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Favorite Big Game Rifle and Why?

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Favorite Big Game Rifle and Why?

Old 11-14-2018, 05:36 AM
  #21  
Nontypical Buck
 
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My Savage 111 in 30-06. I'm left handed and Savages are a left hander's best friend. They are affordable rifles that tend to shoot very accurately, too. In 30-06, it can pretty much do anything I ask of it.
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Old 11-15-2018, 10:03 AM
  #22  
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i like my ruger 450 bushmaster then a back up would be the 45-70 but i really love to hunt with my muzzleloader. just enjoy the 1 shot 1 kill
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Old 11-26-2018, 06:58 AM
  #23  
Spike
 
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My Marlin 45-70 for now,but I order and paid for a BLR .30-06, 22" today.
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Old 11-28-2018, 05:29 AM
  #24  
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we have all spent time in rather senseless debates, about what rifle caliber or bullet weight is better, or what rifle design or action type is best.
we all are convinced our choices are the best ones, and everyone else is making a mistake,
after watching guys in our hunt club over decades, its all too obvious too me at least that its not the rifle or cartridge selected as much as the,
skill and experience of the guy who is using it that maters.

I've watched one guys dad who is even older than I am convincingly kill several elk with a 257 Roberts with a single shot each time.
I've come to really like using a 340 wby, 375 H&H, and 450 marlin, I can,t remember needing a second shot in 4 decades,
most of the guys think I'm a bit odd, and most use as they always have, a 308 win, 30/06 or 35 whelen.
a few guys like the 358 win, those are by far the more popular choices.....
Originally I was sure my rifle choices made a huge improvement, and for me it instills 100% confidence.
but it does not seem to make a bit of difference... what does make a difference is attitude and persistence!
If anyone really paid any real attention, its been obvious, for decades,
its the guys who are willing to get their butts up and out of camp, and spend every available minute of daylight out in the field,
the guys who spend off season weekends at the range,
and guys that buy and bring topo maps and aerial photos of the areas we hunt,to camp,
the guys who are willing to keep in decent physical condition,rather than try to get back in shape the week before,
we take the trip out west, that are consistently more successful.
Im certainly not suggesting a 30/30 and a 340 wby have similar power or range,
but in the hands of a skilled hunter, who knows his rifles limitations, and selected it,
and is willing to work with-in that equipment's limitations,
either choice, works well.

Last edited by hardcastonly; 11-28-2018 at 05:39 AM.
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Old 11-28-2018, 06:00 AM
  #25  
Nontypical Buck
 
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Maybe it is just a Chuck thing, but I like to match my rifle to the game being hunted. Sure shot placement is the key.
But having said that, many of my shots are through and through with my .308 or 30-06. Maybe the voodoo of hydro static shock plays a roll? Hydro static shock just doesn't seem to work as well on Hogs as it does Deer. Somehow I tend to think anything on the far side of the Deer or Hog is wasted energy.
My 35 Remington rarely goes through a Hog, 200 grain round nose soft point bullets will stagger any Hog I've ever shot, which makes a second shot possible if necessary. Where as often as not my .308 goes right through and just lights the after burners unless I get lucky, very few DRT with Hogs. Most of my shots are when they are crossing, so a fine lay is problematic. And often they are very few yards from a ripe grain field. Knocking them down before they get into the grain makes finding them a whole lot easier.
There is always a fine line between knocking them down and destroying meat, which is another consideration.
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Old 11-28-2018, 06:04 AM
  #26  
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Maybe it’s really just not that hard to kill deer... The target - the heart - is bigger than a fist. That’s not asking much from a scoped rifle anymore, even at fairly long ranges.

We wring our hands over rounds and rifles, when in reality, it just doesn’t take that much scrutiny to kill game. Most of us are lucky to get a few shots each year on a few big game animals, so the investment in that rifle really should be considering how ELSE it can be used to get a return on entertainment value. Then almost anything can be effectively purposed for hunting. Not unlike the last few years, I decided this morning, opening day, which I would use from of a dozen options I have been shooting regularly this year, among 4-5 times as many I haven’t. Any of them can come off of the rack and deliver in the hunting fields, and a scarce few are alike; handguns, carbines, single shots, bolts, semisutos, big fat bullets, little skinny ones... any of them will kill effectively.

We really gotta stop pretending there is some magic about delivering killing shots on game.
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Old 11-29-2018, 11:47 AM
  #27  
Spike
 
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Picked up my new BLR 30.06 today. Gift from the wife for Xmas and birthday.
Attached Thumbnails Favorite Big Game Rifle and Why?-47081252_1973353109410088_9193251152035053568_n.jpg  
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Old 11-29-2018, 11:57 AM
  #28  
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I think your going to find its an impressive and accurate rifle!
I know two other guys with similar 30/06 blr rifles , both guys love theirs,
once they found the load that worked best for them.
WW760, powder, (54 grains is what I use)
IMR 4831
and H414
imr 4350
are all , with a fed 215 primer and a speer 165 grain is a popular combo

https://www.speer-ammo.com/products/...le-bullet/2034
http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=30-06%20Springfield&Weight=All&type=rifle&Source

Last edited by hardcastonly; 11-29-2018 at 12:18 PM.
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Old 11-29-2018, 12:05 PM
  #29  
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What a woman!!!

I watched a 7 point fall to a .300wsm BLR on Tuesday evening .

Beautiful rifles, and they usually shoot great.

-Jake
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Old 11-29-2018, 12:43 PM
  #30  
Typical Buck
 
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Originally Posted by Nomercy448
Maybe it’s really just not that hard to kill deer...
Its not. But recovery is an issue. They can run with no lungs. I havn't had a bear run. But some say they don't run like deer do. I have seen deer run with nothing left of the lungs.
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