RE: Cartridge selection...need help
 

This may not be a popular post, but I am going to voice my opinion anyway. I don't believe a new hunter should be concerned with "long range" hunting until he is proficient at realistic ranges (100 yards+/-). I have been deer hunting 25 years and have killed well over 100, and 99% of them were under 100 yards (most under 50 yards). In my opinion, if a hunter can't get within 200-300 yards of a deer, he needs to evaluate why and work on improving his "hunting" skills.

Mignolafan
You still haven't specified where you are in "East Texas" and where you intend to hunt.

I am going to make another caliber suggestion that I don't believe has been mentioned but is a timeless classic. I have safe full of guns in numerous calibers and action types, but for my place in east Texas, I have gone back to a Marlin 336 30-30 as my primary deer rifle. It has more than adequate killing power out to 150 yards and is a mild recoiling round that is a pleasure to practice with. The ammo is also reasonably priced which should enable you to practice more without stressing your wallet.

RE: Cartridge selection...need help
 

I'll throw my 2 cents in FWIW.

First of both the .243 Winand the .270 Winwill get the job done on TX deer out to 300yds. Both shoot plenty flat enough out to 300yds. With the .243 shot placement is more critical and the .270 packs more FPE, oomph, thump, smack, knock down power or what ever you want to call it. If given a choice between the two, I'd opt for the .270 Win. Remember this,a round that will kill cleanly at long range will also kill cleanly at short range, buta round thatwillcleanly kill atshort range will not neccessarily kill cleanly at long range.

Second, if you are new to shooting and hunting,you would be better off to refrain from attempting 300yds shots or anything remotely approaching 300yds. I would concentrate my shooting both target and hunting at 100ys and no more than 200yds for the near future, until you get some experience under your belt. Shooting 300ydsoff a bench is challenging enough for most experienced shooters and hunters. In the field the difficultly factor is at leastdouble. Withthat said don't be afraid to start shooting out to 300yds once you got 100yds, then200yds fairly well mastered. Don't just shoot off the bench either. Shoot from the standing off hand (at 100yd), kneeling, sitting, and prone positions as well, since more than likely you will not have a bench to shoot off of in the field.

Finally, shoot as often as you can. Don't worry about the quanity of rounds sent down range, instead concentrate on the quality of shots sent down range. Concentrate on the fundamentals. Only perfect practice will result ingood marksmanship. Bad fundamentals will only result in poor habits and poor marksmanship. You will get more out of 20 rounds ofproper execution ofmarksmanship fundamentals, than you will out of 200 rounds just sent down range halfassed.

Once you have somewhat mastered the fundamentals, you will have the knowledge and confidence not only in your rifle, but in yourself to make that shot, regardless of whether it's at 75yds or 300yds.

RE: Cartridge selection...need help
 

1 Shot 1 Kill............Good post.

RE: Cartridge selection...need help
 

Thats a good thing to remember. When your hunting you only get one shot. Its that one shot that matters.

RE: Cartridge selection...need help
 

Thanks for all the good advice. Yeah, I think I just wanted to jump right out there in the yardage. Better for me to start reasonable with 50-100 yard shots first off. I'm going to the range w/ the .22 tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.

Thanks Again,

RE: Cartridge selection...need help
 

Remington SPS in 270. IMO for the money there is not a better buy out there and not a better caliber either.

RE: Cartridge selection...need help
 

Awww, c'mon now, James B... what about that SPS in 7mm-08 you've been raving about??? For hogs & whitetails? That sure would be sweet!

Okay, okay, you know I'm only teasing... I'd have to imagine that making you choose one of your rifles over another would be like asking you to choose one of your children over another!:D

FC

RE: Cartridge selection...need help
 

Tell me a little more about the 7mm-08. FC, you said you had one, right? How is it. Last question: About scopes, what is good eye relief? Any examples?

Thanks

RE: Cartridge selection...need help
 

Nope, I don't have one... yet. There are tons of devoted 7mm-08 fans(and owners) on this board,however, and on many other boards. I've been trying to talk myself out of one for nearly 2 years, so far successfully. I am wearing awfully thin, however!

There are an almost stupid number of 7mm variants out there: 7x57, 7mm-08, 7mm Rem Mag, 7mm Rem Ultra Mag, 7mm STW... each of them using different cases & amounts of powder to try to push the same diameter bullet ever faster, and shoot ever flatter. The '08 is on the low end of the velocity spectrum for these cartridges, but that's also true of its muzzle blast & recoil. I, personally, view the 7mm-08 as being wonderfully efficient: it givesa tremendous amount ofperformance (energy, trajectory, on-game power) for the amount of powder burned (recoil, muzzle blast).

Even so, it kills exceptionally well for its size, and it still comes within about 1/2" to 1" of the .270's trajectory at 300 yards, depending on bullet weight: http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/ballistics/comparative_ballistics_results.aspx?data=R270W2*PR C270WB*R7M081. I'd call that plenty flat enough for most everyone's shooting needs.

[DISCLAIMER: these figures are for factory loads, and froma singlemanufacturer. Handloads can wildly skew this comparison, in either direction. This information is meant for general information only, and should not be used as evidence in starting flaming posts, or in insulting the intelligence, wit, judgement, or masculinity of the poster. Soapbox dismounted.]

The 7mm-08 has been likened to a short action version of the venerable 7x57 Mauser, a cartridge my father has used to harvest everything except for grizzlies & brown bears. So, yeah, I guess I'm trying to attach a sentimentalfondness to it. That's what we all seem to do to cartridges! That being said, for hogs & deer, it's nothing but hair splitting to try to differentiate between 25-'06, 7mm-08, and .270 for use on hogs, 'yotes,& deer at 300 yards or under. They'll all be wonderfully effective, and the partisans of each cartridge could wax poetic and technical for days on endabout why their favorite is far & away the best.

If you wanted to make a choice among them, I'd go with 1) ammo availability in your area, 2) your preference for a long action or a short action, and 3) the possibility that you'd ever want to hunt something substantially larger with that cartridge.

So, why don't I have one yet? Well, I was given a .243 for Christmas when I was 11, and I got out of deer hunting when I went to college. After my divorce 2+ years ago, I decided i wanted to try my hand at elk & moose hunting, so I went through my own cartridge search odyssey, and settled upon the .30-'06.I viewthe 7mm-08 as being redundant for me at the moment,addressing hunting situations that my other 2 rifles currently have covered.

However... if my quarry were tobe what you've outlined earlier, I'd probably have the 7mm-08 in my safe as we speak... and probably in a Remmingotn 700 CDL... and probably with a Zeiss Conquest on it...

See, you ask a simple question, & I send you a novel!

FC

RE: Cartridge selection...need help
 

hahaha! (Your writing is very similar to mine) Always been like that, it's a family curse, I guess! Thanks for the info. As far as Wally world goes...I think there's just one variety of both 7mm-08 and the .25-06. Both Remington. I'll check w/ the local gun shop though.

Thanks again,