super magnums?
 

Here's my question for those in favor of super magnums. If most of the people today claim a 500yd shot is way to far then why would you want calibers that produce tons of recoil and are exspensive to shoot?

An ultra mag isn't going to plow through tree limbs any better. You still have to hit the animal in the right spot or its wounded. And at 50yds the animal shot through the ribcage wouldn't know the difference because the bullet would zip right through just like all the rest of the fast calibers out there. Outside of penetration on animals like brown bear, I'm wondering if it just not a new fad to the public. If your going to shoot only 200yds or less why not a 458 win or 375 h&h. Those big boys are slow enough to really knock an animal down with a sledge hammer bullet.

Just curious not trying to make fun of

RE: super magnums?
 

Firearm and ammunition manufacturer's are always coming out with new products and promoting them for sale to the public. This is how they stay in business. Most of the new Ultra magnums and short mags are just calibers that were already out there repackaged. Examples the 300,338, & 375 Rem. Ultra mags do nothing that the 300,340, & 378 Weatherby mags would not already do. This is of course if you are using Weatherby ammo. The short mags only duplicate the ballistics of the 300 Win mag and the 7mm Rem mag. They are just packaged in a short action. An action that is 1/2" shorter and an overall rifle length that is 1/2" shorter and only 4-5 oz. lighter doesn't make much difference to me. So, basically it's simply a marketing twist to sale new rifles and new ammo often at inflated prices at first. It's human nature to want something new and improved even if it's not really improved just new. I have many friends that have fallen for the trap of buying and ultra or short when they already have the same caliber in a different magnum. Such as, my neighbor. He has a Winchester model 70 300 Win. Mag w/24" barrel. This rifle with 180 loads I make for him will shoot 3/4" 3-shot groups on a regular basis. He bought a Win model 70 featherweight in 300 WSM. I again produced him a 180 gr handload that is very accurate. Although, he gets about 150 fps more velocity out of his 300 Win. Mag. So, what is the point. He wanted something new!

RE: super magnums?
 

Look at the ballistics charts on the 375 HH mags, and then compare them to the 338 RUM. The Rum hits harder and is running faster with a heavier bullet than the 375 HH. Your going to pay the same amount for the guns. Why not buy something that is not to say a better cal. but is going to give you more bang for your bucks. No matter what cal. you buy you still have to be a competent shooter , and give the respect to the game in qhich you are hunting. Make that one shot kill. Just my thoughts.

RE: super magnums?
 

Even though I'm probably never going to be faced with a shot over 250 yards, my deer rifle of choice is my .300 Wby Sako. I realize it's not needed for the task, but I choose it more often than not simply because it's my favorite rifle. It's quite accurate with my reloads and because I shoot it quite often, I'm not averse to the recoil. Really, I don't think the recoil is bad at all. Anyway, I say if your rifle is up to the task (I don't recommend using a .22 rimfire for instance), then shoot what you want as long as you can shoot it well.

RE: super magnums?
 

Once the shot passes the 350 yard mark the task of making a clean kill goes proportionately higher to the shooter than the tool he is using. In fact there's few shooters than can make full use of the .30-06 cartridge under field conditions and fewer that actually do. For starters, they must be accurately (or reasonably so) to estimate the range....and in long range situations that's easier said than done.

If one wants to buy a gun to impress the folks around the campfire he ought to show up with a classic rifle such as the pre-64 M-70, or Remington's 721 series, or Savage's M99.....

RE: super magnums?
 

Cherokee, energy is the factor here. Velocity to boot. Speed does kill. There is two trains of thought here. Killing by sizzling speeds, and killing by a very large massed bullet. Both have proven to work well. Just to each his own.

Have you priced 458Win ammo lately compared to a WSM?

Superpig, believe it or not, alot of shooters out there really wanted a weatherby type round that is unbelted without an insane amount of freebore. then there was another bunch of people (alot of bench people), that wanted a short action high powered caliber. I was one of them. I have proved time and again to myself that finding a very accurate load for Short Action is much more easier than with a long action. I embrace the new offerings. Makes it fun. I mean we as Americans have the right not to buy or to buy.

RE: super magnums?
 

Cherokee. Very very good question. Vapodog. Excellent Reply. A bullet from 25 caliber on up traveling with enough velocity to hit the vitals of the game you are hunting is all that is needed for quick humane kills. The big Magnums produce much more than needed for any North American game. For those who like to have much more energy than needed, they are the ones who will buy the super cannons. Thats what keeps the gun companies going. And more power to them. Meanwhile back in the hunting fields, A good hunter who owns a 30-06 or 270 Win, will continue to take ALL North American game with no problems. The 338 Ultre mag may have more poop on paper but for the Big Bears I will take the 375 H&H over any of the hyper velocity Mags every time. Hyper Velocity on close up shots on big mean animals will over expand hunting bullets and stop penetration. In testing rifles for close encounters with Big bears found that the 458 Min Mag produced much deeper penetration than the 460 Weatherby Mag even though the Weatherby has much more ME. The same was true for the 30-06 VS the 300 Win Mag. Both examples were using the same bullets in the same calibers. They tested 35 different caliber and load combo's. The 458 Win Mag ranked number one with several 30-06 loads and 45-70 loads also in the top ten. The 12 GA with slugs also ranked in the top ten. The tests were done by North American Grizzly guides and Speer and a couple other bullet companies ballistic engeneers. It was published quite a few years back in Field And Stream Magazine.

RE: super magnums?
 

Yep, use the wrong bullet in a big magnum and you might be disappointed by the results. That's why I use Barnes bullets in mine. I tried the Swift Scirocco last year, but it wasn't up to the task. I've been 100% satisfied with the Barnes, however.

RE: super magnums?
 

Maybe the manufactors should quite trying to sell long and short range guns. They could make things very simple by selling only one cartridge (maybe 308).

Is that want everyone wants?????? I hope they keep bringing out new cartridges like they have in the past. Otherwise we would all be stuck with the 45-70, 30-30 winchesters and 30-40 Krags

RE: super magnums?
 

Good question Cherokee_Outfitters. I think the new big mags a just a fad? Maybe in the year 2024 the 45-70 or 405 winchester will be all the rage?