bigbulls

It comes down to matching the tool to the job.

If you are elk hunting in an area where a 100 shot would be long then by all means take the 30-30. It will work as good as anything.

If you are hunting elk where the shots could range from 0 to 400 yards then take a more powerful cartridge like a 30-06 or 300 win mag.

If you are like RR and prefer to hunt in an area where you could take 500 - 1000+ yard shots then take an even more powerful cartridge still. Something like a .338RUM, .338 Lapua, .300 RUM.

Colorado Luckydog

I don't shoot 1000 yards like ridgeruner but my 300 ultra mag makes 500 yard shots a no brainer.

I can bang a 16"X16" target at 540 yards with my 300 ultra mag all day long and 400 yards is a breeze. I can't do that with my 30.06.

To each their own.

This coming year, my hunting rifles are already set. I'll be hunting with a 300 RUM, 30.06, 25.06, .223 and a 22LR.

GTOHunter

The Trend I've been seeing is a lot of Hunters get caught up into the hype of using a .300,.300 Win Mag and so on and think they need to get one too....then they end up selling it for a lot less money so they can buy a Rifle they can handle and afford to buy ammunition for...unless of course they can re-load?

I live in Missouri and we don't usually go out and make a 400-500 or a 1000 yard shot,sorry but most live in a dream world and personally the closer I let the Deer come to me the bigger the rush and easier I can see what the Buck looks like,does he have a decent rack is he within the limits of what we shoot etc...?



A good Accurate Gun with minimal recoil that A Person can shot well,accurately and knows it limits is better off taking out to Hunt with than something thats going to make You Flinch while shooting...come on we owe the Animal we hunt some respect and we should make a quick and Humane Kill.



You better re-check the prices on some of those Calibers and look at a good Recoil Chart to see what works well and efficently.The .270 WSM shells were running around $35.00-$40.00 a box of 20 shells and I bet the .300 calibers are close to that or even more?

I have used a 30-06 Remington for many years and finally bought a Browning A-bolt Hunter in a .243 and have taken many Does and several nice Bucks with it,the last 2 years I Hunted with a 7mm-08 and simply love it also.....even went out and bought some 125 grain Managed Recoil shells for my other Bolt-action 30-06 and have the felt recoil like a .243 Rifle...talk about impressed and the great groups at the Range!

I'm not Knocking those Hunters/Shooters that can shoot 500-1000 yards,if You have the right Rifle and practice with it to be accurate out to that far of a distance...more Power to You,its just not my cup of tea!

jdhogg

i use a 1951 721 06 and if in the brush i still use a 1894 30-40 krag.if i cant kill what im hunting with them then i dont need to be hunting period.the biggest magnum isnt gonna make any difference if you cant shoot.and anyone telling me i cant kill an elk at 300 yrds with my 06 is mistaken.

jdhogg

you cant hit at 400 with an 06?

Superpig

People watch hunting shows and believe the hyperbole. If my shooting range is any indication I believe those that haven't grown up hunting watch a show and believe they need a Howitzer to kill a 125 lbs. field dressed whitetail in my area. The people that ask my advice after seeing me shoot are advised to go pick up a 270 Win. and call it a day. Spend your money on a good rifle and scope combo buy some ammo like Core-Lokts or Power Points sight the rifle in correctly and learn how to shoot properly. I've showed quite a few novices how to display trigger control & place shots accurately. Also, allowed a couple to fire a group from my 25-06 at a target and have took some pleasure in showing these individuals that a 117 gr bullet punishes you a whole lot less than a 180 gr. out of the 300 Win Mag & that if you place a good shot the deer is just as dead when shot with the .257 caliber bullet. But like the rest of the world common sense seems to have no place in society these days.

Sfury

I live in Wisconsin and chose to go with a 7mm08. Basically it's on par with the .270, and the 30-06 which are more traditional calibers. It's lighter kicking with a flatter trajectory than them, not that it really matters where I hunt.

It's a gun I can shoot any game I will realistically hunt with in the lower 48 at 200 yards or less. I sight in for 100 yards because it makes sense. Even in big timber country 100 yards can be a long way to shoot through brush. Get up in a stand, and 150 yards is about as good as it gets.

I suppose if I hunted farmland where you could have longer shots, the 250-300 yard ones, then I would practice at those distances. I don't though. No need to.

Honestly, I could have gotten a .243, or 25-06, and would be just as effective at taking whitetail deer. They aren't all that tough. The whitetails taken by my Father and Uncle with their .243s are just as dead as the ones I've taken with my 7mm08, or the .270s and 30-06s that we used to use. Even the .44 my Father has, has taken many deer with ease.

Honestly, I have no desire to go with a more powerful gun. With the partitioned round I use, it's almost too much power.

However, if I was going to go out west, then I would have to make a decision. I may choose to get a more powerful gun should that happen. Even if it did not, I would get a better scope. I have a nice scope for Wisconsin. Not one with a lot of magnification, but great clarity and durable. I would prefer one with better magnification for out west.

I tailored my firearm to my needs. I didn't go crazy like some people do. I've had some people tell me that using anything smaller than a .300 RUM is reckless. Even here in Wisconsin... They believe the BS that is being fed to them.

fritz1

I personaly take pride in my hunting ability. I have never had to make a shot over 250 yards on a big game animal. I shoot alot of long range and have long range guns but I do it on the range and on the prairie dog fields. There are too many variables when it comes to shooting at extended ranges, bullet drop is a constant but wind drift isnt. If you have ever hunted in the mountains you know what I am talking about. You get thermals and cross winds which you cant see or feel because it might be calm where you are at and even calm were the animals at but there is alot that can be happening in the 600-700 yards between the two of you. I have more respect for the sport and the animal to risk wounding it just to brag what a shot I made. It doesnt take a hunter to shoot a animal at 500+ yards, it takes a marksmen. I guess archery and muzzleloader hunting would be totally out of the question for some of the guys on here. People should work more on developeing better hunting skills than to rely on there weapons capabilty. Money will buy you the equipment but cant buy the nessasary skills to be a effective hunter.

Doe Dumper

A 7-08 has flatter trajectory than a 270? LoL You learn something new everyday... I carry both and reload for both.... Better bullet choices for the little 7.... but dont try to make it something it isnt.

fritz1

Actually if you check out the ballistics of the 7-08 with a 145gr. Speer boattail bullet versus the 270 with a 130gr. Speer boattail you will see that the 270 is only about 4-5" flatter at 500 yards but the 270 has less energy at that yardage than the 7-08. It isnt enough difference to notice in a real world hunting situation, it is less difference than the size of a beer can, not enough to notice unless you are shooting with perfect conditions off of a bench. I will take the 7-08 any day, less recoil and muzzle blast, A shorter gun and much better bullet selection. I have a 270, not really impressed with it, I perfer my 280, a much better round in my opinion.