over analyzing caliber
03-08-2005, 04:22 PM
#11
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wall SD USA & Jamestown ND
Posts: 11,474
RE: over analyzing caliber
Broey 1. You are absoluley right. I have an Uncle who worked as a professional hunter for forty years. He killed every African and North American species of game with one rifle. A 30-06 Model 70 Winchester. From fox to elephant. He owned bigger rifles but had 100 percent faith in that 30-06 and never changed anything but the bullet weight. He was however the best rifle shooter that I ever knew. I have a 6.5x55 Mauser that I would not hesitate a minute to use for all North American Big game. I shoot it well and with the 140 grain Hornady SP I have never had an animal get beyond a few yards. There are far more inferior shooters than there are inferior calibers.
03-08-2005, 06:27 PM
#13
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Montana
Posts: 586
RE: over analyzing caliber
ORIGINAL: broey1
Simple answer to why own them all........ every now and then a man just "wants" something.... not that he has a "need" for it. Seriously, most of my hunting is for deer/hogs.... in those cases the 260, 30-06, and 35 Whelen all do a superb job. I bought the 35 Whelen for elk/moose.... which I used on elk a couple times & will take moose hunting this fall. If I get right down to it, the 30-06 would be just fine for both, but what would be the fun in owning just the 30-06. Buying the 260 was nothing more than I saw it, liked it, and bought it. I've only shot deer with it..... no complaints.... they all died. I might take the 260 on Pronghorn in a couple years.
The point about there being many rounds that will dispatch deer/elk/hogs equally has no effect on the fact that we gun people just like to buy guns!!! I've owned a bunch of different calibers over the years (some magnums too), I just think it's crazy to say a 300 WSM is "better" than a 30-06, 270, or whatever beacuse it will "outperform" it....... when the truth is that they'll all do just fine! Now if a fella (or lady) wants to own 50 rifles all in different calibers, that's cool too!!
Simple answer to why own them all........ every now and then a man just "wants" something.... not that he has a "need" for it. Seriously, most of my hunting is for deer/hogs.... in those cases the 260, 30-06, and 35 Whelen all do a superb job. I bought the 35 Whelen for elk/moose.... which I used on elk a couple times & will take moose hunting this fall. If I get right down to it, the 30-06 would be just fine for both, but what would be the fun in owning just the 30-06. Buying the 260 was nothing more than I saw it, liked it, and bought it. I've only shot deer with it..... no complaints.... they all died. I might take the 260 on Pronghorn in a couple years.
The point about there being many rounds that will dispatch deer/elk/hogs equally has no effect on the fact that we gun people just like to buy guns!!! I've owned a bunch of different calibers over the years (some magnums too), I just think it's crazy to say a 300 WSM is "better" than a 30-06, 270, or whatever beacuse it will "outperform" it....... when the truth is that they'll all do just fine! Now if a fella (or lady) wants to own 50 rifles all in different calibers, that's cool too!!
03-09-2005, 08:42 AM
#16
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
RE: over analyzing caliber
Agreed...Hunting for most of us is a hobby...Use whatever makes you feel good, shoot well and are comfortable with..My favorite deer gun is a .54 flintlock that I made about 15 years ago...Just enjoy using....When it comes to centerfires...I own one...a Ruger 77 that I bought in 1980...in .243 caliber
You will notice more difference in the type bullets used on whitetails than on the caliber...I'm fortunate that my family owns 3 farms in eastern NC...loaded with deer...we kill about 45-50 a year...I have brothers/nephews/buddies etc that hunt with us...I have killed and cleaned deer shot with .243, .260, 7mm-08, .270, .280, 30-06, 7mm Mag and 300 Win Mag...Some days we have 6-7 deer to clean...When you examine the wound channel, distance of shot, distance deer ran after the hit, blood trail etc.....It doesn't matter what caliber killed them....Its more about bullet placement and the type bullet that was used....
That being said...I've always kinda wanted to try a 25-06...LOL...Its surely not a need....Might have to try one...Some day...Just have to get my daughters out of college first....
You will notice more difference in the type bullets used on whitetails than on the caliber...I'm fortunate that my family owns 3 farms in eastern NC...loaded with deer...we kill about 45-50 a year...I have brothers/nephews/buddies etc that hunt with us...I have killed and cleaned deer shot with .243, .260, 7mm-08, .270, .280, 30-06, 7mm Mag and 300 Win Mag...Some days we have 6-7 deer to clean...When you examine the wound channel, distance of shot, distance deer ran after the hit, blood trail etc.....It doesn't matter what caliber killed them....Its more about bullet placement and the type bullet that was used....
That being said...I've always kinda wanted to try a 25-06...LOL...Its surely not a need....Might have to try one...Some day...Just have to get my daughters out of college first....
03-09-2005, 05:12 PM
#18
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,745
RE: over analyzing caliber
I agree with you broey. And the only reason that I buy all these rifles and handguns in different chamberings is to help keep those firearms manufacturers in business and so that their workers have a job.
Thank God for the second amendment.
Thank God for the second amendment.
03-10-2005, 08:13 AM
#19
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Rocky Top Tennessee
Posts: 683
RE: over analyzing caliber
I am a 6.5 fan, I have owned or shot just about every one, including some very rare ones. But I would never start a fight with a Kodiak bear with one. 
Of course, I ain't much into shootin' dangerous animals for any reason but self defense, most of 'em ain't particularly edible.
Of course, I ain't much into shootin' dangerous animals for any reason but self defense, most of 'em ain't particularly edible.
03-10-2005, 05:24 PM
#20
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location:
Posts: 592
RE: over analyzing caliber
IMHO,i don,t think ANY round that was thought up and created is inferior! It was designed then for a purpose and must have served well for it still being talked about today. Some of TODAYS new rounds are inferior as to killing game,as compared to the old ones. You,ve got bullet that are in the next time zone before one bllinks!! Now how does that bullet get a chance to do what a bullets suppose to do on game! One might as well shoot armor piercing ammo,because thats whats its going to do is zipp right throught the game. I could go one and on,but i won,t. All the different callibers,as i stated were made for a reason,and there all good. Why was the 22 Mag created,ect,ect. vangunsmith
