ORIGINAL: homers brother
Actually, the discussion's been about calibers and whether larger is better.How about we look at it this way...
Uncle Sam "stimulates" the economy again and you find yourself in possession of $1500. You've always wanted to hunt elk in Wyoming, but you've heard on this forum that there might be bears there. You already own a .30-06, but have heard on this forum that it's too small for bears, you need something bigger. Your tag will cost upwards of a third of your windfall, lodging, meals, and incidentals consume the rest. That shiny new .338 will run you almost the entire amount once you put decent glass on it. What do you do:
1) Who knows when you'll save enough again, you put in for the draw and plan to go hunt elk?
or
2) You buy the big cannon and hope the your uncle is kind to you again someday so that you might actually use it on the elk hunt that you now cannot afford?
I know I'm hunting this year.
Hello HB, to add levity to the thread, I hope you aren't holding your breath waiting for additional stimulation by Uncle Sam, it sounds dirty particularly given the seemingly high percentage of pre-pubescent "hunters" here.
Ifyou are waiting for Uncle Sam to advanceyou funds that don't exist to go hunting/buy a real gun,priorities might need to be re-evaluated. With that out of the way, there are certain posts on this thread that incorrectly assert an alaskan guide named shoemaker stated an '06 with 200 or 220 grain bullets works as well as anything on the "big bears." Based on the information provided in that post it appears a '06 is just fine for bears.
In many states ittakesyears to draw a tag for the unit you prefer to hunt. I would like to hear from hunters, who have legally tagged an animal larger thana deer, who waited years to get a tagthat choose to hunt with a '06, when they own a larger caliber they shoot well.
I see folks at the range that should not be shooting an airgun, theposition iswrong and the gun does not fit. When they apply their "knowledge" toa firearmthat has snort, the results are predictable. So let's hear it: Who here has tagged a bull, can shoot the same groups with their '06 and a larger caliber, eg .338, andchooses to carry the '06 when they have to wait years for the next opportunity?
Somebody out there with a notched big game tag, please explain if you shoot firearms equally, why "bigger isn't better".
Thank you for your responses.