and will not get into an argument over them. I know what I like and sure you know what you like. I hate when "mines better than yours" conversations take place. Seems like with the heavies the ammo cost skyrockets.

I don't have enough time to shoot all that I have Or enough places to go to do so. I have a friend who's a member of this board that has a 300wsm for sale. I would like to buy it. For What? I don't know just to have I guess.

Good Luck. Capt Brad.

PaJack

I own a "few" gun and I reload for all of them. My friend has this thing about big calibers and Zeiss scopes..he single and hunts Alaska,Canada,always someplace different every year. He has taken brown bears,mountian goat,moose,dall sheep,you name it he has hunted it! He has Robert W. Hart & Son make him a different gun every time he hunts something different! ...I think thats why he has so much cash,never married! He has a .338,.375,a .416 and so many other calibers I can't remember them all! Were talking thousands of dollars on custom made guns and Zeiss scopes on all of them! I asked him why so many when 1 gun will do it all. His answer.."just because
!&quot; And being the good friend that I am,I reload for ALL of his calibers. Some people are CRAZY and I think he is the Captian of the team...<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Hunt Safe!

Jack

rather_be_huntin

I own a 30-06 and a 7mm Rem mag. Th 06 is almost never used though anymore, mostly loan it out to someone in my hunting party. I used it a lot when I was first elk hunting but was impressed with a friends 7mm mag because he always seemed to outshoot me with it. I went out and bought one and he doesn't out shoot me anymore. I like both rifles but I have become very accurate with the 7mm mag and I hunt muleys and elk mostly. The 7mm mag is my favorite cartridge of the two. Flatter shooting and more range. I also handload all of my shells.

Blackhawk357

I have used only 3 different rifles while hnting Mule Deer.
.22-250
.222
.243
Yes I have harvested many Mulies with these rifles and, no, I have never lost one, nor have I had to track one very far. My feeling is regaurdless of what you are shooting, shot placement is the most important aspect. You must feel comfortable with whatever you shoot.

Blackhawk

-----Every day is a great day in Eastern Montana-----

ELKampMaster

God Bless you NoMercy! I thought maybe I was all alone regarding big bores! Seems to be fine to hunt geese with 12gauge 3.5 inch magnums or 10 gauge automatics but inconceivable to most folks to move up rifle caliber along with the body weight of the animal being hunted! I currently shoot a 375HH although I like 338Mags a lot. I've been looking at the 416 Rigby vs 416 Rem Mag and go after something bigger than elk or something dangerous. Any thoughts on the Rigby vs Remington trade off? Also, even though I'm partial to Winchester Model 70's the Czech made CZ-550's are tempting me at $599 new, are you familiar with them - any thoughts?

It is a mystery to me, it only takes two, maybe three (depending on your taste) rifles to cover the North American continent. People will make those lexus payments, buy all sorts of other stuff, and then spend thousands and thousands on a hunting trip and just take grand daddy's old deer gun instead of spending a few bucks to gear up. In answer to your question as to &quot;shunning&quot; I think the answer falls to one of the following: &quot;hunting on the cheap&quot; (as above), &quot;fear of caliber&quot; (real or imagined) or &quot;herd mentality&quot; (wouldn't be good to be different).

Good judgment comes from bad experience! Half of elk hunting is knowing what NOT to do!

EKM

Edited by - ELKampMaster on 12/27/2002 12:24:38

DreaminBoutElk

Here's the current players one my team:
.22
.270
.30-30
.308
.32 spl
.35 rem
7mm mag
.300 win mag
.50 front stuffer (As Beaverjack would call it!!)

I've hunted deer with all of 'em ('cept the .22) and prefer the .270. For elk I only use the .300 win mag. One doesn't always need the magnum power, but if that big bull is only going to give me a quartering shot, I don't want my bullet skipping off a shoulder blade. Just my personal preference. I may add a .338 to the roster and that would be on the chance that I get to Alaska to hunt one day.

kirkl

223 for coyotes and varmints
270 for deer (130 grain) and elk (150 noslers)


http://members.aol.com/kleuenberg/hunting.html