Are we overgunned? Was Jack O'Connor right?
02-27-2003, 10:27 PM
#81
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky Mountains, Colorado
Posts: 1,964
RE: Are we overgunned? Was Jack O' Connor right?
There is an endless supply and almost no hope of informing them.
220 Swift " big game" hunters should hunt game that is 220 Swift size.
338 Mag " big game" hunters can move on to game that is 338 Mag size.
Confidence goes as far as the first significant failure in a " clean kill opportunity" .
Even then, there is a robust string of excuses available to hunters to cover it up.
All to common a refrain in Elk Country, " I don' t understand it, I had a clear shot, How could I miss, I shot and he just turned and ran away without a flinch or a limp, I' ve killed dozens of deer with that rifle, scope must be off!"
Didn' t miss. Nothing wrong with the scope. These aren' t deer.
Coyotes will always eat well in the fall.
Thats why, at least for some of us, there is " all this talk about what " caliber" to use."
Over the course of the next 15 posts, even if I was able to convince someone (even a little bit) of the importance of matching the rifle and cartridge to the job at hand, then five more will jump up in their place, with grandaddy' s deer rifle in hand.
Coyotes will always eat well in the fall,
and no I' m not talking about gut piles.
Never Go Undergunned,
EKM
220 Swift " big game" hunters should hunt game that is 220 Swift size.
338 Mag " big game" hunters can move on to game that is 338 Mag size.
Confidence goes as far as the first significant failure in a " clean kill opportunity" .
Even then, there is a robust string of excuses available to hunters to cover it up.
All to common a refrain in Elk Country, " I don' t understand it, I had a clear shot, How could I miss, I shot and he just turned and ran away without a flinch or a limp, I' ve killed dozens of deer with that rifle, scope must be off!"
Didn' t miss. Nothing wrong with the scope. These aren' t deer.
Coyotes will always eat well in the fall.
Thats why, at least for some of us, there is " all this talk about what " caliber" to use."
Over the course of the next 15 posts, even if I was able to convince someone (even a little bit) of the importance of matching the rifle and cartridge to the job at hand, then five more will jump up in their place, with grandaddy' s deer rifle in hand.
Coyotes will always eat well in the fall,
and no I' m not talking about gut piles.
Never Go Undergunned,
EKM
02-28-2003, 07:01 AM
#83
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky Mountains, Colorado
Posts: 1,964
RE: Are we overgunned? Was Jack O' Connor right?
Seattle,
Good job, you' ve identified a SECOND source of coyote fodder -- shooting at unethical ranges. However, I see this phenomenon covering the full range of calibers. All legal elk rifles will reach 500 yards. The only correlation I' ve observed is the more " flatter shooting" their rifle is, then the greater their temptation is to " reach out." (This applies both large and smaller calibers.)
I don' t know about your " elk country" but its hard to find a 250 yard plus shot where I hunt even if you wanted it. 210 yards on elk this year was the longest ever for me personally. Most shots are under 100 yards. Elk are animals of the timber, I' m betting most folks find similar ranges (short) -- could be wrong.
Anyway, good call, yes that' s another source of coyote fodder.
Different fish.
Need to fry them seperately.
Never Undergunned,
EKM
Good job, you' ve identified a SECOND source of coyote fodder -- shooting at unethical ranges. However, I see this phenomenon covering the full range of calibers. All legal elk rifles will reach 500 yards. The only correlation I' ve observed is the more " flatter shooting" their rifle is, then the greater their temptation is to " reach out." (This applies both large and smaller calibers.)
I don' t know about your " elk country" but its hard to find a 250 yard plus shot where I hunt even if you wanted it. 210 yards on elk this year was the longest ever for me personally. Most shots are under 100 yards. Elk are animals of the timber, I' m betting most folks find similar ranges (short) -- could be wrong.
Anyway, good call, yes that' s another source of coyote fodder.
Different fish.
Need to fry them seperately.
Never Undergunned,
EKM
