ORIGINAL: HEAD0001
Please enlighten me as to how either of my statements here are wrong?? If you want to quote it that is fine, but please try to explain yourself??
Are you saying that a magnum does NOT do more damage???????
No, a magnum isn't a guarantee that you'll do more damage. Depends on the animal, the range,the bullet, andvelocity at that range.
The only elk I've been able to recover a bullet from the .300 Wby from was hit at just over 300 yards. The other two elk were pass-throughs at less than 300 yardsand both required tracking. On the other hand, the only bullet I've NOT recovered from an elk hit with the .30-06 was one shot at less than 100 yards. Only one of the four elk I've shot with the .30-06 took more than a couple steps after it was hit, and the damage was considerably more than any of those I'd hit with the .300, with the exception of the one hit at just over 300 yards, which was about equal. The pass-throughs eventually laid down and bled out, but there was relatively little associated tissue damage.
You CAN drive a bullet too fast for it to adequately perform. At ranges less than 300 yards, you increase the risk of that considerably with a magnum.
ORIGINAL: HEAD0001
Are you saying that a bad shot is not possible?? Even if you are the greatest shooter and hunter on earth?? Or that a deer shot with a "Pea Shooter" will die faster than a deer hit with a magnum?? Obviously a deer(bad hit) will expire fasterwith the magnum---with the "Pea Shooter", you may not get him at all!!!
You're assuming a lot when you suggest that a magnum will kill faster than a "Pea Shooter" in a gut-shot scenario. The tissue encountered in the gut is significantly different than that around the vitals. Very little bone, very little muscle, mostly water, often very little blood to trail. Bullets don't tend to perform on the gut, regardless of what they're fired from. Nearly everyone I've talked to who's gut-shot a deer with any modern centerfire rifle has had the bullet pass through. There's a reason they call "vitals" what they do. A deer can't function without them. On the other hand, the less vascular tissue in the gut can produce death from minutes to days later.
ORIGINAL:HEAD0001
I guess the words "Pea Shooter" lighted a fire. Sorry about that. But I think a hunter owes it to the game to practice with his firearm. And that a fast kill should always be the #1 priority. And in the hands of a competent shooter a magnum will effectively kill faster. I really do believe that.
No, I could care less if you think a .243 is a"Pea Shooter" for deer. I've two nice 5x5 Whitetailson my wall thanks to it.
I can't disagree that you owe it to the game topractice, or thata quick kill should be the first priority.
I don't agree that a magnum will do it better though.Really, the only thing my .300 doesmore of than what my 30-06 does is "speed". Close in, velocity can be a liability. Beyond 400 yards, I might start giving an edge to the magnum, since it's thendriving the bullet at about the same velocitythat the .30-06 drives it at 100 yards.
ORIGINAL: HEAD0001
There are alot of situations that a good hunter or a good shooter can get into-through no fault of their own. And that extra oooommmmph of a mqgnum can make a difference. How can you not agree with that?? I just can not understand ?? Sorry, just my opinion. Tom.
Like what kind of situation? The only situation I can imagine getting into through no fault of my own where the extra "oooommmmph" would be useful is if I found an elk at over 400 yards that I was comfortable taking a shot at. We don't have any bears where I hunt whitetails, just mountain lions. A .243 will handle both a cat or a deer handily.
Again, I don't "hate" magnums, I have two of them. I rather choose the tool that'll do the job best under the conditions I expect to hunt. For deer, the terminal performance of bothmy .30-06 and .243 are completely adequate and I have no reason to up-gun to a magnum.Truthfully, sometimes I think the .30-06 is too much for deer. If I go somewhere where I expect to be shooting at elk over 400 yards, I'll take the magnum.Will that make you feel any better?